Transcript Document

Developing Policy to Improve
Practice in an Adult Basic
Education Transition System
Judith A. Alamprese, Abt Associates
Chrys Limardo, Kratos Learning
National College Transitions Network
Conference
November 8, 2012
Today’s Presentation
• Overview of the Project
• Technical Assistance Processes
• Project States’ ABE Transition Activities
• Findings and Conclusions
• Using ABE Transition Components at the Local
Level
• Project Resources
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POLICY TO PERFORMANCE
(P2P) OVERVIEW
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Project Goals
• Assist states in strengthening existing or developing new ABE
state transition systems.
• Broaden states’ use of data-based policies that enable local adult
education programs to assist low-skilled adults meet their
education and employment goals.
• Provide technical assistance to P2P states on developing and
testing policies that support comprehensive and coordinated
systems for ABE transition services for low-skilled adults.
• Disseminate policy tools, lessons learned from the project, and
other resources to aid all states in developing systems and
policies for moving adults along a continuum of postsecondary
education, training, and employment services.
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Definition of Terms
• Policy:
• A plan or course of action, especially one of an organization or
government, to address a problem
• A statement of government of what it intends to do or not to do,
such as law, regulation, ruling, decision, order or combination of
these
• Intervention: An educational program (such as a career
pathways program), product (such as a curriculum, course),
or practice (such as homogenous skill grouping) aimed at
improving student outcomes
• Pilot Test: Preliminary test or study of a program, product,
or practice to try out procedures and make any needed
changes or adjustments
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Components of an Effective Transition System
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Eight P2P Project States
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TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
PROCESSES
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Technical Assistance Providers and Activities
• Technical Assistance Providers
• Coaches: Each state had a designated coach who was a former state
director of adult education (4 coaches for 8 states)
• Project’s Director of Technical Assistance (TA)
• Project’s staff
• Technical Assistance Activities
• National Meetings: Initial workshop and three national meetings
• Two webinars
• Conference calls: Coaches’ monthly calls with states and Director of
TA’s all site conference calls
• Site visits to selected states
• Posting of resources on project’s website
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Content of Technical Assistance: Conceptual Model
• Conceptual model for an ABE State Transition
System—defined seven key components of a system
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Content of Technical Assistance: Planning,
Development, & Evaluation Processes
AIDDE© Process for Planning ABE Transition System
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Content of Technical Assistance: State
Demonstration Processes
• Organize a state demonstration of new transition practices
(e.g., Middle College program) and potential policies (e.g.,
participation requirements for Middle College program)
• Select pilot sites
• Provide training and technical assistance on use of new
transition practices
• Specify data collection for pilot sites
• Collect and analyze data
• Revise practice and supports for practice (e.g., training) based
on results of pilot test
• Revise or develop policies to guide implementation of
transition practice
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Content of Technical Assistance: Planning,
Development, & Evaluation Processes
Policy Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation
(PPIE©) Process
Policy Planning
1.
Determine Goal or Issue Policy is to Address
2. Research/Review/Analyze
3. Prepare Framework/Paper on Transition Issue
Policy Development
4. Prepare Draft Policy
5.
Consult with Internal Agency Stakeholders
6. Consult with External Stakeholders
7.
Finalize Policy
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Content of Technical Assistance: Planning,
Development, & Evaluation Processes
Policy Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation
(PPIE©) Process
Policy Implementation
8. Test/Implement Policy
9. Evaluate Results from Policy
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P2P PARTNER STATES
Alabama, California, Louisiana, Massachusetts,
New York, Texas, Virginia, & Wisconsin
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Alabama
• Initiative/Intervention:
• Middle College Transition Program (College Connection)
• ABE learners participate in GED and college occupational classes
simultaneously; college credit is “banked” until learner earns GED
• Policies/Guidance:
• Length and duration of classes
• Types of advising to provide to learners
• Types of professional development needed to prepare ABE and CTE
staff to collaborate on curriculum development and transition
activities
• Pilot Test:
• 3 ABE programs in community colleges
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California
• Initiative/Intervention:
• Provide integrated career pathways services to ABE learners
• Comprehensive student support services are integrated into a career
pathways program
• Policies/Guidance:
• Types of support services to provide
• Types of data to collect regarding use of and outcomes from support
services
• Pilot Test:
• 10 ABE programs
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Louisiana
• Initiative/Intervention:
• WorkReady U
• Instructional and advising processes for: (1) increasing the number
of adults who attain a GED credential, (2) preparing adults to be
work ready, (3) increasing the number of GED recipients who
achieve postsecondary outcomes
• Policies/Guidance:
• Guidelines for ABE transition activities are incorporated into state’s
new RFP for local ABE services
• Pilot Test:
• 9 ABE programs
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Massachusetts
• Initiative/Intervention:
• Strengthen and integrate ABE transition services
• Comprehensive advising & counseling services are integrated into
ABE transition services
• Policies/Guidance:
• Guidelines for ABE transition activities are incorporated into state’s
new RFP for local ABE services
• Policies concern learner goal setting, types of instruction to provide,
amount of time for services, types of advising, counseling, & support
services to provide
• Pilot Test:
•
8 ABE programs
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New York
• Initiative/Intervention:
• Alignment of services and policies to provide an integrated system of
career pathways services
• Documenting range of ABE career pathways services underway
• Testing uses of Learner Web in Literacy Zones
• Policies/Guidance:
• Guidelines for ABE transition/career pathways will be incorporated
into state’s new RFP for local ABE services
