Structured Abstract
Sample
Chicago, Houston, and Miami are large, urban communities with a disproportionate percentage of non-native English speakers, adults who struggle with literacy and numeracy, and families in poverty.
Initial research
During this project, the city partners and researchers collaborated on mixed-methods research relevant to all sites. They collected survey data from adult education programs in each city and conduct focus groups and case studies to identify the key features of adult education career pathways programs (e.g., student characteristics, program design and delivery, data collection systems and outcome measures used). These studies occurred in phases: a survey of adult education providers in each city (n=147; 72 percent response rate); focus groups with adult education providers in each city (n=18); and case studies of 6 successful programs (2 per city). They used this work to inform local activities as well as understand the broader landscape of CP programming in major cities.
Key outcomes
The main findings from this descriptive study include —
- CP programming is widespread: 83 percent of the organizations offered CP classes and 11 percent were developing them in 2014–2015.
- The features of CP varied within and across cities, including provider types, services offered, instructional approaches, entry requirements, audiences served, funding sources, and types of partnerships, among others.
- The most common employment sectors were education, child development, and family services (44 percent); health and medical technology (38 percent); and information technology (30 percent).
- Agencies served a wide range of students, particularly unemployed or underemployed persons (90 percent), adults who struggle with basic skills (89 percent), and immigrants or non-native English speakers (87 percent).
- CP students were disproportionately women, foreign-born adults, and adults with economic vulnerabilities and limited education.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Project contributors
Partner institutions
Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition
Houston Center for Literacy
Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy at the Pennsylvania State University
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Products and publications
Project website:
Publications:
Inside IES Research Blog Post
Career Pathways Programming in Adult Education Programs: What We Are Learning From Three Cities (2018)
Journal Publications
Prins, E., and Clymer, C. (2018). Career Pathways in Chicago, Houston, and Miami: Key Features and Support Services Among Adult Education Providers. The COABE Journal. Special Edition featuring Career Pathways, pp. 28-51.
Proceeding
Prins, E., Clymer, C., Foreman, S. S., Needle, M., Raymond, B., and Toso, B. W. (2018). Career Pathways Programming for Adult Learners in Three U.S. Cities. Adult Education Research. Full text
Nongovernment report, issue brief, or practice guide
Prins, E., Clymer, C., Toso, B. W., Elder, S. F., Loa, M., Needle, M. Raymond, B., and Ziskind, A. (2017). Career Pathways Programming for Lower-Skilled Adults and Immigrants: Report on Survey Findings. University Park, PA: Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy.
Prins, E., Clymer, C., Foreman, S. S., Loa, M., Needle, M., Raymond, B., Toso, B. W., and Ziskind, A. (2018). Career Pathways for Adult Learners in Chicago, Houston, and Miami: Final Report. University Park, PA: Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy. Full text
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
