Evaluating Oregon’s Adult Basic Skills Transition Planning Process (TPP): An Interview with Judith Alamprese
In this blog from the Institute of Education Sciences, Program Officer Meredith Larson interviewed Abt’s Judith Alamprese about her work with Oregon’s Office Community College and Workforce Development (CCWD) to evaluate a texting intervention to help adults earn a GED® and transition into postsecondary education. Alamprese is testing whether TPP’s text messaging helps adult basic skills (ABS) learners stay on track to earn a GED® and move to postsecondary education and training. She said TPP’s standardized list of text messages are designed to prompt learners to take the GED® tests, set college goals, access information on college planning and other college preparation activities. She added that CCWD chose text messaging because it appeared to be a low-cost and efficient approach to help ABS learners. The evaluation is a randomized controlled trial now under way, and Alamprese said facilitators found that while many treatment group learners are responding to texts, some learners are choosing to increase their face-to-face interaction with facilitators. She said facilitators report that texting is an efficient way to reinforce learners and check progress. TPP could be applicable nationally, Alamprese noted, and the evaluation can provide insights about the types of information and support that are most persuasive in helping learners succeed.
