Characteristics of Families First Participants, 1996
Characteristics of Families First Participants Enrolled in Adult Education in 1996
Dr. Mary Ziegler
Dr. Olga Ebert
Jane Henry
Prepared for:
Tennessee Department of Human Services
Prepared by:
Center for Literacy Studies
University of Tennessee
600 Henley St., Suite 312, Knoxville, TN 37996-4135
September, 2002
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The University of Tennessee Center for Literacy Studies, 2002
Characteristics of Families First Participants, 1996
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i
INTRODUCTION 1
Purpose of the study 3
Data Sources 5
Sample 6
DATA ANALYSIS 8
Demographic Characteristics 9
Academic Characteristics 9
GED Credential 10
FINDINGS 12
Demographic Characteristics 12
Academic Characteristics 18
GED Profile 31
Comparison of Families First GED Recipients and Nonrecipients 47
Demographic and Academic Characteristics of GED Recipients 47
PROGRAM IMPLICATIONS 49
POLICY IMPLICATIONS 51
QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 54
APPENDIX 56
REFERENCES 59
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The University of Tennessee Center for Literacy Studies, 2002
Characteristics of Families First Participants, 1996
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A study was conducted by the Center for Literacy Studies that identified the cohort of Families First participants who enrolled in Tennessee adult education programs in 1996, their demographic and academic characteristics, and whether they received a GED credential. Findings provide information, not previously available, that can assist program staff and policy makers to ensure that Families First participants receive educational services that are effective in helping them find employment that leads to self-sufficiency.
The majority of Families First participants from the 1996 cohort were younger than 30 years of age. If they lived in a county with a large urban center, they were more likely to be Black. This was reversed for the rural counties where participants are more likely to be White.
The majority of participants in the 1996 cohort had completed at least 9th grade or above in school; however, the percentage was slightly higher for urban participants. Although most of the participants had completed at least the 9th grade, only 12.1% had test scores that placed them at the 9th grade level equivalent or above; 29.4% were between the 6th grade and 8th grade,; and 58.5% were below 6th grade level. Participants who lived in a rural area were more likely to have higher test scores. Their average TABE scores were 7.4 in reading and 5.9 in math, while for urban participants the scores were 7.0 in reading and 5.7 in math.
Twenty-three percent of participants dropped out of adult education in less than 30 days, and the majority of these were initially placed at Level 3 and were closest to completing the requirements for the GED. More rural than urban participants stayed in the program at least 30 days.
A comparison of the records of the 5,896 Families First participants in the 1996 cohort with the records of individuals who passed the GED examination before May 2001 showed that 835, or 14.2%, of Families First participants who enrolled in Adult Education in 1996 received a GED credential. More than half (57.7%) of the 835 recipients earned a GED credential in 1997. Some participants from the 1996 cohort may still be enrolled in Adult Education and could possibly still earn a GED.
To better understand which of the demographic or academic characteristics might predict the probability of receiving a GED, a comparison was made between GED recipients and non-recipients, and a logistic regression model was developed. It showed that the independent variables of highest grade completed and TABE math and reading scores were positively associated with receipt of a GED and that White race and rural residence each increased participants’ likelihood of passing the GED. It was also found that those who attend longer than 30 days increase their probability of earning a GED.
Program implications. The study suggests that adult education programs may want to continually test new approaches to help Families First participants increase their chances of achieving their goals in order to assure that the needs of this diverse group of adults are being met effectively.
Participants who score at Level 3, the high school level, are closest to having the skills necessary to pass the GED. This group has the highest rate of passing the GED (31.6%). Participants who score at Level 2, between the 6th- and the 9th-grade-level equivalent, have a somewhat lower rate of passing the GED (23.9%). And those individuals who score at Level 1, below the 6th-grade level, have a much lower rate of passing the GED (6.1%) than the other two groups. Based on these findings, it can be recommended that:
1. The participants who enter at Level 1 may need a different approach in their AE instruction because for them the GED seems to be the most difficult-to-reach goal. Instructional and programmatic strategies used with this group should specifically address the needs of low-level students.
2. Level 3 participants, who have an additional work requirement, may benefit from special guidance or planning that would help this group make plans for managing both school and work so they have a chance of completing their secondary education. Similarly, Level 2 participants should also make plans toward managing both school and work when they achieve Level 3. Such guidance would assure that those who are closest to the goal have a reasonable chance of achieving it.
3. Given the seemingly low percentage of those who earned the GED, a key policy question raised by this study is whether or not the GED is an appropriate goal for all Families First participants who did not complete high school. This goal may not be realistic for all. Some Families First participants may be more productive in activities other than basic education or in activities where life or work-related basic skills are the goal rather than the GED credential. Other, less tangible outcomes of participation in adult education, such as increased confidence, while not an academic credential, may contribute to obtaining employment.
Because the population of Families First participants who did not complete high school is so diverse, multiple strategies and approaches are needed to assist them in meeting their educational goals. This study is the first step in addressing the question “What difference does adult education make in the effort to assist Families First participants in achieving self-sufficiency?” Further research will help us to provide more answers to this question.
