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While the majority of adults who take the General Educational Development (GED) test do so in order to continue their education, few go on to enter postsecondary education. Yet, these same adults stand to make substantial economic and personal gains when they use their adult secondary credential to move from the ranks of high school dropout to postsecondary graduate, with the possibility of going from low-wage jobs to careers with a livable wage and benefits. Unlike transition services for high school graduates, which are well-established, the transformation of adult basic education (ABE) programs to include transition services for adults is an emerging area of concern for the field of adult education. Identifying adult education models that help adult learners avoid cycles of remediation at the beginning of their college careers is more likely to produce students who can persist and obtain a postsecondary education credential. In the first five years of adult transition work done by staff at the New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC) at World Education, Inc., the team noticed distinct models emerging in the field. To capture and categorize these models, NELRC surveyed adult education centers with transition components from around the United States, guided by the question: Do ABE-to-college transition programs fall into discrete models and, if so, what are the key features of these models? Through the development of program snapshots and four state profiles, the team discovered commonalities, allowing for an extension of an earlier typology of adult transition programs now to include five models: (1) Advising; (2) GED-Plus; (3) ESOL; (4) Career Pathways; and (5) College Preparatory. In addition, analysis of the aggregated data produced a series of themes and recommendations that other states contemplating adult transition services might find helpful. Appended are: (1) Survey Questions on Emerging Transition Models; (2) Survey Questions for State-level Interviews; (3) Programs Surveyed by Model; and (4) Contact Information. (Contains 7 tables and 1 figure.)

The Adult Multiple Intelligences (AMI) Study investigated how multiple intelligences (MI) theory can support instruction and assessment in adult literacy education across different adult learning contexts. Two interwoven qualitative research projects focused on applying MI theory in practice. One involved 10 teacher-conducted and AMI co-directors-facilitated studies; another was a study across those contexts. Methods included onsite observations, qualitative interviews, and teacher journals. Data analysis in the second study identified these two broad categories of teachers' interpretation: MI-inspired instruction and MI reflections. Findings suggested teachers' MI efforts paid off with high levels of student engagement. Among the MI-inspired instructional practices, projects resulted in the highest levels of authentic instruction, since they related directly to students' experiences. MI theory made topics not grounded in students' lives more meaningful and relevant because students could approach activities from their preferred and strongest intelligences. Choice-based activities were instrumental in increasing the relevance and meaning of lessons and in reducing teacher-directedness. The value of student reflection in building self-confidence and learning-to-learn skills was affirmed. Nine of the 10 teachers implemented some form of MI reflection. Appended are: AMI Study Advisory Council list; AMI Project Application; AMI Teacher Interview and Observation Guide; and Abstracts of the AMI Teachers' Research Reports. (Contains 51 references and 10 figures.) (YLB)

The Adult Multiple Intelligences Study was the first systematic effort related to multiple intelligences (MI) theory in adult literacy education. The study's findings regarding MI theory served as the foundation for a study of MI theory's implications for adult literacy practice, policy, and research. The study was conducted across 10 different adult literacy contexts with different teacher and learner populations. Data were collected through on-site observations, qualitative interviews, and teacher journals. Key findings were as follows: (1) MI efforts can result in high levels of adult learner engagement; (2) choice-based activities increased students' confidence about learning; and (3) connecting MI reflections activities to broader learning goals is important. The following were among the study's implications: (1) teachers must understand MI theory, be able to access it, and be willing to implement diverse learning activities based on it; (2) programs must express institutional support for teachers to engage in and sustain MI-based practices; (3) to reflect MI theory, a policy and accountability system would move beyond current federal funding criteria; (4) the outcome of improved self-efficacy or metacognitive skills could be considered a secondary criterion of an accountability system; and (5) the impact of MI-based interventions on students' self-efficacy and teacher change merit further study. (MN)

This document contains nine papers from a systematic, classroom-based study of multiple intelligences (MI) theory in different adult learning contexts during which adult educators from rural and urban areas throughout the United States conducted independent inquiries into the question of how MI theory can support instruction and assessment in adult basic education (ABE), adult secondary education, and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). The following papers are included: "Will Awareness of Their Own Intelligence Profiles Help My Students Become More Independent Learners?" (Betsy Cornwell); "How Can Teacher and Student, Working Collaboratively, a. Identify the Student's Strongest Intelligences through MI-Based Assessment and Classroom Activities? [and] b. Use the Understanding of These Intelligences To Guide the Learning Process?" (Meg Costanzo); "1. What Impact Do ESOL Activities Informed by the MI Theory Have on Student Engagement and Learning Strategies? [and] 2. How Do Prior Cultural Learning and Experiences Shape Students' Reaction to and Participation in ESOL Activities Informed by the MI Theory?" (Terri D. Coustan); "What Kind of MI-Informed Instruction and Assessment Can Be Developed That Will Help Adult Learners Deal with Math Anxiety, So They May Reach Their Stated Goals?" (Bonnie Fortini); "Can MI-Informed Lessons Help the Progress and Attendance of LD (Learning Disabilities) and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) Students Preparing for a GED?" (Martha Jean); "How Will Adult Diploma Students' Awareness of Their Own Intelligences and Their Participation in Activities Informed by MI Theory Affect Their Career Decision-Making Process?" (Jean A. Mantzaris); "What Effect Does Metacognitive Awareness of Their Own Multiple Intelligences Have on the Perceptions of Effective ESOL Teaching and Learning by Students With Limited Native Language Literacy? What Happens When I Try To Integrate MI into an ESOL Class?" (Diane Paxton); "Will the Use of a Multiple Intelligences Framework Support the Goals and Practices of Popular Education in an ABE Classroom?" (Wendy Quinones); and "How Does Knowledge of Multiple Intelligence Theory Broaden a Multi-Sensory Approach to the Teaching of Writing? How Does the Application of Multiple Intelligence Theory Enhance a Multi-Sensory Approach to the Teaching of Reading?" (Lezlie Rocka). Concluding the document is a 72-item reference list. (MN)