COABE JOURNAL: THE RESOURCE FOR ADULT EDUCATION

Table of Contents | 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS3 Welcome

RESEARCH4 BlendingCollegePreparationandCareerDevelopmentforAdultStudentsInNewEngland|

BySandyGoodmanandSiljaKallenbach20 StrengtheningAdultCareerPathwaysinMinnesota:AProfessionalDevelopmentCohortfor

Managers|ByPatsyEganandElizabethAndress

PRACTITIONER PERSPECTIVE28 IntegratedCareerPathways:LessonsfromAcceleratingOpportunity|

ByRachelPleasantsMcDonnellandLisaSoricone39 CareerPathwaysinChicago,Houston,andMiami:KeyFeaturesandSupportServicesAmong

AdultEducationProviders|ByDr.EstherPrinsandDr.CarolClymer63 BarrierstoSuccessIncludeBarrierstoAspiration|BySylviaVanNooten67 CareerPathwaysCollaborationinWisconsin|ByScottDuBenske,ToniVanDoren,and

AnnetteKornell

FORUM73 CareerFoundations:TheMissingLinkinAdultCareerPathways|ByAnnDarntonand

ChristinaWarden80 DevelopingIntegrated,ContextualizedIndustryMathematicsCurriculainShortTermCertificate

Programs|ByDirkA.Keaton93 NurturingAdultStudents’InternalLocusofControltoImproveSelf-EfficacyandAchievement|

ByJacquelineE.Korengel,Ed.D.97 AreWeontheBrinkofSomethingBig?ReflectionsontheCurrentandFutureStateofCareer

PathwaysPolicyandPractice|ByJohanE.Uvin109 FailuretoFocusonEconomicImpactsDiminishesAdultEducation|ByJudyMortrude116 GuidedPathways,WIOA,andWashingtonState’sI-BEST:BlueprintsfortheFutureofAdultBasic

Education|ByWilliamS.Durden

TECHNOLOGY124 Technology,Innovation,andAdultCareerPathways|ByJenVanek,MitchRosin,JenHetzel

Silbert,KarisaTashjian,AlisonAscherWebber

Welcome | 3

WELCOME

WelcometothisspecialeditionofThe COABE Journal.For40yearsCOABEhasbeentheleaderinpublishingcurrentandrelevantmaterialstoaidadulteducatorsinunderstandingtheuniqueneedsofadultstoaidindevelopingprogramsandinstructiontobestservetheselearners.Ourrecentreadershipsurveyyieldedresponsesfromnearly400COABEmembersinanefforttounderstandyourpreferencesandneedsforadulteducationnewsandinformation.Theseresponsesindicatethewantsandneedsforpublicationsandinformationandthedisseminationofsuchmaterialshaschangedinanumberofways.Inparticular,theseresponsesprovidedvaluableinformationforelectronicdissemination,lengthofarticles,theintegrationofresearchtopractice,andpracticalsuggestionsforinstructionalandprogramimprovement.Thisfeedback,andtheinputfromleadersinthefieldhaveinformedCOABE’snewpublicationsstrategythatwewillshareingreaterdetailinthecomingmonths.ThisspecialCareerPathwaysthemededitionispresentedinthespiritofdeliveringacurrentandrelevantresourcetothefieldinelectronicform.

CareerPathwaysprogramsareessentialinadulteducationbecauseoftheirroleinenhancingtheworkforceskillsofadultlearnersthusaidinginthealleviationofpovertythroughincreasedearnings.ThepositiveimpactoftheseprogramsisinharmonywithCOABE’smissionto help adults succeed so communities can thrive.Theworkscontainedinthiseditionareauthoredbyleadersinthefieldwhohavereviewedtheliterature,studiedindividualsandprograms,andhaveconductedresearchaboutCareerPathwaysandworkforcedevelopment.

ThisspecialeditionwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithouttheleadershipofJudyMortrudefromTheCenterforLawandSocialPolicy(CLASP).Judywasinstrumentalinsoliciting,reviewing,andworkingalongsidetheauthorsoneachofthepiecescontainedinthispublication.

Weareexcitedtopresentthisbodyofworktothefieldandwelookforwardtorollingoutnewpublicationsandmaterialsoverthecomingmonths!Wishingyoupleasantreading,DonFinn,Ph.D.COABEPresident-Elect(2017-2019)PublicationsCommitteeChairman

Welcome

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BlendingCollegePreparationandCareerDevelopmentforAdultStudentsInNewEngland|BySandyGoodmanandSiljaKallenbach

RESEARCH

BLENDING COLLEGE PREPARATION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOR ADULT STUDENTS IN NEW ENGLAND

Sandy GoodmanSilja Kallenbach

National College Transition Network at World Education

ABSTRACTTransitiontoCollegeandCareerswasatwo-yeardemonstrationprojectthataddressedbothacademicandnon-academicbarrierstocollegeforadultlearners.Ofthe397adultlearnerswhoenrolledinoneofthesixparticipatingprograms,66%completedit,69%attainedcollegelevelreadingskills,andthemajorityenrolledincollegeafterwards.StudentswhoenrolledinTCCwithpoormathskillsmadetheleastamountofprogressinmath.Oneinnovativeprogramfeaturewasanonline‘IntroductiontoHealthScience’coursethatstudentsfromallprogramstookasacohort.Thefindingssupportaprogramdesignthatemphasizesstudents’personalreadiness,math,onlinelearning,pro-activecounselingandadvising,andengagementwithcareercentersandemployers.Lackofreliabletransportationandhealthissueswerethemainreasonsfornon-completion.

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW“I always wanted to go to college but I didn’t know how. When I heard of this, I enrolled, and now I am doing well and getting ready to go to college. I didn’t know where to start, and this program enlightened me with how it all works.”~TransitiontoCollegeandCareersprogramstudent

Postsecondaryeducationandtrainingisaneconomicimperative,bothforindividualsandforthenation.EmployersacrosstheUnitedStateshavedifficultyfillingopeningsformiddle-skilledjobs,whichmakeupthelargestsegmentofthelabormarket.Thejobs,requiringeducationbeyondhighschool,butlessthanafour-yeardegreeoffereconomicopportunityto

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Kallenbach and Goodman | Blending College Preparation and Career Development

thosewiththetrainingandcredentialstomeetthedemand(NationalSkillsCoalition,2015).1 However,approximatelytwo-thirdsofadultsage25orolderdonotpersistinpostsecondaryeducationlongenoughtoearnanytypeofcredential,andmanyothersdonotevenenroll(RyanandSiebens,2012).2

A2013studyofadults’skillsin24industrializedcountriesfoundU.S.adultslaggingwellbehindtheircounterpartsintheothercountries:16thand21stinliteracyandnumeracy,respectively.3ForadultswithlowliteracyandnumeracyskillsandthoselearningEnglish,thetransitiontoandcompletionofpostsecondaryeducationandtrainingcanbeespeciallychallenging.Asnontraditionalstudents,theyfacearangeofbarriers,includinginadequateacademicpreparation,lackoftheinformationneededtonavigatecollegeadmissionsandfinancialaidsystems,andfamilyandworkobligations.

TransitiontoCollegeandCareers(TCC)wasatwo-yeardemonstrationprojectaimedataddressingthesebarriers,designedandmanagedbytheNationalCollegeTransitionNetwork (NCTN)atWorldEducation.ItbuiltonthesuccessesandlessonsoftheNewEnglandABE-to-CollegeTransitionProject(2000–2007),addinganincreasedemphasisoncareerpathways.4 Thegoalwastohelpyoungandolderadultswithlimitededucationenterandsucceedincollege-levelprogramsofstudythatpreparethemforhigh-growthoccupationsprovidingfamily-sustainingwages.ImplementedinpartnershipwithsixadulteducationcentersacrossNewEnglandandfundedbyNellieMaeEducationFoundation,theTCCprojectbeganinJanuary2009andendedinDecember2010.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS

College and Career Readiness FrameworkAlthoughacademicskillsarecriticaltoaccessingcollegeandcareertrainingopportunities,

ampleresearchshowsthatnontraditionallearnersandfirst-generationcollegestudentsneedmorethanacademicskillstosucceedincollege.

TheNCTNusesaframeworkofcollegeandcareerreadinessthatidentifiesfourareasofcollegeandcareerreadiness—personal,career,academic,andcollegeknowledge—inwhichadultlearnersaretypicallyunderpreparedandwithoutwhichitisdifficulttosucceedina

1 NationalSkillsCoalition.(May2015).Analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics by State and(2015). American Community Survey data.2 C.RyanandJ.Siebens(2012).Educational Attainment in the United States: 2009.Washington,DC:USCensusBureauhttp://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p20-566.pdf.3 http://piaacgateway.com4 C.Zafft,S.Kallenbach,andJ.Spohn(2006). Transitioning Adults to College: Adult Basic Education Program Models.Boston,MA:NationalCenterfortheStudyofAdultLearningandLiteracyhttps://www.collegetransition.org/college-career-readiness/publications/transitioning-adults-college

https://www.collegetransition.org/nctn-conference/sponsors/

http://www.worlded.org/

https://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p20-566.pdf

http://piaacgateway.com

https://www.collegetransition.org/college-career-readiness/publications/transitioning-adults-college

https://www.collegetransition.org/college-career-readiness/publications/transitioning-adults-college

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collegeenvironment.TheTCCmodelwasdesignedholisticallytofostercollegeandcareerreadinessskillsinallfourareas:

1. Personal readiness:Noncognitivefactorsthatunderlieindividuals’persistenceandresilience,includingtheabilitytoanticipatechallenges,accessvaryingformsofsupports,balancecompetingprioritiesandresponsibilities,conductarealisticself-appraisalofstrengthsandattributes,resolveconflicts,andadvocateforoneself.

2. Career readiness: Theabilitytoassessone’sskills,interests,andvalues;toresearchlabormarketinformation,occupationalprofiles,andtrainingopportunities;tosetrealisticgoalsanddeterminethestepsneededtopursuetheappropriateeducationandcareerpathway;andtodevelopeffectiveinterviewingandjobsearchskills.

3. Academic readiness:Gainingthelevelofreading,writing,math,andalgebraskillsneededforplacementintocollege-levelclasses;learningthenecessaryacademicvocabulary;developingstudyandtest-takingskills;andachievingcomputeranddigitalliteracy.

4. College readiness and knowledge: Theabilitytonavigatecollegeadmissionsandfinancialaidprocesses,takeadvantageofthefullarrayofcampusresources,andcommunicateproactivelyandappropriatelywithfacultyandstaff.

Noncognitive Variables and Learner PersistenceResearchonnoncognitivevariablesthatinfluencestudentsuccessanddeepenthefocus

onpersonalreadinessinformedtheTCCprogramandevaluationtools.Sedlacek(2004)citeseightnoncognitivevariablesthat,inadditiontotestscores,predictsuccessinpostsecondaryeducationprograms.5TheTCCevaluationusedfourofthesevariablesinanalyzinglearnerpersistence:

1. Positive self-concept:Demonstratesconfidence,strengthofcharacter,determination,and independence

2. Realistic self-appraisal:Recognizesandacceptsanystrengthsanddeficiencies,especiallyacademic,andworkshardatself-development

3. Availability of a strong support person:Seeksandtakesadvantageofasupportnetworkorhassomeonetoturntoforencouragement

4. Preference for long-term goals:Defersgratification,plansahead,andsetsgoalsInaddition,researchonadultlearnerpersistenceidentifiessixaffectiveneedsofadult

learnersthatdrivepersistence:asenseofbelongingandcommunity,clarityofpurpose,competence,agency,relevance,andstability.6

5 Sedlacek,W.E.(2004).Beyond the Big Test: Noncognitive Assessment in Higher Education.Hoboken,NJ:Jossey-Bass.6 Kallenbach,S.andA.Nash.(2008).Making It Worth the Stay.Boston:NELRC/WorldEducation.

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METHODOLOGYDatawerecollectedfromallstudentswhentheyenteredtheTCCprogramandduringtheir

timeintheprogram.Studentswhocompletedtheprogramfilledoutasurveythatwasaself-assessmentoftheirpersonalcharacteristics,levelofknowledge,andlifecircumstancesuponenrollmentandaftercompletionoftheprogram.Theanalysisfocusedonthedegreetowhichtheseperceptionschangedoverthe14weeksoftheirTCCprogramparticipation.

Academicskillgainsweremeasuredbycollegeplacementtestscoresatentryanduponcompletionoftheprogram.MostcommunitycollegesinNewEnglandusetheAccuplacercollegeplacementtesttoassesswhetherastudenthassufficientreading,writing,math,andEnglishlanguageskillstosucceedincollege-levelcourses.Acutoffscoreisusedtodeterminewhetherstudentsmusttakeoneormoredevelopmental(alsoknownasremedial)classesormayproceedtocollegecredit-bearingcourses.

Thesecutoffscoresvaryfromstatetostate,andsometimesfromcollegetocollegewithinastate.Therefore,NCTNusedcutoffscoressetbytheMassachusettsBoardofHigherEducationasathresholdfordeterminingTCCstudents’academicreadinessasagroup.

Towardtheendoftheprogram,NCTNalsocollectedfocusgroupdatafromstaffattheTCCprogramandpartnerorganizations(e.g.communitycolleges,healthcareemployers,workforcedevelopmentagencies).Thepurposewastolearnaboutthestrengthsandchallengesoftheprogramdesignandpartnershipactivitiesinmeetingtheneedsofthetargetedstudentpopulation.

AcademicandnoncognitiveoutcomesofthestudentswhocompletedTCCwereanalyzedforpossibleprogrameffects.Tothisend,theevaluationlookedatstudents’useofcounselingservices,dropouts’reasonsforleaving,andfocusgroupfindingsforstudentsnearprogramcompletion,amongotherinformation.ThedatafromTCCcompletersandnoncompleterswerecomparedinanefforttounderstandwhystudentscompletedordidnotcompletetheprogram.

PROJECT FINDINGS

1) Demographics of the Transition to College and Careers StudentsThemajorityofTCCstudentswerefemale(79%),white(57%),andbornintheUnitedStates

(63%),withanaverageageof37.Theyhadgraduatedfromhighschool(55%)orearnedaGED®credential(31%),wereemployed(58%),andwereparents(69%).Familyincomewas$25,000orlessfor54%ofstudents.Studentsspokeover20differentnativelanguages,butthelanguagemostoftenspokenathomewasEnglish(68%),followedbybothEnglishandSpanish.

Students’mostcommonlycitedreasonsforenrollinginTCCwere“tochangejobs/careers”(30%),“toachieveapersonalgoal”(24%),andthatthey“alwayswantedtogotocollege”(24%).Ofthemajorsidentifiedbystudentsuponenrollment,healthcarewascitedthemostfrequently(33%).

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2) Transition to College and Careers Enrollment and Completion• TheTCCprogramsenrolled397studentsoverfoursemesters,whichexceededthe

enrollmenttargetof360studentsby19students,or5.3%.• Theprojectalsoexceededitsprogramcompletiontargetof60%:ofthe379students

whoenrolled,66%completedtheprogram(n=249).• Theenrollmentofstudentsintheonline“IntroductiontoHealthScienceCourse”far

exceededthetargetof96students,foratotalof307studentsinthiscourse;54%ofthestudentswhoenrolledcompletedthecourse.

Challenges to Persistence and Completion“I am having a tough time with my time management, but I am working on it.”~TCCstudentA66%programcompletionrateiscommendableforarigorous14-weekprogram,butone-

thirdofthestudentsdidleavetheprogrambeforecompletion.Theirreasonsforleavingwereprimarilychallengesrelatedtotransportation,theirownortheirfamily’shealth,ortheoverallprogramdemandsandthedemandsofcollegethatthetransitionprogramforeshadowed.

Ineveryfocusgroup,studentsreportedthatwhenfacedwiththerealityofprogramdemands,theyhadtomakechangesintheirlives.Inspiteoflessonsandactivitiesontimemanagement,TCCstudentsfeltchallengedbyhavingtojuggleschool,work,andfamilyresponsibilities.Thepost-programassessmentindicatedthattimemanagementremainedachallenge,evenforTCCcompleters.Thiswasreflectedinthepre-andpost-TCCself-assessment,inwhichstudentsreportedonlyaslightincreaseintheirknowledgeoftimemanagementskills(0.47ona4-pointscale).

Followingisapoignantexampleofhowevensomenoncompletersservedasinspirationfortheirpeers:

“There was one young girl with three kids. She would come home from work, pick up the kids and take care of them so that she could get ready to come to school. She was incredible. She was my inspiration to continue when I was frustrated. She was one of the reasons that I did not quit right away. I saw her and said to myself, ‘If she can do all that, I can do it too.’ It finally just got to be too much for her, and she dropped out.”~TCCstudent

3) Postsecondary EnrollmentsTheTCCprogramwasdesignedtoenablestudentswhocompletedtheprogramto

transitionsuccessfullytocollege,withatargetof75%enrollingincollege.Shortlyafterthefourthprogramcycle,50%ofthe249studentswhohadcompletedtheprogramhadtransitionedtopostsecondaryeducationand33%wereatdifferentpointsalongacontinuumoftransitioningtocollege(i.e.,appliedorappliedandaccepted)attheconclusionoftheevaluation.

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4) Personal ReadinessAsdiscussedabove,personalreadinessreferstononcognitivefactorsthatunderliea

person’sresiliencyandpersistencewithherstudies.Personalreadinessisfundamentaltocollegereadinessandsuccessbecauseitunderliesadults’abilityandmotivationtoattainacademicandcareerreadinessandcollegeknowledge.

Inadditiontoacademicskills,careerawareness,andcollegeknowledge,theTCCprogramwasdesignedtoincreasestudents’self-efficacyandconfidencetopursuetheirgoals.Specificstrategiesincludedcohortdevelopmentandpeersupport,individualandgroupcounseling,ongoingencouragementbyteachers,andcollegesuccessskillsworkshops.Thepersonalreadinessoutcomesarediscussedinrelationtothenoncognitivecharacteristicsthatresearchindicatesunderliestudentpersistenceandsuccess.

Self-Efficacy and Realistic Self-Appraisal“Sometimes when you are given an assignment, it is hard to know how to even start it. And the fear takes over. Now, I don’t have that and I am not as afraid.”~TCCstudentSelf-efficacyreferstoaperson’sconfidenceandbeliefintheircompetencetoperform

specifictask(s),whereasself-conceptreferstoamoregeneralappraisalofself-worth.7Inallfocusgroups,studentsandprogramstaffdescribedpositivechangesthatreflectedanincreaseinstudents’college-relatedself-efficacyandmoregeneralself-conceptduringtheirparticipationintheprogram.Theresultsofthepre-andpost-TCCstudentsurveyswereconsistentwithstudents’focusgroupstatements.

Regardingtheirsenseofacademicpreparedness,studentsonaveragereportedthehighestabilityin“Ihaveagoodunderstandingofmyacademicstrengthsandweaknesses”(4.09outof5).Inthepost-programsurvey,studentswereaskedtoratetheirpreparednessforcollegeinvariousacademicareasona4-pointscale.Theirself-ratingofskillsinreading(3.08)andmath(2.45)echoedtheresultsofcollegeplacementtestscores,inwhichaveragereadingscoresexceededthemathscores.Similarly,therelativeself-ratingsofpreparednessinwritingandreading(2.82versus3.08)wereconsistentwithstudents’statementsinfocusgroupsinwhichmanystudents(especiallyEnglishlanguagelearners)talkedabouttheirdifficultywritingessaysandresearchpapersforthefirsttime.

Specifically,studentsidentifiedsomeorallofthefollowinggains:• Prideintheirabilitytoovercometheirfearsofreturningtoschool;• Clearacademicprogressinallbasicskillareas(math,reading,writing);• Adaptationsmadeinpersonallifearrangementsandchoicesinordertosucceed;• Reducedpersonalandacademicbarriers,achievedwiththehelpofstaffandpeer

support;

7 Bandura,A.(1995).Self-Efficacy in Changing Societies.NY,NY.CambridgeUniversityPress.

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• Feelingbetteraboutthemselvesbecauseofwhattheyhadaccomplished;and• Abroaderoverallknowledgebaseofcollegeandcareeroptions.“I have seen my own growth in the way that I handle English assignments since when I started. Now I can correct my old assignments and I know what I did wrong. I have seen my growth in English and science, not quite as much in math.”~TCCstudentStrongself-efficacypredictsacademicsuccessifitisbasedonarealisticself-appraisal.

Inordertounderstandwhethertheabilitytomakearealisticself-appraisalplayedaroleinstudentpersistence,theevaluationcomparedhowcompletingandnoncompletingstudentsassessedtheiranticipatedbarrierstocompletingthetransitionprogramatthetimetheyentered,andthenexaminedhowcompletingstudentsratedthesechallengesastheyfinishedtheprogram.

Thenonacademicchallengesfellintotwobroadcategories:personalcharacteristicsandwhatcanbecalledlogisticalchallenges,suchasreliabletransportationandworkschedule.Transportationemergedasthegreatestchallengetoattendingcollegebetweenpre-andpost-programsurveys(from6%to15%).Questionsrelatedtopersonalcharacteristicsaskedaboutstudents’perceptionsoftheiracademicskills;theclarityoftheirgoals;andtheirabilitiestomanagetime,keepupwithhomework,anddealwithchangeandanunfamiliarenvironment.Uponentrytotheprogram,completersonaverageratedeachofthesefactorsasgreaterpotentialchallengesthannoncompletersdid.

Noncompletersenteredthetransitionprogramwithlessconcernaboutpersonalchallengesthancompletersdid.Completingstudentsultimatelyfoundthesechallengestobeevengreaterthantheyhadanticipated.Nevertheless,thiswouldseemtoshowthatmaintainingarealisticself-appraisalhasaprotectiveeffectagainstdroppingoutoftheprogramandhencesupportspersistence.

Ifthisalsoheldtruefornoncompletingstudents(whichcannotbeknownbecauseexitdatawerenotcollectedconsistentlyfromnoncompletingstudents),itispossiblethattheymayhaveunderestimatedtheirpersonalchallengestoagreaterextentthancompletingstudentsdid.Unrealisticassessmentoftheirskillsandpersonalcharacteristicsmayhavebeenafactorintheirnotbeingabletocompletetheprogram.

Sense of Belonging and Community“I think we have managed to find a really good peer support system. On the first day, it was a small little room; we all did this silly exercise that we all laughed about and started building friendships right away. All of us have at least one of each other’s contact information and we talk to each other.” ~TCCstudentAsenseofbelongingandcommunityintheTCCprogram,andthepeersupportit

engendered,playedalargeroleinstudentpersistence.Inthepost-TCCsurvey,82%ofthestudentswhocompletedtheprogramsaidthatbeingpartofacommunityoflearnersplayed

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a“veryimportant”or“important”roleinstayingintheprogram.Thiscommunityoflearnerswasalso“veryimportant”or“important”tolearners:80%saidtheyfeltconnectedand84%saidithelpedthemlearn.Thesupportfromthecommunityoflearnersplayedaroleinstrengtheningstudents’persistence.

