Melissa Singler – Director of the Basic Skills Department Cape Fear Community College website: T HE B ASIC S KILLS D EPARTMENT

W HAT IS THE B ASIC S KILLS D EPARTMENT ?  Each community college in NC has a Basic Skills Program  Basic Skills includes: Adult Basic Education (ABE), Adult High School (AHS), General Education Development (GED), Compensatory Education (CED), and English as a Second Language (ESL)  Objectives: help adults obtain literacy skills to obtain jobs, assist in their children’s education, and pursue high school completion

W HO DO WE SERVE ?  Adults without high school diplomas or those whose reading or math skills are below 9 th grade level  Dropouts – 16 & 17 year olds whose parents/guardians withdraw them from school and give notarized consent for them to attend  All students must be assessed with a Federally and State approved test. We use the CASAS.

A DULT H IGH S CHOOL OR GED  Adult High School (AHS) – requires students to obtain the 21 credits for graduation mandated by NC DPI. - students may take 2 credits per 9 week session  General Education Development (GED) – requires to students to pass the GED test. - program is self-paced - 5 tests – reading, math, science, social studies, and writing

ABE & GED  ABE - for adults whose skills are below 9 th grade level and want to improve them to obtain a AHS diploma or GED  GED – for adults whose skills are at or above 9 th grade level  CFCC’s website:  GED sample test questions and website: u/ged/test/prep/sample_questions.htm u/ged/test/prep/sample_questions.htm

AHS  For students who have 9 th grade or higher skills and want to obtain their high school diploma  21 credits required by NC DPI  Affiliations with New Hanover and Pender County Schools Systems  Strict attendance policy  Courses run every 9 weeks  Diploma signed by CFCC’s President & Board President, NH or Pender Co. Superintendents & School Board Presidents

ESL  Students develop English language skills to get a job, assist their children with schoolwork, better understand American culture and history, and improve communication skills  Students may transition to ABE, GED, or AHS classes  Classes are offered in New Hanover and Pender Counties  Students cannot be enrolled in public school

CED  Adult students with intellectual disabilities (formerly called mental retardation) who have not had an education or have received an inadequate one  Helps students become as independent as possible through acquiring basic and life skills needed to function successfully in daily living

S TUDENTS BY P ROGRAM  ABE = 1,995  AHS = 557  GED = 397  CED = 189  ESL = 685  Total students = 3,837

P ERFORMANCE M EASURES  Retention rate = 75% for based on students making progress on CASAS tests and obtaining their goals  Moving students from one academic level to a higher level based on CASAS testing  % of students obtaining AHS diplomas or GEDs GEDS and 156 AHS Diplomas in  Transitioning students into jobs or college/training programs

F OR MORE INFORMATION  Melissa Singler –  Cape Fear Community College –  CFCC Basic Skills website  GED Testing website - u/ged/test/prep/sample_questions.htm