Transcript ABE Policy, Accountability & the NRS Summer Institute 2011 Let’s play…

ABE Policy, Accountability & the NRS
Summer Institute 2011
Let’s play…
Question 1
The NRS defines how many
official adult student levels?
Question 1: Student Levels
Question 2
Name the adult student levels
defined by the NRS.
Question 2: Student Levels
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Beginning ESL Literacy
Low Beginning ESL
High Beginning ESL
Low Intermediate ESL
High Intermediate ESL
Advanced ESL
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Beginning ABE Literacy
Beginning Basic Education
Low Intermediate ABE
High Intermediate ABE
Low Adult Secondary
High Adult Secondary
These are also called EFLs,
or Educational Functioning Levels
Question 3
What are the major NRS
student goals?
Question 3: Student Goals
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Educational Gain
Entered Employment
Retained Employment
Receipt of Secondary Credential
Entered Postsecondary Education
Question 4
NRS student goals should be
obtainable by the end of the
program year. What is the start
date of the program year in
Minnesota ABE?
Question 4: Program Year
Minnesota’s ABE Program Year starts
The program year dates May 1 – April 30.
How do you determine
“educational gain” in ABE?
Educational
Gain
in ABE
Completing
a
NRS Level
Question 5
What is the name of the state
ABE database?
Question 5: ABE Databases
Minnesota’s ABE Databases are:
Question 6
The ABE databases produce tables A &
1-12 that programs submit annually.
Programs should check them regularly.
What are the most important
tables for programs to check?
Question 6: Most Important
The most important tables to check are:
Table A: Shows enrollees & contact hours
Table 4: Shows participant level completions
Table 4B:Shows post-tested participants
Question 7
Table A displays enrollees while Tables
1-12 display participants.
What is the difference between
an enrollee and a participant?
Question 7
Enrollee/Participant
Participants are enrollees with at least
contact hours in the program year.
A closer look at
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Table 4
What level has the most students?
What was the average overall participant level
completion rate?
Compare data with the state targets. In which
levels did the program meet or exceed state
targets?
In which levels did the program not meet state
targets?
What can you do with this information in your
role?
Consequences of Low Performance
•Report Card
•ABE Program Improvement Policy
•Provisional Approval Status
•Program Improvement Process
http://mnabe.themlc.org

The Minnesota ABE web site is the best
place to check for policy and accountability
information.
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Two section highlights:
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ABE Law, Policy and Guidance
ABE Accountability and NRS
ABE Student Eligibility
Adult Basic Education means services or instruction below
the postsecondary level for individuals:
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Who have attained 16 years of age; and
Who are not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary
school under State law; and
Who qualify under one or more of the following conditions:
 Are unable to speak, read, or write the English language;
 Do not have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent,
and have not achieved an equivalent level of education;
 Lack sufficient mastery of basic educational skills to enable the
individual to function effectively in society.
It’s time for ROUND
TWO…
… and answer the question.
Situation #1

A potential learner comes in asking for GED
classes. He is 15 years old. Is he ABE
eligible?
Situation #2A

What if the potential
learner is 17 years old?
Situation #2B

What if the17-year old
potential learner who is a
high-school student
wants to attend evening
ABE classes with his
parents?
Situation #2C
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What if the17-year old potential learner is a
high school graduate?
Situation #3

You have a new
potential learner walk
in to your ABE class
at the correctional
facility. She just
wants to study
budgeting skills.
Should she be an
ABE student?
ABE Eligible Content
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All students in state and federally funded ABE
programs must be receiving instruction in at least
one of the core content areas.
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Core content areas:
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Reading
Writing
Mathematics
Speaking
Listening
ESL/ELL
GED/H.S. Diploma
Conditional Content
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Conditional content is supplemental to core content
instruction.
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For example, students may receive instruction regarding
computer skills if they are using the computer or software
applications to assist them in learning the core content of
writing.
Examples of conditional content areas:
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Citizenship/civics
Basic technology skills
Employability skills
Study skills
Health or financial literacy
Situation #4A
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You have a potential learner
who only wants to get some
computer skills so she can
get a job. Should you enroll
her in ABE?
Computer Literacy
In order for an approved ABE program to count
hours related to computer literacy content for a
student, one of the following two eligibility criteria
must be met:

