Connections

Education
Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true
education.
—DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
A wide variety of opportunities exist for continuing education in New
York City. A range of literacy programs help adults learn to read and
improve their reading, usually on a one-to-one basis. Vocational training
programs are designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in
a number of different industries. Alternative degree programs allow a
person to work toward a degree without necessarily having to attend
classes. There are innumerable college-level programs in which to
enroll, as well as organizations to help individuals explore what path is
right for them.
Adult Literacy, High School
Equivalency & ESOL
There are three levels of adult literacy classes: Beginning programs
help adults learn to read and write. Intermediate programs help
those who read below a sixth-grade level improve their reading and
writing skills. Advanced programs assist people who read at a sixththrough
eighth-grade level. Sometimes literacy programs are called
Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs, while advanced adult literacy
programs are often referred to as pre–High School Equivalency
(pre-HSE): these focus on reading, writing, math, social science,
and other subjects.
CONNECTIONS 2017
Since January 2014, individuals in New York State who are seeking a
High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma no longer take the GED, but
instead take the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC). New
York State has chosen to use the TASC for the HSE exam.
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The TASC includes five sections:
• Language Arts—Reading
• Language Arts—Writing (which includes an essay)
• Mathematics (which includes a calculator section and a section in
which calculators are not allowed)
• Science (calculators are permitted)
• Social Studies