- Job openings for STEM positions take longer to fill than openings in other fields.
- Specific high-value skills requested by employers and common to STEM occupations are particularly scarce relative to demand and yet particularly valuable to employers.
- The regional supply of workers in a given occupation affects the length of vacancy advertisements.
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Abstract:
Alaska Adult Education, in partnership with the American Institutes for Research (AIR), developed state education standards specifically designed for adult learners, recognizing their distinct motivations, strengths, and needs. Financial literacy competencies are intentionally integrated into the economics strand of the Adult Education Social Studies Standards. The inclusion of financial literacy reflects Alaska’s commitment to equipping adult learners with practical knowledge and skills to make informed financial and career decisions. Grounded in cultural relevance and local contexts, the state adult education standards provide systemic support for promoting adult learners’ financial stability, workforce readiness, and community integration. The article highlights two financial literacy anchor standards, provides examples of project-based lessons, and demonstrates how locally relevant instruction can build learners’ financial resilience and agency. Feedback from faculty indicates that students value lessons that apply to their everyday lives in the local community contexts and enhance their engagement. This place-based approach can serve as a model for other states and programs.
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Abstract:
For nearly 50 years, NeighborWorks America has created opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives, and strengthen their communities. As a part of this mission, the organization helps adults build lasting financial stability, a cornerstone of housing success. Through national training and certification programs, NeighborWorks equips practitioners with both the technical knowledge of financial education and the relational skills of coaching, helping learners set their own goals and test strategies that work in real life. NeighborWorks’ network organizations then adapt these practices for their own communities, pairing financial coaching with housing counseling, offering trusted entry points like free tax preparation, or linking residents to community savings or repair programs. Together, these experiences reveal a set of promising practices for the field, approaches that build trust, strengthen confidence, and connect financial capability to the broader goal of helping individuals and families stay stably housed. This piece draws on those lessons from NeighborWorks’ staff and network partners to explore not only why financial capability matters, but how it works in practice.
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Abstract:
Low levels of financial literacy in the United States, coupled with persistent disparities across demographics, have heightened calls for more effective adult financial education. Although strong associations exist between adults’ financial knowledge, behaviors, and outcomes, far less is known about whether, and how, increasing financial knowledge leads to meaningful changes in financial capability and well-being. This article synthesizes the current research on adult financial education, highlighting the field’s underlying assumptions, available curriculum models, and limited but informative evidence base on program effectiveness. Existing studies point to promising practices, such as providing actionable, timely information, supporting motivation, and offering ongoing guidance. Yet, no fully evidence-based adult financial education model currently exists, and much of what is known about educators, learners, and instructional strategies may not reflect the current state of adult education. We argue that the field lacks a comprehensive, contemporary understanding of who delivers financial education, who participates, what programs entail, and what outcomes they produce. We conclude by identifying critical gaps and proposing new lines of inquiry, including a shift toward community-centered conceptions of financial capability and well-being. Collaborative research and practice are needed to build an evidence base that advances equitable and effective adult financial education.
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Abstract:
Financial literacy, the ability to use knowledge and skills to manage financial resources effectively, remains unevenly distributed across the U.S. adult population, with notable gaps among individuals with lower educational attainment, limited income, or little prior exposure to financial education. For many adult learners, these gaps stem not from a lack of motivation but from limited access to learning opportunities, often constrained by work, family responsibilities, and economic instability. COABE views financial literacy as essential to its mission of supporting adult learners’ academic and economic success. The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy shares this commitment, collaborating with more than 100 national partners and a network of state affiliates to promote financial literacy and strengthen financial education nationwide. Using data from national studies, this article examines the relationship between educational attainment, income, and financial literacy performance. The findings show consistent correlations across these variables and illustrate how financial literacy gaps contribute to financial vulnerability, including limited emergency savings, higher debt burdens, and reduced long-term stability. In response, the article argues for embedding personal finance instruction within adult education curricula across core subjects and workforce preparation. It also highlights professional development resources available through the Jump$tart Coalition, supporting COABE’s commitment to equipping educators to meet learners’ broader life needs.
