In 1992, Konur Oz moved from Turkey to Cape Cod and began to study for his GED high school diploma equivalency certificate at Barnstable Community School's adult basic education program. While he was completing his GED, he enrolled in a new transition program that was based in Cape Cod Community College's Adult Learning Center in Hyannis.

Konur was interested in obtaining his GED, improving his English language skills, and learning more about computers so he could obtain employment in the expanding high-tech field on Cape Cod. In the transitional program, Konur took an advanced English as a second language course, which was paired with a college-level introductory computer class, Microcomputer Applications Software. The transitional program also included activities that were designed to help orient students to college.

Konur was able to successfully complete the transitional courses and subsequently enrolled at Cape Cod Community College. Konur was a dean's list student and took additional college- level ESL classes at the college. In 1998, Konur received an associate in science degree from the college in computer information systems. While enrolled at the college he served as a peer tutor in the Center for Academic Support and Advising, helping other students in writing and computer classes. Konur now works as a technical specialist in the college's information systems department and has just begun teaching introductory computer classes in the college's Project Forward program.

Neucimari Batista, who is from Brazil, was working with a volunteer tutor in the Cape Cod Literacy Council when she enrolled in the transitional program. She has been attending college on a part-time basis and is enrolled in the business management program, also working on an associate in science degree. Neucimari took several distance learning courses and works at the college's adult learning center as a secretary. She also serves as the site coordinator for the Adult Collaborative of Cape Cod for Education and Support Services (ACCCESS) program at Dennis - Yarmouth Regional High School.

Transitional Program
Both Neucimari and Konur were able to benefit from a transitional program funded by the Massachusetts DOE. With money received from the federal DOE, Massachusetts DOE funded the following partnerships: Cape Cod Community College and the Cape Cod Literacy Council; the Haitian Multi-Service Center and Roxbury Community College; Bunker Hill Community College and the Asian American Civic Association and the Quincy School Community Council, now known as Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC).The project, known as the Massachusetts English Language Demonstration Program (MELD), responded to the transitional needs of their students. The project was also designed to create a continuum of services to help students to successfully transition from community-based programs into postsecondary education.

Curriculum, Assessment, Technology
The Cape Cod partnership created a transitional curriculum. Cape Cod chose to use a "learning community" or paired course approach, where students were enrolled in an ESL class as well as a computer class. The content of the computer class helped structure the curriculum for the ESL class. Helen Guran, the original program coordinator, worked with the Barnstable Community Schools and the Cape Cod Literacy Council to create a partnership which assisted students in transitioning from the community-based programs into the college. She also coordinated activities with the college admissions, assessment, financial aid, and academic support staff to help students navigate the maze of entrance into college.

Another key aspect of the program was the training that was provided to teachers in the use of Student Performance Levels (SPLs). The SPLs, based on the Mainstream English LanguageTraining (MELT) project (most commonly known for the BEST test), became a common assessment for all programs across the Cape. By using the SPLs, teachers were able to assign definitions to the terms "beginner, intermediate, and advanced student." With MELD funding, the college was also able to create two levels of ESL for which students receive college credit. The Cape partnership also used technology in its approach. Funds were used to establish a computer lab where students could learn to use word-processing in their writing classes. Also the program included use of the NovaNET computer-based curriculum that could be accessed by students at a distance.

The Cape Cod partnership was highly successful and became the forerunner of the Cape's ACCCESS program, which created a regional system for ABE across the Cape. The college recently received a $65,000 grant to continue its efforts in transitional programming. The college will work with community-based programs to create the continuum of services for transitional students.

Dave Ziemba is the assistant dean of advising and counseling at Cape Cod Community College. He can be reached at 508-362-2131, ext.4527 or by e-mail at: dziemba@capecod.mass.edu