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The University of Tennessee Center for Literacy Studies, 2002
Characteristics of Families First Participants, 1996
INTRODUCTION
Tennessee is unique among the states that established welfare reform initiatives prior to the federal legislation that created TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) because the state legislated that adult education (AE) services should be provided for welfare recipients whose basic skills were below the high school level. As described in the Plan of Operation for the State of Tennessee Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, one of the Tennessee’s goals for work and self-sufficiency is “Families will be given the opportunity to complete high school or to earn a GED and advance their skills, provided they are working” (Tennessee Department of Human Services, 1999, p. 7)
Research on the characteristics of Tennessee adults who receive welfare show that in 1995, 50% did not have a high school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) credential (Center for Business and Economic Research, 1998). Although this number has been gradually decreasing since then the proportion of adults without high school diploma remains substantial: in 1997, it was 47.3%, and in 2000, it was 44.8%. Families First, Tennessee’s version of TANF, adopted an education first policy for individuals whose basic skills were below the equivalent of the 9th grade. This policy was based on the assumption that finding and retaining employment would be difficult for individuals who had low basic skills and that lack of education would be a significant barrier for advancement to higher paying jobs. Providing adult education services to Families First participants would enable a percentage of these individuals to obtain a GED. The GED examination measures the academic skills and knowledge expected of high school graduates in the U.S. and Canada. A high school diploma or a GED is a basic requirement for access to many employment opportunities, postsecondary education, and most of the training offered by business and industry. About one in seven high school diplomas issued in the United States each year is based on passing the GED examination (American Council on Education, 2002).
The Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) administers Families First and contracts with other agencies to provide the services necessary to prepare Families First participants for employment and self-sufficiency. Because many participants in Families First were functioning below the 9th grade in 1996, based on standardized achievement tests, DHS contracted with the Office of Adult Education, Tennessee Department of Education, to provide classes to Families First participants that would help increase their basic skills and prepare them to pass the GED examination. Participants who elected to attend were obligated to comply with the attendance requirements (20 hours a week) established by DHS in order to continue receiving benefits. While Families First participants were attending adult education classes, they were not bound by the welfare time limits until they were functioning at the 9th-grade level. The participants whose basic skills were at the 9th grade or above could also attend adult education classes, but they were not exempt from welfare time limits and work requirements. The Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE; CTB/McGraw-Hill, 2001) was the standardized achievement test used to determine the level at which a participant was functioning in both reading and mathematics. The TABE was administered to Families First participants who did not have a high school diploma or a GED or those whose literacy[3] skills appeared low. If a participant chose to attend an adult education program, the results of the test were used to determine the appropriate placement level.
Most of the adult education programs that served Families First customers were a part of the statewide system that is administered by the Office of Adult Education in the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD). Local adult education programs had staff who were experienced in providing instruction for improving basic skills and preparing adults for the GED examination. Some local community-based organizations also provided adult education services. In order to serve Families First participants, local programs hired certified teachers and established special 20-hour-a-week classes. Local programs did not have a uniform system for collecting enrollment and performance data; therefore, when the classes were established for Families First participants, DHS collected the relevant data.
No single source of information has been available about the Families First participants who enrolled in adult education. Although there is research that describes the characteristics of the Families First population in general, there is no research that describes the subpopulation of those who enrolled in adult education to improve their basic skills and prepare for the GED examination. Very little reliable information is available regarding the percentage of these individuals who obtained a GED.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The Tennessee Department of Human Services contracted with the Center for Literacy Studies (CLS) at The University of Tennessee to create a demographic, academic, and outcome profile of the cohort of Families First participants who entered adult education. The data on those who enrolled in 1996 were selected to begin establishing this profile and to identify the most appropriate data elements for analysis. This is the first step in a longer process of understanding the characteristics of participants, their academic achievement, and the outcomes they accomplish as a result of attending adult education classes. The population of participants who do not have a high school diploma varies widely. Carnevale and Desrochers (1999) found that women on welfare possessed substantially lower skill levels than women in the general population. Expectation for academic achievement would be very different for an individual who begins a program with skills at the 3rd-grade level than it would be for an individual who has basic skills at the 8th-grade level. This study seeks to identify the demographic and academic characteristics of the Families First participants in adult education in order to better understand the relationship between these characteristics and the acquisition of a GED credential.
The following research questions framed the study:
· What are the demographic characteristics of the Families First participants enrolled in adult education, including such variables as age, race, county of residence, and highest grade completed; and are there any relationships among these variables and achievement of a GED credential?
· What are the academic characteristics of the Families First participants enrolled in adult education, including such variables as initial placement level, reading and math levels, attendance, and last year of enrollment; and are there any relationships among these variables that might increase the understanding of the characteristics of participants who do and do not achieve learning gains in adult education?
· What are the demographic and academic characteristics of the participants who earned a GED, and are there any significant differences between those who earned a GED and those who did not?
The answers to these research questions have the potential to shed light on the demographic and academic characteristics of the Families First participants in adult education who earn a GED and those who do not. Once these characteristics are identified, it may be possible to predict who is most likely to persist until they are prepared to pass the GED examination and who is least likely to persist. Identifying these characteristics will enable program staff to plan strategies to assist both groups to remain in adult education until they have achieved their goals.
Data Sources
Data for this study were drawn from two databases. The first is the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s JTPA (Job Training Partnership Act) database. DHS reconfigured this state database so it could be used as the primary tracking system for Families First participants as they move to programs that prepare them for employment, to employment, and, eventually, to self-sufficiency. Because the JTPA database was originally designed to create federal reports for the JTPA program and not as a tracking system for Families First, it has serious limitations for evaluating Families First because the data are not easily manipulated. After an individual agrees to participate in Families First, they may engage in a variety of activities that will help them prepare for employment. A record of these activities is kept in the JTPA database.