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Abstract:
This paper describes an approach used to explicitly teach students how to analyze arguments based on comparisons of numbers and percentages, and how to write such comparisons with the necessary precision.
Publication Year
2014
Resource Type
Product
Key Words
Number of Pages
15
Product Type
Abstract
While comparisons between percentages or rates appear frequently in journalism and advertising, and are an essential component of quantitative writing, many students fail to understand precisely what percentages mean, and lack fluency with the language used for comparisons. After reviewing evidence demonstrating this weakness, this experience-based perspective lays out a framework for teaching the language of comparisons in a structured way, and illustrates it with several authentic examples that exemplify mistaken or misleading uses of such numbers. The framework includes three common types of erroneous or misleading quantitative writing: the missing comparison, where a key number is omitted; the apples-to-pineapples comparison, where two subtly incomparable rates are presented; and the implied fallacy, where an invalid quantitative conclusion is left of the reader to infer.
What the experts say
This article gives teachers much to think about in terms of truly understanding percentages as they relate to comparisons. The author does an exemplary job of showing where student and teachers weaknesses are in analyzing and interpreting data sets.
Some discovery methods of teaching mathematics rely almost completely on what the student brings to class in terms of problem-solving abilities and mathematical knowledge. This method helps students develop the ability to analyze and apply mathematics in a way that will help them both in future math classes and in the world outside the classroom.
The implications for instruction in this resource stretch beyond the lessons in data and communicating about percentages. The way these lessons are taught will strengthen student awareness of data, mathematics, and real world analysis.
Resource Notice
This site includes links to information created by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this non-ED information. The inclusion of these links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse views expressed, or products or services offered, on these non-ED sites.
Please note that privacy policies on non-ED sites may differ from ED’s privacy policy. When you visit lincs.ed.gov, no personal information is collected unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of non-ED websites that you visit. We invite you to read our privacy policy.
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Abstract:
This report uses a unique database from the labor market information company Burning Glass and other sources to analyze the skill requirements and the advertisement duration time for millions of job openings.
Publication Year
2014
Resource Type
Research
Key Words
Number of Pages
37
Target Audience
Abstract
Workers with skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) play a hugely important role in driving innovation and economic growth. This report addresses a set of issues of increasing interest to policy makers, educators, businesses, and workers of all ages: What skills are most in demand and most likely to lead to a rewarding career? Is there a shortage of workers possessing the skills used in STEM occupations (i.e., STEM skills)? What skills and bodies of knowledge should schools and post-secondary institutions offer to teach students in order to provide them the best chances of economic success?
The results show that skills common to STEM occupations are in short supply relative to demand and are valued more by employers. Moreover, companies located in regions with low unemployment rates for STEM workers have greater difficulty filling their openings, all else being equal. It follows that increased training in STEM fields like computer science and medicine will ease hiring for employers and lead to high-paying career paths for workers. While this is certainly not the first report to highlight the economic advantages that accrue to those with STEM skills, the data and analysis here are novel and useful in a few ways. First, unlike most reports on the STEM workforce or skill-shortage issues more broadly, this report draws on a database (developed by the labor market information company Burning Glass) that allows one to measure the duration of job vacancy advertisements—a measure of hiring difficulty.
This is the first nationwide analysis of vacancy duration for the United States by occupation. This report also draws upon a uniquely large sample size: 1.1 million advertisements were used to calculate summary statistics for the first quarter of 2013, and 3.3 million were used in the formal statistical analysis, across 52,000 companies.
There are three major conclusions:
What the experts say
Until this research, there were, evidently, no comprehensive, reliable, and objective studies that reported on supply and demand in our US economy. According to its author, "this is by far the largest database of vacancy duration to be analyzed, and this is the first national research database of vacancy duration by skill level. In that respect, this report offers a powerful tool for understanding the supply and demand for skills, yet it touches on only a few of many research issues that the data can help address with new clarity and precision. The principle finding is that there is a relative shortage of U.S. workers with STEM skills. This study reveals irrefutable evidence relating to the high demand for STEM workers and the need to provide more and better training to prepare American workers to enter STEM-related careers.
