Setting the Stage for Success: Orientation, Goal Setting, and Their Impact on Outcomes
Bianca Johnson-Ortiz, Manager of Adult Education Programs & Chief Examiner at Literacy Services of Wisconsin
Adult learners enter programs through a variety of pathways, bringing diverse academic backgrounds, goals, and support needs. This session explores how intentional alignment of enrollment, placement, orientation, and instructional support across multiple entry points—including Foundations, Level E, Level M, HSED/GED pathways, and accessible community-based sites—can significantly improve learner persistence, retention, and measurable skill gains.
Participants will examine a systems-based approach that begins at first contact, helping learners identify meaningful goals and connect those goals to appropriate instructional pathways. By creating consistent orientation experiences, refining placement practices, and embedding targeted supports at each level, programs can reduce barriers that often lead to early exit and disengagement. The session highlights strategies for building seamless transitions between levels while maintaining learner momentum toward educational and career goals.
Through program examples, data-informed practices, and practical tools, attendees will explore how a unified entry and support model can strengthen outcomes across an entire adult education program. Participants will leave with actionable ideas for designing learner-centered intake and goal-setting processes that foster engagement, increase level advancement, and support successful progression from entry to credential attainment.
