Date of Award

Spring 4-8-2018

Document Type

Dissertation - University of Massachusetts Global access only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Philip Pendley

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this Policy Delphi Study was to identify the perceptions of California adult school administrators regarding the impacts of the Adult Education Block Grant (AEBG) on the operation of the adult education system, to rate the impacts as to their importance, and to identify strategies for addressing the impacts on existing adult education programs.

Methodology: The Policy Delphi method was utilized in order to gather data from an expert panel of Californian K-12 adult education administrators that have been impacted by the AEBG on the adult education system. The Policy Delphi study consisted of three rounds and 15 leading experts in K-12 adult education to gain consensus on the perceptions of expert California K-12 adult education administrators regarding the impacts of the AEBG on the existing adult education system, to rate the impacts as to their importance, and to identify strategies for addressing the impacts on existing adult education programs.

Findings: Analysis of the first round of data resulted in expert K-12 adult education administrator participants identifying the impacts that the AEBG has had on the operation of the adult education system, which was narrowed down in the second round to the top ranked 11 impacts. In round three, the expert K-12 adult education administrator participants then identified strategies for implementing the top five identified very strong impacts that the AEBG has had on the operation of the adult education system.

Conclusions: According to the expert K-12 adult education administrator participants, advocacy efforts to secure additional funding for adult education; creation of a common system to support transition services; leveraging resources with consortia members and partners; a data and accountability system; and an equalization between the adult education and community college systems is needed to address the impacts that the AEBG has had on the operation of the adult education system in California.

Recommendations: Recommendations for further research are described in Chapter V, including studies that search out the perceptions of California community college administrators and K-12 school district superintendents regarding the impacts of the AEBG.

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