Perspectives of Adult Education Group Work

 

Perspectives on Adult Education

March 14, 2021

Group Member	Roles	Commented on
Dani Staley	Co lead with Rhonda Focus on discussion 4 Proofread and post to blog
Rhonda Jones	Co lead with Dani Introduction and conclusion Create google doc Create table and creative formats	Group 3
Christi Martzall	Focus on discussion 2 Double check citations
Megan Stoner	Focus on discussion 3 Double check grammar

Introduction

Adult education is an ever changing field.  Along with the changes in adult education comes differences in opinions on where the field should be heading.  One big issue that is debated often is the direction of the federal funding for adult education.  The funding has had a path of focusing on job oriented or career based education. After listening to the interviews with three leaders in the field we will compare their opinions and thoughts on the subject.  According to a CRS report by Bradley, “Workforce development programs provide a combination of education and training services to prepare individuals for work and to help them improve their prospects in the labor market.”  This is a popular opinion of the masses on how to better appropriate the federal funding.  However others feel the adult learner should have more say if they are interested in a formal secondary education.  Adult education will always be changing and the learner as well as the educator will need to be willing to change along with it.

Interview 2 - Introduction 

By subsidizing public colleges and universities, government makes higher education attainable for more students. A better-educated society is a society that has less crime, better health and welfare, and a larger skill set. In addition to higher lifetime income, the student can share their knowledge with others in the hopes of creating a better environment (social, economic, health, etc.). 

Dr. John Boulmetis is Professor Emeritus of the School of Education at the University of Rhode Island (URI) in Adult Education (Boulmetis, 2021). In this brief, undated audio file Dr. Boulmetis states that adult education in the United States will continue to only be supported with federal monies (taxpayer dollars) when it “benefits the country”. He clarifies his point by saying that to continue to receive taxpayer support, the focus of adult education must be “turning people into productive citizens”. Furthermore, he states that we will never see a substantial amount of federal money going to support adult education programs that focus on “social justice, community education, or community development”. 

 

Interview 2 - Discussions 

It would have been helpful to hear more of Dr. Boulmetis’ interview. But after listening to this snippet several times, it seems to me that he is saying that continued government support of adult education is clearly only market driven. To me, this is controversial. Although more abstract from an economic perspective, social justice and community driven education programs are also essential in turning students into productive citizens.  

Education is a key factor in fueling economic growth (Bosworth, 2008). Economic capital and human capital are always going to be competing objectives that must be balanced. Current federally funded adult education and family literacy programs are designed to improve basic skills, assist adults in completing high school, and prepare them for transition to post-secondary education. But how much support do taxpayers provide to educational programs outside those parameters? It doesn’t seem like very much. 

I have personal experience with federal educational funding of adult educational programs because of my prior service with DWD in Indiana. So, I know that that most of the federal funding in this field of adult education comes from federal grants. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) carries out a program of national leadership activities to enhance the quality and outcomes of adult education and literacy activities and programs nationwide. WIOA is very specific about a student’s eligibility for funds. Grants are only awarded to students in approved adult education programs. WIOA defines “approved” as an occupation in high demand. For example, a learner seeking federal support to become a certified yoga instructor would not be eligible since that occupation is not currently in-demand in the US. 

 

 

Interview 2 - Implications 

 

If the federal government continues to fund adult education programs based on a market driven model, many adult practitioners will not find the financial support they need to continue their professional and personal growth. Adult education leaders need to be at the forefront of advocating for the expansion of adult training and education programs beyond that of literacy, higher education, and Occupations in Demand. Government must first recognize the value in adult education programs that fall under this category of “personal growth”. Personal growth is equally as important as formal education. Frequently, formal education will follow personal growth. However, until our society moves away from a capitalistic economy, and moves toward a more advanced version of what most people view as “adult education”, money will never flow easily. Adults looking to obtain a professional certificate, or find they need financing for a personal retreat, will have to look to banks and other lending institutions. 

Interview 3 Introduction

The interview discusses in length the federal funding of adult education. The interviewer observes that there has been a decline in adult education since World War 1. She laments that the government's budget has alarmingly reduced in adult education, which should not be the case. The interviewee counters the discussion by stating that adult education funding has not declined. However, it has shifted to offering pieces of training to the adults that would make them suitable for employment. Since the major reason for education is to make a person's life better, the interviewee argues that giving adult students training to make them suitable for employment would be better than just taking them through education to make them philosophical.

