The New England ABE-to-College Transition Project
The New England ABE-to-College Transition Project was launched in January 2000 with funding from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Its goal is to enable adult literacy program graduates to prepare for, enter and succeed in postsecondary education in order to help them improve and enrich their own and their families’ lives.
As of January 2004, there are 25 transition programs that are part of this initiative in the six New England states. They operate as part of Adult Basic Education programs in diverse settings: community-based organizations, public schools, community colleges, and prisons. Regardless of the setting, each transition program provides free instruction to adult learners in the basic academic skills of reading, writing, math, and using the computer and Internet. Students also learn study skills, receive educational and career counseling, and assistance in enrolling in higher education. Students who have successfully enrolled in college are mentored to help them to persist in college.
The New England ABE-to-College Transition Project is a comprehensive college transition model that attempts to bridge the academic gaps between a GED/ADP and college-level work through direct instruction. It also addresses the social barriers experienced by non-traditional adult students. The model is based on a partnership between the adult learning center and a collaborating college to facilitate access to and persistence in college.
This project was conceived and designed by the New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC) at World Education. The NELRC provides professional development and technical assistance to the transition programs and manages the project for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.
PROJECT MODEL
Staffing
Programs have two people on staff who serve as one or more of the following:
- Program Coordinator
- Instructor
- Counselor
- Mentor Coordinator
Student Eligibility
To be eligible for the program a student must have a GED, an Adult High School diploma, or a traditional high school diploma but have been out of high school at least five years.
Design
The programs in the project must provide a minimum of 6 hours a week of direct instruction for a minimum of 14 weeks per academic cycle. Programs can choose to run 2 or 3 academic cycles per year serving 10-15 students per academic cycle for a total of at least 30 students a year.
Key components include:
- free college prep courses in reading, writing, math, computer literacy, and study skills that address the gaps between the GED or adult diploma and college level courses,
- educational and career counseling,
- college survival skills,
- peer mentoring and academic tutoring at the college campus, and
- access to support mechanisms at the college.
Indicators of Success
Since its inception in 2000, the New England ABE-to College Transition Project has served over 600 students a year.
The program outcome expectations are:
- 60% of students served must complete the college transition program and
- 75% of completers should enroll in college.
Over the last five years:
- 70% of students served have completed the college transition program and
- 81% of completers have entered college.
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