Contextualizing Adult Education Classes: Integrating Academic and Career Preparation Pre-College Academic Programming Department Amy Dalsimer Wynne Ferdinand

Contextualizing Adult Education Classes Integrating Academic and Career Preparation GED Bridge to College and Careers Programs The Pre-College Academic Programming mission is to increase adult students’ success in pre-college, post-secondary training, and college degree programs.

Redesign Goals: GED Bridge Project  Create an effective springboard to postsecondary education  Improve alignment to students’ aspirations and post secondary career sector pathways  Increase access to GED and postsecondary preparation for a broader spectrum of literacy proficiency levels

Literacy Proficiency Levels Source: GED Testing Service Fact Sheet, American Council on Education, 2010

What is the GED Bridge Model? A sector-focused approach to GED instruction that uses authentic materials from one career area to build basic skills. GED Bridge to Health GED Bridge to Business GED Bridge to College and Careers

Key Components of the GED Bridge Programs  Contextualized career-focused instruction  Integrated career counseling and transition services  Strong links to degree programs and campus resources

What is Contextualized Curriculum?  Sector-focused Intensive Academic Preparation  Alignment and Focus on Transferable Skills  Interdisciplinary Instruction Using Authentic Material  Student Centered Pedagogy

Teaching Strategies  Developmental Lessons  Student Based Inquiry/Discovery  Differentiated Instruction  Collaborative Learning  Student Reflection  Portfolio and Formative Assessments

GED Bridge Program Design  Managed enrollment  Intensive intake and admissions process  7 th Grade Reading Level and Above (TABE)  14 week cycle with a year-long model  110 hours of instruction per semester; 9 class hours per week  Part time program for students 19 and over

GED Bridge Outcomes 70% of eligible students earn the GED diploma 65% of GED earners transition to postsecondary training and education programs 500 students served since 2007

Free Writing Activity Spend the next 3 minutes recording your own definition for ethics… If you have time: Record some ideas about how you use ethics at work….

When you finish reading, respond to these questions. 1)What is the conflict you observe in this scenario? Describe it in as much detail as possible, using your own words. 2) Who is involved in the conflict and what are some of their concerns? 3)As the owner of the business, what are some steps you could take to prevent this conflict from occurring again? Reading Response

1)What is the best possible decision you could make to respond to this issue? 2)What are the impacts of the decision you chose to make? Who would be affected, and how? Who is affected?How is the person affected?Quality of Impact (Positive or Negative) Business OwnerReceives payment for outstanding debtpositive Group Decision Making Activity

Reflect as an educator  What did you do in this activity? What steps did you follow?  What academic skills did you use/practice?  What professional skills did you practice?

Business Ethics Activity Language Arts Competencies  Practice Close Reading Strategies  Make inferences and predictions  Identify, understand, and present points of view  Make connections between text and personal experience  Articulate understanding of text and discuss it with peers  Answer questions using specific examples  Compare a text to real life experience  Paraphrase and/or summarize information  Interpret, analyze and write critically about texts  Compare and Contrast ideas  Develop and express an argument or point of view

Business Ethics Activity Workplace & Business Sector Competencies  Exhibit individual responsibility and integrity  Use factual evidence to make and support judgments  Work cooperatively  Communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing  Participate meaningfully in collaborations  Use factual evidence to make and support judgments  Apply knowledge to real world situations  Demonstrate problem solving skills  Take point of view of stakeholders  Recognize and use business specific vocabulary

Activity Extensions  Decision Making Model Design  Summation : Individual Writing Response  Textbook Reading: “Business Ethics and Social Responsibility; Doing Well by Doing Good,” BUSN  Ongoing Analyses of Case Studies of Business Practices

Next Steps What ideas and concerns do you have about implementing contextualized basic skills instruction at your own institution,  As an administrator?  As an educator?  As a program coordinator?

Pre-College Academic Programming Department LaGuardia Community College, CUNY