OVAE STATE DIRECTORS OF ADULT EDUCATION MEETING MAY 10, 2011 Today s Discussion New England College Transition Projects Shifting Gears Breaking Through ABE to Credentials How are states leveraging these efforts in order to improve outcomes for their students?
Lessons from New England College Transition Projects OVAE, May 2011 Silja Kallenbach National College Transition Network/World Education Key Features of New England ABE to College Project 2000 2008 25 ABE programs partnered with 40+ colleges Stand alone, college prep model 14 weeks, 140 hours Cohort based Academic instruction Computer skills College success and study skills Counseling Tutoring and mentoring Partnerships
College & Career Readiness for Adults College Knowledge Academic Knowledge and Skills Career Planning Personal Readiness Transition to College and Careers (TCC) Project 2009-2011 6 rural/small town programs in CT, MA, ME, NH, VT Focus on high wage, high growth employment sector: health care Expanded workforce partnerships Intensive focus on career counseling & planning Facilitated online course, Introduction to Health Science, with onsite support
TCC Enrollment and Completion Outcomes over 4 Semesters Actual Target Enrollments 379 360 TCC program completions 67% 60% Online Health Science course completions 166 48 Students transitioning to postsecondary education and training 206 or 54% 162 or 50% Lessons Learned Career planning integrated with instruction and real life experiences is motivating. Realistic self appraisal of challenges correlates with persistence. High reading comprehension, low writing skills; requires rigorous writing instruction. Online course does double duty. Partnerships yield resources but are not easy.
Lessons Learned Eligibility criteria is difficult to establish, assess and stick to. Students overestimated their computer skills and struggled with the online course. Students math skills improved but not enough for college level. Career pathway road maps lacking. Affordability is a barrier even with planning Shifting State Policies to Support Postsecondary & Employment Success for Adult Workers
What is Shifting Gears? Launched in 2007 by the Joyce Foundation, Shifting Gears is a state policy change effort in six Midwest states. The goal is to strengthen state postsecondary and skills development systems so that more low skilled workers gain the education, skills and credentials needed to succeed in our changing economy. States: Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin www.shifting gears.org Joyce Foundation Tactical Interventions
Budget (2007 present) Joyce Investment: $6.5 million States Investment: $10 million+ Progress to Date States have: Convened cross agency policy groups, set system goals and identified multiple policy priorities Experimented with new program models (currently in evaluation) Developed new data infrastructure and analyses Achieved policy change in some areas Developed communication plans Engaged in field building and TA
Lessons Learned re: Policy and Sustainability Goals matter Funding incentives do change behavior Moving from discretionary funding to sustained funding is key and difficult Implementation work is intensive Strong communications and advocacy needed for sustainability Need more evidence of what works Data tracking is crucial yet more is needed to build demand for it
For more information: Whitney Smith Employment Program Manager The Joyce Foundation wsmith@joycefdn.org 312 795 3823 BREAKING THROUGH MARIA FLYNN JOBS FOR THE FUTURE
WHAT IS BREAKING THROUGH? A career pathway redesign initiative for advancing more low skill adults (<8th grade) into and through to professional/technical degree and credential programs A multi site, multi state initiative aimed at impacting both practice and policy A framework for developing effective career pathway programs in pre college and college level programs that improve completion 35 BREAKING THROUGH COLLEGES Tacoma Community College, WA South Seattle Community College, WA Portland Community College, OR Grand Rapids Community College Henry Ford Community College Lake Michigan College Macomb Community College Mott Community College St Clair County Community College Washtenaw County Community College York County Community College, ME North Shore Community College, MA City College of San Francisco Cerritos College, College of Southern Nevada Community College of Denver Central New Mexico Community College Southeast Arkansas Community College Houston Community College System St. Phillips College South Texas College Cuyahoga Community College, OH Gateway Community Technical College Owensboro Community Technical College Southeast KY Community Technical College LaGuardia Community College, NY Northhampton County Community College, PA Piedmont VA Community College Davidson County Community College Forsyth Technical Community College Durham Technical Community College Pitt Community College South Piedmont Community College Pamlico Community College Tallahassee Community College
THE ISSUE: LOW SKILLED ADULTS AND POST SECONDARY EDUCATION Research Findings Programs are disconnected, making it hard for students to make progress on a pathway It takes too long to go from remediation to career training Students do not have access to supports that will help them overcome obstacles Labor market payoffs do not come early enough to make the investment in education worthwhile Potential Solutions Realign programs and divisions Accelerate the pace of learning Provide comprehensive supports Create strong labor market connections and payoffs
REALIGN PROGRAMS AND DIVISIONS Implementation Practices Examples of Success Develop articulation agreements Remove barriers to entry and advancement Create on ramps Redesign occupational and technical programs (modularization) Mott Community College: articulation agreements between non credit and credit courses Southeast Community and Technical College: Realigned scheduling of courses in allied health to create access to multiple certificate programs in a stackable fashion ACCELERATED PACE OF LEARNING Implementation Practices Examples of Success Compress curricula Compress courses and instructional time Customize Instruction Owensboro Community and Technical College: alternative, flexible learning option utilizing blended delivery and hybrid delivery with open laboratories. Southeast Arkansas Community College: Developmental education is fast tracked and contextualized for allied health, and leads directly to a fast track practical nursing program
COMPREHENSIVE STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES Implementation Practices Examples of Success Ensure access to a variety of supports Hire coaches and advisors Train staff Portland Community College: MOTT (Moving On Towards Tomorrow) advisors trained as case managers providing support services and advising Gateway Community and Technical College: Intrusive advising and coaching Durham Tech Community College: All staff trained in advising techniques through the Advisor Training Toolkit STRONG LABOR MARKET CONNECTIONS AND PAYOFFS Implementation Practices Examples of Success Create short term, stackable credentials Community College of Denver: Career exploration built into academic and college success courses Partner with labor market research providers and economic development agencies North Shore Community College: Career maps for Early Childhood programs Provide career exploration
ABE TO CREDENTIALS A National Need for Investment in ABE to Credential Pathways 93 million adults with basic or below basic literacy 13% of adults ages 25 64 have less than a high school credential 29% have a high school credential but no college. By 2018, only 36 percent of total jobs will require workers with just a high school diploma or less Since 1979, investments in adult education and workforce development programs have declined in real terms by more than 70%.
