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Some Guiding Questions for Defining
Your Target Audience
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Adult learners are a very diverse group and the target audience must be
defined clearly and realistically. They must constitute a coherent group that
shares socioeconomic, cultural, and cognitive territory. Here are some guiding
questions for defining a target audience.
- What percentage of your young adult population (age 18 to 24) lacks a
high school credential (high school diploma or GED)? A college degree or
credential (certificate, associate degree, or baccalaureate degree)?
Find the answer: Education Attainment Data
(Microsoft Excel)
Data Resources: The NCHEMS Information Center for State Higher
Education Policymaking and Analysis
http://www.higheredinfo.org/
- What percentage of your working adult population (age 25 to 44) lacks
a high school credential (high school diploma or GED)? A college degree or
credential (certificate, associate degree, or baccalaureate degree)?
Find the answer: Education Attainment Data
(Microsoft Excel)
Data Resources: The NCHEMS Information Center for State Higher
Education Policymaking and Analysis
http://www.higheredinfo.org/
- What percentage of adults without a high school credential is being
served by your adult education programs (GED, ESL, family literacy
programs)?
Find the answer:
Participation in Adult Education
(Microsoft Excel)
Data Resources: The U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Vocational and Adult Education - Adult Education and Family Literacy
Act Report to Congress State Performance Program Year 2002-2003
http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/ovae/2003adulted.pdf
- What percentage of your GED graduates go on to college?
Data Resources: The U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Vocational and Adult Education - Adult Education and Family Literacy
Act Report to Congress State Performance Program Year 2002-2003
http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/ovae/2003adulted.pdf
- Are there significant geographical differences in education attainment
between different regions or counties of your state? Between urban,
suburban, or rural areas?
Find the answer:
Education Attainment County Maps
(Microsoft Word)
Data Resources: Indiana University's Kelley School of Business,
Indiana Business Research Center STATS Indiana
http://www.stats.indiana.edu/.
The NCHEMS Information Center for State Higher Education Policymaking
and Analysis
http://www.higheredinfo.org/
- Are there significant differences in education attainment for adults
by income, gender, or ethnicity? What is your “achievement gap” at each
stage of the educational ladder for adult learners?
Find the answer: Education Attainment and Earnings Data, 2003
http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/education/cps2004/tab09-1.xls
Data Resources: The U.S. Census Bureau (see tables 9 and 9a)
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/education/cps2004.html
- Where are the greatest opportunities for significant change in
educational attainment levels that will most affect your bottom line and
allow for early successes to create additional support for the campaign
(i.e., the low hanging fruit)?
For more information, e-mail
electroniccampus@sreb.org.
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