For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2019
Primary Media Contact:
Sally Voth
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 540-868-7134
Laurel Ridge Adult Education has been ranked in the top 25 percent of programs statewide by the Virginia Department of Education Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education.
The program’s director, Amy Judd, describes adult education as instruction and services that are below the college level, and designed to help someone improve their reading, writing, math and other skills needed to get a high school diploma or GED, transition to higher education and training, and get a job.
Factors considered by the Department of Education when monitoring adult education programs include what percentage of the program’s enrollment target was met, the percentage of students who achieved measurable skill gain, student retention rates and the percentage of students who were eligible for post-testing, how well the program complied with state and federal instructional policies, and personnel retention.
Laurel Ridge’s program met 89 percent of its target enrollment in the 2017-2018 academic year. This compares to the state overall meeting about 82 percent of target.
“We had 691 students who were considered ‘countable’ according to qualifying factors, but we actually had an additional 200 enrolled,” Judd explains. “We’re so pleased we have been able to serve 900 citizens in our area and improve their marketable skills. While the state’s overall enrollment is on the decline, ours slightly increased.”
The 2017-2018 academic year was a pivotal one, as Laurel Ridge’s Adult Education program received $2.1 million in state and federal grants – spread out across three years – that led to the creation of several exciting courses. These included integrated English language civics and citizenship classes, as well as English classes geared to specific career pathways, such as the medical field and industrial trades.
This year, the program has received eight grants from the Virginia Department of Education, including an Innovation Challenge Grant that is going to professional development, a workplace ESL class and the establishment of a distance education plan that will bring the Adult Education program to even more learners.
“I’m so proud of the hard work of our instructors and our learners,” Judd says. “And, we’re grateful for the support we’ve received from the Department of Education. Our local K-12 school districts and workforce development partners also make tremendous contributions toward our success. They help us to reach even more people who will benefit from our services.”
Pictured: Adult Education Director Amy Judd with GED graduate Gorman Turner, who is now attending college at Laurel Ridge.
*************************
Founded in 1970, Laurel Ridge Community College is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With four locations — Middletown, Warrenton, Luray-Page County and most recently, Vint Hill— the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. Laurel Ridge offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines, in addition to providing access to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs offered on site by a four-year institution. Laurel Ridge also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. Laurel Ridge serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.
Laurel Ridge Community College (Laurel Ridge) is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Laurel Ridge Community College. Laurel Ridge Community College is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors. Laurel Ridge also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment.
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.
###