Adult education programs: an untapped resource. (Passing The High School Exit Exam).

Some of you have not been sleeping well lately. Sometimes you wake up in a cold sweat but you never tell anyone. You know it's coming. The High School Exit Exam is on its and you have a sinking feeling that a lot of your students may not pass. You're searching for any resource that will help prepare your charges to successfully conquer the dreaded HSEE (pronounced hiss-ee, as in hissee fit).

Some of you may already be using the new state Remedial Augmentation money to fund after-school skills programs. If those resources aren't sufficient, then you may be overlooking another resource: your adult school.

Many adult education high school programs have teachers already preparing their adult students to pass the same HSEE you've been worrying about. The legislation is very clear. Every student who receives a diploma from your district in the year 2003-2004 must pass the HSEE, and that includes your adult school.

Concurrently enrolled programs

How can adult schools help you prepare your high school students to pass the test in time to graduate with their class? I would suggest you use your already established adult school classes that now have concurrently enrolled students. Remember, we're trying to give these high-risk students who have already failed the HSEE some skills training so they can pass the exam and get on with their lives. They may just need an extra little push, especially in the areas of math and reading. Since your adult education high school program is trying to prepare its own students to pass the exit exam, your concurrently enrolled students should be welcome.

There are a few things you should know about concurrently enrolled programs:

1. First, these concurrently enrolled adult education classes must be held after the regular school day.

2. The course must be voluntary and for sound educational purposes.

3. Your students must have had a counseling session and adults must have priority in enrollment.

4. You must have an approved course outline on file and the course title must be approved by your board from course titles listed on the state-approved A-22 form.

5. You cannot generate more than 10 percent of your day-school ADA in concurrently enrolled classes.

The important thing is that these students have a curriculum designed for adults that augments, but does not supplant, what they are doing in their regular day classes. The state has no desire for you to "double dip" in funding, so you must be sure that your adult education classes that have concurrently enrolled students are designed to teach new skills beyond those that students learn in their day classes.

Starting a HSEE math preparation and review program

In my district, we created a brochure and circulated it to students we thought would benefit from a math preparation and review class. We advertised it in the class schedule, which goes out to 50,000 people in the community, took sign-ups and waited to see how many students would actually show up. It was successful beyond our wildest dreams.

Some 45 students are learning the basics of pre-algebra and algebra two nights a week from 4 to 6 p.m. at the adult school. To handle this larger than expected group, we have hired two instructional aides to help the teachers. We are getting reports back from the regular high school math teachers that students in these classes are now doing better in their regular math classes. The proof will be in the number who actually pass the HSEE after taking our classes. We feel comfortable that this number will go up.

Other ways adult education can help

Right now it appears that seniors who fail the HSEE can take it one more time in summer school, after their senior year. What happens if they have all of the credits needed to graduate but they do not pass the HSEE the second time they take it? You might encourage them to re-enroll in your adult education High School Diploma Program, where they can further prepare and can then take the HSEE as many times as it is offered in a year.

The second use of your adult school's concurrently enrolled program is to help those students who are falling behind in credits and are not on track to graduate. I am always amazed by the fact that some counselors don't take advantage of this obvious resource. Students must be identified early and should be referred to your district's summer session. If they should still fall further behind, then you will want to refer them to your adult school concurrently enrolled classes before they get so far behind that they despair of ever being able to graduate.

There is yet another way your adult school can help you. What do you do when you have students who are 18 years of age and seem to have the ability, but -- for whatever reason -- don't have the credits to graduate? At what point should your counselors recommend that these students go to your adult school at night and prepare for the GED? Many such students, because of personal, financial or emotional problems, would be better served if they got their GED and went on to a community college or the world of work.

Most people don't realize that the GED is a nationally normed test and that about 30 percent of graduating seniors nationwide cannot pass the test. A GED graduate is in good company. We should not discourage students far behind in credits from preparing for and taking it.

Furthering your educational mission

Every principal, counselor, superintendent and board member should be aware of how the services of your adult school can be used to further the educational mission of your district. The primary purpose of adult schools is to serve the educational needs of the adult community, but we are also here to help high school dropouts get back into the system, and to provide classes for those in our district high schools who are in danger of dropping out. Look to your adult school as a resource to help these students succeed.

Ed Whitehead is director of adult education, Mountain View. Los Altos High School District and a school board member for the Santa Clara Unified School District.