What a great resource for justifying the need for building a strong Career Pathways program in STEM related fields! This report has all the data any adult education administrator would need for writing a grant, meeting the needs of the WIOA and marketing their current STEM programs. A great read!
Resource Notice
This site includes links to information created by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this non-ED information. The inclusion of these links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse views expressed, or products or services offered, on these non-ED sites.
Please note that privacy policies on non-ED sites may differ from ED’s privacy policy. When you visit lincs.ed.gov, no personal information is collected unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of non-ED websites that you visit. We invite you to read our privacy policy.
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Abstract:
This is an English learner's guide to health care and healthy living.
Publication Year
2014
Resource Type
Informational Material
Key Words
Number of Pages
168
Product Type
Target Audience
Abstract
This guide is meant to be used directly with adult learners in adult education classrooms as instructional materials. It can also be used as a conversation starter for adult education professionals in thinking about issues/skills to introduce in classrooms, programs, and materials.
This is ready-to-use in the classroom or a tutoring session. It can also be given to students for their own use. The Guide itself was designed for beginner level ESOL students and can be used with or without guidance. It is written at a 3-4 grade level and is supported by pictures, a glossary and a well-designed plain language format. The Staying Healthy for Beginners Teachers Guide supports teachers and/or tutors in using the Guide as a basis for a variety of particpatory teaching activities.
Benefits and Uses
Staying Healthy is an award-winning curriculum that is used throughout the United States. It is written at a 4th-5th grade reading level and is suitable for low intermediate level ESOL learners and above. The newly-released Staying Healthy for Beginners is written at a lower reading level, making it more accessible to learners at the high beginning level.
What the experts say
This is an important contribution to the adult education field. Staying Healthy for Beginners is a great way to build adult learner skills and to introduce conversations around personal health.
This is a beautiful booklet that students can easily read and use to gain knowledge about taking care of their health and and confidence to interact with the healthcare system. Few resources known have this many colorful pictures and as "friendly" a design for lower level readers of English. Besides the information, the booklet includes things like dialogues, personal stories, simple charts, and interactive activities to engage the learner. There are some places that let them fill out real information that will help them with healthcare activities. The guide is something that students can keep at home and use even after the class is over, and many students have told teachers that they share the information with friends and family. There has been a big need for health literacy resources for beginner level students, and this fills that need.
This is an addition to the earlier resource: Staying Healthy: An English Learner’s Guide to Health Care and Healthy Living. It uses the same principles as that first Guide, which has been used in programs all over the country to rave reviews. The original Guide was pilot tested and found to be effective at improving students' knowledge of health issues and intention to interact more fully with the health care system and their healthcare providers.
Please see the ongoing discussion about this resource in the LINCS Health Literacy Community of Practice.
Resource Notice
This site includes links to information created by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this non-ED information. The inclusion of these links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse views expressed, or products or services offered, on these non-ED sites.
Please note that privacy policies on non-ED sites may differ from ED’s privacy policy. When you visit lincs.ed.gov, no personal information is collected unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of non-ED websites that you visit. We invite you to read our privacy policy.
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Abstract:
This resource provided by the State of Washington helps practitioners better understand career pathways programs and expand practioners’ professional knowledge.
Publication Year
2014
Resource Type
Product
Key Words
Product Type
Abstract
The state of Washington's Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program is nationally recognized as an evidence-based instructional model that supports career pathways. In an I-BEST program, two instructors are paired in the classroom - one to teach professional/technical or academic content; the other to teach basic skills in reading, math, writing or English language - so students can move through school and into jobs faster.
The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges offers an array of teaching tips, research findings, and planning tools for educators who want to learn more about I-BEST, including team teaching models, collaborative planning, and wrap-around support services. A series of videos is also available that explains the I-BEST model and demonstrates team teaching in action.
Benefits and Uses
Program developers and instructors will be able to begin the planning process for the creation of an I-BEST type bridge program.
Resource Notice
This resource was reviewed and vetted through the Designing Instruction for Career Pathways initiative of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education under Contract No. ED-CFO-10-A-0072/0001.