Availability of a Strong Support Person“When you feel like you just want to give up because it is too hard, the staff is right there saying ‘Look, you have come this far, you can’t quit now. You are so close to making it and you need to do this for yourself because you deserve it.’ They really build you up.”~TCCstudent“They all are always available . . . and I think it is important that the support is not just academic. It is in everything.”~TCCstudentStudentsthemselveswereamajorsourceofsupporttoeachother.Studentsfound

theirpeersjustascriticalasstaffmemberstotheirabilitytofeelthattheycouldhandlethechallenge.Inaddition,studentssaidthereasontheypersistedintheprogramwasthesupportivestaffwhocontinuallyreachedouttothemwhentheyneededencouragementandsupport.Moststudentsseemedtoalsohavethesupportoffriendsandfamily.

Inthesurveyquestionsaboutsupport,thelargestincreasefrompre-topost-TCCsurveyonaveragewasinresponsetothestatement,“IfIrunintoproblemsatschool,Ihavesomeonewhowilllistentomeorhelpme”(0.18).Thisstatementalsohadthehighestaverageratingregardingsupportinthepre-programsurvey(4.20),showingthatthelevelofsupporttheywerereceivingbeforeenteringtheprogramwashigh,andthatbeingintheprogramonlyincreaseditfurther.

TCCstudentsbegantheprogramwitharelativelyhighlevelofsupportfromfamilyandfriends,withaverageratingsof3.71and4.14,respectively,ona5-pointscaleonthepre-programsurvey.Thereweresmallincreasesfromthepre-topost-TCCsurveyinhavingsupportfromchildren(0.02)andfriends(0.05).Thedatasuggestthatchallengescausedbyunsupportivefamilyandfriends,otherthanthoserelatedtohealth,werearelativelysmallissueforTCCstudents.Itmayindicatethatsupportfromfamilyandfriendsisapreconditionforadults’feelingconfidentenougheventoapplytoatransitionprogram.

5) Academic ReadinessInadditiontoacademicinstructioninmath,reading,writing,andcomputerskillsthatwere

alignedwithdevelopmentalcoursesatpartneringcolleges,theTCCprogramstaughtcollegesuccessstrategiesandstudyskills.Theseincludedtopicssuchasvocabularyencounteredincollegetexts,awarenessoflearningstyles,note-taking,andtest-takingskills.

Academic Skill GainsTCCstudentswereaskedtotaketheAccuplacercollegeplacementtestwhenthey

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enteredtheprogram.Atbaseline,thepercentageofcompletingstudentswhosepretestscoreswereatorabovetheMassachusettscutoffscoreinelementaryalgebrawas2.74%;inreadingcomprehensionitwas55.77%.Thesedataindicatethatmoststudentsdidnotknowelementaryalgebra,butaboutone-halfofthemstartedthetransitionprogramwithcollege-levelreadingcomprehensionskills.TCCstudentsenteredtheprogramwithpoormathskillsandmadetheleastprogressinmath.Eventhosewhoenteredtheprogramwithatraditionalhighschooldiplomadidnothavesufficientalgebraskillstoplaceintoacollege-levelmathcourse.

FortheAccuplacerpost-TCCtest,thepercentageofcompletingstudentswhowereatorabovethecutoffscoreinelementaryalgebrawas20.55%;inreadingcomprehensionitwas69.23%.Thismeansthataftercompletingtheprogram,aboutone-fifthofTCCstudentswerereadyforcollege-levelmathcoursesandtwo-thirdswerereadyforcollege-levelreading-basedcourses.Formathinparticular,thisrepresentsasignificantskillgainandyet,themajoritywerestillnotreadyforcollege-levelmathclasses.

Online Health Science Course“I am kind of old school in that when I was in school, we didn’t use computers. Coming back into this was difficult. Everyone has a computer and I have not had much experience on a computer.” ~TCCstudentThemodelofblendingonlineandclassroominstructionallowedTCCsitestosupplement

generalacademicinstructionwithcontextualizedacademicinstructiontolearnerswhosetthegoalofenteringhealthcareprograms.Therationaleforprovidinganonlinecoursewastosupportsmallercommunities,whereindividualadulteducationcenterswerenotlikelytohaveacriticalmassoflearnersforaspecificcareersector.Onlineandonsiteinstructorscollaboratedtoensurethatstudentsreceivedenoughaccesstotechnologyandsupportonsitetocompletecourseassignmentssuccessfully.

Whileintendedasanoptionalsupplement,someprogramsrequiredallstudentsenrolledinTCCtotaketheonline“IntroductiontoHealthScience”course,regardlessoftheirinterestinhealthcareersorassessmentoftechnologyskills.Atotalof307studentsenrolledinthecourseand166studentscompletedit.

Ofthecompleters,morethan100respondedtoapost-coursesurveyaboutthecourse.Almostallresponderssaidthattheresearchprojectthatwasrequiredforcompletionofthehealthsciencecoursehelpedthemlearnresearch,writing,andnote-takingskillstheyneededforcollege.Theyalsofeltthatwithsomepositiveonlinelearningexperiencebehindthem,theywouldconsidertakinganotheronlinecourseinthefuture.

Thepositiveattitudetowardtheonlinecourseexpressedinthesurveyswasmirroredinthefocusgroups,wheremanystudentsciteditasastrengthoftheprogram,inpartbecausethecoursegavethemexperiencewithonlinelearning.Atthesametime,theyfoundusingthe

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computer,workingindependently,andhandlingtheextraworkchallenging.Bothstudentsandstaffindicatedthatmanystudentsdidnothavesufficientcomputerskillsfortheonlinecoursewithoutmoreindividualassistancethanwasavailableonsite.

6) Career Readiness“It [career planning] is the piece that we have not had the luxury of having in the past. Having a dedicated career counselor has really made a difference.” ~TCCstaff

Gains in Career KnowledgeVirtuallyallparticipantsinthestafffocusgroupscitedthecareereducationandplanning

componentasastrengthoftheTCCprogram,includingtherequirementtodevelopawrittenCareerandEducationPlan.Itwasseenbysomestaffandstudentstohaveapositiveeffectonstudentfocusandmotivation.MostTCCprogramsstartedoutwithmakingindividualcareercounselingoptionalbutmovedtowardrequiringthateachstudentmeetindividuallywiththecounseloratleastthreetimes—atthebeginning,middle,andendoftheprogram—sothatallstudentsreceivedindividualguidance.TheTCCsitesthatintegratedcareerplanningcontent(e.g.,onlineoccupationalresearch,analyzinglabormarketdata)intotheacademicclassestosupplementindividualcareercounselingreportedstrongerstudentparticipationthanthosethatheldseparateworkshops.

Accordingtostudentsurveydata,moststudentsincreasedtheirknowledgeofcareerpathways.Overone-halfofstudents(53%)whocompletedtheprogramhadsaidatthebeginningoftheprogramthatthey“knewsomething”abouttheirchosencareerfield.Attheendoftheprogramthisresponserateincreasedtotwo-thirds(66%).Studentsalsoindicatedthatlearningresumewriting,jobsearch,andinterviewingskillswereveryimportanttotheirgrowingcareerknowledge.

Studentsandstaffalikeconsideredhavingastaffmemberdesignatedasacareercounselorhighlybeneficial.Whenaskedinthepost-programsurveytocheck“allofthethingsthathelpedyoulearnaboutchosencareerpathwhileyouwereintheTCCprogram,”80%ofstudentsselected“TCCcounselorandprogrammaterials.”Onlinecareerresearchwasaclosesecond,with70%indicatingitwasalsohelpful.Fifty-sevenpercentofthestudentsfoundguestspeakersattheTCCprogramhelpful.

Clarity of Purpose and Preference for Long-Term Goals“I got laid off and I wasn’t sure what to do. This has given me direction and a focus on my future and getting ready to go to college.”~TCCstudentWhileallTCCstudentsindicatedadesiretoprepareforcollege,notallhadspecificcareer

goalsorwereusedtosettingandstrivingtomeetspecificgoals.Onaverage,frompre-topost-TCCsurvey,studentsshowedanincreaseingoal-settingandgoal-orientedbehavior.“Imakegoalsandworktowardthem”showedachangefromanaveragepre-programratingof4.17

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(on5-pointscale)toanaveragepost-programratingof4.36(achangeof0.19).Responsestothestatement,“Ihaveclearcareergoals,”changedfromanaverageratingof3.77beforehandtoanaverageratingof4.28(achangeof0.51)afterward.

7) College Knowledge“We wouldn’t be able to succeed without it. I think that the College Skills course is the most important thing that they provide us.”~TCCstudentWhenaskedabouttheirknowledgeoftopicsrelatedtocollegeknowledgebeforeand

aftertheprogram,completingstudentsratedtheirknowledgeandunderstandinghigheronallseventopicsthatwereassessedforcollegeknowledge:collegeculture,studyskills,timemanagement,costofcollegeandfinancialassistanceavailable,collegeadmissionsrequirementsandprocess,typesofcollegedegreesandcertificates,andacademicrequirementsforchosencareer.

Ona4-pointscale,thehighestaveragechangestudentsreportedwasintheirknowledgeandunderstandingof“financialassistanceandcostofcollege”(1.05).Thiswasfollowedby“academicrequirementsformychosencareerorthecareersIamconsidering”(0.92)and“collegeadmissionsrequirementsandprocess”(0.91).

Consistentwiththeirlearninggainsincollegeknowledge,students’responsesshoweddecreasesonaveragefrompre-topost-TCCsurveysinwhattheyanticipatedwouldbechallengingintheseareas:lackoffinancialaid,overallcostofcollege,andneedingtoworktopayfortuition.Inotherwords,mostTCCstudentsbecamemoreadeptatovercomingthebarrieroffinancingcollege.

SUMMARYBothstudentsandstaffreportedthatTCCprogramcomponentshadatremendousimpact

onstudents’abilityandconfidence(i.e.,self-efficacy)totacklemorechallengingacademicworkandnavigatecollegecultureandsystems.StudentswhoenteredTCCwithslightlyhigheracademicskillsinmathandlanguageartscompletedtheircourseworkatahigherrateonaverage.ThefindingsalsoindicatethatwhilestudentswereattendingtheTCCprogram,theybenefitedfromthesenseofcommunityandthereadilyavailablesupportfromstaffandpeersthattheTCCprogramsprovided.

Still,somewerechallengedbyunreliabletransportation,jugglingmultipleresponsibilities,andhealthproblems.

Althoughtheonlineintroductoryhealthsciencecoursechallengedstudents’technologyandindependentlearningskills,themajorityofcoursecompletersderivedgreatbenefitfromtheexperience.Giventheflexibilitythatonlinecoursescanprovideandthetrendtowardincreasingonlineandhybridcollegecourseofferings,gainingcompetenceandconfidenceinonlinelearningisasignificantbenefit.

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Inadditiontodeepeningtheirexistingrelationshipswiththeircollegepartners,mostTCCsiteswerealsosuccessfulinengagingcareercentersandhealthcareemployerstoleveragetheirexpertisetobenefitstudents’careerexplorationactivities.

Duringtheirtimeintheprogram,TCCstudentsevidencednoncognitivegains,includingpositiveself-conceptandpreferenceforlong-termgoals,whichhelpedstudentstosucceedintheprogramandtransitiontopostsecondaryeducation.Studentsindicatedthattheprogramhelpedclarifytheirgoals,preparedthemforcollege-levelwork,andmotivatedthemtopersist.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCHTheTCCprojectisinstructiveinitsimplicationsforpractitionersandresearchers.While

webelievethatallthefollowingcomponentsareessentialforpreparingadultstoenterandsucceedincollege,wealsorecognizethatreflectivepracticeandresearchcanenhanceimplementationofthesecomponents.

Design programs to foster personal readiness as well as academic readiness and college knowledge.

TheTCCprogramexperienceandfindingshighlighttheimportanceofaholisticcollegetransitionprogramdesignthatbalancesemphasisonacademicskillsdevelopmentwithcareerplanning,collegeknowledge,andpersonalreadiness.TheTCCfindingsindicatepositiveoutcomesforprogramdesignintendedtopromotestudentpersistencethroughasenseofcommunity,peersupport,andavailabilityofconsistentsupportfromstaff.Theyalsopointtotheimportanceofsupportingstudentsinsecuringreliabletransportationandaddressingtheirownandtheirfamily’shealthissues.

Include career counseling and planning as an essential component.Careercounseling/advisingisanessentialfunctioninacollegetransitionprogramandone

thatrequiresinvestmentsinbuildingstaff’scapacitytoprovideit.BothTCCstudentsandstaffidentifiedthecareerplanningcomponentasavaluabletoolforenhancingmotivationandanopportunitytolearnnewresearchandplanningskills.

Inaddition,occupation-specificpreparatorycourses,suchasthe“IntroductiontoHealthScience”course,givestudentsaheadstartalonganeducationalandcareerpathway.Theycanalsohelpstudentssteerawayfromacareerchoicethatisnotagoodmatchfortheirinterestsandaptitudes,withoutnegativerepercussions.

Programadministratorswouldbenefitfromfurthertraininginhowtoleadtheprocessforincorporatingcareerexplorationactivitiesacrossthebroaderprogramcurriculumdesign.Instructorsandadvisorswouldbenefitfromtargetedprofessionaldevelopmentonhowtoincorporatecareerexplorationandplanningintotheirclassroominstructionandadvisingactivities.

Focus on math.TCCstudents’mathskillsmirrortheresultsoftheinternationalassessmentofadultskills,

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whichshowedthatadultsintheUnitedStateshavenumeracyskillswellbelowtheotherindustrializednations,evenworsethantheirliteracyskills.8TCCstudentsbenefitedfromattentiontobothacademicandnonacademicskills,buttheprogrammodeldidnotadequatelyaddressmathskilldevelopment.Itisnotclearifthisstemmedfromlackofsufficientintensityanddurationofmathinstructionorifinstructorsintheadultbasiceducationsettingwerenotequippedtoteachprecollegemath.Moreresearchanddevelopmentisneededtoidentifypracticesthataccelerateadults’learningofmath.

Develop postsecondary and employer partnerships.Collegetransitionprogramsshouldnotoperateinisolationfromthepostsecondary

institutionsorthecollege-levelprogramstowhichtheyaimtotransitiontheirstudents.Partnershipsbetweenlocaladulteducationprovidersandcommunitycollegescanexposestudentstocollegelifeandgivethempersonalcontactwithcollegepersonnel,whichincreasecollegeknowledgeandasenseofbelongingonacollegecampus.

TheTCCprograms’experienceconfirmsthetruthaboutanypartnerships:theyrequireongoingcommunicationandrelationship-buildingaswellasconcretemechanismsforworkingtogether.Partnershipdevelopmenttakestimeandperseverance.Itcanbepromptedbylineorexecutivestaff,butinstitutionalleadersmustcomeonboardwiththeirfullsupporttoensurealastingpartnership.

Inadditiontodeepeningexistingrelationshipswiththeircollegepartners,mostTCCsitesincreasedtheirlevelofengagementwithcareercentersandhealthcareemployersinordertoleveragetheirexpertiseforthebenefitofstudents’careerexplorationactivities.Employersandcareercenterstaffareinthebestpositiontohelpstaffandstudentsgainafirsthandunderstandingofthelocallabormarketandin-demandjobs.Suchpartnershipsshouldinformboththetransitionprogramdesignandstudents’careerresearch.

Programsshouldpursuemultipleavenuesforpartneringwiththeindustrysectortargetedbytheprogram,includinglargeandsmallemployers,unions,andsector-specificnetworksandtradeorganizations.Theseentitiescanprovidefirsthandknowledgeaboutthelocallabormarketandin-demandjobstoinformthetransitionprogramdesign.Theymaybewillingtohostworkplacesitevisitsandprovideguestspeakers.Theyalsohelptorecruitstudentswhoarealreadyworkinginthehealthcareindustryandinterestedinadvancingintheircareers.

Provide supported opportunities for online learning.AdultsintheUnitedStatesscoredbelowtheinternationalaverageintheabilitytosolve

problemsinatechnology-richenvironment,8whichiscauseforconcernbecauseuseofinformationtechnologyisagrowingimperativeinvirtuallyalleducationalandemploymentsettings.AtthetimeofenrollmentinTCC,onlyaboutone-halfofthestudentshadthecomputerskillstheyneededtosucceedinonlinelearningwithoutmoresupportthanwas

8 U.S.DepartmentofEducation,OfficeofCareer,Technical,andAdultEducation.(2015,February). Making Skills Everyone’s Business: A Call to Transform Adult Learning in the United States.Washington,D.C.:Author.http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/making-skills.pdf

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/making-skills.pdf

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availableatmostsites.TheTCCfindingsindicatethatmoststudentswouldbebetterservedwithprogramsthatincorporateexplicitdigitalliteracyinstruction,andthatstudentsbenefitfromonlinelearningthatsupplementsclassroominstruction.Programswoulddowelltouseahands-ontechnologyassessmentatintakeandtogearinstructionandsupportatthelevelstudentsneedtosucceed.TheTCCexperiencedemonstratesthatwithinstruction,support,andopportunitiesforonlinelearning,adultlearnerscanmakeprogressandgainconfidencetosucceedinonlinelearning.

TRANSITION TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS PILOT SITES• Community Education Project,Holyoke,MA,inpartnershipwithHolyokeCommunity

College• Lewiston Adult Education,Lewiston,ME,inpartnershipwithCentralMaineCommunity

College,CentralMaineMedicalCenterCollege,andtheUniversityofSouthernMaine• Marshwood Adult and Community Education,SouthBerwick,ME,inpartnershipwith

GreatBay(NH)CommunityCollegeandYork(ME)CountyCommunityCollege• North Shore Community Action Programs, Inc.,Peabody,MA,inpartnershipwithNorth

ShoreCommunityCollege• The Tutorial Center, Inc.,Bennington,VT,inpartnershipwiththeCommunityCollegeof

VermontandVermontAdultLearninginBurlington• Vernon Regional Adult Basic Education,Vernon,CT,inpartnershipwithManchester

CommunityCollege

http://www.cepholyoke.org/

http://www.lewistonadulted.org/courses.php?q=college_transition

http://marshwood.maineadulted.org/

https://www.nscap.org/our-programs/adult-education/

http://www.tutoringvermont.org/our-services/transition-to-college-careers/

https://www.vrabe.com/default.asp

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TRANSITION TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS PROGRAM MODELTarget PopulationAdults with a GED or alternative or traditional high school diploma with a stated goal of enrolling in postsecondary educationProgram LengthMinimum of 14 weeks of instruction and minimum 6 hours per week of direct academic instruction, including language arts, math, study skills, and basic computer and Internet skills at each siteAcademic InstructionInstruction in math, reading, writing, and computer skills aligned with developmental courses at partnering postsecondary institution(s)College knowledge; for example, the vocabulary related to college processes and policies, information and assistance with admissions and financial aid, additional emphasis on navigating academic departments that prepare students for health care careersCollege success and study skills; for example, awareness of learning styles and strategies, test-taking skills, and time managementBlended Instruction for Health CareersOnline "Introduction to Health Science" course for those interested in health careers, taught centrally by an NCTN instructor to supplement general academic instruction with contextualized instructionCounseling and AdvisingProactive counseling and support in group and/or individual sessions to foster resiliency and persistence and to help participants solve problems and manage multiple commitmentsCareer counselor/advisor available on site to provide general counseling support and facilitate career awareness workshops and individual career planning sessions, which draw on local labor market information about high-growth occupationsA written Career and Education Plan required of students completing the TCC programPartnershipsPartnerships and formal agreements between adult education programs and postsecondary institutions, including the academic departments that prepare students for health care careersDual enrollment or college credit earned for college transition completion offered by some partnershipsPartnerships with health care employers and workforce partners to build sites’ capacity to provide effective career counseling, which incorporates the most up-to-date information on regional health care career opportunities; to recruit students already working in the health care industry and interested in advancing; to host workplace site visits; and to serve as guest speakers

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TCC SUCCESS STORY My name is Queen Ceasar. I came to the Transition to College and Careers (TCC) program at

Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts after I lost my job at a warehouse. I was having difficulty finding employment. I had heard about transitions classes at Holyoke Community

College, so I enrolled in the noncredit course. I’d always wanted to go to college but didn’t think I was smart enough.

There were several phases of the TCC program that we students had to participate in for a completion. We did a lot of academic work to learn to do math, take quizzes, and write essays. I also completed the online “Intro to Health Sciences” class offered by World Education. As part of the transition program design, we also had to start planning for our career. I decided that I wanted to work in the human services field.

When I graduated from the transition program, I enrolled in credit classes at Holyoke Community College. The staff

of the TCC program helped with the process. When I got into college classes, I could see the difference in my skills and confidence compared to those of other students. My first college writing assignment was a narrative essay, which I had practiced in the transition program.

Recently, I got a job working with the mentally ill. The TCC instructor also asked me to serve as the “Intro to Health Sciences” online course teaching assistant this semester. If it was not for the transition program, I don’t think I would ever have had the courage to go to college or to work at a job I really enjoy.

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Egan and Andress | Strengthening Adult Career Pathways in Minnesota

STRENGTHENING ADULT CAREER PATHWAYS IN MINNESOTA: A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COHORT FOR MANAGERS

Patsy EganElizabeth Andress

ABE Teaching & Learning Advancement System (ATLAS) at Hamline University

ABSTRACTEstablishingadultcareerpathwaysischallenging,complexwork.InMinnesota,anewprofessionaldevelopmentinitiativeprovidesABEmanagerswithafacilitated,supported,year-longcohortastheyworktocreateorstrengthenacareerpathwayprogramincollaborationwithWIOApartnersintheirlocalities.Inthisarticle,therationale,design,andoutcomesofthisprofessionaldevelopmentactivityareoutlined.Keyfeaturesincludeanexperientiallearningapproach,amixofface-to-faceandonlineinteractionandpresentation,peerpartners,coachingcalls,goal-setting,andlocalactionsteps.

INTRODUCTIONDrivingforcesinthefieldofadultbasiceducationhavereshapedourworkinprofoundways

inrecentyears.Whilepreparingadultsforfamily-sustainingworkhasalwaysbeenatenetofABE,thecreationofseamlesscareerpathwaysforadultsinneedofbothbasicskillsandcareerpreparationhastakenonnewemphasiswiththe2014passingoftheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(PublicLaw113-128[29U.S.C.Sec.3101,et.seq.]).Establishingstrong,sustainablecareerpathwaysiscomplexworkthatrequiresagreatdealofknowledgeandskill,aswellasdedicatedtimeandresourcesonthepartofABEpractitioners.

InMinnesota,anewprofessionaldevelopment(PD)cohortspecificallyformanagersassistsincreatingandstrengtheningadultcareerpathways(ACPs).ThisarticledescribesthisACPprogramdevelopmentinitiative,ourapproachtodesignanddeliveryofthePD,andtheinitiative’simpacttodate.

