Course descriptions

Rockland Regional Adult Learning Center Programs

Students may pre-register for these FREE programs, which are funded by the Massachusetts Department of Education, by calling 781-871-8410. Registration for enrollment and testing will be scheduled by appointment. If you have any questions regarding these programs, please call 781-871-8410.

General Math - Beginning/Intermediate

This course was designed to be the basic structure in preparing students for standardized math testing. First the review of basic math skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division involving whole numbers. Students will develop their number sense using decimals, fractions, and percentages. Students will then develop those skills into problem solving techniques that include exponents, square roots, probability, and statistics. All topics will be the foundation for the Advanced Math course that follows.

Advanced Math - College Prep

This course is designed to use the skills learned in General Math and develop the techniques needed to be successful on standardized math exams. Students will learn to interpret graphs, simplify algebraic expressions, solve equations and inequalities and develop various algebra and geometry skills. Students will also be exposed to real-life skills including sales tax, simple interest, markups and discounts. The completion of this class will leave each student prepared in all the areas of math needed to enroll in a community college or a technical school.

English: Beginning / Intermediate

This course is designed for students with basic writing and comprehension skills in preparation for high school English and Adult Diploma. The focus of this class will be to re-introduce students to Basic English skills through writing, reading and discussion. Through individual writing assignments students will improve their knowledge of basic grammar, vocabulary and paragraph development. Students will also complete reading assignments and specific activities will be emphasized such as identification of main idea and supporting details, making inferences and summarizing the text. The end goal of the class will be to write an essay addressing three goals they will have set to be accomplished over the next 2, 5 and 10 years, related to their financial and career goals.

English: Advanced / Literature

The purpose of this class is to expand and develop a student's writing skills and reading comprehension. Students will read and discuss a variety of works of literature including fiction, non-fiction and poetry, thereby developing their critical thinking skills. Throughout the course, students will engage in the writing process and practice their revision skills. In addition, students will engage in research based writing and reading. Upon completion of the class, students will write a research paper on the topic of their choice.

Biology

Biology is designed for students who need to pass the Biology MCAS. It provides a greater understanding of biology at the molecular level. Topic areas include cellular and molecular biology, organismal reproduction, development, growth and nutrition, ecology, heredity, genetic engineering, evolution, organismal biology (structure and function), systematics, and behavior.

Civics/History

The major goal of this course is for students to understand and apply democratic and civic values. The focus of the course includes the development and meaning of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; understanding the role and connections of the Courts and the governmental process; the roles and influence of the legislative, executive and "bureaucratic" branches of the government; the connections between "politics" and "economics"; and the relevance of government in relationship to the current and ongoing issues that face our world today.

Reading

Reading is a program of instruction geared towards adults reading at an intermediate grade level (grades 4-8.9).

Teachers will use diagnostic assessments to identify the individual strengths and weaknesses of their learners and to target reading instruction accordingly. Teachers help students improve their skills in the key components of reading by explaining new concepts, modeling strategies, and providing many opportunities for learners to practice.

The key components of Reading are:

Alphabetics: The process that readers use to identify words.
Fluency: The ability to read with efficiency and ease.
Vocabulary: The body of words whose meanings a person knows and understands.
Comprehension: The process and product of understanding connected text.

Topics in Science

This course is designed to introduce students to a variety of topics in science. Classroom investigations will develop the students' understanding of the basic concepts of inquiry involved in science. Topics will include astronomy, earth's structure, forces of motion, heat and heat transfer, states of matter, atomic structure, chemical bonding & reactions, chemistry of life, cell biology, human activities and the environment.

Portfolio

This class consists of research and problem-solving topics that must be presented in a final copy portfolio to meet graduation requirements. It is designed to either prepare students to continue their education by writing assignments using EXCEL and Google Documents or preparing them for the workforce with a current resume.

GED / HI-SET Prep

The GED® and the HISET® Test-Prep courses provide a thorough review of the concepts and skills essential for preparing for the tests. The course begins with a diagnostic pretest that assesses areas of strength and weakness to determine the target skills for practice throughout the course.

English As A Second Language Course Descriptions (ESOL)

Beginner

The purpose of this course is to introduce everyday expressions and basic grammar necessary for further study of English. Pronunciation and vocabulary necessary to understand Basic English phrases are stressed.Students will respond to simple questions related to common conversation.

This course is intended for those with limited oral communication in English.

Advanced Beginner

Students in this course should be able to ask and answer simple questions. More detailed vocabulary, grammar and speaking will be focused and students will be encouraged to begin writing simple sentences; although, the main goal of the course is to enhance listening and oral communication skills.

Intermediate

Students in this course will possess comfortable conversation skills and seek to enhance their oral communication beyond basic. More detailed vocabulary, grammar and spelling will be focused. Basic writing of simple sentences and the beginning of a paragraph will also be stressed. Basic reading is also a component of this course.

Advanced Intermediate

Students in this course have functionally fluent conversational skills and are beginning to work on writing beyond the basic paragraph. Grammar and vocabulary necessary for more in depth writing and speaking are the focus of this course, Students are encouraged to read both inside and outside of the classroom environment and bring such documents in for discussion and analysis.

Advanced

Students in this course have fluent informal conversational skills. Vocabulary, writing and grammar are a focus of this course; however, the main thrust of this course is to prepare students with the reading and writing skills necessary to advance to Adult Diploma, Community College or other Trade school. Students will take a reading comprehension test for the purpose of establishing reading level proficiency. For advancement from one class to another students must meet the minimum requirement on the state mandated assessment.

Rockland Regional Adult Learning Center

52 MacKinlay Way

Rockland MA, 02370

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