ABE-to-College Transitions

Massachusetts ABE Transition to Community College: Funded Programs
Contact information for the 12 current programs.

Publications

ACLS Guidelines for Effective ABE Transition to Community College Programs  
From the Massachusetts Dept. of Education comes a ten-page document detailing participant eligibility requirements, application steps, and the services required of DOE-funded transitions programs.

ACLS Transitions Requirements in a Nutshell
The essentials as described in a March 2007 ACLS mailing.

CAELA Brief: Supporting Adult English Language Learners' Transitions to Postsecondary Education (September 2006)  
A six-page article giving concrete recommendations applicable on the classroom and program levels.

Field Notes: Transitions (Fall/Winter 2008)
The recent SABES newsletter presents a dozen articles on the dynamics entailed in transitioning from an adult literacy program to college.

Focus on Basics: Transitions (February 2004)
This issue of NCSALL's quarterly journal offers over a dozen articles examing the challenges and successes entailed in fostering an ABE-to-college support system.

Integrating Career Awareness into the ABE/ESOL Classroom  
This comprehensive, 184-page curriculum guide contains nearly 50 ready-to-use lessons on career planning designed to assist learners' transitions to post-secondary education and training.

Transitioning Adults to College: Adult Basic Education Program Models (NCSALL Occasional Paper, December 2006)  
A research study drawn from the first five years of New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC) support for transitions programs, complete with background, premises, methodology, and conclusions/recommendations.

Websites

ACCUPLACER: Introduction for Students
Basic info, sample tests, and test-taking tips for one of the basic assessments of academic skills, courtesy of the College Board.

Adult Literacy Education wiki: Transition to College
A wiki is a communally-built website. This particular one offers links to articles and research briefs on college transitions.

Center for Educational Documentation
The CED evaluates the educational credentials of non-US students for purposes of application or transfer to colleges in Massachusetts (primarily) and a handful of other states.

College for Adults
A well-done site giving an overview of the key steps involved in entering and succeeding in college, including: the application process, arranging for financial aid, developing good study habits, and utilizing the library. Each main section has a short video clip outlining that section's features.

National College Transition Network
If helping ABE learners go on to college is one of your program's goals, this site is a truly grand "how to" outline, with helpful sections addressing counseling resources and curriculum and instruction issues.

USDOE/OVAE: Transitions to Postsecondary Education
A handy, succinct compilation of research studies and promising practices.

World Education Services
Somewhat similar to the CED in Massachusetts, WES evaluates foreign credentials for academic institutions, licensing boards, and employers across the US.