ADULT EDUCATION NEWSLETTER Volume 2/Issue 10 Arkansas ...aalrc.org/adminteachers/newsletters/Adult...

ADULT EDUCATION NEWSLETTER Volume 2/Issue 10

2019 Issue

ADULT EDUCATION

Newsletter

June 2019

IN THIS ISSUE

Adult Education Transition Central Arkansas Graduation Held Pages 2-3 2019 Commencement Exercises Pages 4-6 Around the State Pages 7-8 Upcoming Events Page 9 Helpful Resources Page 9

Arkansas Adult Education Transitions to

New State Agency

On July 1, 2019, Arkansas Adult Education will become a part of the Division of Workforce Services (DWS) under the umbrella of the Department of Commerce. Dr. Trenia Miles will hold the position of Director, Adult Education Section of DWS. Dr. Charisse Childers has been named as Director of DWS, and Mike Preston was appointed Secretary of Commerce. This shift is a part of Governor Asa Hutchinson’s transformation of state government and meets the overall goal of bringing together like agencies.

According to the Governor, the fusion workforce services with areas of economic development will benefit citizens of this state for generations to come. Bringing in high-paying, skilled jobs and having a pipeline of ready workers will help keep Arkansas prosperous.

Graduation

ADULT EDUCATION NEWSLETTER | Volume 2/Issue 10 2

Arkansas Adult Education Hosts Central Arkansas Graduation Four Centers Graduate Nearly 300 Students

The Adult Education Division (Adult Ed) of the Arkansas Department of Career Education celebrated nearly 300 graduates from four central Arkansas Adult Education Centers during a graduation ceremony at the Pulaski Academy Connor Performing Arts Center on June 12, 2019. This joint commencement exercise was a first for the state.

Overjoyed graduates spontaneously tossed their caps into the air as families and friends sustained shouts and applause. Adult Education Centers that participated in the ceremony included those on the campuses of Arkansas Baptist College, Little Rock School District, Pulaski County Special School District, and UA-Pulaski Tech. Also participating were more than 40 students from the Arkansas National Guard Youth Challenge Program who received their high school diplomas through the Arkansas Baptist College Adult Ed Center. Youth Challenge is a residential program for at-risk youth located at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock. Keyondra Perrin, a Youth Challenge Cadet, spoke on behalf of the student body.

“I got my GED® on May 6,” she said. “I’ve enlisted in the National Guard and will be leaving in a few months. I fought against all odds, and although the timeline isn’t what I envisioned and I had a few more bumps than most, I made it. I made it. I took a situation that could’ve been really ugly and turned into my future. I didn’t give up on myself.”

“We congratulate our graduates on achieving one of many important milestones, both in education and in life,” Dr. Trenia Miles, Deputy Director of the Department of Career Education Adult Education Division told graduates. “By earning your Arkansas High School Diploma, you are poised to climb the next big mountain of life. You have the same opportunities as those who graduate from a traditional high school.”

“There are 470,000 Arkansas adults who don’t have a high school diploma, and that’s about 16 percent of our population,” Dr. Charisse Childers, Director of the Arkansas Department of Career Education said. “Those individuals could benefit from an Adult Ed service, just as these students have. When it comes to GED® test preparation, I’m happy to report Arkansas is leading the way nationally.”

In 2018, 88 percent of Arkansans who took the GED® examination passed. The national average is 80 percent.

“By enrolling in an Adult Education program, our students are choosing to enrich their lives and those of their families,” Childers continued. “When our students obtain the education skills they need to get ahead, they also boost the economy and community in which they live. Our students move on to pursue postsecondary education and high-skilled and higher paying jobs that would otherwise be beyond their reach had they not come into one of our Adult Education Centers.”

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. gave the commencement address and encouraged graduates to look to the future.

“Continue to be unapologetically bold,” he said. “Understand that today, you’ve succeeded, and now it is time to be concerned about the future and your impact on it.”

Preceding the graduates’ walk across stage, Dianne Doyle, High School Equivalency Administrator for Arkansas Adult Education announced that many had received college credit or achieved a college-ready status.

The American Council on Education has recommended that the new, rigorous testing through GED® qualifies a student to be granted college-ready status for test takers who have reached a score of 165 on a scale of 200,” she said. “Being designated as college ready allows a student seeking higher education to enter directly into credit bearing college courses, saving time and money by not having further testing or taking remediation courses. Test takers reaching a score of 175 are awarded up to 10 hours of college credit toward a degree, the same as students who have passed tests after taking advance placement courses.”

