Missouri excel center program : evaluation of adult high schools
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In 2010, Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana opened its first Excel Center adult high schools aimed at assisting adults in obtaining a high school diploma and transitioning those adults into higher education, industry certifications, and the workforce completely tuition free. MERS Goodwill, the largest Missouri branch of Goodwill (excluding Kansas City and western portions of the state), opened its first schools in 2018 (The Excel Center, 2021). The purpose of this study is to conduct a program (impact) evaluation on the Missouri Excel Centers. The following study explores the background, history, and operations of the Missouri Excel Center program. The researcher utilized archival data as reported by graduates to determine what impacts the program has had and who is benefiting by using the Missouri House Bill 680 (99th general assembly) as a benchmark for analysis on outcomes. The Missouri Excel Center program is generating an impact on its graduates via higher education and industry certifications, employment, and wages. The program serves a racially diverse student body who are primarily female with an average age of 37. The implications of the study include a recommendation that Missouri Excel Center program develop methods of tracking wages and government assistance to report the benefits. This includes reduced or eliminated dependency on government assistance programs, increased tax revenues earned by the state, and generational financial impact on families. Future research should use qualitative research to track data based on graduates’ lived experiences to identify aspects of the program that are generating the most impact attributing to graduate success.
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Ed. D.