FREE Things to Send For...
“It is so helpful to get materials through your office with just a simple email. I always appreciate your quick responses. Your help is so much better than trying to track things down from large websites or calling numbers that do not know what we are asking for, wrong departments, or worse yet, no responses at all. I never take the Clearinghouse for granted.”
Donna Byrum, Director
Grayson County College
Adult Education Centers
Denison, TX
GED Preparation
Adult Learning in Focus. Council for Adult & Experiential Learning and National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (2008). Chicago, IL: Council for Adult & Experiential Learning. The report, “Adult Learning in Focus,” has compiled a wealth of national and state-by-state data about how states serve their adult learners. Produced by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, the report draws on data from various sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Education Statistics, and the GED Testing Service. It also provides state-by-state profiles of how adult learners fare in individual states. In addition to online availability at www.cael.org, the Clearinghouse Library disseminates free copies of this print resource to Texas literacy educators only.
Beyond the GED: Making Conscious Choices About the GED and Your Future: Lesson Plans and Materials for the GED Classroom. Fass, Sandra and Garner, Barbara (2006 Update). Cambridge, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. Revised by Eileen Barry in 2006 from the original 2000 guide to include new data and information on the internet, this guide for GED instructors offers lesson plans and helps teachers develop as professionals. GED instructors are often working with people who are interested in getting their GED because they hope or believe it will be the key to their economic futures. This set of classroom materials is designed to provide GED preparation learners with practice in graph and chart reading, calculation, analyzing information, and writing, while they examine the labor market, the role of higher education, and the economic impact of the GED. The intent is to prepare learners to make wise decisions about their work lives as well as being better prepared to pass the GED. It also gives adult learners an opportunity to practice writing, use graphs, read charts, and analyze research findings on the economic impact of the GED. In addition to online availability at www.ncsall.net, the Clearinghouse Library disseminates free copies of this print resource to Texas literacy educators only. Also available is the related resource, Using Beyond the GED, materials for a 4-hour seminar introducing teachers and tutors to Beyond the GED.
The Economic Benefits of the GED: A Research Synthesis. Tyler, John H. (2002). Cambridge, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. As more states use test results as a determinant for high school graduation, many analysts predict higher dropout rates and the growth of the GED as an important educational credential. But does a GED provide economic benefits to a high school dropout? In this NCSALL Research Brief, Tyler reviews the findings on this question from four published papers and four unpublished working papers.
Economic Outcomes of High School Completers and Noncompleters 8 Years Later. Kienzl, Gregory and Kena, Grace (October 2006). Washington, DC: Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. This Issue Brief uses data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) to compare the economic outcomes of high school completers at three different points in time with the outcomes of individuals who did not complete high school. Differences by sex and the type of credential earned are also examined. The findings suggest that individuals who completed high school within 6 years generally had more favorable economic outcomes than their counterparts who completed high school later or not at all. Conversely, few differences in economic outcomes were found between high school diploma and alternative credential holders at both the 4- and 6-year and later completion points. Differences in economic outcomes, however, were most prominent between males and females even after controlling for the timing and type of high school credential earned.
ESL GED Civics Curriculum CD, Version 2.0. Simmons, Jane (February 2008). Tyler, TX: Literacy Council of Tyler, Inc. This curriculum promotes civic responsibility while also integrating other instruction for the typical ESL student. Some examples of these skills are sentence structure, parts of speech, and vocabulary building. The GED lessons also cover other instruction needed by the typical GED student. Some examples of these skills are reading comprehension, essay writing, and mathematical analysis. As the curriculum is distributed and used in the field, it will continue to be revised and other lessons added. The CD (available free on request) contains both PDF and Publisher files. The PDF files duplicate the best but cannot be changed; however, the Publisher files allow you to change the names of elected officials to reflect the people serving in your local area. The print version of these files (with a copy of the CD) is available as a loan item.
Focus on Basics, February 2004, Volume 6, Issue D. NCSALL/World Education (February 2004). Cambridge, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. Focus on Basics is a quarterly published by National Center for Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. This issue’s theme is “Transitions”. Featured articles are: “Relationships Count: Transitioning ESOL Students into Community College Takes Collaboration and Personalized Services”; “Some Findings on the Academic Vocabulary Skills of Language-Minority Community College Students”; “The Open Door Policy: Hidden Barriers to Postsecondary Education for Nontraditional Adult Learners”; “ODWIN: A Program Rooted in History”; “Why Go Beyond the GED?”; “EdCAP: A Transition Program in Transition”; “Building the Desire: Building the Ability”; “Approaches to ABE Transition to Postsecondary Education”; “Pathways to College for Academically Under-prepared Students”; and “Transitions and Math.” In addition to online availability at www.ncsall.net, the Clearinghouse Library disseminates free copies of this print resource to Texas literacy educators only.
