Minnesota%20Adult%20Basic%20Education%20(ABE)

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Minnesota Adult Basic Education (ABE)
Higher Education Training Initiative
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Why Focus on Transitions?

• ABE students are the workforce and higher
  education systems next students -- we want to
  ensure that transition
• We see ABE as one of the building blocks of
  Minnesotas economic and workforce development
  efforts
• The goal of this initiative is to increase ABE
  program capacity for ABE clients to move
  seamlessly into post-secondary education and
  training programs

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What Do We Know?

• From Joyce Foundation initiative
• We need to improve student transitions to
  credit-bearing postsecondary programs from
  developmental (college remedial) education, adult
  basic education, and English literacy,
  particularly for low-skilled adult workers
• We need to define goals and accountability
  measures across
• adult and postsecondary education
• workforce training
• economic development, and
• human services
• We need to improve data capacity to track student
  transitions within education and then through
  their advancement in the labor market.

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What Do We Know?

• From the GWDC Skills and Wage Advancement
  Committee
• The stair step diagram accurately (and
  painfully!) reflects our current status.
• We need to develop a policy framework and plan to
  implement the middle two steps of the Bridging
  the Gap in the Education and Training
  Infrastructure.
• We need to also be attentive to opening the
  ABE/adult education pipeline to those who are not
  even currently in our potential pool of program
  participants.

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How Can ABE Help?

• ABE programs can provide better pathways to
  higher education and training programs through
  three strategies
• Extending traditional credential programming
  (e.g., GED, HS diploma)
• Articulating instruction with existing higher ed
  and training pathways
• Focusing on building schoolability/college
  readiness and employability in all ABE
  participants and potential future ABE participants

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1) Extending ABE Programming

• ABE recognizes that we have many GED completers
  who reach minimum passing GED scores, but lack
  necessary skills to successfully transition to
  and take advantage of higher education and
  training opportunities
• A model for improving this is extension
  programming like GED Plus

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GED Plus

• GED Plus curriculum extends beyond typical GED
  instruction to include skills beyond the minimum
  set require to pass the GED
• Many MN ABE programs already have implemented
  managed enrollment i.e. students are required
  to commit to participate in a complete GED prep
  experience that extends their learning beyond the
  minimal goal of passing the GED
• Over the course of the next year ABE will explore
  and provide learning opportunities for ABE
  providers to become trained and/or to partner
  with others to create this holistic experience.

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2) Articulation of Instruction

• ABE programming will articulate instructional
  activities with education and training
  opportunities in the higher ed/training systems.
• As an example, there are currently
  pre-certification program curricula designed to
  provide ABE participants the opportunity to
  develop the core literacy skills necessary to
  support successful participation in CNA, CDL,
  CDA, welding, CNC, and manufacturing certificate
  kinds of education and training opportunities.
  We are actively working to identify other
  short-term, often certificate-based training
  opportunities with which to articulate.

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3) Focus on Schoolability and Employability

• ABE programs will build their capacity to provide
  learning opportunities for students to increase
  their schoolability and employability skills
  the knowledge and skills in addition to core
  literacy needed to be successful in educational
  and workplace settings the so-called soft
  skills
• We are mindful that there are future potential
  learners who also need these skills
• Two approaches to advancing this focus are

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Schoolability/Employability Through

• a shared and recognized credential that includes
  situational judgment and other skills as the
  National Work Readiness Credential (NRWC)
  currently being piloted in MN does
• provision of wrap-around services as some ABE
  partners now provide in conjunction with
  workforce service providers (e.g., Anoka)

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When Will We Do This?ABE Transition Initiative
Process

• 3-year implementation FY 2008, 2009, 2010
• MDE-ABE will provide formula-based funding to ABE
  consortia to support this initiative receipt of
  this funding each year is contingent upon local
  consortia doing the following each year
• Year 1
• Meet and greet reach out to local higher ed
  providers, get to know their structure, staff,
  programs, etc. host meetings, convene groups,
  etc.
• Learn whats possible. Participate in one or
  more state sponsored transition conference, Dev
  ed conference (MNADE), Innovate MN (DEED/MnSCU),
  read transition research and best practice posts
  from MDE-ABE, participate in transition study
  circles, visit consortia that are already
  collaborating
• Use learning from the above to determine possible
  implementation activities
• Year 2 develop/obtain needed resources, e.g.
  curriculum and pilot at least one initiative
• Year 3 Fully implement and sustain at least one
  or more initiatives

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What Outcomes Will We See?

• Increased seamless, articulated transitions
  programming
• Reduce the instances of overlapping or
  duplicative programming
• Increase referrals between higher education and
  ABE (and define terminal and value added
  educational pathways)
• Reduce numbers of ABE clients that need remedial
  college prep classes

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How Will We Measure Success?

• Through the Joyce Initiative, NGA Policy Academy
  and other efforts, we should develop shared goals
  and expected outcomes as noted earlier
• The ABE system will track referrals from ABE to
  additional training/education as well as learner
  outcomes
• ABE partners will also track need for remedial ed
  coming into ABE

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Why Is This Good?

• We will reduce the use of federal and state aid
  spent on non-credit bearing developmental
  education classes
• We will reduce matriculation duration
• The base of prospective students and workers will
  be broadened
• We will increase enrollment and strengthen
  retention of ABE clients in the higher education
  system

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Whats Next?Action Steps

• Discuss this initiative with state-level partners
  (now through July 2007)
• Secure commitments from partners for
• Shared commitment to articulating common goals
  and outcomes
• Participation in specific strategies
• Possible matching funds to support strategies
  going forward
• Begin roll-out with ABE partners by October 2007

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Last Thoughts

• Opportunity Abounds the confluence of the Joyce
  Initiative, NGA academy and this initiative
  creates opportunities not to be missed
• Keep Talking Even as we have to keep our
  individual efforts moving, we want to have clear
  and continual communication
• Thank you for time today!
• For further information, contact Barry Shaffer,
  State Director of ABE at 651-582-8442 or
  barry.shaffer_at_state.mn.us