• Development of state longitudinal database is under development
• Pilot Test:
• 2 ABE programs tracking ABE data through postsecondary
attainment
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Texas
• Initiative/Intervention:
• Initiative to increase readiness of ABE/ESL learners to benefit from
One-Stop services
• Accelerated GED instruction, career awareness curriculum, and
processes for cross-referral between ABE and One-Stop are being
implemented
• Policies/Guidance:
• Guidelines for accelerated GED instruction, career awareness
curriculum
• Processes for referral from ABE to One-Stop
• Pilot Test:
• 3 ABE programs, 5 sites
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Virginia
• Initiative/Intervention:
• PluggedIn VA
• Replication of PluggedIn VA: (1) GED curriculum/Career Readiness
Certificate, (2) Occupationally contextualized curriculum
(e.g., Digital Literacy Skills, Allied Health), (3) Professional soft
skills, (4) 21st Century skills
• Policies/Guidance:
• Professional development manual to guide use of PluggedIn VA
• Guidelines for ABE transition activities are incorporated into state’s
new RFP for local ABE services
• Pilot Test:
• 2 new pilot sites & expanded original pilot site
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Wisconsin
• Initiative/Intervention:
• 509 Expanded Option for high school diploma for adults
• Development and assessment of new guidelines for completing 509
Expanded Option requirements
• Policies/Guidance:
• Guidance regarding completion of competencies and courses for 509
Expanded Option
• Pilot Test:
• 3-4 colleges
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FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS
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Findings
• Using the AIDDE© and PPIE© Processes
• Using a Pilot Test to Implement New Practices as Part of Policy
Development
• Providing Technical Assistance to Pilot Sites
• Communicating “Messages” about the Need for ABE Transition
• Building and Enhancing Partnerships
• Leveraging Other Funding Sources
• Developing Policies from Practices
• Time Required to Develop or Enhance an ABE Transition System
• Use of Coaching Technical Assistance to Support States’ Work
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Conclusions
• Partnership Development
• Planning Processes
• Policy Development
• Technical Assistance
• Addressing Challenges
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APPLYING ABE
TRANSITION
COMPONENTS AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL
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ABE Transition Components
• Vision of an ABE Transition System—Strategy or
direction and long-term goals for the operation of a
program’s ABE transition system.
• Public Relations/Communication—Messaging and
ongoing communication with stakeholders and constituents
about ABE transition purposes, benefits, activities, and
outcomes.
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ABE Transition Components
• Interagency Coordination—Coordinated efforts between
ABE program and community colleges, workforce
development, businesses, and other entities concerned with
ABE transition.
• Service Models—Processes, procedures, and materials for
the delivery of adult learner assessment, instruction, and
support services that facilitate learners’ transition from adult
basic education to postsecondary education, training, and
employment.
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ABE Transition Components
Service Models:
• Assessments to place learners into services; measure learners’ prepost gains; and document learners’ attainment of certificates and
credentials;
• Accelerated ABE academic instruction;
• Integrated ABE and occupational instruction;
• Career and college awareness and planning;
• Advising and counseling services;
• Support services; and
• Postsecondary and employment referral processes.
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ABE Transition Components
• Training and Technical Assistance—Provision of
professional development and technical support to local ABE
staff for their:
• Development and implementation of ABE transition service models;
• Establishment of working relationships with partners to support
transition activities; and
• Implementation of program’s ABE transition policies.
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ABE Transition Components
• Policies—Plans or courses of action to guide ABE programs’
activities in:
• Carrying out interagency coordination;
• Delivering transition service models;
• Providing advising, support, and transition referral services;
• Participating in training and technical assistance;
• Providing financial support to learners; and
• Collecting, analyzing, and reporting data.
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ABE Transition Components
• Data Systems and Evaluation—Data systems for
gathering and tracking:
• ABE learners’ participation in transition services offered by ABE
program and partners;
• ABE learners’ basic skill pre-post gains and other outcomes from
participation in transition services;
• ABE learners’ enrollment in postsecondary courses and training
programs; and
• ABE learners’ attainment of postsecondary certificates, credentials,
and degrees.
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ABE Transition Components
• Evaluation activities involve the collection and analysis of
data to assess the:
• Quality of the implementation of transition services (e.g., fidelity in
use of service models);
• Effects of transition policies on the delivery of transition services; and
• Learner and program outcomes from transition services.
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PROJECT RESOURCES
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P2P Resource Center
Searchable database of publications, initiatives, and tools
related to adult transitions, including:
• Career Pathways
• College & Career Readiness
• Data & Accountability
• Partnerships & Interagency Coordination
• Policy & Systems Alignment
• Postsecondary Retention
• Special Populations
• Training & Employment
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Policy to Performance Toolkit
• Provides steps in the models
used to develop, implement,
and evaluate adult basic
education transition systems
• Includes state experiences in
implementing the P2P
development process
• Developed as an interactive
PDF with writable and
downloadable forms
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State ABE Transition Systems Report
• Provides information about the P2P activities conducted
• Describes the technical assistance activities and
processes used
• Identifies findings from the states’ transition efforts and
highlights promising practices
• Summarizes lessons learned from the project and
conclusions concerning state transition systems
development
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QUESTIONS?
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Presenter Information
Chrys Limardo: [email protected]
Project Director
Judy Alamprese: [email protected]
Director of Technical Assistance for P2P Project
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