The interviewee goes ahead to correct the interviewer's statement that there has been a decline in adult funding from the federal government. He states that the term "adult education" was replaced with many different terms depending on the sector. He says that funds have been allocated in different government sectors that offer training to adults to make them suitable for the particular job descriptions they intend these people to do. An example of such training is military training.

The interviewee dodges the federal government's reduced funding by stating that they are more focused on offering the adult skills that would make them employable. However, in as much as these skills are necessary for adults, it is important to note that these skills cannot replace the role of education in these adults.

Interview 3-Discussion

The federal government has the Adult Education Act (AEA), which plays a great role in ensuring adult literacy and adult basic skills education (Figlio & Loeb, 2011). The interviewee, in a way, dilutes the role of literacy among adults by stating that they are not making the adult students philosophers, but they intend to make their lives better by creating them have skills that would make them get jobs. The federal government does not see the effectiveness of offering basic education to adults and has turned to appropriate these funds to "better" more goal-oriented programs. These programs include job training, prisoners' rehabilitation, and the reformation of immigrants.

The interviewer's statement of the funding on adult education reduction has some basis of truth. This is because, for the past two decades, the financing for adult education has been increasing. For instance, in the fiscal year 2020, the funds allocated for adult education was $656,955,000 (Dept. of Education, 2020). However, the increase in funding did not increase the appropriation for Integrated English Literacy and Civics education. These two received the least allocation in those two decades.

Interview 3- Implications

I am afraid I have to disagree with the federal government's thought process and their reason behind opting to replace basic education with offering the adults skills that make them get jobs. Some adults desire education to be employed and learn and attain the prestige of being educated. The federal government reducing the funds allocated for adult education does them a great disservice. When the funds are reduced, it means that even the education providers will not have adequate tools and resources with which they can use. Since the federal government claims to have channeled the funds of adult education in the different sectors of training, these funds are meager compared to other funding that the government offers to education and the population that needs it. The idea of using adult education to focus on specific jobs may have to tendency to pigeonhole an adult learner into a job that may not be their passion.  If we gave them the option of a more formal education, we give them more options.

Interview 4- Introduction

            The interview with Carol Kasworm discusses how defining adult education has become a bit of challenge in the United States. While adult education is still very important and plays a large role in our workforce today, it has become so ubiquitous that it is hard to define and talk about in a unified way. Kasworm talks about how there are countless organizations and groups that work with adults in a learning environment by means of professional development and social movements. Another factor that plays into this challenge is that the definition of adult education has changed over the course of United States history as high school and college education have become more common. In the interview, Kasworm talks about the work that Texas has done through adult education and English as a second language courses. Texas has excelled in having a strong adult education force because they have government funding and politics working towards a common goal. Lastly, she mentions how in some cases adult education is missing the mark. So much adult education is focused on liberal arts when the reality is that the work force needs more technical and rational skills. While this is a problem in adult education, it begins in primary and secondary schooling.

Interview 4-Discussion 

            LaShondia Green-Pollard discusses Texas’s attempt at increasing adult education and literacy statewide. As Kasworm mentioned, Texas has been very focused on adult education and literacy; they had a goal to raise the literacy rate in their state by 10% between 1999-2004 (Green-Pollard). One can deduce that this is because of their high levels of immigration. Green-Pollard stated that at the time of the initiative, 40-46% of African Americans and 50-51% of Latinos studied were at the lowest level of literacy defined by the National Literacy Act. Even though Green-Pollard published this work before the initiative was over, Texas ranked the 46th most illiterate state. This finding shows that even though government funding is important to adult education, the way that the learning takes place and who you get involved in the program may have more of an impact than anticipated. 

            Kasworm mentioning that adult education so ubiquitous and challenging is a contested by Alisa Belzer and Jeounghee Kim. They point out that a government policy that focuses on workplace development in adult education is too narrow. Belzer and Jeounghee state that thinking specific adult education programs are a miss and don’t have the benefit of higher employment levels that are often intended. When this occurs, adults miss other transferable life skills and often don’t succeed as they had planned because there is such a high level of difficulty in acquiring specific and necessary skills. They recognize that workplace adult education is valuable, but they argue that a broad adult education programs also improves health outcomes, civic engagement and social measures in their communities. 

Interview 4- Implications

            In comparing the interview with Kasworm and the work done by Green-Pollard and Belzer and Jeounghee, one can begin to infer that because adult education has become ubiquitous, it has made it harder for the government to see positive results in their efforts and that focusing on the workplace only is not effective. The field of adult education is ever evolving to meet the needs of those seeking to be lifelong learners. Adult education can take many forms based off of the needs of those participating. In Texas there is a high demand for ESL classes and helping immigrants thrive in America. While this is the focus in Texas, elsewhere there is a focus in workplaces to help people advance in their careers. There are also adults participating in adult education programs to enhance their basic life skills or become an expert in something. 

