Adult education English as a second language (ESL) programs are a critical but overlooked part of our education and workforce development systems. Designed to support adult immigrants and multilingual learners to build English proficiency and foundational skills, these programs have the potential to expand economic mobility and support workforce development goals. Despite this promise, adult education ESL remains siloed from broader postsecondary and workforce systems due to separate funding, governance, and accountability structures. As a result, multilingual learners are often disconnected from the supports, pathways, and opportunities that other students receive.
In partnership with the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and five colleges across the state, CCRC is examining how program design, placement systems, support structures, and advising practices influence adult education ESL students’ progression and transitions into credential-bearing programs. The goal is to strengthen alignment between adult education ESL programs, credit-bearing pathways, and workforce opportunities—specifically in community colleges—and to generate actionable knowledge for policymakers and practitioners.
This project will address the following questions:
- How are adult education ESL programs structured—including instructional models, credential pathways, and support services—and to what extent do they align with and respond to multilingual learners’ goals and needs?
- What factors—including student characteristics, program participation, and institutional practices—influence multilingual learners’ academic progress, persistence, and transitions into credential programs?
To help advance research in this field and inform policy and systems change, we will create a Multilingual Learners Pathways Network made up of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. The group will inform the study design, share insights, elevate promising practices, and shape a forward-looking policy agenda.
This project is funded by Ascendium Education Group.