The Jennings County Education Center

Program Overview

The Jennings County Education Center is located in North Vernon Indiana. We serve adults in the county with vocation and high school equivalency classes. To date we have assisted 222 adults in gaining the knowledge and the skills necessary to pass the high school equivalency diploma test, transition to postsecondary education, achieve an occupational certification, and/or gain self-sustaining employment.

Eligible individuals must be eighteen years of age, or be between sixteen and eighteen years of age with a completed exit form signed by his/her principal. Basic skill deficient individuals are identified for adult education and literacy activities using the following criteria: An individual who lacks a high school diploma or high school equivalency and is not enrolled in secondary education; an individual with skills at 8.9 or below grade-level in English, reading, writing, or computing as measured with the TABE Test; an individual who is identified to be Limited English Skills proficient through assessment or staff-attestation.

ABE classes will be offered at multiple times and days to give students an opportunity to attend. There will also be the opportunity for distance learning through our program and through the state distance learning program. One-on-one tutoring will be offered to students scoring Level 2 or below on the TABE assessment. Once the student has advanced they can join a group study class.

We will continue to assure the needs of individuals with disabilities, learning disabilities and persistent barriers are met by following IEP and 504 Educational plans and by maintaining a handicap accessible learning environment.

Tutoring will also be offered to English New Language students if there are not enough students to form a group class.

Incarcerated students will have an opportunity to enroll in ABE class; MSSC-CPT; MSSC-CLT or in a Basic Life Skills class.

IET & WEI offerings are chosen because they are identified as trainings that lead to high demand jobs in our region by our local Workforce Regional Plan.

IETs are also planned around available providers or if it is a training JCEC could provide. To ensure we are training for high demand jobs we check the number of flames identified with the training occupation. We also research what local job postings are being shared.

Student and Volunteer Success Stories

I, Mackenzie Roberts, dropped out of Jennings County High School in 1999. My high school experience was very negative due to being in special education because of a learning disability. I often was made fun of by other students and started hanging around with the wrong crowd where I started doing drugs. I first came to Jennings County Education Center in 2006 where I came and exited from the program several times before I achieved my High School Equivalency(HSE) in May 2021. For a long time, I could never stick with school and finish due to my addiction. "My focus in life wasn't to excel and better my life," remarked Mackenzie. In 2018 I took my HSE for the first time and passed all the subjects but Mathand Science. Again due to my addiction I did not stay the course to get my education done. It wasn't until 2021 when I finally got clean and got my head clear that I was able to return to JCEC with a new outlook and focus to earn my HSE. Finally, with the help of my instructor Jennifer Herr in May of 2021 I was able to pass all five subjects and obtain my HSE. My experience at the JCEC was very positive! They always welcomed me back no matter how many times I exited and returned to the program. They never made me feel like a quitter or a failure. "My time at the JCEC will stay with me for the rest of my life and I will look back on it and remember that if you just believe in yourself you can do anything," remarked Mackenzie. "This year when Mackenzie returned to JCEC I could really see that she had turned her life around for the better and was ready to obtain her HSE," said her teacher Jennifer Herr. I am not completely sure what my next step is, but I would like to go on to college or do a job training. My future seems much brighter now that I have my High School Equivalency Diploma