Curriculum Outline

The Charboneau Adult Learning Center serves adults and “out of school youth”(over sixteen) with basic literacy instruction and support for Transitions to further education and meaningful careers. We offer Transitions Workshops and three types of classes:

· Adult Basic Education (ABE): for beginning literacy levels in Math and Writing. (12 hours per week: Mon –Thurs, 9:00am – 12:00pm)

· Pre-GED: shifts focus to “reading and writing for learning” and basic Math. (14 hours per week: Mon – Thurs, 9:00 am – 12:30pm)

· GED: the focus is on “learning to learn” to improve Writing and Math skills supporting further education in addition to passing the GED. We have two GED classes each meeting 6 hours per week with one in the afternoon (Tues – Wed, 2:00 - 5:00pm) and another in the evening (Tues – Thurs, 6:00 - 8:00pm)

Classes scheduled for more than 6 hours per week have more time to spend on Group Activities* in addition to Individual Academic Requirements.

All classes have a basic Attendance Requirement of 70% which is being increasingly enforced to maintain instructional quality and to promote job readiness skills and habits.

TRANSITIONS to FURTHER EDUCATION and CAREERS:

All learners are encouraged to participate in “Transitions Activities” which are often integrated into regular classrooms but also include field trips to the Career Center, local employers, and local colleges. We also offer workshops on resume writing, interview skills, and job success to our students and the community. Our Transitions Program now includes a Mentoring Program at Greenfield Community College where GED graduates with college credits and experience assist newly enrolled GED graduates. We have also started a paid Internships Program with support from the Regional Employment Board and the cooperation of Mass Rehab and local employers.

All classes have Minimum Academic Requirements in addition to the Attendance Requirement. At the ABE level these requirements include demonstrations of appropriate effort in Writing, Vocabulary Development, and Math.

The academic requirements at the pre-GED and GED levels are somewhat more formalized to promote and support self-directed learning.

Revised Writing Requirement: Each month students are expected to complete at least one piece of writing, revised in consultation with the instructor. The focus is on improving writing and work skills through developing a multi-stepped writing process with revisions often focusing (as appropriate) on Overall Organization, Sentence Structure, Word Usage, and Mechanics. (ABE learners generally complete this same goal although not every month.)

Math Requirement: Students are expected to document at least one completed Math Unit per month. Generally this documentation includes pre and posttest scores and a “Demonstration Document” where students demonstrate problem solving ability with some problems selected by the student and some chosen by the instructor. Learners are discouraged from doing a Demonstration Document until they can score at least 80% correct on a pre or posttest.

Vocabulary/Sentence Structure Activities: Students are encouraged to build up “Word Banks” from class activities and from their own reading. The Vocabulary/Sentence Structure Activity requirement involves choosing five words, defining them, transforming them into different parts of speech, and constructing well-formed sentences using one of their variants. Each month a class picks five words as a suggested basis for this activity. (ABE learners complete this goal with a different structure.)

Reading Journals: These are unedited, sometimes brief, reflections on reading done by students. Journal entries are often based on newspaper articles or books chosen by students. Selected newspaper articles are provided every month. Students are also encouraged to base their journal entries on readings presented in class.

Learners are also encouraged to track books they have read, do Mapping and Graphing Activities, and to document steps toward economic self-sufficiency.

* Group activities are often constructed to integrate Science and Social Studies with Math and Writing using themes like “The Industrial Revolution” or “Global Climate Change.” Health information is also regularly included with frequent support from Women in Action.