Public school systems have historically been responsible for the delivery of Adult BaSic Education programs. However, recent amendments to the Adult Education Act have allowed for administration of Adult Basic Education programs to be expanded throughout the public and private sector. This expansion has created competition among potential providers of Adult Basic Education, particularly public schools and community colleges, regarding who should have responsibility for delivery of services (Cross & McCartan, 1984). Data available from the North Carolina Department of Community Colleges and the Virginia Department of Education revealed significantly higher participation rates of enrollees in Adult Basic Education in North Carolina than in Virginia. In North Carolina, delivery of programs is the responsibility of community colleges, whereas in Virginia the primary delivery system is the public school divisions within the state. The specific purpose of this study was to ascertain why there are more enrollees in Adult Basic Education programs administered through community colleges than in Adult Basic Education programs administered through the public school systems. This purpose was achieved by conducting case studies of ABE programs in four sites, two in North Carolina and two in Virginia; the informants in each site consisted of the local ABE administrator, ABE faculty. and ABE students. / Ed. D.

The traditional high school program is not appropriate for all students. Some students cannot cope with the pressures from social! family background, personal problems (independent of social/family) and school factors, and thus look to relieve these pressures outside of the educational system. The combination of these pressures, or risk factors, can cause a student to become a high school dropout, resulting in negative educational, social, and financial consequences to self and the nation. No single alternative will solve the dropout problem; however, studies have found that alternative programs can play a major role in the reduction of the dropout rate by enabling students to complete their secondary education. In order to better address the dropout issue, there is a need to document the history of an alternative education program, to gain understanding of a special population, and to obtain current information that can contribute to the improvement of services to dropouts. This study focused on the establishment and development of an alternative-adult high school program, located in suburban Virginia, from 1955 to 1993. The research questions were: 1. What were the social, political, and educational conditions which contributed to the establishment of this alternative-adult high school program? 2. What program characteristics were operable during the existence of this program? 3. In what ways did the program evolve over time, and how did evaluation feedback contribute to this evolution? Data were compiled and analyzed from student survey results, in-depth interviews with faculty, and archival documents. Findings indicated that the adult education movement, integration, and financial commitment from local school board contributed to the establishment of the program. Furthermore, the major program characteristics that were operable included dedicated and caring staff, a supportive learning environment, and flexible scheduling. Evaluation was based on enrollment, graduation, and dropout figures as well as informal assessment. / Ed. D.