Adult Basic Education

What are basic skills?

The basic skills and competencies that adults must master in order to participate fully and effectively in society include reading, writing, computation, listening and speaking, creative thinking and problem-solving, personal effectiveness, group effectiveness, societal effectiveness, and knowing how to learn.

Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs, offered primarily through public school districts, community colleges, technical colleges, and private, non-profit organizations serve learners ages 16 and over who are not formally enrolled in school and have educational skills below the high school completion level.

Adult Basic Education programs may include any or all of the following components:

Beginning (grades 0-5.9), intermediate (grades 6.0-8.9), and secondary (grades 9-12) Adult Basic Education classes which provide educational opportunities for individuals lacking basic skills.
GED preparation classes which provide study for the Tests of General Educational Development. Successful completion of the five-test GED examination results in the awarding of a State of Minnesota GED Diploma, generally accepted as the equivalent of the high school diploma.
Adult High School Diploma courses which are offered for credit, and when local requirements and individual educational plans are completed, result in the awarding of regular high school credential. Such courses are sometimes offered through the Internet.
English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction which provides literacy and language education to individuals whose primary language is not English.
Family Literacy programs which bring together undereducated parents and their children to help foster an increased appreciation for education and facilitate the basic skills of both parents and children.
Workforce Literacy programs which bring together the needs of business and industry and their workers to help meet their mutual needs for skills in the workplace.

Did you know these facts?

The General Educational Development (GED) Testing Service develops and distributes the GED Tests.
More than 860,000 adults worldwide take the GED Tests each year.
Those who obtain scores high enough to earn a GED credential outperform at least 40 percent of today’s high school seniors.
GED graduates include: comedian Bill Cosby, actor Christian Slater, Delaware’s Governor Ruth Ann Minner, and U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado.
One out of every seven high school diplomas issued each year in the United States is based on passing the GED Tests.
More than 95 percent of U.S. employers consider GED graduates the same as traditional high school graduates in regard to hiring, salary, and opportunity for advancement.

Typical course work

Course work varies depending on each student's goals. Independent, one-on-one, and small group study methods are used. Course work usually includes some or all of the following:

Reading
Mathematics
Writing
Job seeking skills
English as a second language
GED test preparation
U.S. Citizenship preparation
Computer literacy
GED Sample Test Questions

Training locations

Most Minnesota school districts have ABE programs available or cooperate with an Area Learning Center to provide basic skills, academic high school completion programs and support services to serve dropouts and adults who need basic skills.

For more information contact your local school district administration office or the 'Hotline' at the Minnesota Literacy Council. Phone (800) 222-1990 in greater Minnesota, (651) 645-3723 in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Call the Spanish Adult Literacy Hotline at 1-800-222-1990 or visit ¿Buscando clases de inglés?

GED testing centers

For a list of GED testing centers, call the Minnesota Department of Education at (651) 582-8445 or 8446 or visit the GED website

Admission

Admission to Adult Basic Education programs is open to learners 16 and older who are not enrolled in school and who want to improve their basic skills. Each learner will develop an individual educational plan designed to meet his/her specific needs. The instruction is offered at no cost to the learner.

For more information regarding the Adult Basic Education program in Minnesota, contact the Minnesota Department of Education at (651) 582-8432 or call Minnesota's Adult Literacy Hotline at 1 (800) 222-1990.

Graduation requirements

Graduation requirements vary depending on the goals of each student. Many ABE students continue until they pass the tests required to receive their GED or earn their adult high school diploma.

Source: Minnesota Career Information System, Minnesota Department of Education

Page last updated in August 2007.