CONTEXT FOR A NEW CAREER PATHWAYS COHORT FOR ABE MANAGERSStartingin2007,MinnesotawasfortunatetoparticipateintheJoyceFoundationShifting

GearsInitiative,outofwhichgrewthe“FastTRAC”modelofcareerpathwaywork,focusedonmakingsystemicchangestohelplow-skilledadultsgainin-demandskillsandpostsecondarycredentials.WhentheShiftingGearsInitiativeendedin2012,therecontinuedtobeafocusonadultcareerpathwayprogramminginthestate,withsomefundingavailablethroughcompetitivegrantprograms.WiththepassageofWIOAin2014,thecallforadultcareer

StrengtheningAdultCareerPathwaysinMinnesota:AProfessionalDevelopmentCohortforManagers|ByPatsyEganandElizabethAndress

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pathwaysprogramminghasincreased,andadultbasiceducationprograms,alongwiththeirpartners,arestrivingtodevelopACPoptionstobestmeettheneedsoflow-skilledadultsacrossthestate.

ThroughtheirongoingeffortswithFastTRACandothercareerpathwayprogrammingoverthepasttenyears,Minnesotaadultbasiceducationprogramshaveencounteredanumberofcommonchallengesindevelopinganddeliveringsustainablecareerpathways.Inresponse,itbecamecleartostateABEleadershipthatcomprehensiveprofessionaldevelopmentwasneededtoequipandsupportABEmanagersasoneofthecriticalpartnersindevelopingandsustainingqualityACPprograms.

DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN OF THE ACP COHORTInMinnesota,professionaldevelopmentforthestate’sABEprofessionalsisprovidedby

agenciesfundedbytheMinnesotaDepartmentofEducation.Oneagency,ATLAS(ABETeaching&LearningAdvancementSystem),providesthelion’sshareofPDforthestate.HousedatHamlineUniversityinSt.Paul,ATLAS(www.atlasABE.org)has,fortenyears,designedandimplementedPDinitiativeslargeandsmallforMinnesotaABEandwasrecentlyrecognizedbytheNationalCoalitionforLiteracywithanationalleadershipaward.WhileATLASstaffhasanabundanceofexpertiseinlanguage,literacy,andmathinstruction,theACPworkrequiredhiringaconsultantwithdirectexperienceinteachingcareer-focusedclasses,writingcurricula,participatinginACPpartnerships,andfacilitatingprofessionaldevelopment.

Theconsultant(ElizabethAndress,co-authorofthisarticle)spentafullyeargatheringinformationanddesigningaPDresponse.TopprioritywaslisteningtothefieldtoensureourPDwouldberelevanttorealneedsandcontexts.ShemetwithABEmanagersandotherABEprofessionalsfromacrossthestate,askingthemtodetailtheirkeystosuccessaswellastheirmostpressingchallengesinACPwork.ShetookcaretomeetwithmanagersfromavarietyofcontextsforABE:urban,rural,suburban,aswellasmid-sizedcities,programswithleveledclassesandthosewhoservestudentsindrop-insettings,etc.ItsoonbecameclearthataPDresponsetostrengthenACPsinMinnesotacouldnotbeaseriesofcontent-heavyworkshops,norcoulditbeaone-size-fits-allapproach.Amultifaceted,differentiated,andhighlysupportedPDdesignwasrequiredtomeettheneedsofourmanyandvariedABEcontexts.

Astheyear-longdevelopmentworkprogressed,theACPconsultantmetregularlywithanACPleadershipteamtohelpshapethisinitiative.ThisteamincludestheATLASDirector(PatsyEgan,co-authorofthisarticle)andthreemembersofthestateABEstaff:thetransitionspecialist,theprofessionaldevelopmentspecialist,andthestateABEdirector.WhileadultcareerpathwaysPDworkcouldstretchinmanydirectionsandcouldcontinueformultipleyears,fourkeyareasofACPbestpracticewerechosentofocusourefforts,basedontopprioritiesidentifiedinthefield.Thesefociwereformulatedintotrainingobjectivesforthefirst-yearACPcohortparticipants.

http://www.atlasABE.org

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Thedecisionwasmadetonarrowthefocusinthiswaytopromotesolidcapacity-buildingintheseareas,ratherthanattemptingtoaddresseveryaspectofACPprogrammingandruntheriskofbuildinglastingskillsinnoneofthem.(WehavetentativelyidentifiedfivenewareasoffocustobeaddressedinasecondphaseofthePDcohort.)

AsthisPDcohortinitiativetookshape,wedrewextensivelyfromotherprofessionallearningexperiencescreatedforABEprofessionalsthroughoutthestate(seewww.atlasABE.orgformoreinformationonPDfortransitions,STAR,CCRS,numeracy,andotherareasofABEpractice).Asalways,ourPDworkwasgroundedinevidence-basedPDpractices(Desimone,2009).

Thedesignforthecohortlandedonthefollowingkeycomponents:amixofface-to-faceandonlinepresentationandinteraction,“inthetrenches”assignmentstocompleteineachparticipant’slocality,regularpeerpartnerfeedbackandsupport,occasionalcheck-incalls,andongoingevaluationthroughouttheinitiative(Guskey,2002).Table1detailsthePDdesign.ThecohortwaspromotedtoallABEadministratorsacrossthestateinanefforttobuildoverallcapacityandwasnotconnectedtoreceiptofanyparticulargrantfunding.

Innovative Design ApproachAprimarychallengeindesigningprofessionaldevelopmenttoimproveadultcareer

pathwayprogramminginMinnesotaisthediversityofABEprogramcontexts,experience,andcapacity.Oneparticipantinourfirst-yearcohorthad24yearsofABEexperience;anotherwasbrandnewtothefield.Onehadthreewell-establishedadultcareerpathwayprogramsandstrongcollaborationsinplace;anotherhadnoACPprogramsandnocollaboratingpartnerrelationships.Severalparticipantsmanagemetro-areaprogramsandothersareinmedium-sizedtowns;twooperatewithintheDepartmentofCorrections;andoneservesABElearnerswhoaredeaf,deafblind,hardofhearing,anddeafdisabledacrossthestate.Throughoutour

Upon completion of the one-year PD cohort, participating ABE administrators will be able to:

1. Defineanddescribeadultcareerpathways(ACPs)andintegratededucationandtraining(IET)asoutlinedinWIOAandasinterpretedbyMNDept.ofEducationandidentify/modify/createcoursesandpathwaysthatmeetfederalandstaterequirements.

2. ExpandandstrengthenconnectionsforACPprogrammingwithvariouslocalworkforceentities.

3. Buildrelationshipswithemployerswithinthetargetcareerpathwaysectorandengagetheminvariousaspectsoftheprogram.

4. IdentifyandaddresspossiblebarrierstofullenrollmentinACPprogramsandbuildstrongreferral/recruitmentstreamstobuildstrongenrollments.



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developmentyear,thefield’sadvicewasloudandclear:Do not inundate us with best practices that do not fit the realities in our setting. Do not tout model programs that would never be replicable in our locality. CreativeapproacheswererequiredtoequipABEprogrammanagerswithessentialknowledge,skills,andtoolsfromthefieldandpromotebestpractices,allwhilealsosupportingthemtoapplytheseintheirownwayintheirowncontexts.

Inresponse,anexperiential learning modelwaschosentogroundthedesignofthisprofessionaldevelopment.AnexperientiallearningapproachtoPD,illustratedinFigure1,ensuresthattheworkisconstantlygroundedintheconcreteexperienceofparticipants;includesdeliberateindividualreflectiononthatexperience;movestosharedconceptualization(whatcanweconclude?)andasearchforothersourcesformakingsenseoftheexperience;thenintegratesthenewunderstandingintonextactionsteps.ThisdesigncontrastswithaPDmodelthatreliesprimarilyonconveyingbestpracticesfromexistingexpertsourcesandsendspeopleofftoimplementontheirown,oftenwithresidualresistanceandminimalsuccess.

Aselectsetof tools areprovidedintheACPcohortfromthevastarrayofresourcesavailable,ratherthanpointingparticipantstoallavailablematerials.Forexample,weencourageuseofthecompleteCareerPathwaysToolkit,butfortrainingandimplementationpurposes,weculledafewselectguidelinesandtoolsfromthis300+pagedocumentthatweredeemedimmediatelyusefulandrelevant.

Tocontextualizetheapplicationofknowledgefromthetraining,assignmentsarecompletedwithineachcohortparticipant’ssetting.Thethreeprimaryassignmentsfocuson(a)establishing/strengtheningworkforcepartnerships;(b)buildingstrongenrollments;and(c)engagingemployers.Eachassignmentincludesguidelinesforbestpractice,atoolforassessingcurrentpracticeandidentifyingopportunitiesforgrowth,aprocessforsettinga“SMART”goal,timetocarryoutactionsteps,andreflectiononresults.(SMARTgoalsarespecific,measurable,achievable,relevant,andtime-based.)

Support and accountability arekeytotheexperientiallearning,SMART-goalbasedapproachtoPDoutlinedinthisarticle.Asmostofthecohortworkwascarriedoutlocally,connecting

Building Strong Enrollments: Examples of SMART Goals• ThecommunitycollegeadmissionsstaffwillunderstandourACPprogram

offeringsandhaveaprocessinplaceforreferringincomingstudentstotheManufacturingandHealthcareACPprograms.Thiswillresultinaminimumof10participantsineachbridgecourseinthesummerof2018.

• IwilldevelopabrochurethatclearlyoutlinesourParaProfessionalcourse(outline,careerladder,potentialearnings,etc.).Thisbrochurewillbedistributedthroughoutreacheffortsinatleastthreedeafandhard-of-hearinghighschoolandtransitionprograms.

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withcolleagueswithinthecohortplayedavitalrole.Tothisend,attheinitialworkshopparticipantschosepeerpartnerstoworkwiththroughoutthecohortyear.Thesepartnersprovidedfeedbackoneachother’sdraftSMARTgoalsandactionsteps,participatedtogetherinperiodiccheck-incallswiththePDfacilitators,andsharedinformationandinsightswithoneanother.Partnersandfacilitatorsservedtobothsupportandholdparticipantsaccountableduringtheyear’sACPwork.

EvaluationwasdeliberateandongoingthroughoutthepilotyearofthisACPPDcohort.ParticipantsreflectedonsuccessesandchallengesinmeetingtheirSMARTgoals.TheyalsoprovidedfeedbackonrequiredevaluationsurveysaftereachPDactivity.Asignificantpartofthespringwrap-upwebinarwasdedicatedtoevaluationofimpactandonthemethodologyandqualityofthePDcohort.

Impact of ACP Program Development CohortThepilotyearofthecohortconcludedinMay2018.Inthefinalevaluation,participants

reportedsignificantknowledgeandskilldevelopmentgainedfromthePDcohort,summarizedinTable2.

Specificprogressmadeatthelocallevelvariedwidelyamongcohortparticipants.Hereareafewexamplesasreportedinthefinalevaluation:

“We have identified the strongest areas of job growth and wages in our area and have created career pathway classes that are aligned to prepare participants to succeed in these jobs. We are building the pathways from prep to specific training classes for entry-level and higher level positions in the health care sector, providing multiple entry/exit options and constant expansion of skills and knowledge.” (Alison Wilcox, Career Pathways Coordinator, Metro South ABE)“As ABE and Workforce continued our partnership, we made great progress this year in redefining our roles in our bridge programs, including utilizing others’ areas of strength to divide tasks.” (Ron Fleischmann, FastTRAC Program Supervisor, Mankato Area ABE)“I have built relationships with multiple employers to better prepare the students to be the most equipped applicants after completing the ACP course.” (Tammy Schatz, Program Manager, Moorhead ABE) Participantsreportedthatthesupportandaccountabilityofacohortmodel,therangeof

assignments,concretegoal-setting,andtheACPtoolsprovideABEmanagerswithwhattheyneedtomoveforwardwithACPprogramdesignorimprovementinwaystheywouldn’thaveotherwise.

“The check-in calls provided necessary accountability. It made us take time to reflect on where we were, what was next, what was going well, and provided feedback in the middle of the planning process. We got to hear others’ struggles, successes, and experiences during the cohort.” (Ann Trochlil, ABE Manager, Glacial Lakes Consortium)

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“The most valuable aspects of the cohort training for me were using tools to evaluate our current ACP programming; setting concrete goals so we accomplished things locally and didn’t just learn passively; and reflection time at the end of the cohort year.” (Karen Wolters, ABE Program Coordinator, Mankato Area ABE)Inaddition,alesstangiblebutsignificantresultofthePDisasenseofconnectionand

solidarityamongABEadministratorsinthecohort,contributingtogreatercreativityandpersistenceinaddressingchallengesatthelocallevel.Participants’energyandengagementinthefull-daywrap-upworkshopbodeswellfortheserelationshipstosustainintothefuture,providingongoingpeersupportfortheACPworkthatliesahead.

CONCLUSIONProfessionaldevelopmentforbuildingeffectiveadultcareerpathwayprogramsacrossa

widevarietyofsettingsrequiresacreativeandcontextualizedapproach.PeersupportamongparticipatingABEadministratorsseemstobeoneofthemosthighly-valuedaspectsofourmodel.Reportedimpacts—inknowledgeandskillsobtained,progressindevelopmentofACPsineachlocality,andconfidenceinthework—aresignificant.Thecommitmenttouseevaluationdatafromthispilotyearwillinformanevenbettercohortexperienceinyeartwo.WearepleasedtosharetheapproachandwhatwehavelearnedinourpilotyearwiththewiderABEcommunityasweallworktowardstrongercareerpathwaysforadultlearnersinourcommunities.

REFERENCESATLAS(2017).AdultBasicEducationTeaching&LearningAdvancementSystem,housedatHamline

University,fundedbyagrantfromtheMinnesotaDepartmentofEducationusingfederalandstatefunding:WorkforceInvestmentActof1998(P.L.105-220),CFDA84.002AandMinnesotaStatute124D.22.St.Paul,Minnesota.Available:www.atlasABE.org.

Desimone,L.M.(2009).Improvingimpactstudiesofteachers’professionaldevelopment:Towardbetterconceptualizationsandmeasures.Educational Researcher,38(3),181–199.

Guskey,T.R.(2002).Doesitmakeadifference?Evaluatingprofessionaldevelopment.Educational leadership,59(6),45.

Kolb,D.A.(1984).Experientiallearning:Experienceasthesourceoflearninganddevelopment.UpperSaddleRiver,NewJersey:PrenticeHall.Visualavailable:http://doceo.co.uk/l&t/learning/experience.htm.

WorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA).(2014).PubL.No.113–128,Stat.14252014.WorkforceGPS(2016).CareerPathwaysToolkit.Available:https://careerpathways.workforcegps.org/

resources/2016/10/20/10/11/Enhanced_Career_Pathways_Toolkit

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TABLE 1: DESIGN OF ACP PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT COHORTDuration 10 months, August–May

Participants24 ABE program administrators from across the state, self-selectedSeveral ACP focus career sectors: healthcare, trades and industry, education, business

StaffingCohort lead: ATLAS ACP consultantStaff with roles: ABE state PD specialist, transitions specialist, and ATLAS director

Delivery Components

Pre-workshop assignments on ACP basics7-hour face-to-face intensive workshop—presentations, discussions, skill-building, peer partner relationship-buildingThree major action-oriented assignments spaced over 8 months, on (a) workforce partnerships, (b) building strong enrollments, and (c) employer engagementTwo 1.5-hour webinars on partnering with workforce and employersTwo 1-hour check-in calls (peer partners + 2 cohort facilitators)7-hour face-to-face wrap-up workshop—share accomplishments, reflect on learning, evaluate, plan next steps

Online Platform

Schoology used forWeekly communication with cohort participantsSubmission of and feedback on assignmentsSharing reference materials and tools relevant to ACP workDiscussion forums and information sharing among participants

Participants Receive25 CEUs$400 stipend to the program, plus mileage and lodging expense reimbursement for workshop attendance

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TABLE 2: COHORT FINAL EVALUATION RESULTS—SELF-ASSESSMENT OF PROGRESS ON PD OBJECTIVES

I was / am now fully able or quite able to: Before the Cohort

Upon Completion

of the Cohort

list, explain, and implement the seven criteria of a fully-realized adult career pathway (ACP) program.

5% 89%

partner with the local workforce entities in design and delivery of ACP programs.

37% 79%

engage employers in ACP program development and delivery.

10% 52%

build strong enrollments for an ACP program. 10% 63%continue effective ACP program development work beyond the cohort year.

n/a 94%

FIGURE 1: EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING MODEL (BASED ON KOLB, 1984. VISUAL AVAILABLE: HTTP://DOCEO.CO.UK/L&T/

LEARNING/EXPERIENCE.HTM )

http://doceo.co.uk/l&t/learning/experience.htm

http://doceo.co.uk/l&t/learning/experience.htm

Practitioner Perspective | 28

PRACTITIONER PERSPECTIVEIntegratedCareerPathways:LessonsfromAccelerating

Opportunity|ByRachelPleasantsMcDonnell

INTEGRATED CAREER PATHWAYS: LESSONS FROM ACCELERATING OPPORTUNITY

Rachel Pleasants McDonnellLisa Soricone

Jobs for the Future

INTRODUCTIONTheAcceleratingOpportunity(AO)initiative,whichlaunchedin2011,wasan

unprecedentedinvestmentinunderpreparedadultlearners.Multiplefundersjoinedforcestosupporttheimplementationofintegratedcareerpathwaysatcommunitycollegesacrosssevenstates.Thesestatesspentfouryearsfocusedonlarge-scalestateandinstitutionaltransformation.Thegoalwastoaddresspolicy,programmatic,andsystemsgapsatthestateandcollegelevelsothatgreaternumbersofadultswithsignificanteducationalandskillsgapscouldsuccessfullyadvancefromfederally-fundedAdultBasicEducationintoandthroughtechnicalpathwaysinhigh-demandoccupationalareas.Theinitiativealsoincludedarigorousthird-partyevaluation,whichprovidedanimportantopportunitytodeepenourunderstandingoftheimpactofintegratedpathwaysonstudentoutcomes.

Thefinalgrantstostatesendedin2015,andthefinalimplementationandoutcomesreportswerepublishedin2017.JFFisnowinapositiontoreflectonoverfiveyearsoflearningfromandwithourstateandnationalpartners.Thisinitiativeprovidedvaluablelessonsaboutwhatittakestoimplementintegratedcareerpathwaysforunderpreparedadultlearners,includinglessonsaboutinstructionalpractice,supportiveservices,policy,andsystemschange.

ThisisacriticaltimeforunderstandingwhatittakestoincreasetheskilllevelsandemploymentopportunitiesofAmericans.TheOECD’s2013SurveyofAdultSkills(PIACC),alandmarkinternationalstudy,showsthattheUnitedStatesisfallingbehindininternationalcomparisons:oneinsixadultshavelowliteracyskills,andoneinthreehavelownumeracyskills.Educatorsandpolicymakersareseekingevidence-basedapproachestoaddressingtheseskilldeficiencies;AcceleratingOpportunityhasthepotentialtobeonesuchapproach.

Inthisarticle,weexplorelessonsthatJFFlearnedastheinitiativeleadaswellaslessons


McDonnell and Soricone | Integrated Career Pathways

documentedbyourevaluators.WiththecurrentpushoftheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA)toexpandintegratededucationandtrainingwehopethatwhatwehavelearnedcanhelppractitioners,researchers,andpolicymakerscontinuetoimproveoutcomesforunderpreparedandunderservedadults.

WHAT IS ACCELERATING OPPORTUNITY?AcceleratingOpportunitywasdevelopedasastrategyforhelpingmoreunderprepared

adultlearnersenterandsucceedinpostsecondarycredit-bearingcareerpathways.Whilepostsecondarycredentialsareincreasinglyimportantforobtainingfamily-supportingcareers,morethansixtypercentofadults18andolderlackanypostsecondarycredential.Inaddition,weakliteracyandnumeracyskillskeepmillionsofadultsfromsucceedingintoday’slabormarket.Historically,disconnectedsystems—includingadulteducation,secondaryeducation,communitycolleges,andworkforcedevelopment—havemadeitdifficultforunderpreparedadultlearnerstoadvancethrougheducationandtrainingprogramsinareasonabletimeframe.VeryfewAdultBasicEducationstudents(bysomeestimates,lessthan5%)everenrollincollege-levelpathways,muchlessgraduatewithmarketablecredentials.

TheAcceleratingOpportunitymodelwasdesignedtoaccelerateprogressionbycombiningAdultBasicEducationandcareerandtechnicaleducationintoasingleintegratedcareerpathway.AcceleratingOpportunitybuildsontheI-BEST(IntegratedBasicEducationandSkillsTraining)modeldevelopedbytheWashingtonStateBoardforCommunityandTechnicalColleges(SBCTC).ThroughI-BEST,WashingtonpioneeredtheuseofpostsecondaryteamteachingforAdultBasicEducationstudents.

Participatingstatesandcollegesallagreedtoimplementthefollowingnon-negotiableelements:

1. ExplicitarticulationoftwoormorecareerpathwaysthatbeginwithAdultBasicEducationorESLandcontinuetoaone-yearcollege-levelcertificateandbeyond

2. Evidenceofstronglocaldemandfortheselectedpathways3. Accelerationstrategies,includingcontextualizedlearningandtheuseofhybridcourse

designs(onlineplusclassroom-basedinstruction)4. Comprehensivestudentsupport5. Evidence-baseddualenrollmentstrategies,includingpairedcoursesandI-BESTand

I-BEST-likeapproaches6. Achievementofmarketable,stackable,credit-bearingcertificatesanddegreesand

collegereadiness7. Awardofsomecollege-levelprofessional-technicalcredits8. PartnershipswithWorkforceInvestmentBoardsandemployers



PARTNERS AND FUNDERSTheinitiativewassupportedbyaconsortiumoffunders:theBill&MelindaGates

Foundation,theJoyceFoundation,theW.K.KelloggFoundation,KresgeFoundation,theOpenSocietyFoundations,theArthurBlankFoundation,theWoodruffFoundation,theCaseyFoundation,andtheUniversityofPhoenixFoundation.JFFalsopartneredwiththreeotherorganizationstoprovideafullrangeoftechnicalassistanceandinitiativeleadership:theWashingtonStateBoardforCommunityandTechnicalColleges,theNationalCouncilforWorkforceEducation,andtheNationalCollegeTransitionNetwork/WorldEd.

WHAT DID WE ACCOMPLISH? Initsfouryearsofimplementation,theAOinitiativeachievedscaleandsuccessforadult

learners.Theinitiativegrewfrom8collegesineachofthe4originalstatestocoversevenstates,inwhich85collegesimplemented189integratedcareerpathwaysinmanufacturing,healthcare,automotive,business,education,andothersectors.Over10,000individualsenrolledinAOprograms,earningover12,000credentials,withmorethan3,500studentsearning12ormorecredits.

