ABE 101
Metro North ABE offers a wide range of classes and programs to help adults meet their educational and personal goals.
• English as a Second Language classes help students build English reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
• General ABE classes help students with basic reading, writing, and math skills, GED ® preparation, Adult Diploma Credit Recovery and the Minnesota Standard Adult High School Diploma.
• Distance Learning is also offered at most sites either fully online or as a combination of on-site and online classes.
• Metro North ABE offers a TEAS Preparation class. The ATI TEAS( Test of Essential Academic Skills) is a test produced by Assessment Technology Institute( ATI), designed to assess medical field students ' knowledge in math, science, English and reading.
• Accuplacer Math Bootcamp is for adults who want to strengthen their arithmetic or algebra skills for college placement.
• U. S. Citizenship classes are offered for learners who want to prepare to take the citizenship test.
• Our Food Handler class is for adults who are interested in working in food careers.
• Computer skills classes cover basic computer digital literacy standards.
• Driver Education prep classes focus on basic comprehension of the driver test manual, general driving rules, concepts, and vocabulary.
More Than a Classroom
Since 1996, over 500 inmates have earned their high school equivalency degree while incarcerated
Metro North ABE has a strong history in partnering with our local correctional facilities. Currently, programming is offered at three county institutions including Huber Corrections, the Anoka County Sheriff’ s jail and Sherburne County Corrections. Year-round ABE classes are taught by licensed Metro North ABE staff. Inmates work on basic skills brush-up, English as a Second Language( ESL), and GED preparation.
The partnership between Metro North ABE and Sherburne County Jail began in 1992 when ABE classes were offered once a week for the 40-60 inmates housed there. It is now a federal holding facility that has expanded in size to a capacity of nearly 600 inmates. Adult Basic Education classes are offered three times a day, five days a week providing English as Second Language instruction, basic skills brush-up, GED preparation and credit recovery diploma. The ABE program serves approximately 350-400 learners per year with equal numbers of students participating in ESL, GED and basic skills classes.
The partnership between Metro North ABE and Anoka County Corrections began in 1996. At the time, GED and basic brush-up classes were offered 5 days a week at the Lino Lakes Minimum Security facility. The classes were open to both female and male offenders. It didn’ t take long for the county to see success in the program and extend services to the Huber
Workhouse one night a week. When the Lino Lakes facility closed its doors in 2009, they shifted the class hours over to Huber and the program has been running strong ever since.
In 2003 the Anoka County Sheriff’ s Jail began offering programming at the downtown Anoka facility. A proposed“ 16-week GED prep class pilot” turned into consistent programming that is still going after 14 years. Both Anoka County facilities are able to provide onsite GED testing, which has led to over 500 inmates earning their equivalency degree while incarcerated. In 2010, the Sheriff’ s Jail was nominated for, and won, the Literacy Action Network“ Partner of the Year” award for its dedicated partnership with Metro North ABE.
Through these partnerships with correctional facilities, Metro North ABE has made an impact on the lives of many individuals. Studies indicate that education in correctional facilities reduces recidivism, which translates into reductions in crime, savings to taxpayers, and long-term contributions to the safety and well-being of the communities to which formerly incarcerated people return.
Metro North Adult Basic Education | Ph: 763-433-4200 | www. MetroNorthABE. org OCTOBER 2017 3