Ed. note: Some links may not work, especially about Report Cards. I will fix these eventually but the data probably could still be found by starting at the sources given (.e.g. RI DataHUB, and the Report Cards page on RIDE, the Accountability page on RIDE, etc.) - July 31, 2019.
It is not so easy using simple Google searches to find the actual numbers of Rhode Islanders who could use ABE and/or ASE (adult basic* and/or secondary** education) programs today. General percentages are more commonly given than how many individuals there are in this situation, and what towns and cities they live in.
All I really want to know is:
- How many Rhode Islanders need ABE or ASE in age ranges (such as 18-24, 25-30, etc.), and where do they live (i.e., town/city)? This includes how many Rhode Islanders enter the pool of those without high school equivalency credential each year. And it would also be important to know how many Rhode Islanders who have diplomas nevertheless have poor math skills and difficulty reading English.
- What are the names and locations of the training programs, how many people are enrolled, and how many are on waiting lists at which program?
The reason I'd like to know these things is to identify what can be done to make a significant improvement as soon as possible in the achievement levels of Rhode Islanders who have not succeeded in the RI educational system. I assume this group could succeed with different approaches to learning than what they have experienced.
Some findings:
Dorcas International Institute's homepage has these statistics (accessed Feb 24, 2015):
- 150,000+ Adult Rhode Islanders need adult-education services
- 102,025 adults from the target population have no high school diploma
- 91,844 (16%) of Rhode Island's workforce are foreign born
[July 31, 2019: It's disappointing that there is so little substance on the Dorcas International website now.)
The RI Department of Education (RIDE) has three separate data websites (that I have found): RI DataHUB, eRIDE, and InfoWorks. Then there's the RIDE Data Warehouse, which seems to underlie the RI DataHUB and InfoWorks (and maybe eRIDE?). [On July 31, 2019, InfoWorks seems to be replaced(?)] All these websites are confusing. Too much emphasis on percentages obscures the human dimension of education, that everybody needs adequate preparation to succeed and prosper in today's economy.
- Rhode Island's Young Adult Workforce (2011 info) - From RI DataHUB. This source is one of the few that gives actual numbers of people. Four years ago, there were 119,962 adults in RI ages 18-24; 11.6% did not have a high school diploma. That's 13,916 people in 2011. Of these, Only 14% -- 2,071 people -- were in adult education programs. In that group, 1,574 people (76%) were in ABE/ASE and 497 people (24%) were in ESL.*** Incidentally, this summary report indicates that only 40% of high school graduates were proficient in math and about 75% were proficient in reading. [I have to do some math myself to figure out what 40% of young adult high school grads would be: (119,962 total RI young adults - 13,916 who didn't graduate) x .4 = an additional 42,418 approximately have poor math skills.] Can't we do better?
- RI High School Graduation Rates (4-, 5-, and 6-year) - From RI DataHUB. This report gives percentages of students who graduate within 6 years of entering 9th grade, by school. Statewide, students graduating in 6 years is 81.3% in 2013. But how many students are NOT graduating in 6 years? Or what would be good to know would be, how many people join the young adult Rhode Islanders who are adult education candidates? To find that number, I had to get an account on RI DataHUB. That was easy and quick. It seems there were about 12,000 in the cohort in 2012-2013, and (100% - 81.3% =) 18.7% of 12,000 = 2,244 people without high school diplomas. So it seems that more people may be added each year to the ranks of no-high-school-diploma than there are those who are in adult education programs, let alone getting the high school equivalency each year?
- Ages of RI's adult learners in 2011-2012 - From RI DataHUB. From the RIDE website about RI DataHUB: "The RI DataHUB is a central resource for anyone interested in using data to understand the well-being of people in Rhode Island. The RI DataHub brings together data sets from multiple federal, state and local sources."
- Graduation Rates in RI - From eRIDE. Here is another RIDE website with data going back to 2003. It is possible to find numbers of people (rather than just percentages) in this database, but it isn't as prominently named as InfoWorks or RI DataHUB in the RIDE website. You get to it on the RIDE side by selecting Home > Information & Accountability > RI Education Data > Enrollment & Graduation Data or Daily Attendance Data.
- Graduation Rates in RI - From InfoWorks at RIDE. Why are there several RIDE databases with similar data? A possible answer from the RIDE website about the InfoWorks website: "The InfoWorks site is designed to encourage everyone interested in Rhode Island's schools to learn more about the state's schools and to get involved with them."
- However, the Economic Progress Institute states that 82,000 Rhode Islanders ages 18-64 do not have a high school diploma or equivalent. [This link isn't working on July 31, 2019, but maybe available from Dataferrett?] The data are for a 3-year estimate (2010-2012) from Dataferrett, which is a way into US Census data.
*Adult Basic Education (ABE) brings students up to 8th grade level.
**Adult Secondary Education (ASE) brings students up to high school equivalency level.
***ESL =English as a Secondary Language.
