The Indianapolis Star
September 24, 2007

Keep kids in school while adults pick up skills

Our position: An evaluation of the effectiveness of Indiana's adult education system is overdue.

The goal of the state's adult education system should be to help older high school dropouts gain the basic skills needed for them to eventually gain good jobs. It shouldn't focus on 16-year-olds intent on garnering equivalency diplomas at a time when they should be in high school.

Yet, a series of recent and upcoming reports shows that Indiana's adult education programs are often filled by teenagers rather than older workers.

Sixteen- to 18 year-olds accounted for 30 percent of Indiana's adult education enrollment during the 2003-04 school year. That's double the national average of 14 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Only Alabama and Vermont have higher percentages of teenagers enrolled in adult ed programs. The teens usually are high school dropouts pursuing a GED. Research has shown, however, that GED recipients earn less than regular high school graduates over their lifetime. The goal must be to keep more teens in school while building an education system that meets older adults' needs.

An upcoming Indiana Chamber of Commerce report finds that the programs aren't tied to the community college system or to workforce development. All of the $24 million spent each year on adult education is directed to only 43 public school districts and the state Department of Correction. The linchpins of the state's workforce development efforts -- Ivy Tech and the workforce centers -- are left out of the loop. As a result, adult learners can't easily transition into advanced-skill programs or gain needed help in their job searches.

The chamber's report, scheduled for release this fall, determines that the programs' performance is ineffectively measured. Why? Because surveys used to measure performance focus only on the goals set by students, not on whether they have advanced to college, moved off welfare or become gainfully employed.

State law requires that adult education subsidies be directed only to local school districts. Federal law, however, allows the money to be directed to community colleges and other providers.

The state Department of Education is primarily responsible for overseeing adult education programs. It would help if efforts were coordinated with the Department of Workforce Development, which operates worker-training centers in the state.

Integrating the adult education system into workforce development also would reduce inefficiencies and save money.

The state Office of Management and Budget, in a report issued in June, recommended that state education and workforce development officials work closely on coordinating adult education. That recommendation should be followed. Changing state law to allow Ivy Tech to tap into adult education funds also would help.

All this must be done to ensure that Indiana's workers receive the training they need to improve their economic destinies.