Adult Basic Education

General Educational Development (GED)

Prepares adults for the GED test in the subject areas of math, language arts (reading and writing), science, and social studies

Morning session (10 am – Noon)
Classroom-based approach with registration and orientation, including assessment, through Cuyahoga Community College

Afternoon session (1 – 3 pm)
Tutorial approach with a site manager providing coordination and tutors providing individual assistance

More information for Students and Tutors

Adult Basic Education Program at the Thea Bowman Center

Adult students at the Thea Bowman Center enter the Adult Basic Education/GED program (General Educational Development) at all levels. The GED test for which they are preparing includes these subject areas: math, language arts (reading and writing), science, and social studies.

Thea Bowman Center has three distinct sets of classes, each open Mondays to Thursdays.

The morning class (10:00 – 12:00) is a classroom-based approach with registration and orientation, including assessment, through Cuyahoga Community College. Students have all the privileges of a Tri-C registrant related to library services and student services. There can be some assistance in class time by a tutor, but class is generally directed by an instructor.

The afternoon session (1:00 – 3:00 pm) and the evening session (6:00 – 7:30 pm) are more individualized with many tutors available and a site-manager to coordinate the work with each student.

Each student determines the best approach and timing based on their personal situation. In the tutorial approach, students can determine which days and times they are able to attend. Greater attendance however yields faster achievement of goals. Attendance every day is encouraged and students are also directed by their instructor or tutors to take work home with them at the end of each session. If their personal life schedule permits, students can attend all three sessions daily.

Description of the Afternoon and Evening Individualized Sessions:

Students are assessed and begin instruction at whatever level they need to start. Students set goals with the assistance of the site-manager or a specified tutor. Students keep their own files recording their daily attendance and achievement. These are reviewed with the student regularly by the site-manager and progress toward their goals is noted. Tutors are encouraged to write helpful comments on the student’s daily records.

Tutors move throughout the room during the two-hour class time, asking students if they need help or coming to someone’s aid when asked. Sometimes the “tutoring” merely involves answering a student’s quick question or grading some work. Other times, tutors may spend the entire session with one student, working through specific materials. Many materials of all levels in each major area, including GED handbooks, are available. All the tutors are a valuable resource; when one tutor can’t figure out a difficult word problem, for instance, other tutors are there to help.

Training in working with adult learners and in the Center’s materials and procedures is provided to all new tutors.

GED