AnevaluationofAOconductedbytheUrbanInstituteexaminedtheinitiative’soperationinfourstates(Illinois,Kansas,Kentucky,andLouisiana)andprovidedadditionalinsightsintotheimpactofprogramsonparticipants.AOstudentsexpressedhighlevelsofsatisfactionwiththeprogram.Amongover400studentssurveyed,97%saiditmetorexceededtheirexpectations,andtwo-thirdssaidtheywouldrecommendtheprogramtofamilyandfriends.

Inarigorous,quasi-experimentalstudy,AOwasfoundtoincreasetheprobabilityofearningacredentialcomparedtosimilarnon-AOstudents(seeFigure1).Inmostcases,AOreducedthenumberofcreditsearned,suggestingmoreefficientcourse-takingandacceleratedlearningamongparticipants.Withrespecttoearnings,theinitiativehadmixedresults;however,AOshowedstrongandsustainedpositiveimpactsonearningsfortwosubgroupsofstudents:AOstudentsrecruitedfromadulteducationinKentuckyandfromcareerandtechnicaleducationinKansas.Itislikelythatthemixedresultsareinfluencedbydiversestateeconomiccontexts.Morelong-termdatawouldprovidegreaterinsightintothetrajectoriesexperiencedbyAOparticipantsovertime.

Inadditiontoitsimpactonstudents,AOresultedinchangesatpolicyandsystemlevels.Forexample,Illinoisaltereditsperformance-basedfundingmeasuretoincludemomentumpoints,suchasGED®acquisitionandtransitiontopostsecondary,achangethataddedanincentiveforcommunitycollegestoaddresstheneedsofadulteducationstudentsmoreintentionallyandtoworkmorecloselywiththestateDivisionofAdultEducation.InKansas,newstateagencyagreementsenabledtheuseofTANFfundstocoverthetuitionofstudentswhocompleteda12-credithourAOpathway.InGeorgia,thestate’sTechnicalCollegeSystemaltereditstestingpolicytodelayCOMPASStestingtoallowadulteducationstudentstoentercredit-bearing



coursesbasedontheirTABEscores.Atthecollegelevel,manyinstitutionsmadechangestobetterintegrateABEstudents,suchasprovidingthemwithaccesstocollegeresources(library,parking,studentID’s)likeothercollegestudents.Collegesalsomadeeffortstofacilitatetheco-enrollmentofadulteducationstudentsintocollegecoursesandaltercourseschedulingtobettermeettheneedsofadultlearners.

Significantly,AOchangedtheculturearoundperceptionsofABEstudentsandtheirpotentialincommunitycollege.Adulteducationstudentsarenowseenaspartofthestrategytohelpstatesboostcollegeenrollment,meetemployerneeds,andachievecredentialattainmentgoals.AsleadersinIllinoisreported,“...threeyearsago,adulteducationwasseenasafreeprogramforESLandGEDstudents.Today,adulteducationisseenasapotentialareaofgrowthforthecollegecreditenrollment.”

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

Lessons About Partnerships TheAOleadershipteamrecognizedearlyonthatpartnerships are an essential building

block for an initiative focused on bridging the “silos” of adult and career and technical education.Historically,theinternalandexternalpartnersneededtodevelopintegratedpathwayswork—collegeCTEdepartments,AdultBasicEducation,studentservices,workforcedevelopmentpartners,andemployers-haven’tworkedtogetherclosely(ifatall).Insomecases,theAOgrantprovidedtheimpetusforthesestakeholderstocometogetherforthefirsttime.

Atthebeginningoftheinitiative,ABEstaffhadtocollaborateregularlywithCTEleadershipandfacultytoidentifytheappropriatepathwaysandcoursesforco-enrollmentanddeterminewhattheteamteachingmodelwouldlooklike.Throughoutimplementation,facultyneededtomeetfrequentlytoshareinformationonstudentprogress,honeteamteachingstrategies,andidentifynewpotentialpathwaysforexpansion.Itwasalsoimportanttoworkcloselywithstudentservicesinordertoensureaccesstosupportsliketutoring,counseling,andotherresources.OftenthistoowasanewrelationshipforABE;inmanycollegesABEstudentsdidnotpreviouslyhaveaccesstocollege-providedsupports.

College leadership commitment played a large role in the success of these internal partnerships. Atcollegeswheretheupper-levelleadershipmadecleartheirsupportofAOitwaseasiertobuildinternalrelationships.AtcollegeswhereABEwastheprimarydriver,itwasmorechallengingtomakeheadway.

Colleges relied on external partnerships with the public workforce system and employers to inform program design, recruit participants, and assist with job placement.Somecollegesalsoworkedwithcommunity-basedorganizations(suchasGoodwillIndustries)toprovidesupportiveservices.Theseexternalpartnershipsweremorechallengingtoestablish—especiallypartnershipswithemployers.However,employerengagementdidincreaseoverthecourseoftheinitiative.



Partnerships proved critical at the state level as well.Inparticular,state-levelcollaborationbetweenCTEandABEcouldsetthetoneforcolleges.InIllinois,forexample,thecloseworkingrelationshipbetweenstateCTEandABEleadershipsentaclearsignaltocollegesthatAOwasn’tjustanABEinitiative.Similarly,statescouldfacilitatepartnershipswiththeworkforcesystemorotherstateagencies(suchasTANF)thatwouldthendrivelocal-levelpartnerships.Thesestate-levelpartnershipsalsoenabledleveragedresourcesandfunding.InKansas,collaborationwiththestateTANFagencyledtoanagreementthatTANFwouldfundpathwaytuitionforeligiblestudents.

Lessons About Instructional Practice OneimportantlessonfromAOisthat team teaching, while challenging, provides students

with an accelerated and supportive learning environment.OverthecourseofAO,JFFanditspartnerslearnedaboutthevariouswaysthatteamteacherscontributetoclassroomsuccess.Acorecomponentiscontextualizedbasicskillsinstruction,butthebenefitsofthepartnershipgobeyondcontentdelivery.Inmanycases,theadulteducationteacherwouldmodelhowtobeastudent—howtotakenotesandhowtoaskquestionsduringclass.Theyarealsooftentheonestonoticewhenstudentsaregettinglost,andcanstoptheCTEinstructorandaskforclarification.ABEteachersalsoprovideCTEinstructorswithfeedbackonteachingtechniques,aswellasnewideasforhowtoreachstudents.

Oneofthemostimportantlessonsisthatpicking the right teachers is critical—aswellasknowingwhenateachingteamisn’tworking.Teamteachersareadiversegroup,buttheydoneedtobecollaborativeandwillingtoexperimentwithclassroompractice.Oncetherightteachersareonboard,theyneedtimetoplanandcoordinateactivities,andtheyneedprofessionaldevelopmenttounderstandwhatteamteachingcanlooklike.Anotherlessonisthattheimplementationofteamteachingrequiresongoing professional development and othersupportstobuildinstructors’effectivenessandflexibilityinapplyingthisnewapproach.Forexample,instructorsneedtounderstandthedifferentmodelsthatcanbeusedtomaximizetheircontributionsasequalpartnersintheinstructionalprocess.

Lessons About Supportive Services TheAOexperiencereinforcedtheneedtoconsideradultlearnersmoreholisticallyand

offerthemanarrayofsupportstoencouragetheirpersistenceandsuccessinpostsecondaryeducation.

Comprehensive supports:Inadditiontoacademicsupportslikeadvisingtosupportgoal-settingandefficientcourse-taking,studentsrequirenon-academicadvisingtonavigatethecollegeenvironment.Studentsalsorequirecareerservicestosupportcareerexploration,transitionstowork,andfinancialservicestohelpthemmanagethecostsofpostsecondaryeducation.Finally,low-incomeadultstudentscanbenefitfrompersonalcounselingandaccesstosocialservicesthathelpthemmanagelifesituationsthatcanimpedeprogressincollege.



Thisrangeofsupportsshouldbeavailablethroughoutastudent’spaththroughcommunitycollegeandbeadjustedtosuitstudentneedsatdifferentphasesoftheirprogress.

Partnerships:Offeringcomprehensivestudentsupportscanchallengethecapacityofmostcommunitycollegesandthusrequirescollaborationacrossmultipledepartmentsaswellasexternalpartners.Forexample,localcareercenterscansupplementcollegeresourcestoprovidecareerservices,whilecommunity-basedorganizationscanofferhelpwithhousing,childcare,transportation,andmentalhealthcounseling.

Bringing the services to students:TheAOexperiencerevealedthatstudentsdonotalwaysaccessavailableservicesduetolackofinformationorreluctancetoaskforhelp.Itisthusimportanttocommunicateaboutavailableservicestostudents,suchasthroughpresentationstoclasses,whichcaninformstudentsandfacultyalike.Toreducethestigmaassociatedwithaccessingservices,programscanrequirethatallstudentsparticipateinformsofsupport,suchasnon-academicadvising,whichcanopenupconversationstoaddresspersonal,financial,andotherissuesthatcanimpedestudentsuccess.

Lessons Learned About Systems Change ChangingperceptionsaboutapopulationlikeAdultBasicEducationstudentsdoesnot

happenovernight;ittakestimeandthecommitmentofleadership.Alignment with larger goals: AOleadersalignedtheinitiativewithotherstateeffortsto

connectlow-skilledadultstoeducationandworkforceservices,recognizingthatthissegmentofthepopulationhadbeenlargelyunderservedbythesesystems,showinghowAO’ssuccesscouldmeetlargereducationandworkforcegoals.Forexample,KansasintentionallyframedAOasaworkforceinitiative,whichhelpedgainbuy-infromthestateworkforcesystem.

Building buy-in through positive experiences:Overtime,collegesdevelopedstrategiestobetterservelow-skilledstudentsandsuccessfullypromotedpositiveattitudestowardthesestudentsoncampuses.InternalpartnershipsbetweenthecollegeAOstaffandCTEorcollegeadministrativestaffcreatedunderstandingofthevalueoftheinitiativeandthepotentialforsuccessamongABEstudents.OneofthemostpowerfulleversforchangewasfacultywhohadpositiveexperienceswithAOstudents;theybecamechampionsfortheinitiativeandpersuadedotherfacultymembersofitsvalue.Shiftingattitudesmotivatedchangeincollegepoliciestohelpstudents,suchaswaivingcourseprerequisitesforAOstudents.

Lessons About Getting Started with Integrated Pathways ThetimingoftheAOgrantsmeantthatmanycollegeshadtohitthegroundrunningwith

theirinitialpathways.Later,ascollegesexpandedtonewpathways,theywereabletotakemoretimetolaythegroundworkforpathwayimplementation.Forthosegettingstartedwithintegratedpathways,werecommendtakingtimeupfronttothinkthroughthefollowingelementsandquestions.

Stakeholder engagement:Priortogettingstarted,it’simportanttoengageeveryonewho



mightbeinvolvedwithpathwaydevelopmentandimplementation.Thisincludeseverythingfromcollegeleadershiptoadmissions.Focusonmakingsurethateveryoneunderstandswhatintegratedpathwayswillmeanfortheirwork.Forexample,yourregistrarneedstoknowhowtocodeteam-taughtclasses.

• Whatdepartmentsandindividualswillbeimpactedbythiswork?Howcanyougetthemonboardwithpotentialchanges?

• Whoareyourpossiblechampionsandwhomightgetinyourway?• Doescollegeleadershipunderstandwhyintegratedpathwaysareimportantformeeting

thecollege’sstrategicgoals?Pathway selection:Someprogramslendthemselvestointegrationmorethanothers.In

selectingpathways,collegesconsideredmultiplefactors,includinglabormarketdemand(includingstartingwages),studentinterest,andthereceptivityofinstructorsandprogramleadership.AtJFF,wefeltitwasimportantforstudentstobeabletoearnacredentialafterasemesteroffull-timeenrollment,butalsowantedtoensurethatstudentscouldcontinueonafterthefirstsemestertoearnmoreadvancedcredentials.Ifthesepathwaysdidn’talreadyexist,itwastrickyforadulteducationleaderstopushdepartmentleadershiptoshiftpathwaystructures.

• Whatpathwaysandcredentialsareindemandinyourlocallabormarket?Whatarethestartingwagesinthosefields?

• Inwhatfieldshasthecollegealreadydevelopedpathwayswithmultiplestackablecredentials?

• Whatprogramshaveleadershipandfacultythatarereceptivetotryingnewthings?• WhatprogramsandcareersareyourABEstudentsinterestedin?• Whatprogramshavemanageableinitialreadingandmathskillrequirements?Student support:Asdiscussedearlier,studentsinintegratedpathwaystendtoneeda

higherlevelofsupportandguidance,especiallyatthebeginningofthepathway.Thisincludesamixofacademicandnon-academicsupports.

• Willstudentshaveaccesstoadedicatednavigatororcoach?• Whaton-campussupportscanstudentsaccess?• Whatexternalsupportsareavailable(throughtheworkforcesystemorcommunity-

basedorganizations)?• Howproactiveor“intrusive”willsupportsbe?Team teaching:Inadditiontopickingtherightinstructors,itiscriticaltobuildinsufficient

up-frontandongoingprofessionaldevelopment.Teamteachingisanewexperienceformanyfaculty;theyneedtofeelsupported,especiallyatthebeginningwhentheyareworkingoutthekinksofworkingtogetherintheclassroom.

• Whatkindofup-frontjointplanningtimewillinstructorshave?



• Whatprofessionaldevelopmentisavailable?• Arethereteamteacherstheycanshadowatyourcollegeoranothercollege?• Willteamteachershaveongoingpaidplanningtimethroughoutthesemester?

Implementing Integrated Programs in Non-College ContextsAlthoughAOwasimplementedinstateswhereAdultBasicEducationwasofferedthrough

communitycolleges,severalaspectsoftheAOexperienceapplyacrosssituations,regardlessofwhereABEservicesareoffered—incommunity-basedorganizations,schoolsystems,orcolleges.

Labor market connections:Toensurestudents’successintransitioningtothelabormarket,theselectionofintegratedpathwaysmustbedrivenbylabormarketdemand.Itimportanttoengageemployers—directlyorindirectly—byworkingwithworkforcesystempartnerstoensuretherelevanceandmarketabilityoftheskillsandcredentialsofferedinintegratedprogramming.

Partnerships:Integratedcareerpathwaysnecessitatepartneringatmultiplelevels,fromagenciesandinstitutionstotheclassroom.Asnotedearlier,partnershipscanbevaluabletoenabletheprovisionofcomprehensivesupports,includingcareeradvisingandpersonalsupports.Itisimportanttobringpartnerstogethertodeterminewhateachcanoffertosupportthesuccessofanintegratedpathwayeffort.

Planning:Developingintegratedpathwaysrequiresplanningtodesignservices,mobilizeresources,andanticipatebarriers.Planningsupportsthealignmentofintegratedpathwayeffortswithlargersystemgoals.Itisparticularlyimportantthatinstructorsbegivenpaidtimeforplanningtheintegrationofinstructiontoensureclarityofrolesandalignmentoflearningobjectives.

Communication:Asisthecaseformosteducationalreforms,communicationplaysanimportantroleinlaunchingandsustainingintegratedpathwayinitiatives.Itisimportanttocommunicateprogramgoalswithinandacrosstheagencies/institutionsinvolved,andcommunicatingsuccessesiscriticalforbuildingandsustainingbuy-in.

Data:Dataonstudentcompletionandoutcomescanhelptoclarifythepurposeandprovidetherationaleforanintegratedapproachtoadultlearning.Asanintegratedpathwayunfolds,datacanbeusedtodemonstratesuccessorhighlightproblemareastobeaddressed.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? JFFanditspartnersarethrilledbytheongoingcommitmenttointegratedpathwaysacross

theAOstates.Eachstateistakingaslightlydifferentapproachtosustainabilityandscale,butallcontinuetoofferintegratedpathwaysforadulteducationstudentsandincreasinglyfordevelopmentaleducationstudentsaswell.Manycollegesarealsoconsideringhowtocombineintegratedinstructionwithothercommunitycollegeredesigns,suchasthedevelopmentof



morestructuredpathwaysandenhancedadvisingmodels.Georgia’scollegeshavecontinuedtoofferAcceleratingOpportunityprogramsfortheir

GEDstudents,oftenthroughpartnershipswithUnitedWayandotherlocalorganizationsandfunders.

IllinoiscontinuestoscaleAcceleratingOpportunity,withmorethanhalfofthe48collegesinIllinoiscontinuingtooperateaspectsofthemodel(calledICAPS).Tomovethestatetowardstrongereconomicmobilityandeducationandemploymentoutcomes,thisfallthestate’sAdultEducationprogrambegana10-monthprocesstodevelopaFive-YearStrategicPlan.Theplanincludesstrategiestoensurestudentshaveaccesstocomprehensivepathwayswithpostsecondaryeducationandtraining,embeddedemployabilityskillstraining,andcomprehensivesupportservices.

KansascontinuestosupportintegratedpathwaysthroughitsAO-KProviso,whichmakesthefirsttwelvecreditsofapprovedpathwaysfreeforstudentswithoutahighschooldiplomaandprovidescollegeswithfundstosupportteamteaching.ThestateisalsoexploringstrategiestouseteamteachingforCTEstudentswhoalreadyhaveahighschooldiploma.

KentuckycontinuestoofferAOKYasadualenrollmentoptionforGEDseekingstudents,withadulteducationprovidingcontextualizedGEDpreptotheprogramorsectorthestudentisenrolledin.ThestudentreceiveswraparoundservicesfromthecollegeandcontinuestogetcareercoachingservicesfromthelocalKentuckyCareerCenter.ProgramsofferedinAOKYvaryfromcollegetocollegebasedonlocallabormarketdatafromoneto12programs.Currently,AOKYismuchmorefocusedonstudentswithoutahighschoolcredential;asaresult,enrollmentislowerthanduringAO,whencollegesalsotargeteddevelopmentaleducationstudents.

LouisianaprioritizedintegratedpathwaysinitsmostrecentABEprovidersRFP,andisworkingtoensurethateachcollegecontinuestoofferatleasttwopathways.Its5for6scholarship,fundedthroughtherevenuecollegesreceivefromtuitionincreases,coverstuitionforthefirstsixcredithoursofapathway,afterwhichstudentsareeligibleforPell.Collegesandtheiradulteducationpartners(inlocationswhereadulteducationisnotofferedbythecollege)areworkingtoexpandthenumberofpathwaysavailableandincreaseoverallenrollment.Theyarealsostartingtoexpandbridgeprogramsforthosestudentswhoneedadditionalbasicskillsdevelopmentbeforestartinganintegratedpathway.

Mississippi issupportingthestatewideimplementationofintegratedpathwaysthroughitsMI-BESTinitiative.TheW.K.KelloggFoundationprovidedsupportforall15collegestodevelopteam-taughtpathways;asofMarch2017,over1200studentshadenrolledinintegratedpathways.

Synthesizing Lessons LearnedIn2017,JFFreceivedagrantfromtheAnnieE.CaseyFoundationtoconductameta-analysis



ofprogramevaluations,includingtheAOevaluation,withthegoalofsynthesizingwhatweknowabouttrainingandeducationmodels,aswellasprogramsandpractices,thatprepareadultsforliving-wagecareers.ThepurposeofthisanalysisistoinformthefieldabouthowbesttoaddresstheeducationandemploymentneedsofAmerica’slargeandunderservedadultlearnerpopulation,aswellascatalyzefuturepublicandprivateinvestmentsinunderpreparedadultlearners.Theanalysisidentifiedthreemainfociforassessingtheimpactofcareerpathways:pathwayentry,integratedtraining,andcareerprogression.Positiveandsignificantimpactwasfoundforpathwayentryandintegratedtraining,withmorelimitedevidenceofimpactforcareerprogressionmodels.Commoncoreelementsemergedacrossallthreefoci,includingengagededucation/employer/workforcepartnerships;contextualized,accelerated,andcompetency-basedinstruction;work-basedlearning;andproactivestudentsupports.

Expanding Team Teaching ThroughagrantfromtheECMCFoundation,JFFisworkingwithfivecollegesacrosstwo

oftheAOstates(KansasandKentucky)toexpandtheteamteachingmodeltoserveallCTEstudentswhoneedtobuildtheirbasicacademicreadiness.ThesecollegesareexperimentingwithavarietyofstrategiestoextendthereachandeffectivenessoftheAOmodel,includingrestructuringthefirstsemesterofCTEprogramstoprovidegreatersupportandpreparestudentsforarangeofcredentialsandcareers.

FUTURE RESEARCH QUESTIONS AcceleratingOpportunitywasafantasticlearningopportunityforJFFanditspartnersand

funders.Buttherearemanyotherresearchquestionswewouldlovetodigintofurtherasweexpandourunderstandingofwhatworksforunderpreparedlearners.SomeofourburningquestionsrelatetobetterunderstandinghowtheAOmodelcanworkinstateswhereadulteducationisnothousedwithinpostsecondaryeducation.InAO,wefocusedonstateswiththisgovernancemodelbecausewefeltthatthisstate-levelconnectionwouldfacilitatelocal-levelimplementation.WhilesomecollegesinAOdidpartnerwithK12orCBO-basedABEproviders,wehaven’tyettestedhowthemodelworks—orhowitmayneedtoadapt—instateswhereABEishousedwithinK12educationorwithintheworkforcesystem,whichisthecaseinthemajorityofstates.

Therearenumerousquestionswecouldexplorerelatedtoteamteachingmodels,includingwhatapproachesworkbestindifferentpathways,howtheteamteachingrelationshipevolvesovertime,andhowCTEinstructorswhoworkwithateamteacherevolvetheirownteachingpractice.

JFFisalsointerestinginexploringhowteamteachingcanbeintegratedintoothereducationandworkforcedevelopmentmodels,includingapprenticeship,on-the-jobtraining,andcompetency-basededucation.



Finally,thereismoretolearnaboutthelong-termoutcomesonstudentemploymentandwages,aswellasthereturnoninvestmentforintegratedpathways.

CONCLUSIONAcceleratingOpportunitywasatremendousopportunitytolearnabouthowtheintegrated

pathwaymodelcanbeimplementedandscaledindiversecontexts.Overthecourseoftheinitiativeweworkedcloselywithourpartnersandourstatestorefinethemodel,strengthencollegecapacity,provideprofessionaldevelopment,andcreateopportunitiesforcross-statesharing.Inthisarticle,wehavehighlightedsomeofthemajorlessonslearnedduringtheinitiative,withafocusonlessonsthatcanhelppractitionersandpolicymakersstrengthenopportunitiesforunderpreparedlearners.Ourlessonslearnedspaneverythingfromindividualstudentinterventionstostatepolicy,butwewouldliketoconcludewiththemostimportantlesson:implementingintegratedpathwaysishardwork,buttheimpactonstudents’livesandfamiliesmakesitallworthwhile.

