Adult Education - Information
Adult Education and General Educational Development (GED) Classes
Our course of study and materials are designed specifically to prepare adult learners to pass the test and earn their high school equivalency diploma. The GED test covers five subject areas: Writing, Reading, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
We offer English as a Second Language (ESL) classes in Tuscaloosa County. We teach English skills by using real life situations, like going to the doctor’s office or filling out a job application as well as providing a civics component.
Project Literacy United States (PLUS)
PLUS Tuscaloosa is a community wide effort using trained volunteers to teach adults to read. The program is administered and coordinated by the Shelton State Community College Adult Education Program and is funded by the Department of Post Secondary Education and by contributions from community organizations, churches, businesses and individuals. PLUS Tuscaloosa has three goals: to raise awareness of the problem of adult functional illiteracy; to recruit and train volunteer reading tutors; and, to encourage participation of those who need assistance with reading. If you would like to volunteer to help someone learn to read or if you know someone who needs reading help, call PLUS Tuscaloosa (205/391-2671)
Free Materials
All of our classes and materials are free. We are funded by the Department of Postsecondary Education.
Free GED Practice Test
We offer free GED practice testing. We suggest that adult learners take the GED practice test before scheduling the official GED test. The practice test will identify if there are any areas that need to be worked on before taking the official GED test. We offer the practice test as a courtesy to help individuals gauge whether or not they are ready for the exam.
GED Testing Center
Am I eligible to take the GED Tests?
In order to be administered the GED Test, candidates shall:
a. Not be enrolled in a public K-12 school, a private K-12 school, a church school or a
private tutor program registered with the Alabama Department of Education.
b. Not have earned a secondary school diploma from a public school or a private
school registered with the Alabama Department of Education. NOTE: Those
awarded the Alabama Occupational Diploma (AOD) as defined in §290-3-1-.02(8)
(g) of the Alabama State Board of Education Administrative Code are eligible to
take the GED Test.
c. Meet one of the following requirements:
i. Eighteen (18) years of age or older.
ii. Seventeen (17) years of age, exited an Alabama public school prior to
August 1, 2009 and present to the GED Examiner a notarized letter from a
parent/legal guardian giving permission to administer the GED Test to the
applicant and official documentation from a city/county local education
agency verifying that the applicant has withdrawn. The official
documentation may also be a letter on letterhead stationery from the local
superintendent or principal.
iii. Seventeen (17) years of age, exited an Alabama public school on or after
August 1, 2009 and present to the GED Examiner a notarized Student Exit
Interview form from the school system.
iv. Sixteen (16) years of age, exited an Alabama public school prior to August
1, 2009 and present to the GED Examiner a notarized Certificate of
Exemption issued by his/her local superintendent.
v. Sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) years of age, resident of Alabama, exited a
private school, a church school, or a private tutor program and must
present to the GED Examiner a notarized letter from a parent/legal
guardian that the applicant has exited the school/program and has
permission to be administered the GED Test.
** Alabama residency is required for applicants under eighteen (18) years of age.
How much of my time will be required to take the GED Tests?
The battery of five GED Tests takes 7 hours and 5 minutes to complete. Adult Education classes are suggested, but not required to take the test.
How much does it cost to take the GED Tests?
If you are taking the GED Tests for the first time, it will cost you $50. If you are retesting, it will cost you $10 to retake each of the Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, or Language Arts Reading tests.
Registration
Please call the GED Test Center at 205/391.2676 for registration and testing dates. Registration attendance is required before taking the test. The test is given in Room 101 of the CA Fredd Campus, 3401 MLK Jr. Blvd., Tuscaloosa.
For additional information:
http://www.accs.cc/gedfaq.aspx
GED Scholarship
GED recipients are eligible to participate in a tuition scholarship program.Alabama GED Scholarship (AGS)Applications may be downloaded from the AL College system web site at
http://www.acs.cc.al.us. Click on GED, then Scholarship Application. A copy of the press release may also be viewed at this site.
