More About Adult Education Programs
Basic Skills Development
Students who have the reading, math and writing skills at the most basic levels are referred to work with partner agencies which focus on skill development. HFM BOCES works cooperatively with both the Montgomery County Literacy Project and Literacy New York: Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie Counties to help learners with limited reading, math, and writing skills. Once students have developed reading, math and writing skills at the 6th grade level, they may transition into a Skill Development class.
Corrections Education
Fulton and Montgomery Academies are located within each county correctional facility. HFM BOCES staff provides a variety of educational and transition services to incarcerated youth and adults to foster their successful and productive re-entry into the community. Programs and services include, but are not limited to:
- High School Tutoring
- High School Equivalency Preparation
- Job Readiness Training
- Parenting and Relationship Skills
- Career, Family and Life Skills
- Clean Daily Living
- Transitional Services
English as a Second Language (ESL)
ESL classes provide instruction to people whose native language is not English. Instruction is provided in reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, with a concentration on conversation, vocabulary and pronunciation.
Classes are designed to help those learning English increase their communication with schools, health care providers, neighbors and others in the community. Students are introduced to various aspects of American society.
All potential students participate in the BEST Plus Assessment of Oral Language to evaluate their listening and speaking skills prior to enrollment in a program. Students will be assigned to the appropriate class based on the results of their assessment. Assessment is an ongoing process for all learners. Students will advance based on the results of their assessments.
Skill Development Classes
Skill Development Class is appropriate for students who demonstrate reading, math, and/or writing skills above the 6th grade level and below the 9th grade level. These classes will develop the skills necessary to transition into the High School Equivalency (HSE) preparation class.
Skill Development instruction includes:
- Language Arts, Reading: Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry and Drama
- Language Arts, Writing: Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, Spelling, Sentence Structure, Organization and Essays
- Mathematics: Whole Numbers, Decimals, Fractions, Percents and Data Analysis
- Social Studies: Critical Thinking, Graphic Literacy, World and U.S. History, Civics and Government, Economics and Geography
- Science: Critical Thinking, Graphic Literacy, Science, Earth and Space Science, Chemistry and Physics
- Topics on health, personal finance and civic participation
Additional offerings include:
- Financial Literacy
- Health Literacy
- Parents as First Educators & Related Workshops
- Employment Related Workshops
- College Transition Classes
How to sign up for a class
HFM BOCES ALCE enrolls students several times throughout the year through orientation and screening events. We send announcements regarding orientation and screening events using email. We also share information on the Amsterdam Literacy Zone and Gloversville Literacy Zone Facebook pages. Our primary enrollment periods are the first week of September and the first week of January each year.
If you would like to be notified of the next orientation, screening and registration session for any of our classes, you can:
- Call us at 518-736-4340. Voicemail is available 24 hours a day.
- Send an e-mail to alce@hfmboces.org.
Please leave the following information:
- Name
- Age (Most classes are intended for learners 21 and older)
- Mailing Address
- Phone Number
- Which class and which location you would like to attend