Policy, Partnership, and Access: Massachusetts’ Approach to Adult Education
In this special HiSET edition of Tried and Tested, host Isabelle Gonthier welcomes vice president of the HiSET program Tanya Guerrero Haug, who sits down with Wyvonne Stevens-Carter, Associate Commissioner for Public Adult Education at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Recorded live at the HiSET Boston Roadshow, the conversation highlights how Massachusetts is expanding access to high school equivalency through statewide funding, flexible transcript policies, and partnerships that prioritize learner experience.
Isabelle and Tanya also reflect on why the Massachusetts model stands out across the nation. From student ambassadors and staff pipelines to community driven innovation, this episode shows what is possible when policies remove barriers and adult learners are invited to lead. It is a compelling look at how assessment can open doors for individuals, families, and entire communities.
What you’ll learn:
- How Massachusetts funds high school equivalency testing statewide and why this increases access for learners.
- Why the skills gap may actually be an investment gap and what this means for workforce development.
- How student ambassadors and student to staff pipelines create new opportunities for adult learners.
- The role partnerships play in strengthening adult education and supporting diverse learner needs.
- Key policy decisions that made Massachusetts a national example in high school equivalency access.
Who should listen:
- Adult education leaders, instructors, and administrators
- Workforce development and policy professionals
- Credentialing and assessment partners working to improve access
- Employers seeking to better understand the value adult learners bring
- Anyone committed to building opportunity through education and assessment
Tanya Guerrero Haug
Vice President, HiSET
Tanya Guerrero Haug, Vice President of HiSET, oversees the HiSET Program supporting the 30 states and territories that have adopted the HiSET. In this role, Tanya coordinates with the PSI HiSET Program teams, the HiSET Board, state directors and administrators, adult education providers, test centers, employers, and higher education institutions.
Tanya’s team is directly responsible for HiSET contracts and partnerships, the HiSET suite of products, and adult education outreach. She oversees the HiSET webinars and conferences to keep professional development and program updates accessible. For more than 20 years, she has demonstrated her commitment to education by the various positions she has held in the industry and by her active community service.
In a previous role as director of proposal development at Educational Testing Service (ETS), she oversaw ETS’s competitive proposals for federal and state agencies as well as for other organizations. Prior to joining ETS in 2004, Tanya worked in the Grants and Recognitions department at Northside Independent School District and as a Marketing Manager at Kaplan Test Prep in San Antonio, Texas. She attended both Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, earning her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies. She earned her mini-MBA from Rutgers University, and she completed the Essentials of Project Management course at Northeastern University.
Wyvonne Stevens-Carter
Associate Commissioner Adult and Community Learning Services, MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Wyvonne Stevens-Carter is a senior education and workforce systems leader with deep expertise in adult education policy, cross agency alignment, and public investment strategy. As Associate Commissioner of Adult and Community Learning Services at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, she leads statewide efforts to strengthen adult learning systems that advance economic mobility, workforce readiness, and civic participation.
Her work centers on designing and operating large scale public systems, aligning state and federal policy, funding, and accountability to ensure adult learners can access high quality pathways into postsecondary education, credentials, and family sustaining employment. She oversees complex funding portfolios, guides competitive procurements and performance based initiatives, and translates policy into clear operational frameworks that support implementation at scale.
Wyvonne brings particular strengths in state and federal policy implementation across adult education, workforce, and career pathways; systems integration spanning education, workforce development, and economic development; equity driven strategy and governance; fiscal oversight and public investment stewardship; data informed accountability and continuous improvement; and partnership development with government agencies, employers, higher education, and community organizations.
She is recognized for bridging policy and practice, elevating learner and practitioner voice, and advancing a “state as equity partner” approach that positions public institutions to reduce barriers, expand opportunity, and deliver measurable results. She leads with clarity and collaboration, with a commitment to building durable systems that work for learners, communities, and the economy.