How ABE To Credentials Addresses This National Need Through a multi pronged strategy that includes: Institutional transformation and state policy analysis Program design and instructional strategies that improve ABE delivery Providing comprehensive support services Linking program development with current and projected labor market demands. Streamlining Adult Education Pathways Accelerated and Integrated ABE and GED programs Articulated Career Pathways Stackable Credentials with Labor Market Value Career exploration Contextualized learning Skill building for postsecondary/career success College and career counseling Accelerated skill building integrated with credit coursework Support through gatekeeper courses Intensive transition counseling Comprehensive supplemental services Intensive counseling Flexible program options Job placement More Adult Learners Succeeding in ABE to Credential Pathways
Improving Student Experiences and Outcomes What low skilled, non traditional students typically face: Confusing array of career programs General education focus as the default for programs and services Long remedial education sequences Inadequate or inaccessible support services Programs not designed with career advancement in mind ABE to Credential s Solutions: Transparent college prep and career pathways Programs and services specifically geared to career pathways Acceleration, compression and dual enrollment strategies Array of support services, including intrusive advising Programs designed around labor market opportunities and needs Initiative Overview Four year initiative: an initial design year and three years for implementation Targets states with ABE governed through postsecondary education Target population: ABE, ASE, and ESL students with skills at grade 6 and above 10 states will receive design grants to develop ABE to Credentials pathways and develop blueprints for action. Five states will pilot, refine, and scale ABE to Credential pathways in a critical mass of colleges statewide.
Non Negotiable Program Elements Explicit articulation of two or more educational pathways, linked to career pathways; Evidence of strong local demand for the selected pathways; Acceleration strategies, including contextualized learning and the use of hybrid (online and classroom based) course designs; Evidence based dual enrollment strategies, including paired courses, I BEST and I BEST like approaches; Non Negotiable Program Elements Comprehensive academic and social student supports; Achievement of marketable, stackable, credit bearing certificates and degrees and college readiness; Award of some college level professional technical credits; Partnerships with Workforce Investment Boards and/or employers.
ABE to Credentials Outcomes At least 8 colleges in each state implementing ABE to credential pathways at scale in multiple professional/technical areas At least 450 students per college earning a marketable credential. Potential impact: As many as 20,800 students nationwide earning marketable credentials States will adopt policies and financing models to ensure that effective ABE to Credential programs are sustained and expanded. States will engage other community colleges in a learning network to promote adoption and scale of effective approaches. State Policy Approach Build on existing related state policy initiatives (e.g. Achieving the Dream, Shifting Gears), adding laser focus on the needs of low skill (often working) adults Conduct state policy assessments to identify policy gaps/barriers and determine additional high impact supportive policies needed Work with states to develop or expand policy supports to promote implementation and scale
Policies Supporting Sustainability and Scale Data and Performance Measurement Setting goals and benchmarks for adult learner transitions. Alignment of data systems to measure student progress from pre college programs to postsecondary career pathways to employment; Linking data to innovation to determine which models help get adult learners to what momentum points by when (disaggregated by population) Innovation/ Redesign Aligned Expectations Assessment and Placement Finance Demonstration grants for accelerated learning options and comprehensive (academic and nonacademic) supports; incentives to link employers with community college credit programs Aligning standards and curricula of pre college programs with college readiness; aligning non credit to credit programs Dual enrollment for adult education and college programs; cross walking assessments for basic skills and college; making adult education a placement option for some developmental education students Alignment/ braiding of funding from adult education, community college, workforce, employer and other funding streams to strengthen implementation and outcomes COMMENTS? QUESTIONS?