Adult Educational Development

The Adult Educational Development (AED) Department provides instructional programs and services in literacy, Pre-GED, GED, nonnative literacy, citizenship, employment skills and special topics. All programs are intended for adults 16 years old and over who are not currently enrolled in a secondary school.

The nonnative literacy program serves students whose first language is not English and who have limited years of schooling in their native countries.

The literacy program is intended to teach adults who cannot read, write or perform basic arithmetic. The Pre-GED and GED programs are designed for those who have not completed a secondary education program in the United States and who have not passed the General Educational Development (GED) Test battery (high school equivalency). The GED testing program is intended for adults 19 years of age and older. However, students 17 and 18 years of age may meet other test requirements. The citizenship training program focuses upon test preparation and procedures for U.S. citizenship. The employment skills program is open to students concurrently enrolled in other AED programs or as a separate option.

Students are tested and advised during registration for placement in classes. Basic skills, nonnative literacy and Pre-GED students are advised of their progress through achievement tests in classes, and GED students are given predictive tests to measure potential success in passing the GED Test battery. Advising services are available to meet students’ personal, academic and/or career/vocational needs. Specialized sections of GED instruction are available as online courses.

Daytime and evening courses are offered at the Palatine campus, Northeast Center, the Police Neighborhood Resource Center in Rolling Meadows, and the Northeast Palatine Community Center. Courses include Nonnative Literacy I, II, III and IV; Basic Reading Skills, Basic English Skills, Basic Mathematical Skills, Pre-GED Reading Skills, Pre-GED English Skills, Pre-GED Mathematical Skills; GED Social Studies and Science, GED Writing Skills and Literature, GED Mathematics; Adult Employment Skills; Citizenship Training and Topics in Adult Educational Development. For more information, call the AED Department at 847.925.6223 (campus) or 847.925.6015 (Northeast Center).