Doyle also announced a partnership with four Arkansas community colleges that will award the credit to graduates scoring 175 on the test: Northwest Arkansas Community College; Southern Arkansas University Tech; University of Arkansas Community College – Batesville; and National Park College. More than 50 graduates in group qualified for this distinction.


2019 Graduation Ceremonies

Adult Education centers throughout the state recently held commencement exercises. Graduates were of different ages and different paths, but all shared a common sense of success.

Students earning the Arkansas High School Diploma this year are added to the list of millions of others who have earned a GED® credential making them the largest graduating class in America. In Arkansas more than 3,300 people earned the GED® credential during the 2018-19 school year.

Earning a high school diploma is a stepping stone toward college, technical training, a better career and family-sustaining wages. The 2019 graduates are to be commended for the significance of their accomplishment.

2019 Adult Education Commencement

National Park College



NorthWest Arkansas Community College


North Arkansas College



Fort Smith Adult Education


Arkansas Correctional School District


Fort Smith School District


Jacksonville WAGE™ On the Move with New Students Barbara Flake, an Adult Education instructor with Pulaski County Special School District is excited to see the continued progress made by the new students in her class.

In addition to providing content area instruction, Mrs. Flake constantly tries to keep her students motivated and encouraged while helping them achieve their goals.

NWACC Adult Education Honor Society Induction Ceremony Held

The NorthWest Arkansas Community College Chapter of the Adult Education Honor Society held its annual induction ceremony on Thursday evening, April 18, 2019. The Adult Education Honor Society is a national honors organization for adult learners. The NWACC chapter was organized in 2004 and was the first chapter in the state of Arkansas.

Thirty-three adult students were nominated for honor society membership by their instructors. To be eligible for membership a student must be enrolled in the NorthWest Arkansas Community College Adult Education Program. Membership requirements include: Attendance: attend class regularly, arrive on time, and complete a minimum of twelve hours in the classroom; Cooperation: respect other’s ideas and values, participate actively, and work harmoniously with teachers and students; Self-Reliance: comes to class prepared to learn, sets goals and follows through, and takes responsibility for own learning; Achievement: demonstrate achievement through one of the following: academic advancement on official program assessments; pass the GED® Test, or earn U.S. Citizenship.

Guest speaker for the ceremony was Martha Tompkins, assistant principal at Westwood Elementary School in Springdale. Tompkins was born in Mexico and came to the United States when she was 17 years of age. She attended East Texas Baptist University where she met her husband. She has a Bachelor of Science from Henderson State University and a Master’s degree in TESOL from Arkansas Tech University.

The induction ceremony was held in the Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies on the NWACC campus in Bentonville. An informal reception was held following the ceremony.

Around the State


University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) joins forces with Arkansas Baptist College Adult Education

LaTunja Sockwell, a Program Manager for the Research and Evaluation Division with UAMS, recently presented information to students during a “Lunch and learn” organized by LaTasha Dale, Career Coach.

Ms. Sockwell shared information on “Slaying Stigma around HIV in our Communities”, and spoke on the importance of finishing their classes and earning their GED® diploma. Students were able to ask questions about myths and facts about HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

Communication Circle at Seis Puentes (Six Bridges) Pulaski County Special School District.

Cynthia Beene, an ESL instructor with (PCSSD) recently taught an ESL class on “Communication Circles” with a group of ESL students. Communication circles, also known as conversation circles, are a great way for students at various educational levels to participate in talking, sharing and learning. At Seis Puentes, the teachers find this type of learning activity instrumental in having their ESL students speak more English as well as improve their listening skills. Of course, this type of activity isn't just limited to ESL students.

This activity can occur any time during a class - at the beginning for review, throughout class time as a formative assessment, and/or at the end of class for a final recap of the day's lesson. There are so many ways to facilitate a communication circle and when done properly, can really help break down barriers for learning.


ADULT EDUCATION

Newsletter

Adult Education Division Arkansas Department of Career Education Three Capitol Mall, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

501-682-1970

ARCareerEducation.org

Helpful Resources

The Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center (AALRC)

has published the 2018-19 Catalog of scheduled professional development and training. For a full list of upcoming professional development opportunities, please

visit http://aalrc.org/adminteachers/workshops/PDCatalog18-19.pdf

Look for the 2019-20 Catalog coming soon!

Upcoming Events

ESL Summer Institute

July 9-11 (Homewood Suites/Little Rock)

Adult Education Teacher Summit

July 29-30 (Embassy Suites/Little Rock)

Math Institute - TABE 11/12 (Summer PD)

Wednesday and Thursday July 31-August 1 (Embassy Suites/Little Rock)

http://aalrc.org/adminteachers/workshops/PDCatalog18-19.pdf

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