Shifting gears: community colleges and adult basic education

This paper explores some of the barriers adult basic education [ABE] students face in obtaining postsecondary credentials. We locate community college-based adult education within the broader context of ABE and examine the outcomes of these programs. We then highlight the various challenges faced by community college-based ABE programs. Many of these challenges have their roots in the structure of the colleges and ABE within various states, and the policy landscape under which the two - ABE and community colleges - co-exist. We offer concrete suggestions to policymakers that can be used to improve the outcomes for ABE students by describing the lessons learned from three state-level policy initiatives and then providing specific suggestions for federal support of similar efforts. Finally, we conclude with a recommendation for an enhanced federal role in ensuring more significant ABE outcomes to benefit both students and the nation's economy.

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