District Five Adult Education Program receives statewide recognition for ESL Program

Lexington-Richland School District Five Adult Education Program was recognized by the South Carolina Office of Adult Education and earned the 2022-2023 English as a Second Language (ESL) Award.

This award is presented to the top five ESL programs in the state with the highest aggregate average for academic growth. Upon entering an Adult Education program, all students are given a pretest to determine their academic level, which ranges from level 1 to level 6. After 60 instructional hours, ESL students are post-tested to measure their academic growth. The aggregate average takes into account student growth measures at each individual level.

“This award is evidence of our teachers’ commitment to providing rigorous and relevant instruction while building compassionate and meaningful relationships with our adult learners,” said Paula Wright, School District Five Adult Education Director. “I am incredibly proud of our Adult Education Family!”

School District Five’s Adult Education program offers adult learners the opportunity to earn a high school credential (diploma or GED). Additional offerings included: English Language Acquisition (ESL) Classes, Career Preparation Workshops, Paraprofessional Certification, Family Literacy Activities, Workplace Literacy Programs, College and Military Entrance Exam Preparation, Academic Enrichment Classes, Computer Basics Classes, and Integrated Education and Training Programs in the Pharmacy Technician and Transportation fields.

“I am so very thrilled with the recent acknowledgment and award bestowed upon School District Five’s Adult and Community Education Program,” said School District Five’s Chief of Student Services and Planning Dr. Michael Harris. “The staff are unsung heroes and heroines who are difference makers in the lives of young and seasoned adults in our community. To know that persons enrolled in English as a Second Language are seeing personal growth and are making educational gains speaks volumes about the work of the Adult Education staff. It comes as no surprise that the SC State Department of Education recognized District Five’s Adult and Community Education Program as one of the top five in the State!”

Photo: Andrea Doty (ESL Teacher), Mike King (State Adult Education Director), Paula Wright (School District Five Adult Education Director).