1)
2)
The student must score below high school equivalency
level on one or more basic skills content areas (reading,
writing, math, or speaking) using an adult appropriate
standardized test,
AND the student must have a primary NRS literacy goal
in ABE, ESL, or adult secondary, and be participating
(enrolled) in instruction related to that goal
Situation #4B

What do you need from this
learner if she wants to only
take a computer skills
course?
Conditional Work Referral Adults
The following conditional content will be allowed
without student participation in core content areas
(and under specific referral conditions):
 Basic Technology Skills (e.g.- Basic Computer
Literacy)
 Job Seeking Skills (e.g.- Résumé Writing,
Interviewing, and Job Searching)
 Soft Skills Necessary for Work (e.g.- SCANS skills)
Conditional Work Referral Adults
Eligibility and Referral Requirements –the student
must:
 be 16 or over and not enrolled in public (K-12)
school; and
 be referred in writing by a state or local
governmental agency such as a Workforce Center,
workforce investment board, or MFIP providing
agency, specifically for any one or more of the
content areas noted above. Note: Referral by a
college or other post-secondary educational/training
institution is not acceptable under this policy.
Conditional Work Referral Adults
Exemption from NRS:
 Conditional Work Referral Adults are not
subject to the NRS processes such as pre
and post testing.
 The adult will not be counted in any of the
NRS tables but would be counted on Table A
for revenue generating (contact hour)
purposes.
Situation #4C
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Can you count ABE contact
hours for:
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Registering this new student?
Testing this new student?
The student’s homework?
Counseling this student?
Contact Hour Policy
BROAD DEFINITION: ABE Contact Hours are:
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All personal contact hours where the learner was
with an ABE teacher, counselor, volunteer tutor or
other ABE-funded staff working toward planning,
assessing progress toward, and attaining basic
academic and SCANS skills and ABE-related
personal education plan goals; and
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All verifiable learner time during which ABE
teachers, counselors, volunteer tutors or other ABEfunded staff worked with the learner to plan or
debrief independent learning, on-the-job training or
other community-based learning activities.
Recording Student Attendance
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All ABE consortia must be able to verify the
accuracy of student contact hours reported to
MDE-ABE
Program staff are responsible for recording
accurate attendance of in-class or other
instructional, intake, goal-setting or
assessment time with students
Student attendance records must be on file
and available to MN Department of Education
fiscal auditors and ABE staff
Distance Learning Policy
Instructional Delivery Models :
 Distance Education – Students are able to work
independently at a distance and have strong
computer literacy skills
 Hybrid – This is a blended instructional delivery
model for students who need some in-class preteaching, but are able to work independently at a
distance and have strong computer literacy skills
 In-Class – Students need in-class guided instruction
and have strong computer literacy skills
Distance Learning Policy
Count contact hours (AKA
seat time) for:
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Orientation
Testing
Other time where the teacher
is instructing or working with
the student
Count proxy hours (AKA
time allocated for
successful lesson
completion) for:
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Student work with the
distance learning curriculum
Do NOT double count hours!
For example, do not count contact hours for time when the
student is working in the classroom on a distance
learning curriculum if you are also counting proxy hours
for that completed work!
For More Information…
Minnesota Department of Education –
ABE Web Site:
http://mnabe.themlc.org/

National Reporting System (NRS):
http://www.nrsweb.org/
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Questions?
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For local program policies and procedures,
contact your local program supervisor.
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For questions regarding state ABE policy and
operations, contact Brad Hasskamp at 651582-8594 or [email protected]
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For questions regarding assessments and
NRS, contact Todd Wagner at 651-582-8466
or [email protected]