FIGURE 1: LIKELIHOOD THAT ACCELERATING OPPORTUNITY STUDENTS EARNED ANY CREDENTIAL, RELATIVE TO MATCHED COMPARISON GROUP, BY STATE

Source: New Evidence on Integrated Career Pathways Final Impact Report for Accelerating Opportunity. Urban Institute, 2017.


Prins and Clymer | Career Pathways in Chicago, Houston, and Miami

CAREER PATHWAYS IN CHICAGO, HOUSTON, AND MIAMI: KEY FEATURES AND SUPPORT SERVICES AMONG ADULT

EDUCATION PROVIDERS

Dr. Esther Prins Dr. Carol Clymer

The Pennsylvania State University

ABSTRACTManyadulteducationprovidersaredevelopingcareerpathways(CP)programs,whichareviewedasanimportantworkforcedevelopmentandpovertyalleviationstrategyintheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct,bystateandlocalgovernments,andbyprivatefunders.Basedonathree-yearresearcher-practitionerpartnership,thispaperusessurveydatafrom106adulteducationagenciestodescribesalientfeaturesofCPprogramminginChicago,Houston,andMiamiandthenusesfocusgroupdataandcasestudiesofsixagenciestoanalyzewraparoundsupportservicesingreaterdetail.Ninety-fourpercentofsurveyrespondentswereprovidingordevelopingCPprograms,butdesignandimplementationvariedwidely.Thefindingsunderscoretheimportanceofprovidingcomprehensivesupportservicestohelpadultlearnersaddressthecognitiveandmaterialburdenofpoverty.

Manyadulteducationprovidersaredevelopingcareerpathways(CP)programs,whichareviewedasanimportantworkforcedevelopmentandpovertyalleviationstrategyintheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA),bystateandlocalgovernments,andbyprivatefunders.Althoughadulteducationagencieshavelongprovidedjobtraining,thecareerpathwayslabelisrelativelynew.TheCPmodeloffers“aseriesofeducationandtrainingprogramsandsupportservicesthatenableindividualstogetjobsinspecificindustriesandadvanceovertimebysuccessfullycompletinghigherlevelsofeducationandwork”(Strawn,2011,p.1).CPprogramsareintendedtohelpadults—includingimmigrants,refugees,dislocatedworkers,andadultswithlimitedincomeandeducation—progressalongacademicandcareer“ladders”(Estrada&DuBois,2010).

However,theresearchbaseonCPisthin,especiallyconcerningprogramsthatareoperatedbycommunity-basedorganizations(CBOs)andthataredesignedforadultswithlimitededucation.Asdiscussedbelow,moststudieshavefocusedonCPprogramsforadultswhoarecommunitycollegestudentsorhighschoolgraduates,whichexcludesmoretypicaladultbasiceducation(ABE)students.Assuch,thereisscantresearchtoguideadulteducators’decisionsabouthowtodesignandimplementCPprogramssothatadultsarebetterpreparedforpostsecondaryeducationandemployment.

CareerPathwaysinChicago,Houston,andMiami:KeyFeaturesandSupportServicesAmongAdultEducationProviders|ByEstherPrinsandDr.CarolClymer



ThispaperaddressesthesegapsbyanalyzingthecurrentstateofCPprogramminginadulteducationorganizationsinChicago,Houston,andMiami,drawingonmixed-methodsdatafromathree-yearresearcher-practitionerpartnership.FundedbytheInstituteofEducationSciences,theprojectincludedresearchersattheInstitutefortheStudyofAdultLiteracyatPennStateandpartnersattheChicagoCitywideLiteracyCoalition,HoustonCenterforLiteracy,andMiami-DadeCountyPublicSchools.ThepurposeoftheprojectwastomapthelandscapeofCPinthesecities.ThisarticleusessurveydatatodescribesalientfeaturesofCPacrossthecitiesandthenusesqualitativefocusgroupandcasestudydatatoanalyzesupportservicesingreaterdetail.WeselectedthisprogrammaticfeaturebecauseitcutsacrossallcasestudysitesandbecausethefindingssuggestitwascrucialforhelpingstudentsaccessandpersistinCPprograms.Wearguethatmentalbandwidthisausefulwayofconceptualizinghowwraparoundsupportsminimizethecognitiveloadofpoverty,therebyexpandingadultlearners’abilitytofocusontheirstudies.

RELEVANT LITERATURE

Career Pathways for Adult LearnersSeveralfederalagencies,includingtheOfficeofCareer,Technical,andAdultEducation,

HealthandHumanServices,andtheDepartmentofLabor,haveinvestedinCPimplementationandresearch,indicatingpolicymakers’widespreadinterestinthistopic.However,mostfederalresearchandotherstudieshavefocusedonCPprogramsinbetter-resourcedsettingssuchascommunitycollegesorworkforceorganizations,minimizingtheroleofadulteducationagenciesasCPproviders(Anderson,Hall,&Derrick-Mills,2013;Anderson,Kuehn,Eyster,Barnow,&Lerman,2017;Carroll,Kersh,Sullivan,&Fincher,2012;Liebowitz&Taylor,2004;Mazzeo,Rab,&Alssid,2003;Zeidenberg,Cho,&Jenkins,2010).Accordingly,manystudiesincludestudentswhoalreadyhaveasecondarydiploma.Forexample,adultswithoutahighschooldegreecomprisedlessthan8%ofparticipantsinonefederallyfundedCPstudy(Fountainetal.,2015)and1%to40%ofparticipantsinanother(Fein,2016).Lessacademicallypreparedadultsfacegreaterbarrierstoenteringandsucceedinginpostsecondarystudyandemployment(Reder,1999),sotheiroutcomesarelikelytodivergefromthoseofCPstudentswithastrongeracademicbaseandcredentials.Thus,previousstudieshavelimitedrelevanceforpractitionersservingadultlearnerswithlowerlevelsofeducationorunmetliteracy,numeracy,andEnglishlanguageneeds.

ManyCPprovidersfacedisincentivestoservingthesetypesofstudentsbecausethey“requireadditionalservicesandalongertimeframetosucceedinpostsecondaryeducationandthelabormarket”(CLASP,2014,p.27).Also,theirinterimgainsandachievementsarenotcapturedbymostexistingfederalandstateoutcomemeasures(CLASP,2014).Insum,adulteducationprogramsaremorelikelythanothertypesofCPproviderstoserveadultswhohavethegreatesteducationalandsocioeconomicchallengesandwhoneedthemostsupportto



attaintheireducationalandemploymentgoals.Experimentalandnon-experimentallongitudinalstudiesshowthatCPprogramshave

helpedlow-incomeadultsachievepromisingeducationalandemploymentoutcomessuchasfull-timeemploymentstatus,earnings,lengthofemployment,financialstability,participationinsubsequenteducationandtraining,andcompletionofacademiccredentials(Andersonetal.,2017;Chase-Lansdaleetal.,2017;Conway,Blair,&Helmer,2012;Elliott&Roder,2017;Fountainetal.,2015;Gardiner,Rolston,Fein,&Cho,2017;Maguire,Freely,Clymer,Conway,&Schwartz,2010;Zambrowski&Gordon,1994).Althoughmostoftheseprogramstendedtoenrollhighschool-educatedadults,thefindingshighlighthowCPprogramscansupportadults’educationalandeconomicwell-being.

Support ServicesPolicymakers,researchers,andfundershaveincreasinglyemphasizedsupportservices

forlow-incomestudentsinadulteducationandcommunitycolleges(Bettinger,Boatman,&Long,2013;Weissmanetal.,2009).WraparoundsupportsarealsoconsideredakeyCPservicestrategy(Fein,2012)becausetheyhelpadultsresolvefinancialandsocialbarrierstoeducationandemployment,includingtransportation,childcare,housing,health,andfinancialinstability(seee.g.Seefeldt,Engstrom,&Gardiner,2016onstudents’financialandotherchallenges).However,thereisscantresearchonwhatkindsofsupportservicesareofferedbyCPprogramsinadulteducation.

Thelimitedresearchonwraparoundsupportsinjobtrainingandadultandhighereducationsuggeststhattheyarelinkedtobetteremploymentandeducationoutcomessuchasearnings,employmentstatus,andcollegeenrollmentandretention(Hess,Mayayeva,Reichlin,&Thakur,2016;Maxwell,Hock,Verbitsky-Savitz,&Reed,2012).Inaddition,exploratoryevidenceindicatesthatbundlingsupports—“provid[ing]asetofcoordinatedservicesinonelocation”(Hessetal.,2016,p.3)—yieldsbetteroutcomes(Price,Long,Quast,McMaken,&Kioukis,2014,p.24),andthatfinancialcounselingimprovesjobplacementandretention(Rankin,2015),collegedegreeattainment,andjobadvancement(Kaul,Burnett,&StGeorge,2011).Researchonothersupportservicessuchastransportationandchildcareshowssimilarlypositiveresults(Hessetal.,2016).ThesestudiesunderscoretheimportanceofsupportservicesinadulteducationandCP.

METHODS

Partnership Background and Site SelectionTheprojectfocusedonChicago,Houston,andMiamibecauseouradulteducationpartners

inthesecitieshadpreviouslycollaboratedontheU.S.DepartmentofEducation’sAdultEducationGreatCitiesSummitProject(2009-11).Thesecitiesandtheirrespectivecountiesarealsohometoahighpercentageofadultswithunmeteducationalneeds,demonstratingtherelevanceoftheirCPpracticesandpoliciesforotherregions.Collectively,thecounties



accountforover5%ofthenation’sadultswithoutahighschooldegreeandnearly10%ofU.S.residentswithlimited-Englishproficiency.Althoughthecountieshave20%oftheirstates’totaladultpopulation,theyrepresent25%ofadultswithoutdiplomasandover35%oflimited-Englishspeakers(U.S.CensusBureau,2011).

Research Questions and DesignTheresearchquestionsexamined(1)thekeyfeaturesofadulteducationcareerpathways

ineachcity,(2)CPoutcomemeasures(includinganycommonmeasuresandwhichinterim-andlong-termoutcomesprogramsaremeasuring),(3)howselectedprogramsdesignandimplementCP;(4)howpoliciesandpracticesshapeCPprogrammingandcoordinationacrosssystems;and(5)theprogrammaticfeatures,policies,andotherfactorsthatcontributetostudentsuccess.Thisarticleprovidesselectedsurveyfindingsonresearchquestion1andthenusesqualitativedatatoanalyzesupportservices(oneprogrammaticcomponentofresearchquestions3and5).Theotherfindingscanbeaccessedinourfinalreport(Prinsetal.,2018)

Thestudyemployedasequential,mixedmethodsresearchdesign(Collins,Onwuegbuzie,&Jiao,2007).Wefirstgatheredsurvey datatoanswerresearchquestions1-2andtoinformtheuseoffocus groups.Surveyandfocusgroupdatawerethenusedtoselectprogramsanddesignresearchinstrumentsforacollective case study.Qualitativefocusgroupandcasestudydatawereusedtoanswerquestions3-5.Inthesequentialsamplingdesign(Collinsetal.,2007),thecasestudyandfocusgroupsampleswerederivedfromthepreviousphase.

SurveyDesignedcollaborativelybytheresearchteam,thesurveyincludedclosed-endedquestions

aboutorganizationalandstudentcharacteristics,programdesignanddelivery,datacollectionsystemsandoutcomemeasures,andaggregatestudentoutcomes,andseveralopen-endedquestions(e.g.,identifyorganizationswithsuccessfulCPprogramming)pertainingtothe2014-15programyear.An“indevelopment”optionallowedrespondentstoindicateinitiativesthatwereinprogress.Thesurveywaspilot-testedwithseveralpractitioners,includingadataanalyst,andrevisedaccordingly.

OurcitypartnerscreatedalistofallknownABEprovidersintheircities,includingcommunitycolleges,CBOs,libraries,workforcedevelopmentorganizations,K-12schools,correctionalinstitutions,andotherorganizations(n=184).Weexcludedorganizationsthatserveonlyorprimarilyin-schoolyouth.Thefinallistoforganizationsreflectedeachcity’sstructureofadulteducationprovision:InChicagoandHouston,CBOsandcommunitycollegesarethemainproviders,whereasthekeyprovidersinMiamiarethepublicschooldistrictandMiamiDadeCollege.ChicagoandMiamieachhaveasingle,multi-campuscommunitycollegesystem,whereasHoustonhassixcommunitycollegesystems.

Theconfidential,web-basedsurveywasadministeredinlate2015toearly2016byauniversitysurveyresearchcenter,usingstrategiesproventoincreaseresponserates,such



asincentives($2bill,chancetoenterarafflefora$50giftcard)andrepeatedcontacts(Dillman,Smyth,&Christian,2009).Wealsoheldawebinartoexplaintheprojectandsurveycompletion.Follow-upcontactsincludedemails,phonecalls,andletters.

Ofthefinaleligiblesample(n=147),106agenciesreturnedacomplete(n=102)orpartial(n=4)survey,fora72%responserate.1Theprincipalinvestigatorcontactedrespondentstoprovidemissingdataandcorrectinaccuracies.ThedatawereanalyzedbycalculatingdescriptivestatisticsandChi-squarestatisticstoidentifysignificantdifferencesbetweencitiesandbetweenagenciesthatofferedCP(perthedefinitionbelow)versusthosethatsaid“no”or“indevelopment.”(SeePrinsetal.,2018forsurveyquestionsanddetailedanalyses.)

Focus GroupsFocusgroupswithadulteducationproviderswereusedtoinvestigatehowpoliciesand

practiceshaveshapedCPimplementationandcoordinationineachcity.Weselectedprovidersthatwerenominatedbysurveyrespondents,recommendedbycitypartners,and/orreportedsuccessfuloutcomesonthesurvey;thatrepresentedthecity’smainadulteducationproviders(communitycolleges,CBOs,orschooldistrict);andthatserveddifferentneighborhoodsandstudentpopulations.Inspring2016stafffromfivetosevenprovidersineachcityparticipatedinafocusgroup(18providerstotal).Thetwo-hourfocusgroupswereaudio-recorded,transcribed,coded,andanalyzedtoanswertheresearchquestions.

Collective Case StudyInacollectivecasestudy,severalcasesarestudiedjointly“toinquireintothephenomenon,

population,orgeneralcondition”(Stake,1994,p.237).Extremecasesampling(Collinsetal.,2007)wasusedtoidentifytwosuccessfulprogramspercity.Throughareviewofsurveyandfocusgroupdataanddiscussionwithcitypartners,wechoseorganizationswithexemplaryCPprogramsandalargepercentageofstudentswithoutasecondarydegree.Organizationsalsorepresenteddifferentorganizationaltypes,occupationalsectors,studentpopulations,andneighborhoods.These“instrumental”caseswerechosenbecausetheywouldyieldinsightsintoanissuethattranscendseachcase(Stake,1994,p.237):theroleofadulteducationinhelpingadultsandimmigrantsaccessCPservicesandhowsuccessfulprogramsdesignandimplementtheseinitiatives.

InorganizationswithmultipleCPclasses,weselectedclasseswithbetteroutcomes(e.g.,programcompletion,jobplacement)andthateitherdidnotrequireasecondarydiplomaorhadahigherproportionofstudentswithoutacollegedegree.TheCPclassesalsoincludedamixtureofmale-andfemale-dominatedoccupationssuchasmanufacturingandhealthcare,respectively.

1 Twentyagenciesweredeemedineligiblebecausetheynolongerofferedadulteducationservices,onlyprovidedwraparoundservicesbutnodirectadulteducation,ordidnotoffercareerpathways.Seventeenagencieswereclassifiedas“other”becauseoneentity(communitycollegeorschooldistrict)collectsandreportsdataforallofitssitesorcampuses.Toavoidduplicativedata,theseadditionalsitesandcampuseswerenotincludedwhencalculatingtheresponserate.



Twouniversityresearchersspent2to2.5daysateachsiteinfall2016.Thefollowingdatawerecollected:

• 18classobservations(3-5persite,foratotalof11hours),recordedinfieldnotes.• 44interviewswith56people(6-9interviewspersite),includingvocationalandbasic

skillsteachers,administrators,supportstaff,andkeypartners(e.g.,employers).Interviewslasted17-73minutes(42minutesaverage).

• threefocusgroupswith53students(3-13persite)andoneinterviewwithanadditionalstudent.Focusgroupslasted44to77minutes(63minutesaverage).AllbutafewstudentswereU.S.-bornminorities,immigrants,orrefugees.Agesrangedfromlateteensto50s.

• programdocuments(e.g.,curricula,promotionalmaterials,reports,classschedules).Thefocusgroupsandinterviewswereaudio-recorded,transcribed,andanalyzedinNVivo

qualitativedataanalysissoftware.Webeganwithasetofgeneralcodespertainingtotheresearchquestions(e.g.,supportservices,partnerships,coordination)andrefinedthecodesasneeded,forexample,bydeleting,adding,combining,orrenamingthem.

Permissionwasgrantedtousetheorganizations’realnames.Althoughalltheagencystaffandmoststudentsgavepermissiontousetheirpersonalnames,inthisarticleweidentifythemonlybytheirrole.Thecasestudiesincludedthefollowingorganizations:

1. MalcolmXCollege(CityCollegesofChicago)isoneofsixcampusesthatofferCareerBridgeprograms.Eachcampusspecializesinoneortwooccupationalsectors.TheHealthcareCareerBridgeatMalcolmXisthelargestBridgeprogram.StudentswithlowerorhigherTestsofAdultBasicEducation(TABE)scorescanenrollinCareerFoundationsorGatewayclasses,respectively.

2. JaneAddamsResourceCorporation(JARC;Ravenswoodlocation)offerssectoraltraininginthreetypesofmanufacturingclasses,alongwithabridgeclassforlower-scoringstudentsandadultliteracytutoring.

3. AllianceforMulticulturalCommunityServices(Alliance)inHoustonisthelargestrefugeeresettlementagencyinTexas.AmongAlliance’sCPofferings,weselectedCNA(certifiednursingassistant)andAutoCADbecausebothwerebeingofferedinfall2016andCNAattractsmoreparticipantswithoutcollegedegrees.

4. HoustonCommunityCollege’sCommunity-BasedJobTrainingProgramisastate-fundedCPprogramthatincludedeight“trainingpathways.”AllclasseswereofferedatCBOs;weselectedtwoCBOswithCPclassesthatenrolledstudentswithlowerlevelsofeducation:AVANCE’sGeneralOfficeSupportSpecialist(GOSS)classandChineseCommunityCenter’sCNAclass.

5. LindseyHopkinsTechnicalCollegeisoneofmorethantwodozenadulteducationcentersgovernedbyMiami-DadeCountyPublicSchools.LindseyHopkinshasmorethan20short-termcertificateprogramsthatcanbecompletedinayearorless.Wechose



threeCPclassesthatdonotrequireasecondarydegreeandthathave90-100%jobplacementrates:nutritionanddieteticclerk,automotiveservicetechnology(aregularclassandanon-siteclassandpaidinternshipatBramanMotorcars),andcommercialfoodsandculinaryarts.

6. MiamiDadeCollegeoffersnumerousCTEclasses.WechosetheHialeahcampusbecauseitserveslower-incomestudents,primarilyLatinos.ThecasestudyfocusedontheFICAPS(Florida’sIntegratedCareerandAcademicPreparationSystem)program,whichincludedthreeoccupationaltracksin2015-16:TRAMCON(manufacturedconstruction,offeredonlyatNorthcampus),business(SchoolofBusinesscollegecreditcertificates),andhealthcare(BehavioralHealthTechnicianorCommunityHealthWorkernon-creditcertificates).WecollecteddataonTRAMCONandbusiness.

Keyfeaturesoftheorganizations’CPprogramdesignareshowninTable1.

ADULT LEARNER PROFILESTosituatethefindings,wedescribethreeparticipantsandtheirCPclasses.Their

backgroundsaretypicaloftheadultswhoattendedthefocusgroups,includingex-offenders,dislocatedworkers,immigrants,andrefugees.Tanisha,Francisco,andFarah(pseudonyms)arethreeofmorethan100,000adultCPstudentsinChicago,Houston,andMiami.Tanisha,a51-year-oldAfricanAmericanwoman,wasstudyingtotaketheGED®examandlearningabouthealthcareersthroughMalcolmXCollege’sHealthcareCareerBridgePrograminChicago.ShewaspassionateaboutworkingwiththeelderlyinnursinghomesandhopedtobecomeaCNAsocialworker.Asaself-describedrecoveringaddictandformeroffender,Tanishastated,“Ijustwanttogiveback…toletyoungpeopleknowyoudon’thavetodowhatIdidandwaitaslongasIwaitedtogetyourlifetogether.Youcandoittodaywhilethisopportunityishere.”AlthoughherdreamofbeingaCNAwasinitially“cutshort”byaddiction,TanishasawtheMalcolmXprogramasasecondchancetofulfillthisdream.TanishaandtheotherstudentstookmathandlanguageGED®classesthatincorporatedhealth-relatedcontentandthentookacredit-bearingclassinthesecondsemester.

Francisco,anativeoftheDominicanRepublic,begantakingABEclassesatLindseyHopkinsTechnicalCollegein2014andthenenrolledintheAutomotiveServiceTechnologyprogram.Ifhepassedthecertificationexams,hewouldearn24creditstowardanassociatedegree.Reflectingonhisgoalofbecominganengineer,hestated,“Ireallywanttobeasuccessinlife….Idon’twanttostopatthis.”

Farah,aPakistaniwoman,begantakingESLclassesatAllianceforMulticulturalCommunityServicessoonafterarrivingintheUSAandthenenrolledinthe8-weekCNAclass,whichqualifiesstudentstotakethestateCNAexam.StudentsattestedthatAlliancestaffguiderefugeeswho“don’tknowtheway”andfeel“confused”byhelpingthemaccesssupportservices,enrollinESLorbasicskillsclass,identifycareergoals,andselectshort-term,career-



technicalprogramsinCNA,AutoCAD,childdevelopment,commercialtruckdriving,orotheroccupations.Duetotheseservicesandcareerguidance,Farahasserted,“Nowwearenotconfused.”

OVERVIEW OF CP FROM SURVEY DATA ThissectionreportssurveyfindingsonselectedfeaturesofCPprogramminginthecities.

Organizational TypeThemajorityofsurveyrespondents(58%)wereCBOs,followedbyschooldistrictadult

educationprograms(22%),allofwhichwerelocatedinMiami(Figure1).Nearlyhalf(48%)ofCBOswerelocatedinChicago.Communitycollegesareunder-representedinthepercentagesbelowbecauseonesurveyeachwascompletedforallcampusesintheMiamiDadeCollegeandCityCollegesofChicagosystems.Otherorganizationsincludedcorrectionalfacilitiesandhomelessshelters,amongothers.

CP ProvisionRespondentswereaskedwhethertheyofferCP,accordingtotheCenterforLawandSocial

Policy’s(CLASP,2013)definition.Thecareerpathwaysapproachconnectsprogressivelevelsofbasicskillsandpostsecondaryeducation,training,andsupportiveservicesinspecificsectorsorcross-sectoroccupationsinawaythatoptimizestheprogressandsuccessofindividuals—includingthosewithlimitededucation,English,skills,and/orworkexperience—insecuringmarketablecredentials,family-supportingemployment,andfurthereducationandemploymentopportunities(p.2).