Focus on Basics, November 2006, Volume 8, Issue C. NCSALL/World Education (November 2006). Cambridge, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. Focus on Basics is a quarterly published by National Center for Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. Themes of this final issue are Self-Study, Health, GED to Postsecondary, and Disseminating Research. Articles include: “More Curriculum Structure: A Response to ‘Turbulence’”; “Self-Study: Broadening the Concepts of Participation and Program Support”; “Distance Learning as a Backup”; “The GED Via TV”; “Is the GED an Effective Route to Postsecondary Education?”; “Navigating Healthcare”; and “Effective Research, Dissemination: Lessons from NCSALL”. In addition to online availability at www.ncsall.net, the Clearinghouse Library disseminates free copies of this print resource to Texas literacy educators only.
The Influences of Social Capital on Lifelong Learning Among Adults Who Did Not Finish High School. Strawn, Clare L. (May 2003). Cambridge, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. Lifelong learning has become a key concept in planning for economic and social development. The public discussion on lifelong learning is very broad, encompassing continuing education for seniors in an aging but capable population and often oriented to preparing adults for transitions through multiple careers in their lifetime. Previous surveys indicate that people with more education are more likely to access continuing education for personal and professional development. In contrast, this study focuses on issues of lifelong learning for those adults who did not complete high school. In addition to online availability at www.ncsall.net, the Clearinghouse Library disseminates free copies of this print resource to Texas literacy educators only.
Is the GED Valuable to Those Who Pass it? Cain, Alice Johnson (April 2003). Cambridge, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. This article was featured in the first and only issue of “Focus on Policy”, a NCSALL publication intended to translate research findings into implications for policy. Research consistently shows that high school graduates do better in the labor market than do holders of the General Educational Development (GED) credential. But do high school dropouts who get the GED fare better economically than dropouts who don’t get their GED? According to NCSALL research conducted by Brown University’s John Tyler, acquisition of a GED can have a substantial impact on earnings for some school dropouts. This article summarizes three specific research findings to that effect.
A Model for Adult Education-to-Postsecondary Transition Programs. Cain, Alice Johnson (April 2003). Cambridge, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. This article was featured in the first and only issue of “Focus on Policy”, a NCSALL publication intended to translate research findings into implications for policy. This article describes a program designed to help adult education students and GED graduates prepare to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. Beginning in 2000, the New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC) assisted adult education program graduates to prepare for, enter, and succeed in postsecondary education. The NELRC project consists of 25 transition programs in the six New England states, serving more than 700 students in community-based organizations, public schools, community colleges, and prisons. The project is aimed at GED graduates and high school graduates who have been out of school for several years. Free instruction is provided in pre-college reading, writing, and math skills as well as computer and internet skills. Students also receive educational and career counseling, and learn college survival and study skills. Each program collaborates with one or more local postsecondary institutions to provide mentoring and other assistance that helps non-traditional adult learners succeed.
Family Literacy
Early Beginnings: Early Literacy Knowledge and Instruction: A Guide for Early Childhood Administrators and Professional Development Providers. Goodson, Barbara and Layzer, Carolyn and Simon, Peggy and Dwyer, Chris (January 2009). Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy. The National Early Literacy Panel convened in 2002 to conduct a synthesis of the scientific research available on the development of early literacy skills in children from birth to age 5. This report provides detailed information about the panel, its charge, the methodology and analytical approach used to conduct the synthesis, and the research findings and implications for improving early education. The report is intended as a guide to help early childhood administrators, supervisors, and professional development staff provide teachers with the support and training needed to increase their knowledge base and refine current literacy practice.
For the Child: Information on Mental Health and Advocacy for Resource Parents. I Am Your Child Foundation (formerly The Reiner Foundation) (2007). Beverly Hills, CA: Parents’ Action for Children. For the Child: Information on Mental Health and Advocacy for Resource Parents, hosted by Morgan Freeman, will help foster parents and kinship care providers understand the most common children’s mental health problems; navigate the local mental health service delivery system; develop alliances with birth parents, school systems, mental health providers & caseworkers; feel increased comfort with seeking mental health services; recognize the rights and responsibilities of foster children, birth parents, kinship providers, foster parents and caseworkers; identify who to call, what to say, and where to go to obtain the right services; and be an effective advocate for the children in your care. The Clearinghouse Library makes this DVD available free to Texas literacy educators only.
The Pre-K Promise. I Am Your Child Foundation (formerly The Reiner Foundation) (2006). Beverly Hills, CA: Parents’ Action for Children. Quality preschool (or pre-k) programs for 3 and 4 year olds are one of the surest routes to success in school and beyond, according to various studies, but finding a high-quality pre-k program at an affordable price can be challenging. This video, featuring well-known experts on early care and education, provides guidance to help parents understand how preschool programs can benefit young children; what a quality preschool program looks like; what questions to ask when evaluating a preschool; and how to help make quality, affordable preschool programs more widely available. The Clearinghouse Library makes this DVD available free to Texas literacy educators only.