            As we become adult educators, it is important to remember that adult learners come from different backgrounds and have a wide variety of goals. Depending on the objective of the program we are leading and who will be attending, it is important to adapt the approach we take in educating them. The time of day and the location for someone in Texas taking an ESL class may need to be during the evening at a community center; however, someone taking a continuing education class for work may find it easiest to take the course during work hours and at their office. Adult education will likely continue to be ubiquitous which means that as adult education program planners, we need to remain adaptable to meet the needs of our learners and communities. 

 

Conclusion

After going over the three interviews focusing on the appropriation of federal funding, it is clear the need for the funding is needed.  The true question is where should it be focused on.  Is it best used for a training adults for a specific career or job set, or is it best used for a formal secondary education?  The thoughts of a formal education may just help the learner with personal growth and personal satisfaction, but is it the federal funding that should be used for those purposes. Those for formal education believe you are giving the learner options, instead of pigeon-holding the learner to a job. By using the federal funding for specific job skills and workforce development the communities and families within are better served.  The federal funding is also used to grow the workforce by educating immigrants and those with limited English skills.  For many, specified learning is the answer.  

 

Introduction	Adult education is a fluid field and will need to adapt to the needs of the learners and educators.   Federal funding and its allocation will always be a hot topic that not all will agree on.
Interview 2 Introduction	The interviewee believes federal funding a better-educated society is a society that has less crime, better health and welfare, and a larger skill set. The interviewee also believes the only way the federal funding will be used for secondary education will be if it can be proven to benefit the community.
Interview 2 Discussion	Continued government support of adult education is clearly only market driven. Current federally funded adult education and family literacy programs are designed to improve basic skills, assist adults in completing high school, and prepare them for transition to post-secondary education. Funding will always be need driven.
Interview 2 Implications	Funding for adult education is market driven.  Only “needed” professions are funded. Personal growth should be considered equally important.   Learners seeking certificates or retreats not deemed “needed” have to seek funding through banks or other institutions.
Interview 3 Introduction	Adult education funding has not declined but simply shifted to making learners more suitable for employment as opposed to being philosophical. Job skills and employment opportunities remain high priority for funding.
Interview 3 Discussion	Funding for literacy is to create more productive employees. Funding is being used for more goal-oriented programs. These programs include job training, prisoners' rehabilitation, and the reformation of immigrants.
Interview 3 Implications	By focusing funding on specific job skills, you are doing a disservice to those who wish to better themselves and have more opportunities. Funding for specific jobs could pigeonhole a learner and not have the opportunity for advancement or changes.
Interview 4 Introduction	With changes in adult education involving organizations, such as companies and pilantrophies, it is hard to define adult education. Learning environments help create professional development and social movements.
Interview 4 Discussion	Work based education is hard to follow results of education and often miss the mark. Workplace adult education is valuable,  a broad adult education programs also improves health outcomes, civic engagement and social measures in their communities.
Interview 4 Implications	Adult education has become ubiquitous. The results are hard to follow.   Adult education has to be fluid to adjust to the needs of the times for both the learner and the community.
Conclusion	The views of federal funding for adult education varies based on perceived need. Formal education vs. job bases skilled training vs. basic English language education.   Adult education will always be a changing and controversial topic.

 

 

 

References

Belzer, A., & Kim, J. (2018). We Are What We Do: Adult Basic Education Should Be About More Than Employability. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 61( 6), 603– 608. https://doi-org.proxy.bsu.edu/10.1002/jaal.693

Boulmetis, J. (2021). John Boulmetis | University of Rhode Island. University of Rhode Island – 

Academia.edu. https://uri.academia.edu/JBoulmetis 

Bosworth, Brian. “The Crisis in Adult Education.” Issues in Science and Technology 24, no. 4 

(Summer 2008).

Bradley, David H. (2021). The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the One-Stop Delivery System.  

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44252

 

Dept. of Education. (2020).                                                                                                                                                                                                         https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/2020-allocation-memo.pdf

Figlio, D., & Loeb, S. (2011). School accountability. Handbook of the Economics of Education, 3, 383-421.

Green-Pollard, L. (2005). A Qualitative Study of Adult Basic Education in Texas: Relationships of Planning Decisions and Program Funding to Literacy and Adult Education Levels, 1999-2004 (Doctoral dissertation, Baylor University, 2004). Ann Arbor, MI: ProQuest Information and Learning Company.