WorkKeys
The Adult Education Program is pleased to offer Workeys assessment and training to students who meet assessment criteria. WorkKeys is a national workforce development system developed by ACT, an international leader in educational assessment for the past 40 years. It is used by employers nationwide to identify the skills employees need to be successful on the job and to determine where additional training can help develop a higher caliber workforce.
WorkKeys can allow employers to:
- Identify the key job skills and the levels of competency needed to meet job requirements.
- Assess the skills of applicants and the skill levels of current employees to pinpoint current skill levels.
- Compare the skill levels of applicants against the minimum job skill level requirements as well as determine any training needs of the current employees.
By using WorkKeys through Shelton State major industries are bridging the skill gaps between employment and the current worker applicant pool. Over 2000 individuals have been assessed using the WorkKeys system. Instructors will provide information about scheduling the assessment.
Career Readiness Credential (CRC)
Alabama has unveiled a new Career Readiness Credential (CRC) initiative. Students who qualify for AE (18 or older – 16 and 17 year olds who have officially withdrawn from school and need a GED or have a high school diploma but are functioning below grade level 12.9) will attend at least 12 hours of Adult Education classes and work on skills based on their individual Plan of Instruction (POI). Targeted instruction such as WIN, KeyTrain, Aztec and Plato can be used in place of or in conjunction with the traditional Adult Education computer programs and workbooks. The students will take posttests. When their targeted instruction and TABE posttests indicate, they will be eligible to take the WorkKeys© assessment. The WorkKeys© scores will be used to determine if they qualify for the CRC credential and will indicate the level of the credential (bronze, sliver, or gold).
Several things to remember – the CRC will be an economic boom for our state and will help our students find employment. It will in essence be a statewide database of qualified employees. The CRC will document a person’s skills based on WorkKeys© which is a job skills assessment system measuring “real world” skills that employers believe are critical to job success. These skills are valuable for any occupation – skilled or professional – and at any level of education.
Quality Instruction
All of our teachers are experienced professionals who are dedicated to seeing learners achieve their goals. We use up-to-date high quality study materials. Many of our classrooms are equipped with computers that have programs designed to help learners prepare for the GED and the CRC. Each student works at his/her own pace on specific skills. Our instructors give a skills test to evaluate the adult learners’ skills in reading, spelling, language, and math. The test allows our instructors to identify the specific skills that each learner needs to work on. There is no pass or fail on this test. It simply allows us to identify individual needs and design an individualized course of study for each adult learner. Instructors guide adult learners through their individual courses of study and help the learners whenever the learners have problems with the material. Individualized instruction and testing can also be helpful for students who want to brush up on their skills in preparation for COMPASS, Ability to Benefit, GED, and WorkKeys testing.
Class Locations
The Shelton State Community College Adult Education Program provides services to Bibb, Greene, Hale, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa Counties.
Registration
You must be at least 17 years old and not enrolled in a K-12 program to register for Adult Education classes. Registration is always open. Unlike K-12 public education, Adult Education classes are not guaranteed to all. Students attend an orientation before enrolling in a class. To register for classes, just call the Adult Education office (205/391-2662), and sign up for an orientation.
It is the official policy of the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education, including all postsecondary institutions under the control of the Alabama State Board of Education, that no person in Alabama shall, on the grounds of race, color, disability, sex, religion, creed, national origin, or age, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program, activity, or employment.
For more information, call the Office of Adult Education, at (205) 391-2662 or Mr. Phillip Johnson, Adult Education Director, at (205) 391-2665 / pjohnson@sheltonstate.edu or Curtis Coleman, Site Coordinator for Bibb, Greene, Hale, and Sumter Counties at (205) 391-2664 / ccoleman@sheltonstate.edu ,or Kristen Bobo, Site Coordinator for Tuscaloosa County and GED Online at (205) 391-2638 / kbobo@sheltonstate.edu. The Adult Education Department is located in Building 200 on the C. A. Fredd Campus (3401 MLK Blvd., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401). Our business hours are Mon.-Thurs from 7:30 am—6:00 pm and Fri from 8:00 am-12:00pm.