Research/Report

Performance vs. Learning: My Takeaways from Lifelong Learning in Adult Education

Spring 2026

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General Adult Education Field

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Author(s): Jackson Lilly, Adult Education, Technical College System of Georgia

As a state staff member responsible for WIOA Title II reporting, the author is aware of how limiting some primary performance measures are at capturing adult education’s full long-term impact. In the research article Lifelong Learning in Adult Education: A 12-Year Longitudinal Study of Participation and Skill Growth,” the author of this Forum response says Stephen Reder offers an important reminder that the benefits of adult education extend beyond our immediate interactions with a student. Lilly attests to the difficulties states and local programs face in assigning unique identifiers for students across program years and providers. No matter how many data checks and processes exist, it is a constant effort to maintain clean longitudinal data on student progress.

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