| NH: CBOs Backbone of System |
Any state whose motto is Live Free or Die has to have plenty of backbone. And State Director Art Ellison says three major community-based organizations (CBOs) are the ?backbone? of NH?s adult education system. Unlike most other states, NH devotes 40% of all state and federal adult education funding to CBOs. These organizations are strong throughout the state and historically have offered job training and adult education services. They employ most of the full-time adult education teachers and offer programs in the morning, afternoon and evening. CBOs also offer a range of support services that may be unavailable from local school providers. Because the nonprofits have such a well-trained and capable staff, the state frequently calls on them to provide professional development to other programs, including training on the National Reporting System. |
| Record Numbers of GED-Takers Tested in 2001 |
Numbers of adults taking the General Educational Development (GED) test in 2001 broke previous records as learners pushed to earn a GED in advance of changes in the test this year. About one million adults took one of the five parts of the GED, a nearly 32% increase in GED test taking. Folks taking the earlier version had to complete all parts in 2001 or start over with the new version this year. Also spiraling was the number of persons with disabilities requesting accommodation for the GED test and the number of candidates taking the Spanish language version. |
| Are You Serving ?Hypergrowth? Latino Destinations? |
Adult education programs serve some ?hypergrowth? cities whose numbers of Hispanic residents increased at more than double the national rate, according to a new report of Census data by the Pew Hispanic Center. These locations once had small Hispanic populations but now have large ones taking root in the suburbs where jobs are. Among the 100 largest metro areas whose Latino growth exceeded 300% from 1980 to 2000 are: Raleigh; Atlanta; Greensboro; Charlotte; Orlando; Las Vegas; Nashville; Fort Lauderdale; Sarasota; Portland (OR); Greenville (SC); West Palm Beach; Washington (DC); Indianapolis; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Fort Worth; Providence; and Tulsa. Raleigh led with a 1,180% growth in Latino population. According to the Center, the economic downturn has not slowed Latino population growth. Planning more English literacy programs, everyone? Go to the Pew Hispanic Center, click Latino Growth in Metropolitan America and go to Table 3. |
This page last modified—August 8, 2002 (cd).
