WASHINGTON (AP) — A high school dropout, Nicole Dickey adds fractions in math class at a charter school for adults, hoping to earn her high school credentials and find a good paying office job. "My life has changed, I am here to make it better," said Dickey, 39, who left high school after she became pregnant and spent the next two decades working low-paying jobs, raising five children, living on government assistance and struggling with alcoholism. Faced with high illiteracy rates among city residents and an extremely competitive job market, the nation's capital is experimenting with adult education.