Perthisdefinition,83%ofrespondentsofferedCPandanother11%weredevelopingsuchprograms.Therewerenosignificantdifferencesamongcities.ThisfindingindicatesthatCPiswidespreadamongABEprovidersinthesecities.ThetypesoforganizationsthatofferCPweresimilartotheoverallsurveysample(58%CBOs,22%schooldistrictprograms,etc.).

ThemostcommontypesofCPclassesorserviceswereESL(84%),employabilityorworkreadiness(76%),andclassestotransitiontopostsecondaryeducation(75%).Inouranalyses,wecategorizedsevenoftheclassesorservicesas“core”CPbecausetheyemphasizepostsecondarytransitions,jobpreparation,orobtainingcertificatesorcredentialsmoresothanGEDorESLclasses,forexample.ThesecoreclassesandservicesaremarkedwithanasteriskinFigure2.Withtheexceptionofclassestotransitiontopostsecondaryeducation,farfeweragenciesofferedthesecoreservices(16%to54%).

Onaverage,agenciesoffered7.5adulteducationclasses,services,orregularactivities.AgenciesthatsaidtheyofferCPprovidedsignificantlymoreclassesandservices,onaverage,thanthosethatsaid“no”or“indevelopment.”AgenciesthatsaidtheyofferedCPweresignificantlymorelikelytoprovide12outofthe15classesorservices,particularlycareer



explorationorawareness,classestotransitiontopostsecondaryeducation,andclassescombiningbasicskillsandCTE.Miamiagenciesofferedsignificantlymoreservices,onaverage,thanthoseinChicagoorHouston.

Occupational SectorsEachoccupationalsectorwasofferedbyatleastoneorganization.Education,child,and

familyservices(44%),healthandmedicaltechnology(38%),andinformationtechnology(30%)werethemostcommonsectors(seefigure3).Miamiagenciesofferedthelargestnumberofsectors,andmanufacturingprogramsweremostcommoninChicago.

Student DemographicsAgenciesreporteddemographiccharacteristicsofCPstudentsasasub-setofalladult

learners.2Duetomissingdataandinaccuratereportingofsomedemographicdata,thesefiguresareroughestimates.About59%ofCPstudentswerewomenand41%weremen.Approximately67%wereforeign-born.Hispanicscomprisedabout57%oftheU.S.-bornCPstudents,followedby22%black,8%white,and7%Asian.Overall,about44%ofCPstudentswerereceivingcashorin-kindpublicbenefits.Themajority(55%)ofstudentswereworkingatleastpart-timeandapproximately45%wereunemployed.Nearlytwo-thirdsofCPstudents(63%)didnothaveasecondarydegree,21%hadahighschool/GED®diploma,6%hadsomecollege,and11%hadapostsecondaryorpost-graduatedegree.

Entry RequirementsMorethan50%ofagencieshadgradelevel,testscore,orlanguageentryrequirements

foreachoftheclassesorservicestheyoffered.Theserequirementsweremostcommonforclassestoobtainanindustry-recognizedcredential(86%),toaccessspecificjobopportunities(86%),andtoobtainapostsecondaryorstackablecredential(85%),andleastcommonforapprenticeships(53%)andemployabilityorworkreadinessclasses(53%).ThecasestudiesshowthattwoorganizationsrequiredasecondarydegreeplusaminimumTABEscore.ThreeorganizationsdidnotrequireasecondarydegreebuthadaminimumTABEscore,rangingfrom5.0to9.0.Finally,LindseyHopkinshadexitrequirements(TABEscoreorpassindustrycertifications),whichenabledlower-levelstudentstoenrollinCPclasses.

Support ServicesThemostfrequentlyofferedsupportservicesweretutoringorotheracademicsupport

(80%),jobsearchassistanceandplacementactivities(68%),careercounselingorplanning(63%),andcasemanagement(62%),asshowninFigure4.Fewerthanhalfoftheagencies

2 Theseincludedstudentsparticipatingin:(1)classestoassiststudentsintransitioningtopostsecondaryeducation;(2)classesthatenablestudentstoobtainapostsecondaryorstackablecredential;(3)classesrequiredforcompletionofashort-termcertificateprogramneededforadvancementineducationoremployment;(4)classesthatresultinanindustry-recognizedcredential;(5)apprenticeships;and(6)internships.



providedchildcareortransportationassistance,twoofthechiefbarrierstoenrollmentandpersistence,althoughagenciesthatofferedCPweresignificantlymorelikelytoprovidetheseservices.

AgenciesthatofferedCPweresignificantlymorelikelythanotheragenciestoprovidenineoutofthe12supportservices(Figure4).ThelargestdifferencesbetweenCPandnon-CPagencieswereforcareercounselingorplanning(71%versus20%;p≤.000),casemanagement,(70%versus20%;p≤.001),andfinancialaidadvisingandapplicationsupport(52%versus7%;p≤.001).ThesedifferencesindicatethatsupportservicesarefarmorecommonatagenciesthatofferCP.

Onaverage,agenciesprovided5.3kindsofsupportservices.TheaveragenumberofserviceswassignificantlyhigherforagenciesthatofferedCPthanthosethatdidnot(5.9versus2.2;p≤.001).Also,Miamiagenciesofferedsignificantlymoresupportservices,onaverage,thanrespondentsfromothercities(6.6versus5.1inChicagoand4.0inHouston;p≤.01).Thelargestdifferenceswerefordisabilityandveterans’services(p≤.001),whichweattributetothecomprehensiveservicesavailablethroughthepublicschooldistrict’sadulteducationcenters.

ThesefindingunderscoretheprevalenceandimportanceofsupportservicesinCPprograms,whichthenextsectiondescribesinmoredetailusingfocusgroupandcasestudydata.

SUPPORT SERVICES: A CLOSER LOOKEachcasestudyagencyprovidednon-academicsupportservicestoaddressstudents’

financialandsocialbarrierstoeducationandemployment.OurdatasuggestthatthesesupportserviceswereessentialforhelpingstudentsaccessandcompleteCPprograms.

Students’ Material NeedsAdulteducationprogramsservestudentswithhighlevelsofpoverty,andthecase

studyagenciesinourstudywerenoexception.Teachersandsupportstaffdescribedvariousproblemsthatstudentsface,manyofthemrootedinpoverty,includinghousing,homelessness,foodinsecurity,physicalandmentalhealth,domesticviolence,transportation,childcare,debt,criminalrecords,andmore.ThefollowingexcerptsfrominterviewswithCPstaffillustratestudents’materialneeds—andwhysupportservicesarevital:

Therewasasingleparent[intheCNAclassand]thewomen’sshelterwouldallowwomenonly.[Theytoldher,]“Youhavetofindsomewhereelseforyourchild.”Shehadtofindadistant,distantrelativeforthepreadolescentsonwhileshewentthroughtheprogram[whileliving]atshelters.Anditboilsdowntobasicneed.I’llbehonest,someofthemarehungry.Don’thavefoodtoeat.Itwilltugatyourheart.Andthisisnotmade-upstuff.Thisisreal.Someofthemareembarrassedaboutit.(Houston)



Ihadastudentthatwashomeless[andlivinginacar].Andsothen,yes,Ididcalltherescuemission.Iwasgladwehadthatrelationship….Theywerefullatthetime…but[theytoldme,]“Here’swhatyoudo.”(Miami)Ithinkthere’sdefinitelyconsensusamongusthatwe’reseeingpeoplewithalotmorebarrierstoemployment.Much,muchbiggergapsinemploymenthistory,muchlessstablepersonallives,muchlessworkexperience,andsothat’swherethesoftskillsandsupportservicesreallyarekindofthemakeorbreak.Theycangetthejob.That’snotreallyaproblem.Wecanteachthemhowtousethemachinestogetthejob.Youknow,perfectexample:wehadaguy,phenomenal,didgreatinthepressbrakeprogram,thingswerelookingprettygood.Hegotagreatjobworkingovertheweekendsatamanufacturingplace.Andthecarthathehadaccessto,thepersonneededitback.Andhecouldn’tgettothatjobwithoutit.Andhehadkindofnootherrealbackup.Soitwasbasicallyhehadtotakeajobnextdoor.Hecouldn’tfollowthroughwithit.Sothere’salotofthatparttoo.Orevensomethingasbasicasifyou’vegotalotofcourtdates.(Chicago)Supportservicesenablestudentstoresolveandcopewithnothavingahome,car,or

sufficientfood—problemsthatwouldotherwiseimpedetheirabilitytoenroll,attendclasses,completetheprogram,ormeetgoalssuchasfindingandretainingajoborapplyingforcollege.NotallCPstudentsfacesuchdireconditions,butpovertyandmaterialhardshiparearealityformany.Indeed,theproblemsdescribedaboveechothoseofCPstudentsinotherstudies(Seefeldtetal.,2016).

IMPLEMENTATION OF SUPPORT SERVICES AT CASE STUDY SITES

Voluntary Versus Bundled, Required ServicesAdulteducationagenciestypicallyaddressnon-academicproblemsthroughacombination

ofsupportservices,providedon-siteorviareferrals.Casestudyorganizationsusedtwosupportservicemodels:voluntaryorbundled.Incontrasttothevoluntarymodel,thebundledmodelnotonlycoordinatedsupportservicesatonelocation,butalsorequiredparticipationintwoormoreservices(Kauletal.,2011,p.2).TheCenterforWorkingFamilies(CWF)andFinancialOpportunityCenter(FOC)arenational,bundledsupportmodelsdevelopedbytheAnnieE.CaseyFoundationandLocalInitiativesSupportCorporation,respectively(Dietzetal.,2016;Hessetal.,2016;Kauletal.,2011;Rankin,2015).

Thethreecasestudyorganizationsthataimedtoincreaseadults’financialstability—JARC,Alliance,andChineseCommunityCenter—eachofferedbundledsupports,includingfinancialcoaching,employmentcoaching,andaccesstoincomesupports,thatis,screeningforpublicbenefitssuchasfoodstamps,healthinsurance,rentalandutilityassistance,andchildcaresubsidies.Incomesupportsenhancesocioeconomicstability,butmanylow-incomeadultsdonotknowthattheyareeligibleforthesebenefitsorknowhowtoapply(McKean,2002).



Participantsinthebundledsupportagenciesreceivedmoreintensiveservicesandawiderarrayoffinancialsupports,includingcredit-buildingproducts(e.g.,securedloansandcreditcards),smallbusinessloans,creditreviews,one-on-onefinancialcounseling,andmore.Theywerealsoeligibleforother,voluntarysupportsasneeded.

LocatedatJARC,theCenterforWorkingFamilies(Kauletal.,2011)providesfinancialcounselingandeducation(e.g.,creditscorereview,accesstocredit-buildingproducts,medicaldebtreduction),digitalliteracyclasses,andaccesstoincomesupports.Manufacturingstudentsarealsorequiredtomeetwithajobdeveloperandemploymentandfinancialcoaches.Adesignatedfundforwomenisavailable,alongwithothersupportsfromJARC.CWFclientsareeligibleforalifetimeofservices;evenafterexitingtheprogramtheycanreturnforassistancewithbuyingahome,improvingtheircreditrating,orotherservices.

AllianceandtheChineseCommunityCenterarehometotwoofthefiveFOCsinHouston.FOCsprovideemploymentandcareerplanningassistance,financialeducationandcoaching,andaccesstoincomesupports(Dietzetal.,2016).FOCservicesarealsoavailabletoincome-eligibleHoustonresidents.AnAlliancestaffmemberexplainedthatstudentsmustchooseatleasttwooutofthreeservicesbecause“researchhasfoundoutthatifstudentsareengagedinmorethanoneservice,theystayintheprogramlonger,sowecanprovidethembetterservices.”Studentsmeetwiththeircoach(es)atleastmonthly.Additionalsupportservicesareavailablefromtheorganization,apartfromtheFOC.

Theothercasestudysitesalsoofferedvariouswraparoundservices.Inparticular,CPstudentsatcommunitycollegeshadaccesstosupportcentersrelatedtoveterans,studentswithdisabilities,academictutoring,physicalandmentalhealth,financialaid,andotherneeds.However,thenon-bundledsupportsmodelwasvoluntary,hadeligibilityrequirements(income,age,etc.),ordidnotincludefinancialliteracyorcounseling.Table2summarizesthekeysupportservicesateachagency.

Staffing for Support ServicesAsshowninTable1,organizationshaddifferentconstellationsofinstructionalandsupport

staff.Thethreeorganizationsthatprovidedbundledserviceshaddesignatedemployment,financial,and/orincomesupportcoacheswhometregularlywithparticipants,andJARCalsohadjobdevelopers.Theseadditionalstaffenabledtheorganizationstoprovideahands-on,tailored,intensivesupportsystemwithindividualizedcasemanagement.Bycontrast,supportstaffattheotherorganizationsincludedtransitionspecialists,casemanagers,counselors,andcareerreadinessadvisors.Communitycolleges’wellnesscentersandcentersforveteransandstudentswithdisabilitieshadstaffwhoservedCPandcreditstudents.Duetodifferingstudentpopulationsandlimitedstaffing,insomeorganizationssupportstaffhadcaseloadsof300ormorestudents.Theseheavycaseloadsraiseconcernsabouttheorganizations’abilitytoadequatelymeetstudents’non-academicneeds.Insum,thecasestudiessuggestthattooffermoreextensiveandintensivesupportservicesforCPstudents,organizationsmusthire



specializedstaff,especiallyifaprogrammaticgoalistoincreasestudents’financialstability.

Meeting Students Where They Are AtAlthoughthesupportservicemodelandvarietyandintensityofservicesdiffered,most

agenciesofferedsomeformofcasemanagementtomeetstudents’comprehensiveneeds.ThisapproachwasarticulatedbyaChicagoprovider:

Wehaveaphilosophyoftryingtomeetthestudentwherethestudentisat.Whichmeansthat,youknow,ifthestudentneedsthecitizenship,orifthestudentneedsthejob,orifthestudentneedsthedrugcounseling,orifthestudentneedsthedomesticviolencereferralsandcasemanagers—wefeelifthestudentleaves,there’ssomethingthatwedidn’tdo.AnexamplefromMiamiillustrateswhatcasemanagementlookslikeinpractice:Ihadstudent[who]wasgoingtogohomelesslastyeararoundthistime.Shewashavingtroublewithhermom,shedidn’thaveajob,hermomkickedheroutofherhouse.Andthennoonewastryingtohelpherinthefamily.Shecametome,shewascryingthatshedidn’tknowwhattodo.Icalled411…andIgetthedifferentagenciesinMiamiDadeCounty,seeifIcanhelpthatstudentgetaplacetolive.Wecalleddifferentagencies.IwentalsotoSingleOneStop[oncampus]toseeiftheyhadanyagenciesthatcouldhelpme…sincetheydealwithfostercarestudents,toassistmewiththatstudent.Thankfully,hergrandmother,attheend,openedherhouseforher.Butinthemeantime,I’malsoapartoftheAFC[AssociationofFloridaColleges]oncampus,andIspoketooneofthedirectors…andwegotthatstudentclothes,bunchesofclothes,soshehadbusinessattiretogotojobinterviews….Andinsteadofgivinghermoney,whatwedid,wecollectedclothesfromsomeofthestaffattheschool,andwegaveittoher….Andweallworkedtogethertohelpheroutandeventually,wehelpedherwriteherresumeandshegotajobatPaneraBread,whereshe’sworkingtherenow.Housing,clothing,jobsearching,interviewing,preparingresumes:thesearejustafewof

theissuesthatstaffmembershelpstudentsresolve.Fortheagencieswithbundledsupports,meetingstudentswheretheyareatalsomeant

increasingtheirfinancialsecurity.Forexample,theCenterforWorkingFamilieshelpedstudentsreducemedicaldebt,akeydriverofpoverty.Thedirectorestimatedthattheyinitiallyhelpedfiveorsixpeopleeliminate$40,000to$50,000incollectivemedicaldebt,afigurethathadclimbedtomorethan$150,000atthetimeofthestudy.TheFinancialOpportunityCenterofferedsmallbusinessloans;infact,aformerrefugeewhotaughtthecommercialdriver’slicenseclassatAlliancebeganhissuccessfultruckingbusinesswithaloanfromtheFOC.Thesekindsofservicesarevitalforsupportingadultlearners’economicwell-being.

Wraparound Supports and Mental BandwidthWeproposethatwraparoundsupportsworkbecausetheyexpandparticipants’“mental



bandwidth”(Mullainathan&Eldar,2013;Schilbach,Schofield,&Mullainathan,2016).Ourmentalbandwidthisfinite,andforpeopleinpoverty,thinkingaboutandmanagingfinancialproblemsimposesamassivecognitiveload(Schilbachetal.,2016).Infieldandlaboratorystudies,thecognitiveimpactofthinkingaboutfinancialconcernswastheequivalentoflosinganightofsleep—evenforpeoplewithoutrealfinancialproblems(Mani,Mullainathan,Shafir,&Zhao,2013).WhenCPprogramshelpstudentsapplyforfoodstamps,payfortransportation,obtainhealthinsuranceorchildcare,orreducedebt,theyincreasestudents’bandwidthforfocusingonacademics.

Ourdatasupportthisinterpretation.Forinstance,duringthefocusgroupwithJARCstudents,adislocatedworkerstatedthatbecauseoftheagency’ssupportservices,

wedon’thavetostressaboutallthoseactuallifeproblems.Allwehavetodoisconcentrateonourschoolwork….Ittakesabigburdenandabigloadoffthemindwhenyoudon’thavetoworryaboutthat,andyoujustconcentrateontheschoolwork,whichisveryhelpful.Inhisownwords,thisstudentarticulatedtheconceptofmentalbandwidth:support

servicesreducethecognitiveloadof“lifeproblems”andallowstudentstodevotemorementalenergytotheirstudies.

Anotherstudenthadasimilarperspective:Theydon’tgiveyounoexcusefornotbeinghere.You’regoingtogetherebecauseyougeteitherabuscardoragascard….Imean,youdon’tgotnoexcuseforhowyoudon’twanttobehere,becausetheygoingtohelpyouwithsomething.Ijustsignedupfor[health]insurancetheotherday.I’veneverhadinsurance.Ididn’tevensignupforinsurance.Isatthereandgavetheguymyinformation.AndthenbeforeIknewit,Iwas[like],oh,wow,nowIgotinsurance!Athirdstudentneededtogetherson’seyescheckedandhadbeen“waitingforweeks”

fortheinsurancecompanytosendalistofin-networkdoctors.ShemarveledthataJARCemployeesuppliedthisinformationinamatterofminutes.

TheCWFdirectorexplainedthattheyprovidebundledsupportservices“inorderforpeopletobeabletofocusontheendgoal,whichistoremainintraining:”

Throughtherelationshipstheybuildwithsupportstaff,studentsendupcomingtouswithwhatevertheirchallengesarebecausetheyknowthatwe’lltrytofiguresomethingoutforthem.Andthatisathingthatkindofkeepsthemcomingback.Becausetheycanseethatit’sstartingtomakesenseandtheywanttokindofstayonthetrainingatthatpointbecausetheyknowtherearesupportsinplaceandthere’snojudgment.Thestudents’anddirector’scommentssuggestthatbundledsupportserviceshelpstudents

copewiththetangible,non-academicproblemsthatunderminesuccessineducationandemployment.Theyalsoallowstudentstofocus on their goals and enhance relationships with staff,therebyincreasingprogramcompletion.



DISCUSSIONThiswasthefirststudytochartthelandscapeofcareerpathwaysinChicago,Houston,

andMiami.GiventhepaucityofresearchonCPamongadulteducationproviders,thisstudyelucidateshowtheseorganizationsaredesigningandimplementingCP,especiallyforadultswithlowerlevelsofeducation.ThesurveyfindingsshowthatCPiswidespread,with94%ofadulteducationprovidersofferingordevelopingCPclassesandservices.GivenWIOA’semphasisonemploymentandcoordinationbetweentheadulteducationandworkforcedevelopmentsystems,weexpectthistrendtocontinue.(Policyimplicationsandproviders’perspectivesonpoliciesthatshapeCPprogramming,includingconcernsaboutdisincentivesforservinglower-levelstudents,arediscussedinourfinalreport.)Agencieswerealsoofferingawiderangeofclasses,butoverall,“core”CPclasses(e.g.,classescombiningbasicskillsandcareer-technicaleducation)werelesscommon.FurtherresearchisneededtodeterminewhetherclasseslabeledasCPhavesubstantialcareerandemploymentcontentorwhethercareer-orientedtopicsareaminoradd-on,especiallyinsmallerorganizationsthatarenewtoCP.

CPstudentsweredisproportionatelywomen,foreign-born,andHispanic,withhighlevelsofeconomicvulnerability,asmeasuredbyunemploymentanduseofpublicassistance.Inaddition,nearlytwo-thirdsofadultlearnersdidnothaveasecondarydegree,yetmorethan50%oftheclassesorservicesthatwereofferedhadacademicentryrequirementssuchasasecondarydiplomaorminimumTABEscore.Theserequirements—especiallyhavingasecondarydegree—raiseconcernsaboutentry-levelstudents’abilitytoaccesssubstantiveCPclasses,anissuethatweexploreinmoredetailinthefinalreport(Prinsetal.,2018).

ConsistentwiththeCPmodel(Fein,2012),supportserviceswereacommonfeatureoftheagenciesinthisstudy.Indeed,organizationsthatsaidtheyofferedCPweresignificantlymorelikelytoprovidenineoutof12typesofsupport.Thecasestudydatarevealthatagenciesoffermyriadsupportstoaddresstheunderlying,persistentproblemsthatoftenundermineparticipationandsuccessineducationandemployment.Inparticular,bundledsupports—includingfinancialliteracyeducationandcoaching,employmentcoaching,accesstoincomesupportsandcredit-buildingproducts,andmore—appeartobeapromisingmodelnotonlyforincreasingpersistenceandprogramcompletion,butalsoforenhancingstudents’longer-termfinancialstability.Wepositthatwraparoundsupportserviceshelpstudentscopewithtangibleproblems,therebydecreasingthecognitiveloadofpovertyandincreasingtheirmentalbandwidthforacademicpursuits.FurtherresearchshouldexplorewhetherCPparticipantswhousesupportservicesaremorelikelythantheirpeerstocompletetheirprogramandtoachievepositivepostsecondaryandemploymentoutcomes.

Inconclusion,thisarticledocumentstheprevalenceandsalientfeaturesofcareerpathwaysamongadulteducationprovidersinthreelargeU.S.cities.Inparticular,thefindingsunderscoretheimportanceofprovidingcomprehensivesupportservicestohelpadultlearnersaddressthecognitiveandmaterialburdenofpoverty.



