B1009 Adult Education Programming

Policy Statement

Adult Education Programming advances the College’s mission by providing adult learners with opportunities to develop foundational academic skills, attain secondary credentials, and transition successfully into postsecondary education, workforce training, or employment pathways.

Within the Student Success Element of the Shawnee College Continuous Excellence System (SCCES), Adult Education functions as a preparation and transition subsystem supporting adult learners as they move toward postsecondary education and workforce training pathways. 

Adult Education programming supports adult learners who seek to improve literacy, numeracy, English language proficiency, or secondary credential attainment as a pathway toward expanded educational and employment opportunities.

Adult Education programming encompasses English Language Acquisition (ELA), Adult Basic Education (ABE), Adult Secondary Education (ASE), High School Credit Recovery (HSCR), and High School Equivalency (HSE) preparation.  These services may include contextualized instruction, transition advising, workforce bridge programming, and coordinated support services designed to promote learner persistence, credential attainment, and progression into postsecondary pathways.

The College affirms its responsibility to sustain and continuously improve Adult Education programming in ways that expand educational opportunity, strengthen workforce readiness, promote equitable access to learning pathways, and align with institutional priorities for student success.

The Board recognizes that:

• Students benefit when adult education pathways provide opportunities to strengthen foundational skills, attain secondary credentials, and prepare for college-level coursework or workforce training.
• Students benefit when instructional models accelerate progress toward credential attainment while supporting persistence and measurable learning gains.
• Students benefit when adult education pathways are integrated with advising, workforce training, and postsecondary programs that support transition into sustainable employment and further education.
• The institution benefits when adult education programming strengthens the educational pipeline, supports enrollment stability, and expands pathways into credit and workforce programs.
• Communities benefit when adult learners gain access to educational opportunities that support economic mobility, workforce participation, and regional development.

To honor these values, the Board expects Adult Education Programming to:

1. Expand Access to Adult Learning Opportunities – Provide accessible Adult Education programming that enables adult learners within the College’s service area to develop foundational skills and pursue secondary credential attainment.
2. Strengthen Foundational Skill Development – Demonstrate measurable improvement in literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency among adult learners participating in Adult Education programs.
3. Support Secondary Credential Attainment – Promote completion of High School Equivalency credentials or High School Credit diplomas that expand learners’ eligibility for employment, workforce training, or postsecondary education.
4. Promote Transition to Postsecondary Pathways – Support adult learners in transitioning from Adult Education into postsecondary education, workforce training, or career pathways aligned with regional economic needs.
5. Promote Equitable Access and Outcomes – Identify, monitor, and reduce disparities in Adult Education participation, skill gains, credential attainment, and transition outcomes across student populations.
6. Ensure Responsible and Effective Deployment of Adult Education Resources – Demonstrate that program design, instructional delivery, course scheduling, partnerships, and support services are aligned with student demand, workforce needs, and institutional sustainability.
7. Demonstrate Results Through Evidence – Provide measurable outcomes through SCCES Key Performance Measures and Indicators, including:

• • Enrollment in Adult Education coursework.
  • Measurable skill gains among Adult Education participants.
  • High School Equivalency credential attainment.
  • Transition of Adult Education learners into postsecondary education or workforce training pathways.
  • Postsecondary enrollment of Adult Education participants.
  • Equity gaps in participation, credential attainment, and transition outcomes.

Assessment & Monitoring

The Board will assess institutional performance relative to this policy through annual Monitoring Reports that provide clear and sufficient evidence of results.  Monitoring Reports shall:

• Present Key Performance Measures aligned with the Shawnee College Continuous Excellence System (SCCES), particularly within the Student Success Element.
• Apply standardized trend classifications as defined in institutional Monitoring Report Operating Standards.
• Distinguish between institutional evidence and contextual information.
• Include one primary chart per Key Performance Measure when valid longitudinal data are available.
• Use Reporting Notes when data systems are maturing or definitions change.
• Provide Board-facing interpretations consistent with the President Evaluation Instrument.

These Monitoring Reports represent institutional performance at the systems level and are not intended to evaluate individual employee performance; they serve as the primary evidence base for the Board’s evaluation of presidential effectiveness under the President Evaluation Instrument.