Adult Basic Education in New England - ATLAS (2007-2012)

The Adult Transitions Longitudinal Study (ATLAS) was a $1 million, five-year social research project funded by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and conducted by faculty and graduate students from the Center for International Education (CIE) and the Research and Evaluation Methods Program .  The study documented the educational and economic outcomes of adult basic education students who participated in the New England ABE-to-College Transition Project in 2007 and 2008.  The Transition Project served adult basic education students such as those who have earned a GED or other high-school equivalency degree, and who wished to enter college or pursue other forms of post-secondary education.  The Project sought to bridge the academic gaps between a GED and college-level work through direct instruction and counseling that addressed the social barriers experienced by non-traditional adult students.

 

The ATLAS study followed a group of approximately 250 Transition Project students over five years in order to better understand the factors that contribute to or stand in the way of participant success in post-secondary education.  The ultimate goal of the ATLAS study was to inform policymakers, program practitioners, students and potential funding organizations about the educational trajectories of Transition Project ATLAS Staffparticipants, as well as the influence of the Transition Project on participants' postsecondary academic success, labor market gains, and family education planning.

 

The ATLAS research team was led by Dr. Cristine Smith from CIE and Dr. Steven Sireci from REMP, and included faculty and graduate students from both programs. Pictured at right Dr. Smith (center) and two graduate research assistants.

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