Adult Education

Adult Education and General Educational Development (GED) Classes
The course of study and materials are designed specifically to prepare adult learners to pass the GED test and earn their high school equivalency diploma. The GED test covers the following four subject areas: language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics.

English as a Second Language (ESL)
English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are offered in Tuscaloosa County. English skills are taught by using real life situations, such as going to the doctor’s office or filling out a job application. A civics component is also provided.

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 Postsecondary Education and contributions from community organizations, churches, businesses, and individuals.  PLUS Tuscaloosa has the following 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. To volunteer to help someone learn to read, or if you know someone who needs reading help, call PLUS Tuscaloosa at 205.391.2671.

Free Materials
Funded by the Department of Postsecondary Education, all classes and materials are free.

Am I eligible to take the GED Test?

In order to take the GED Test, candidates must meet the following criteria:

I.Not be enrolled in a public K-12 school, a private K-12 school, a church school, or a
private tutoring program registered with the Alabama Department of Education
II. 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, and
III. Meet the following requirements:

a. Eighteen (18) years of age or older
b. Seventeen (17) years of age, exited an Alabama public school, and present to the GED Examiner a Student Exit Interview form from the school system and a notarized letter from a parent/legal guardian giving permission to administer the GED Test to the applicant
c. Sixteen (16) years of age, exited an Alabama public school, and present to the GED Examiner a Certificate of Exemption issued by his/her local superintendent, a notarized letter from a parent/legal guardian giving permission to administer the GED Test to the applicant, and receive a minimum score of ASE low on the TABE Test of “Likely to Pass” score on the GED Ready Mathematical Reasoning and Reasoning Through Language Arts tests
d. Sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) years of age, resident of Alabama, exited a private school, a church school, or a private tutoring program, must present to the GED Examiner a notarized letter from a parent/legal guardian that the applicant has permission to be administered the GED Test –   the letter must include evidence of school withdrawal from school/program.  For sixteen (16) year olds, a minimum score of ASE low on the TABE Test of “Likely to Pass” score on the GED Ready Mathematical Reasoning and Reasoning Through Language Arts tests must be received prior to GED Test being administered.

** Alabama residency is required for applicants under eighteen (18) years of age.

In order to complete the online registration for a 16 or 17 year old, the required documentation listed above must be physically submitted to a GED Testing Center.

GED recipients are eligible to participate in a tuition scholarship program, Alabama GED Scholarship (AGS). Applications may be obtained by contacting the Office of Adult Education at ged@sheltonstate.edu or 205.391.2662 or 877.643.3272.

The Adult Education Program is pleased to offer WorkKeys® 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 forty 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 do the following:

• 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 2,000 individuals have been assessed using the WorkKeys® system. Instructors will provide information about scheduling the assessment.

Alabama has a Career Readiness Credential (CRC) initiative.   Students who qualify for Adult Education (AE) (18 or older or 16 and 17 year old who has officially withdrawn from school and needs a GED or has a high school diploma but is functioning below grade level 12.9) will attend at least 12 hours of AE classes and work on skills based on their individual Plan of Instruction (POI). Targeted instruction, such as WIN, 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, silver, gold, or platinum).

The CRC is 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®, a job skills assessment system measuring “real world” skills employers believe are critical to job success.  These skills are valuable for any occupation, skilled or professional, and any level of education.

Quality Instruction
All our teachers are experienced professionals dedicated to seeing learners achieve their goals. Up-to-date, high quality study materials are used. Many of our classrooms are equipped with computers with programs designed to help learners prepare for the GED and the CRC. Each student works at his/her own pace on specific skills. A skills test is given to evaluate the adult learner’s skills in reading, language, and math. The test allows our instructors to identify the specific skills on which each learner needs to focus. There is no pass or fail on this test, it simply allows the identification of individual needs and the ability to design an individualized course of study for each adult learner. Instructors guide adult learners through individual courses of study and help assist with problematic material. Individualized instruction and testing can also be helpful for students who want to brush up on their skills in preparation for COMPASS, GED, and WorkKeys® testing.

Class Locations
The Shelton State Community College Adult Education Program provides services to Bibb, Greene, Hale, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa counties, as well as Demopolis.

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, call the Adult Education office at 205.391.2662, and sign up for orientation.

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.

For more information, call Phillip Johnson, Adult Education Director, at 205.391.2665 or Curtis Coleman, Site Coordinator for Bibb, Greene, Hale, and Sumter Counties at 205.391.2664 or Kristen Bobo, Site Coordinator for Tuscaloosa County and GED Online at 205.391.2638. The Adult Education Department is located in Building 200 on the C. A. Fredd Campus. Our business hours are Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Inglés como segunda lengua (ESL)
Ofrecemos inglés como segunda lengua (ESL) clases en el condado de Tuscaloosa. Enseñamos habilidades inglesas usando vida verdadera situaciones, como ir a la oficina del doctor o llenar un uso de trabajo así como el abastecimiento de un componente de las leyes y derechos.

Para más información, llamada Phillip Johnson, director de la enseñanza para adultos en 205.391.2664, o Curtis Coleman, sitio Coordinador para los condados de Bibb, Greene, Hale, y Sumpter en 205.391.2664, o Kristen Bobo, coordinador del sitio para condado de Tuscaloosa en 205.391.2638. El departamento de la enseñanza para adultos está situado en el edificio 200 en la C. A. Fredd Campus. Nuestras horas de oficina son lunes- viernes 8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.