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TABLE 1: KEY FEATURES OF CASE STUDY ORGANIZATIONS

City Colleges of Chicago – Malcolm X

JARC Alliance HCC: AVANCE

HCC: Chinese

Community Center

Lindsey Hopkins Technical College

Miami Dade College – FICAPS

Occupational Sector

Health ManufacturingComputer numerical control (CNC)Press brakeWelding

AutoCADCNA

General Office Support Specialist (GOSS)

CNA Automotive Service Technology (AST – General or Braman)Commercial Foods & Culinary ArtsNutrition & Dietetic Clerk

BusinessManufactured construction (TRAMCON)Health (not included in study)

Primary Goal(s)

Postsecondary education

Job placement, financial stability


Job placement


Job placement Job placement, postsecondary education

Primary CP Components

Career Bridge: Health-contextualized math & language arts classes (GED® prep)Free credit course (2nd semester)

Bridge class (contextualized math & reading) ORManufacturing class (includes digital literacy)

Contextualized basic skills class ANDCTE class (AutoCAD: concurrent; CNA: sequential)

Basic skills class (not contextualized) ANDCTE class (GOSS: concurrent; CNA: sequential)

Orientation & CP explorationCTE class ANDPracticum (dietetic clerk) practicumPaid internship (Braman AST)Internship (General AST)GED® class (optional); remediation lab (if needed) – not contextualized

Orientation & CP explorationOnline GED® class (not contextualized) ANDCTE class

Enrollment Model

Cohort (semester)

Open enrollment

Cohort Cohort General AST & Culinary: open Others: cohort

Cohort (semester)

Program Length

32 wks. (2 semesters, 512 hrs.)

Bridge: 12 wks. (192 hrs.)CNC: 20 wks. (500 hrs.)Press brake: 10 wks. (250 hrs.)Welding: 14 wks. (350 hrs.)

CNA: 8 wks. (180 hrs.)AutoCAD: 10 wks. (160 hrs.)

12 wks. (272-292 hrs.)

2 mos. (188-208 hrs.)

Culinary: 18 mos. (1200 hrs.)Dietetic Clerk: 4 mos. (300 hrs.)Braman AST: 13 mos. (1050 hrs.)Gen’l AST: 18 mos. (1800 hrs.)

Business: 16 wks. to 1 yearTRAMCON (4 levels): 23 mos. (880 hrs.) (fewer credentials = shorter)



TABLE 1: KEY FEATURES OF CASE STUDY ORGANIZATIONS (CON’T)

City Colleges of Chicago – Malcolm X

JARC Alliance HCC: AVANCE

HCC: Chinese

Community Center



Credentials, Certifications, & Other Outcomes

GED® diplomaTransfer to credit courses

Industry credentialsManufacturing jobs

CNA: eligible for state exam, certificate of completionAutoCAD professional user certification

Office skills certifications (e.g., Microsoft Office Specialist Certification, IC3 Digital Literacy Certification)

Eligible for state CNA exam

AST: industry credentialsTransferrable creditsCertificatesOccupational completion points

GED® diplomaBusiness: college creditsTRAMCON: industry credentials, transferrable credits

Key Instructional & Support Staff

Language arts teacherMath teacherTransition specialist

Bridge teacherCTE teachers (most program graduates)Program coordinatorsEmployment coachesJob developersFinancial coaches

Basic skills teacherCTE teachersEmployment coachesFinancial coachesIncome support coaches

Basic skills teacherCTE teacherProgram managerWorkforce director

Basic skills teacherCTE teacherEmployment coachesFinancial coachesIncome support coaches

Basic skills/GED® teachers CTE teachersCounselorsCase managers

GED® teacher (support)CTE teachersCareer readiness advisors



TABLE 2: SUPPORT SERVICES AT CASE STUDY AGENCIESSupport Services City Colleges

of Chicago – Malcolm X

JARC Alliance HCC: AVANCE HCC: Chinese Community

Center



Child Care On-site child care (sliding scale) & Head Start*

Referrals Referrals ReferralsOn-site Early Head Start, Head Start*

Referrals On-site child care (~$50 per week)

Referrals, including subsidized child care*

Transportation Public transit card*Free campus shuttle

Public transit or gas cardBike share discount*

Discounted public transit*

No No Discounted public transit

Case-by-case basisDiscounted public transit

Access to Financial Support

ReferralsCase management to apply for public aid

Access to income supports & credit-building products**Emergency fund (women)*

Access to income supports & credit-building products***

Referrals Access to income supports & credit-building products***

Referrals ReferralsPublic benefits screening (via Single Stop)

Financial Literacy or Coaching

No Yes** Yes*** No Yes*** No Yes (voluntary, via Single Stop)

Employment Coaching, Job Search or Placement

No (other than Career Planning & Placement Center)

Coaching, job search & placement**

Coaching, job search***

Career readiness, job search workshops

Coaching, job search***

Career readinessCareerSourceJob search assistance

Career readiness, some job search & placement (CareerSource)

Financial Aid for Tuition, Fees, Supplies

Free non-credit classes1 or 2 free credit courses

Free classes & equipment (e.g., boots)

Low registration fee ($20-$120)

Low registration fee (e.g., $170 for CNA)Free tuition, books, supplies (e.g., uniforms, exam fees)

Pell grants*Scholarships*Test fees*Free tuition*

Free books & suppliesFree tuition*

Disability Services

Yes (disability center)

No No No No Yes Yes (disability center)

Other Wellness Center, services for homeless students

Financial incentives for job placement & retention, etc.

Affordable Care Act navigators; Dress for Success; Career Gear

Dress for Success; Career Gear

Dress for Success; Career Gear

Services for homeless students, veterans, inmates

Single Stop (food pantry, free tax prep, legal referrals, etc.)

*Only for students who meet eligibility requirements (e.g., income, age, or other demographic characteristics; type of CP class; attendance; test scores).**Mandatory.***Clients much choose at least two out of three services.



FIGURE 1: TYPE OF ORGANIZATION (N=104)



FIGURE 2: TYPES OF CAREER PATHWAY SERVICES (N=80 TO 103)



FIGURE 3: OCCUPATIONAL SECTORS (N=47 TO 100)



FIGURE 4: SUPPORT SERVICES BY WHETHER AGENCIES OFFER CP (N=32 TO 100)


Van Nooten | Barriers to Success

BARRIERS TO SUCCESS INCLUDE BARRIERS TO ASPIRATION

Sylvia Van NootenMontrose Adult Education Center

InthisPractitionerPerspectivearticlewithinstructionalstrategies,IdemonstratethetechniquesIusetohelpmyadultEnglishlanguagelearnersaspireandsucceedinchoosingandworkingtowardsacareer.ThestepsIuseinclude:pairwork,multi-levelstrategies,studentpresentations,researchontheInternet,andfieldtripstobusinessesandthelocalvocational-technicalcollegeculminatingwithatriptotheWorkforceCenter.Mygoalistomotivatethemoutoftherutof‘can’tdoit’andontoacareerpathwaythatallowsthemfinancialsecurityandhope.

AskmyfemaleEnglishlanguagelearnerswhattheirdreamjobisandmostofthemwilllookatmelikeI’mcrazy.Theydon’tdaredream.Theymayhaveaninterestinsomethingotherthanhousekeepingandchildcareaswaysofmakingmoney,yetputtingtheirdreamsintowordsisbeyondthem.

“Get your ESL students into the workforce!” sumsupthedirectionthefundersofadulteducationwantAEstomove.Iwishitwerethateasy.Manyofmywomenstudentsdon’twanttobeintheworkforce.Theyareverybusy,stay-at-homemoms.WhenIbegantoimplementmoresoftskillsandworkplacedialoguesthesewomenwentalongbuttheystillweren’tconvinced.Ineededtofindawaytomakegettingajobarealisticandexcitingprospective.

Whatarethebarrierstoaspirationandwhatcausesthem?I’lllistthreeIhaveencounteredbutIamsuretherearemore.

• Livinginacountrythatdoesn’tnecessarilywantyouforcespeopleintoamentalstateoffearandhidingwhichblockstheabilitytodreamofadifferentlife.

• Whenwomencomefromaculturethatprimarilyvaluesthemasmothersandwivesonly,itisdifficultforthemtobreakoutandbecomeindependent.

• Struggleforsurvival/securityandlackofeducationcurbstheabilitytodream.Maslow’s“HierarchyofNeeds”touchesonalloftheabove.(SeeFigure1.)

LESSON PLANS: TAKING ACTIONTeacher: “What is your dream job?”Students: “I don’t know.” (Shrugs.Eyerolls.Indulgentsmiles.Whatdoesteacherwant

now?)Timeforanactivity.Pairworkishowwebegan.BelowisaworksheetIcreatedwhichcan

BarrierstoSuccessIncludeBarrierstoAspiration|BySylviaVanNooten



beamulti-levelactivityifyoudothevocabularytogetherasaclasswithhigher-levelstudentswritingthewordsontheboard.

What’s Your Dream Job? Use the Picture Dictionary. Write 3 to 5 jobs you would like to have.I am interested in _____________________________________________________.

Think about why you like these jobs. What are some adjectives that describe them?

Interview your classmates: Why do you like these jobs?Write their answersJobReason

Higher-level students: Writeaparagraphaboutthejobyouaremostinterestedin.Lower-level students: Telltheteacheraboutyourjob;teacherorhigher-levelstudent

writesitontheboardtobecopied.Afterthisactivitywehaveanopendiscussion.Studentsreadtheirwork.Moreisrevealed.

Ihadnoideawhatmystudents’interestswere.Wesimplyneededtocreateacomfortablespaceforpeopletoshare.Herearetwoexamplesofstudentwriting:

“Mydreamjobwouldbetobecomeaveterinarian,becauseIliketheanimalsbutIneedtostudytolearn.Tohelpmyanimalsandtheanimalsofmyfriends.IhavegoodworkmaybemyownclinicIdreamwithshowerthedogs,giveshots,givemedicine,tohaveothertypesofanimals.Itwouldbeagreatsatisfaction.”~Celia“Mydreamjobwouldbetobecomeachef.InthisjobIcookandcreatedifferentdishes.Ihavetomakedifferentfood.Yes,specialclassesareneeded.SomeofthethingsIneedarespecialpansgoodknives.Ineedmyuniformandmychefhat.IcookMexicanfoodlikeAsadoRojo,tamales,Ensaladadepollo.”~Elena

Internet Research: Combining ESL with Learning How to Navigate the Web. Ourclassesareorganizedsothatallstudentsspendanhourusingtechnology.Withthe

helpofaparaprofessional,allthestudentsbegantoresearchthejobthatmostinterestedthem.Somehadabasicunderstandingofusingasearchengine,forotherswestartedfromscratch.Noneofthemhadanyexperienceusingthekeyboard.Theseareallskillstheyneedto



knowforcollegeandtheworkforce.Astheywereinterestedintheirtopic,theypersisted.SkillsPracticed:• Searchfordataaboutajob• Findanddownloadpicturesabouttheirchosenjob• Printpicturesandbegintoassemblematerialforapresentation• WritethepresentationusingWord,learningspellcheckandgrammarchecks(Thelatter

raisedalotofgoodgrammarquestions!)Iwouldneverclaimthislessonwentperfectlysmoothlyandeveryonelearnedeverything

theyneededaboutcomputers.Tome,adulteducationisbabysteps,buildingconfidence,motivating.Thislessonmanagedthatmuch,atleast,andeveryonegottheirdata,pictures,andstartedwritingtheirpresentation.

Thepresentationswereahit.Theyincludedthestepsthestudentsneededtotakeinordertoachievetheirgoals.Thegraphicswerebeautifulandthepresentershadafriendly,attentiveaudiencefortheirdream.Ihavethemhanginginmyclassroomtoinspireanewsemesterofstudents.

INTRODUCING THE EXPERTS

Removing Barriers to the Workforce and Higher EducationTheideaofgoingtocollegeisintimidatingformanyofthosewhoarenativespeakersof

English.Thepaperwork,finances―justdealingwithanewstepinlife―isdifficult.MyprogramdecidedtobringourstudentstotheVocational-TechnicalCollegesotheycouldmeettheinstructorsandotherstudents.Theygotatourofthecollege,peekedinonsomeclasses,andmetseveralinstructors,allofwhomwerefriendlyandencouraging.Icouldseetheclassrelax.Theyaskedquestionsandtooknotes.Theyrealizedthatyestheycoulddothis,iftheypersistedinlearningEnglish.

Allmystudentshavehighaspirationsfortheirchildren.Manyoftheirquestionswerefocusedonwhatageahighschoolstudentcouldenroll,howmuchitwouldcost.MystudentRociogotinformationaboutthePoliceAcademyandhersonisnowenrolledfornextsemester.

WefinishedthesemesterwithafieldtriptotheWorkforceCenterwherethestudentslearnedhowtonavigatejobsearches,practicedinterviews,andtalkedabouttheirpotentialandskills.Moreinspirationleadstoaspiring.Curiositybegetsaspiration,notjustforstudentsbutforeducatorsaswell.

WhatIasateacherlearnedfromthefieldtripsandactivitieswasimportanttoo.IrealizedIhadbeenchallengedinmyabilitytoaspireformystudents.Suremyclassesarefun;surewelookatthebuildingblocksoflanguageininnovativewaysanddomanytypesofactivities—yetIgetdiscouragedwhenconceptswepracticesomuchstilldon’tstick.Idon’taspirefor



studentswhoareirregularattendeestoclass.Ilookatbeginnersandwonder,“HowamIevergoingtogetthemtolearntheverbto be?”

Atthecollegefieldtrip,watchingstudents’ curiosity aboutwhatwaspresentedshowedmesomethinglackinginmyclassroom.Ireallyneedtomakemylessonsmorefavorabletocuriosity.Todothatrequiresmorereal-lifeandlessoftheabstract.

FIGURE 1: MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS


DuBenske, Van Doren, and Kornell | Career Pathways Collaboration

CAREER PATHWAYS COLLABORATION IN WISCONSIN

Scott DuBenske Wisconsin Technical College System

Toni Van DorenNicolet Area Technical College

Annette Kornell Madison College

TheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA)challengedtheStateofWisconsintocombineresourcesandcreatestrongerpartnerships,looktolabormarketdataandindustryresearchtodeterminewhichskillstheworkforceneeds,andtofocusonthecreationofaworkforcethatcanmeettheexpectationsofthefutureeconomy.Wisconsin’sDepartmentofWorkforceDevelopment(DWD)andtheWisconsinTechnicalCollegeSystem(WTCS)alreadyhadastrongtraditionofutilizingpartnershipstosupportandgrowitsworkforcecreatingafoundationforimplementingWIOA.AstheWisconsinStateLeadershipteamconsistingofallfouroftheWIOATitlepartnersworkedtodrafttheWisconsinStatePlan,agoldenopportunityforalignmentwasborn.ThisopportunityforalignmentwasframedwithinoneofthekeystrategiesnotedintheWIOALegislation:CareerPathways.

In2014,Wisconsinwasgranteda4year,$4.9milliongrantfromtheU.S.DepartmentofLaborforprojectworkaimedatscalingthestate’scareerpathwaysystem.Thisproject,calledAdvancingCareersforTAAandTransitioners,orACT2,isgearedtowardbringingdedicatedanddirectedcohesiontoexistingpracticesandtakingcareerpathwayadvancementinWisconsintogreaterscaleandalignment.TheACT2frameworkhasillustratedthreeprimarygoalsfortheproject:

1. Aligncareerpathwaypolicybetweensystems2. ScalecareerpathwaysacrossWTCSdistricts3. IncorporatecareerpathwaybestpracticesatWTCScollegesGoalonepointstowardsystem-levelactivitiesandoutcomes,includingbyWTCSaswell

asotherstate-levelpartners,suchastheDepartmentofWorkforceDevelopment(DWD),DepartmentofPublicInstruction(DPI),andtheWisconsinEconomicDevelopmentCorporation(WEDC).Goaltwopointstowardcollegeanddistrictlevelactivitiesandoutcomes,includinglocalandregionalpartnershipsbetweencolleges,workforceandeconomicdevelopmentorganizations,andemployers.Inordertoeffectivelyalignpolicybetweensystems,WisconsinwouldrequireauniqueteamofleadersfromorganizationsacrossthespectrumofWIOATitles.ThroughoutreacheffortsoftheACT2projectteaminadditiontoWTCSSystemOffice,theWisconsinPathwaysCommitteewasformed.TheWisconsinPathwaysCommittee(WPC),comprisedofmanyofthesamemembersthathadservedontheWisconsinStateLeadership

CareerPathwaysCollaborationinWisconsin|ByScottDuBenske,ToniVanDoren,andAnnetteKornell



team,operatesatthestatepolicyleveltobringcohesionandpolicyalignmenttothesystemsinwhichcareerpathwaystudentsoftennavigate.TheWisconsinPathwaysCommitteeisworkingtofurthercomplementtherelationshipthateachoftheWisconsinTechnicalcollegeshavewiththeirlocalandregionalemploymentandeconomicdevelopmentpartnersinordertopromotetheuseofcareerpathwayresourcesthroughouttheStateofWisconsin.

InarelativelyshorttimetheWPChasadoptedacommondefinitionofCareerPathways,plannedandsupportedprofessionaldevelopmentaimedatmembersandstaffofkeyorganizations,andworkedtocreatealignmentwithintheagenciesrepresentedbytheWPCmembers.OfparticularnoteisarecentpolicybriefdevelopedbymembersoftheWPCwithguidancefromtheCenterforPostsecondaryandEconomicSuccess(CLASP)titled:ExpandingtheTalentPipelineUsingCareerPathwayStrategies.Education,workforce,andeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsacrossthenationareworkingwithemployerstocreatearobusttalentpipelineutilizingcareerpathways.TheTalentPipelinebriefbuildsonaliteraturereviewofthecollectiveexperienceandaseriesofcollaborativeconversationswithprofessionalsfromWisconsin’sDepartmentofWorkforceDevelopment(DWD),WorkforceDevelopmentBoards,WisconsinTechnicalCollegeSystem(WTCS),WisconsinDepartmentofPublicInstruction(DPI),andWisconsin’sEconomicDevelopmentCorporation(WEDC).Thebriefintendstoofferguidancetopractitionersaboutcareerpathwaystrategiestheycanusetomeetemployers’needsforskilledemployees.

WithineachTechnicalCollegeandWorkforceDevelopmentdistrictthroughoutWisconsin,similarworkisbeingundertakenbyregionalpartnerstoalignsystemsthroughcollaborationsuchassectorpartnerships.EachofWisconsin’stechnicalcollegesandWorkforceBoardsmaintainsastrongcommitmenttocollaborationasevidencedbylocalandregionalactivitiesthroughoutWisconsin.TechnicalcollegesincludingMadisonCollege,NicoletAreaTechnicalCollege,andWisconsinIndianheadTechnicalCollegecontinuetoenhancetheirrelationshipstotheworkforcecommunityasWIOAprovidesfurthermotivationtocontinuebuildingonastrongfoundationofcollaboration.

AtMadisonAreaTechnicalCollege,CareerPathwaysprovidethestructureinwhichshort-termtrainingopportunitiesareorganizedanddevelopedincollaborationwiththeirworkforcepartners.Asnotedinthe2017AnnualReportoftheWorkforceDevelopmentBoardofSouthCentralWisconsin(WDBSCW),theCareerPathwaysmodeloffersaunifiedframeworkthatgroundsandsustainstheworkoftheBoard.Sectorandindustrypartnershipsarebroughttogethertoaddressskillshortagesanddeveloptrainingprogramsincollaborationwiththecollegetodeveloppipelinesofskilledworkers.

WIOAoutcomesstressemploymentandprovidingstudentstheopportunitytogainacredentialthatleadstoemploymentasefficientlyaspossible.Well-plannedanddeliberatecurriculumdevelopmentiscentraltothestudentexperienceontheirpathtoanindustryvalidatedcredential.

AspartoftheWTCSapprovalprocessforembeddedcredentials,theentry-levelcredentialsineachpathwayarevalidatedbyareaemployerstomeetentry-leveljobrequirementsfor



jobsthatareindemand,utilizingWIOAfinancialresourcesmoreeffectively.AsnotedintheWDBSCW2017AnnualReport,throughthecareerpathwaysmodel,“Workersandjobseekershavetheflexibilitytoaccessessentialskill-buildingandsupportactivitiesatanypointintheircareerpathway.”

Theunderservedworkforce,includingthosewithlowincome,receivingpublicassistance,ordislocated,areservedthroughWIOA-fundedAcademiesincollaborationwiththeWDBSCW.Theseacademiesareshort-term,cohort-basedtrainingprogramsthatfocusonhigh-demandfields.Notonlydoesthestudentearnacredentialleadingtoanin-demandjobopportunity,theyalsostartonapathwaytohighereducationshouldtheychoosetoreturntoschool.

MadisonCollegeandtheWDBSCWcollaboratewithotherpartnersaswell,suchastheUrbanLeague,areaK-12schooldistricts,OperationFreshStart,andtheDepartmentofCorrections,toofferprogrammingthatmeetstheneedsofdiversestudentgroups.Alltrainingprogramsaredevelopedwithinputfromemployerpartnerstoensurethatprogramshaverelevanceandemployerdemand.Employersalsocollaborateinthestudentexperiencethroughwork-basedlearningexperience.

ThecomplexneedsofdisadvantagedanddisconnectedyouthareservedcollaborativelybyMadisonCollege,WDBSCW,workforce,andcommunityagenciesthroughtheMiddleCollegeprogram.WDBSCW’sWIOAfundingallowsWIOA-eligibleyouthtobegincollegewhilestillinhighschool.Completersoftheprogramearnacollegecertificateaswellastheirhighschooldiploma,helpingthemtoattainself-sufficiencyandcareersuccess.Animportantcomponentoftheprogramisthecollaborationwithworkforcepartnerstoofferinternshipsforthestudents.Oneexampleofshort-termtrainingleadingtoin-demandemploymentiswithintheConstructionandRemodelingTechnicalDiplomaofferedatMadisonCollege.This1-yeardiplomaincludes2embeddedandstackablecredentialsthatenableastudenttoentertheworkforcemorequickly.Theinitialentry-levelcredential,ConstructionEssentials,canbecompletedin8weeksandincludesOSHA30IndustryCertification,whichappealstoavarietyofemployers.Throughexperience,additionaleducation,apprenticeship,orsomecombinationoftheseopportunities,studentscanattaineveryincreasinglevelofemploymentinthisfieldwhichis#14onWisconsin’sHigh-DemandJobslist.

SimilartomanyoftheothertechnicalcollegesinWisconsin,NicoletCollegeenrollsmorenoncreditthancreditstudents.Muchofthegrowthhasoccurredincontinuingeducation,professionaldevelopment,andcertificationandcontracttraining.Theseareas,offeredbytheWorkforce&EconomicDevelopmentteam,provideanimportantroleinmeetingshiftingworkforcedemandsandprovidingskillsinawaythatisflexibleandresponsivetoemployerneeds.Onebenefitofthatprogrammingistheflexibilitytoquicklymeetindustrydemand.NicolethasnowpartneredtheirWorkforce&EconomicDevelopmentteamwithcreditprogramfacultytocreatepathwaysforthesestudentstogainthedeservedrecognitionoftheireffortsandshowproofthatactuallearninghastakenplace.

