Adult
Education
Family Literacy of Racine's Adult Education Program provides two levels of ESL and two levels of ABE (Adult Basic
Education) instruction:

  • Beginning ESL
  • Intermediate ESL
  • Advanced ESL/Early GED
  • GED

Students attending these classes display
a wide range of abilities and backgrounds.
Many beginners have pre-literacy skills
in their native language, while advanced
students may read and write English well
above the level of many native US born
adults.  

The advanced ESL/Early GED class
is meant to bridge the gap for ESL students
from fluency in conversation to reading and writing skills necessary before they start working on attaining a GED, a
higher skilled job, or starting post secondary education.  Some students already possess a high school degree in their native
country.  Others have attained higher skills in English than they ever had in their native language.  

Classes are taught by state certified, experienced  instructors and students' progress is measured twice yearly with the BEST
(Basic English Skills Test) for ESL students and the TABE (Test of Adult Basic English) for Early GED and GED students.  

The TABE provides a grade level score for reading, and is used to place students in the appropriate level.  The Early-GED
students usually have reading scores between 1st and 5th grade; the GED students' scores range from 6th grade to 11th
grade.

Integrated Services:

Integrated into the adult language instruction is the family/community learning component.  Adults learn about child
development, how to attend a parent/teacher conferences, fire safety, lead prevention, childhood asthma, household poisons,
computer and the internet, nutrition, gang prevention, etc.  

Trained professionals--nurses, doctors, family educators, social workers-- visit to provide this information.    See
"Family/Community Learning" for more.