A Portrait of Students and Their Program Experiences from the 2014 Student Survey (original) (raw)

Students expressed high levels of satisfaction with the program. Almost 90 percent of students felt the program prepared them adequately or very well for work in their field of training or for further education. Close to half of students said the program exceeded their expectations, and an additional 47 percent said the program met their expectations.  Accelerating Opportunity (AO) served nontraditional students. Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents were age 25 or older. More than half of survey respondents had dependent children, and almost a quarter were single parents. In addition, more than half of respondents were working while enrolled in AO, mostly in low-paying jobs for more than 30 hours a week. Finally, almost half of survey respondents were receiving government assistance aside from student financial aid, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.  Despite the initial focus on serving individuals who lacked high school credentials, most survey respondents had a high school degree or its equivalent. Nearly 90 percent of students surveyed had obtained a high school credential. Although this may have been because of changes in Pell policy that limited receipt to those with such credentials, only 35 percent reported receiving Pell grant assistance for AO.  Students reported that their classes focused more on job-related skills than on basic skills. About 64 percent of students reported spending time on content related to building knowledge and skills for a job, compared with 52 percent who said coursework included instruction to improve their reading, writing, and/or math skills. Reflecting the job skills focus, programs often included some form of hands-on learning, and 60 percent of students reported some form of employer exposure through training at a job site, class visits, or meetings. Although basic skills content was supposed to be delivered through integrated instruction, where an adult education and a content instructor teach the material together in the same classroom, more than a quarter of students did not report ever being in a team-taught class. Still, most students experienced team teaching frequently. Less than half of the respondents received tutoring. Students widely expressed the desire for more team teaching and tutoring.  Although most students reported receiving financial or nonfinancial support while in the program, a majority had to pay for some part of the program, and counseling focused on academic and employment issues. Almost three-quarters of respondents received some type of advising from staff members, primarily related to academic issues and job issues. Very few students received financial or personal advising or assistance with child care, transportation, and emergencies. Sixtyeight percent of students surveyed had to pay for some part of the program, such as uniforms, books, tuition, or other fees.