Nicoletbeganlookingintothebenefitsofcreatingnon-credittocreditpathwaysforstudentsduringtheACT2grantperiod,inwhichthecollegemadethebolddecisiontoadda



careerpathwaycoordinatorpositiontotheirstaff.OneofthekeydutiesofthecareerpathwaycoordinatorwastoattendtrainingsessionsaswellasmeetingsregardingthenewlyupdatedWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA).Thecareerpathwayscoordinator’smissionwastoanalyzetheimmediateandfutureneedsandtrendsforthelocalworkforce.Inaddition,thecoordinatorwouldpartnerwithlocalagencieswhilecontinuingtomeetgoalsforpathwaycreationforincomingandcurrentstudents,allowingthosestudentstobetteraccessindustryvalidatedcredentialsateachstageoftheireducationalandcareerjourney.

Thepartnershipbetweenthelocalworkforceboard,jobcenter,andcollegeservedasthefoundationfordeterminingwhichcontractedandcontinuingeducationclasseswouldbestfitthepathwaystrategy.Oncethecourseswereidentified,Nicolet’sworkforcedevelopmentteammetwiththecreditprogramfacultyfrequentlytodeterminethemosteffectivemeanofbreaking-apartthecurrentcreditcurriculumintosmallerofferingsthatcouldbeofferedascontractedtrainingopportunitiesorcontinuingeducationcourses.

Oncecurriculumwasidentifiedandbroken-down,thelogisticsinvolvedinbuildingthebridgebetweenthenon-creditofferingandcreditprogramhadtobecreated.Non-creditofferingsthatweredoneascontractcourseswithemployersorstandaloneascontinuingeducationprofessionaldevelopmentcourseswouldhavetocostasmuchas(orsomeinstancesmorethan)theequivalentofthecreditcourse.Notonlydoesthatpricingstructurehelpgainfundsforthecollegebutitalsodiscouragespeoplefromtakingnon-creditofferingstosavemoneyoverenrollinginthecreditprogramcourses.Thecourseswillbeflaggedashavingtheoptionforstudentstoobtainadvancedstandingiftheytaketheassessmentattheendofthecourse.Ifastudentoptsoutoftheassessmenttheystillreceivetheircontinuingeducationcredits,andiftheydecideatalaterdatetorequesttheassessmenttheycandosothroughNicoletCollege’sCreditforPriorLearningprocess.Thisoffersthestudenttwodifferentwaystoobtaincreditforthecontractcourseorcontinuingeducationcourse.Usingtheassessmentmethodalsoprovesthateducationalattainmentandreallearninghasoccurred,unlikethenon-pathwaycontinuingeducationcoursesgradingmethodofsuccessfulorunsuccessfulbasedonattendanceonlyforcontinuingeducationcourses.Thisnewmethodalsovalidatesthematerialbeingtaughtandthestudent’sabilitytodemonstratemasteryoftheskillbeingassessed.

Nicoletutilizescareercoachesthatmeetwithallthestudentsintheidentifiedpathwaycoursestodiscusstheoptionofadvancedstanding,offercreditforpriorlearning,andaidanystudentsinterestedinpursuingadegreeintocreditprograms.Creatingstudentaccesstothecareercoachesallowsthestudenttoidentifyandplanforanybarriersthestudentmayfacepriortoenrollingintoacreditprogram.Therelationshipthestudentshavewiththecollege,thefaculty,andthestaffmakethetransitionfromtheworkplacetotheclassroomeasyandpainlessforthestudents.Thisapproachcreatesaseamlesspathwayintocreditprogramingforthosewhomayhavebeenoutoftheworldofeducationformanyyearswhoarehesitanttoreturntocollege.Itletsthestudenttrulyexperiencetherigorsofcollegeprogramworkwithinoneormoreclasses,eventuallycreatingtheconfidencetoenteracreditprogram.



Oneadditionalbenefitofusingthenon-credittocreditpathwayistheflexibilityinschedulingthatitofferstonon-traditionalstudents.Contracttrainingisoftendoneon-siteatanemployer’slocationorduringworkhours.Continuingeducationcanbeschedulednights,weekends,hybrid,online,orasanopenlab.Thisallowsforstudentstogetthetrainingtheyneedinsmallchunksatatimeandplacethatworksbestforthem.Havingthisflexibleoptionhelpsstudentstoseethatitispossibletogetcollegecreditaroundtheirbusyschedules.Havingourcareercoachesavailabletothesestudentsalsoallowsourstafftoexplainhowourcreditprogramshavemanyflexibleoptionstheymaynotbeawareofinafacetofaceenvironment.

Nicoletusescomprehensivewraparoundstudentservicesforallstudents,whethertheyareinvolvedincontractedtraining,continuingeducation,orcreditcourse.Studentshaveaccesstoalltheservicesthecollegehastooffer,andhavingcareercoachesmeetwithstudentsinvolvedinanynon-credittocreditpathwaytohelpthemnavigatetheirindividualneedsandgoalssetsourstudentsupforsuccess.Whilecreatingthenon-credittocreditpathways,Nicoletreliedheavilyontheirpartnershipsbetweentheworkforcedevelopmentteam,creditprogramfaculty,theworkforcedevelopmentboard,thejobcenter,andthestudentservicesstaff.Withouthavingeveryteamrepresented,pieceswouldhavebeenmissed.Collaborationwaskeytomakingeachofthepathwaysaseamlesstransitionbetweentheworldofworkandtheworldofeducation.

NorthwestWisconsinisnotunlikeotherregionsinWisconsinorthroughoutthecountryfacingalaborshortage.UnemploymentinWisconsincontinuestodeclineandindividualsenteringretirementagecontinuetorise.Manyemployersarestrugglingtofindworkersandthosetheydofindsometimesdon’tstickaroundforlongorhavemanyotherhurdleswithintheirlife.WisconsinIndianheadTechnicalCollege(WITC)offerscareer-focusedassociatedegreeprograms,technicaldiplomas,short-termcertificates,customizedtraining,andawidearrayofcoursesforpersonalorcareerenhancement.WITChasfourcampusesinAshland,NewRichmond,Superior,andRiceLake,twooutreachcentersatHaywardandLadysmith,andourWashburnCountyLearningCenterlocatedinSpooner.Intotal,itcovers11countiesandover10,000squaremiles.ThecollegeisalsopartoftheWisconsinTechnicalCollegeSystem.WithinthisregionaretwoWorkforceDevelopmentBoards(NorthwestWisconsinWorkforceInvestmentBoardandWestCentralWisconsinWorkforceDevelopmentBoard).WITCandtheworkforcedevelopmentagencieshaveworkedtogetherforyearsthroughreferringstudents,oncareerevents,andmore,buthadn’tcreatedaformalcollaborationtiedtocareerpathwayprograms,whichundertheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA),wasanewapproach.Theemphasisoncareerpathwaysforcedallofus,inareallypositiveway,toexaminehowwecouldworktogethertoultimatelygetpeopletrainedandreadyforemploymentandmeettheemploymentneedsofemployerswithintheregion.Therearemultiplefactorsthathaveprovenusefulasweworkonaligningcredit-basedcareerpathwaysbetweenWIOAandWITC:

• Gather Partners Together: Learn about Programs & Look for Common Initiatives Withthisintentinmind,WITCdevelopedaPartnershipTeaminJanuary2017.When



planningwhotogather,representativesfromalltheagenciestiedtoWIOA,literacyprograms,communityactionprograms(CAP),andothercommunityserviceagenciesweresoughtoutandinvited.Inthecaseofthisteam,representativesfromthefollowingagenciesattended:NorthwestWisconsinWorkforceInvestmentBoard,WestCentralWisconsinWorkforceDevelopmentBoard,WorkforceResource,NorthwestWisconsinConcentratedEmploymentProgram(CEP),DivisionofVocationalRehabilitation,AreaHealthEducationCenter(AHEC),NorthwestWisconsinCommunityServicesAgency(NWCSA),WesternWisconsinCommunityActionAgency(WestCAP),IndianheadCommunityActionAgency(ICAA),CrossroadsLiteracy,andWITC.Sincethisinitialmeeting,additionalagencieshavebeeninvolved.Whilealargepartofthetimewasspentlearningabouttheprogramsofeachagency,itresultedinafairlyeasyconsensuswhenlookingattheinitiativestofocuson.Inaddition,itshowcasedtheextensiveworkthateachagencyhasdonetolookattheeconomicneedsoftheregionandhowcombiningourknowledgecanhaveabiggerimpact.Theinitiativesthatresultedfromthisinitialmeetinghavesinceprovidedguidanceforthecommittee.

• Jump In and Try Projects Together OnesuccessfulcollaborationwaswiththeNWWIB.ItwasthedevelopmentoftheConstructionEssentialsAcademy.A10-weektrainingprogramwasdeveloped,incorporatingthisnine-credit,embeddedTechnicalDiploma.IndividualswererecruitedthroughtheNWWIBandCEPandWITCcoordinatedthetraining.Inaddition,NWWIBwasabletohighlightsomeopportunitiesforimprovementthroughthetraining,andasaresult,togetherwewereabletoredesignthetrainingthatwillcontinuetomeettheneedsofemployersandalsomeettheuniqueneedsofthepopulation.Asaresult,furtherconstructionacademiesarebeingplanned.

• Continue to Communicate & Recognize That You All Need Each Other OneoftheinitiativesthatresultedfromthePartnershipCommittee,wastolookatopportunitiestocollaborateonbasiceducationandliteracyastiedtoWIOATitleII.MultipleworkingmeetingsandmuchoutreachhasbeendonesinceJanuary2017tofindoutthebestwaytomeettheoutcomesofthegrant.

ThereareseveralotherprojectsbeingexploredbythePartnershipCommitteeandothersub-groupsthathaveresulted,buthadwenottakenthetimetocometogether,wemaynothavegottentothispoint.Allofthepartneringagenciesbringnewinsights,knowledge,andresearchtothetableashowtomeettheneedsofindividualsandemployersintheregion.Thankstotheopennessandspiritofcollaborationamongall,wehavebeenabletomakerealstridesatcredit-basedcareerpathwaysandlookforwardtoworkingtogetheronmore.

AstheWisconsinTechnicalCollegeSystemanditsWIOAtitlepartnerscontinuetheirjourney,thefutureofWisconsinPathwaysisbright.ThecollaborativeapproachtoexploringwhatispossibleandhowbesttoachievethesegoalsisfueledbyacommonpassiontocontinuallyimprovethequalityoflifeinWisconsin.Throughconsistentcollaborationacrossallorganizations,WisconsinwillcontinuetogrowitstalentdevelopmentresourcestomeetthecurrentandfutureneedswhilecreatingopportunityandaccessforallWisconsinites.

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FORUMCareerFoundations:TheMissingLinkinAdultCareerPathways|By

AnnDarntonandChristinaWarden

CAREER FOUNDATIONS: THE MISSING LINK IN ADULT CAREER PATHWAYS

Ann DarntonAdult Education Consultant

Christina WardenWomen Employed

ABSTRACTCareerFoundationsisacareerexplorationandgoalsettingcoursejointlydevelopedbyCityCollegesofChicagoandWomenEmployedandlaunchedatCityCollegesin2014.SubsequentexpansionofCareerFoundationstolocalcommunityorganizationsprovedtobethecatalystthatjumpstartedtruecollaborativecareerpathwayseffortsamongdiverseagencies.ThroughaconsortiumconvenedbyWomenEmployed,theChicagoJobsCouncil,andtheChicagoCitywideLiteracyCoalition,notonlyhasCareerFoundationsbeenadoptedbymultipleorganizations,buttheyhaveworkedtogethertoensureconsistent,accurateinformationandaccesstopathwaysleadingtofamily-sustainingemploymentfortheirstudentsandclients.

ButCareerFoundations(boththecourseandthelocalconsortiumbuiltaroundit)wouldlikelynotexistwithouttheearlierproliferationofadulteducationsectorbridgeprogramsthroughoutChicago,norwithoutamajorinitiativelaunchedbyCityCollegesin2011thatincludedrevampingitsCareerandTechnicalEducationprogramstoalignthemwithemployerneedsandemploymentopportunities.

AnappetiteforbridgepartnershipsbetweenCityCollegesandsmallerorganizationshadalreadysurfacedamongChicago’sadulteducationproviders,butstructuralbarrierstobridgecollaborationsseemedinsurmountable.However,asinformationaboutWIOAreauthorizationanditsemphasisoncareerpathwaysforpeopleacrosstheeducationalspectrumbeganemerging,community-basedadulteducationprovidersandworkforcedevelopmentagenciesalikebecamehungryforCityCollegespathwaysinformationtoeffectivelyservetheirstudentsandclients.ItquicklybecameevidentthatpartnershipsbuiltaroundCareerFoundationsasa

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Darnton and Warden | Career Foundations

commontoolwerehighlyfeasibleandwouldsubstantiallybenefitorganizations,thecolleges,andthecommunity.

BEGINNING WITH BRIDGESIn2011,adulteducationprovidersthroughoutChicagowerenostrangerstosector

bridgeprogramsasawaytopreparestudentsforcollegeandcareers.Bridges—programsorcoursesdesignedtohelpadultswithlowskillsachievecollegereadinessthroughinstructioncontextualizedtoaparticularsector—wereincentivizedbytheJoyceFoundationShiftingGearsinitiativelaunchedin2007,andweresubsequentlyrequiredbytheIllinoisCommunityCollegeBoard(ICCB)forallfundedadulteducationprovidersinaccordancewithICCB’s2009AdultEducationfive-yearstrategicplan.1Thatplanstated,“Weenvisionadulteducationasthefoundationofacareerpathwayssystemthatpreparesadultlearnersforeconomicself-sufficiency.”2,3

ICCB’sbridgedefinitiongrewoutoftheShiftingGearswork,specifyingthreeelements:contextualizedinstructionintegratingbasicskillsandindustryoroccupationknowledge,careerdevelopment,andtransitionservicestohelpstudentsmovefromadulteducationorremedialcourseworktocreditoroccupationalprograms.4

InIllinois,themajorityofadulteducationstudentsareservedthroughcommunitycolleges,althoughmanycommunity-basedprovidersreceiveICCBadulteducationfundingaswell.ByfarthelargestproviderinthestateisCityCollegesofChicago(CCC),whichoffersadulteducation(AE)to27,000studentsannuallyatsixofitssevencolleges.SeveralCCCcollegespilotedAEbridgesunderShiftingGearsorotherfundingsources;however,withlittleinstitutionalsupportoutsideofAEdepartmentsandnostatefundingearmarkedforbridgeprogramming,mostearlyCCCbridgesprovedtobeshort-lived.

However,in2011,CCC’slaunchofadistrict-wide“Reinvention”initiative,aimedatimprovingtheinstitutionandenhancingstudentsuccess,dramaticallyalteredthedirectionandscopeofitsbridgeprogramming.Amongitsstrategicprioritieswere“reviewingprograms

1 Illinoisadulteducationprograms,governedbytheIllinoisCommunityCollegeBoardandfundedbyacombinationoffederalandstatefunds,serveindividualslackinghighschoolequivalencyorwhoareEnglishlanguagelearners.Whilegenerallynotfundedtoofferjobtrainingprograms,theypreparestudentsfortransitiontopostsecondaryeducationandtraining.2 TheJoyceFoundationlaunchedShiftingGears,aseven-yearinitiative,in2007topromoteeffortsto“equiplow-skilledworkerswiththenecessarycredentialstoexpandtheirjobopportunitiesandstrengtheneconomicgrowthintheMidwest…”Manybridgedemonstrationprojectswerelaunchedundertheinitiative,anditsparkedastrongfocusonpolicydevelopmenttohelppromoteandsustainbridgeefforts.Seehttp://www.joycefdn.org/shifting-gears.3 Creating Pathways for Adult Learners, A Visioning Document for the Illinois Adult Education and Family Literacy Program,IllinoisCommunityCollegeBoard,2009.4 Creating Pathways for Adult Learners,32.

http://www.joycefdn.org/shifting-gears.

http://www.joycefdn.org/shifting-gears.

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andofferingstoincreasetheeconomicandeducationalvalueofthecredentialsstudentsearn[and]betteraligningourprogramswithemployerneeds.”5ACCCdistrict-widetaskforcereviewedexistingprogramsofstudy,researchedregionallabormarketdata,andengagedemployersasadvisorstorevampcareerprograms,manywithstackablecredentialsthatwouldlaunchstudentsontocareerpathways.Asaresult,sevenCollegetoCareers(CCC’snameforCareerandTechnicalEducation)pathwayswereidentifiedaspromisingintermsofcurrentandfuturejoboutlook,family-sustainingwages,andopportunitiesforadvancement.

Aspartofitspathwaysredesign,CCCcommittedtointegratingandfundingadulteducationbridgesasonrampstocareerprogramsforindividualswithlowskills.Newadulteducationsectorbridgeprogramsweredesignedatthedistrictlevelincollaborationwithcollegeleadership,andwereexpandedinlessthanayearfromonecollegetosix.Therangeofsectorswasbroadenedaswell.Healthcarewasthefirstsectortargetedforbridgeprogramdevelopmentandnewhealthcarebridgeswerelaunchedinfall2012.Steadilyovertheyears,bridgesinfourmoresectorsweredevelopedandlaunchedatvariousCCCcolleges:transportation,distribution,andlogistics;hospitality/culinary;earlychildhoodeducation;manufacturing;andinformationtechnology.

UsingtheICCBbridgedefinitionasthefoundation,CCCdesignedbridgesthatwerelongerandmoreintensivethanearliermodelstohelpstudentsat6thgradereadingandmathlevelsorhigherachievereadinessfortheGED®testandcollege-levelcourseworkinreading,writing,andmath,throughinstructioncontextualizedtotheparticipant’schosencareerpathway.Careerexplorationandtransitionservices—thesecondandthirdcomponentofthestate’sbridgedefinition—werebuiltintothedesign.Infact,CCCbridgeparticipantstooktheirfirstcollegecourse(partoftheirchosencertificateprogram)withtuitionwaivedandwithsupportwhilestillenrolledinthebridge.Somebridgesincludedindustry-recognizedcertifications,enablingcompleterstoapplyforentry-leveljobsimmediately.6

Fromthebeginning,CityCollegeswelcomedtheadvocacyagencyWomenEmployed(WE)asanaturalpartnerinthedevelopmentandexpansionofitsbridgeprograms.WEwasalreadyfocusingsubstantialeffortsonbuildingandstrengtheningeducationalandcareerpathwaysfordisadvantagedadultsatlocalandstatelevels,recognizingthattoearncredentialsthatopenthedoortobetter-quality,better-payingjobs,individualsmustbeabletocountoncommunitycolleges,themostaccessibleandaffordablepostsecondaryinstitutions.WomenEmployedtookanactiveroleinbridgecurriculumdevelopmentandinstructortraining.7

Whenbridgeswerefirstlaunchedaroundthestate,“careerpathways”wasnotthe

5 Reinvention,Chapter1,https://www.ccc.edu/menu/Documents/Reinvention/REI_Reinvention_Chapter_1_03302011.pdf,6.6 E.g.,forkliftoperationsandfoodsanitationcertificationscanbeearned.7 CCCbridgeandCareerFoundationscurriculaarepubliclyavailableathttps://womenemployed.org/pathways-careers-network.

https://www.ccc.edu/menu/Documents/Reinvention/REI_Reinvention_Chapter_1_03302011.pdf

https://www.ccc.edu/menu/Documents/Reinvention/REI_Reinvention_Chapter_1_03302011.pdf

https://womenemployed.org/pathways-careers-network

https://womenemployed.org/pathways-careers-network

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catchphraseithasbecometoday,andmanybridgeswerefocusedongettingindividualsintoentryleveltrainingandjobs.DesigningbridgesthatwerepartofapathwayandpromotingaccesstostackablecredentialsweregoalsstronglysharedbyCCCandWomenEmployed.

WAS THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE? BythetimeeveryCCCcollegehadimplementedatleastonesectorbridgeprogram,

itbecameincreasinglyclearthattherewasamissinglinkinanadulteducationstudent’strajectory—sometypeofshortcareerexplorationandgoal-settingtoolthatwouldguidelowintermediatestudentsintosectorbridgesandpathwaysthatwereagoodfitforthem.Forstudents,suchatoolcouldfosterastrongersenseofpurposeintheircurrentprogramandempowerthemwiththeknowledgetheyneededtosetandfollowthroughontheirfuturedirection.Fortheinstitution,thetoolcouldhelpboostbridgeenrollmentandincreaseretentioninbothbridgeandotheradulteducationprogramming.Itcouldalsoaidadvisors,whotypicallyfacedlargecaseloads,byarmingtheirprospectiveadviseeswithbroadpathwaysknowledgeandabasiccareerplan.

Withexperienceindevelopingbridgecurriculaundertheirbelts,CCCandWEsetouttodevelopasupplementaladulteducationcourse—themissinglink—thatwouldprecedethebridgeandhelpparticipantswithaminimum4thgradereadinglevel,oratleastintermediatelevelEnglishlanguageskills,makeinformedpathwaychoices.Inputonthecurriculumwassolicitedfrombridgeinstructorsandcommunityorganizations.Theresultingcourse,namedCareer Foundations: Making Your Education Work for You,guidesparticipantsthroughthefollowingcomponents:

• Gainingself-awarenessintermsofskills,interests,values,financialgoals• Matchingskills,interests,andvalueswithcareerclusters• LearningaboutprogramsofstudyatCCCwithemphasisoncareer pathways and

stackable credentials• Learningaboutsupportservicesavailable• ChoosingaCCCpathwayofinterestanddevelopingaplanandtimelinetogettocollegeInsummer2014,oncecourseapprovalforCareerFoundationswasreceived,teacherswere

trained,andthecoursewaslaunchedasasupplementtobasicskillsinstruction.CityCollegesdataindicatesthatbetweenFY15andFY17,301outof966adulteducation

studentswhotookCareerFoundationstransitionedtocreditcourses.“AlthoughCareerFoundationsisgearedtowardstudentsatlowerlevelsofadultbasiceducation,over30%havesubsequentlyenrolledincredit[courses].”Practitionersknowthatthisisahighrateoftransitionforadulteducationstudents.8

8 City Colleges of Chicago: Adult Education Transitions Overview,CityCollegesofChicago,September21,2016.PresentationdeliveredtotheInstitutefortheStudyofAdultLiteracy.

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CAREER FOUNDATIONS AND THE COMMUNITYBridgeexpansionatCCCcoincidedwithstatewideeffortstopromotebridgeexpansion,

whethertheproviderwasacommunitycollegeoracommunityorganization.9InChicago,thereweresuccessfulCBObridgeprogramsinbothadulteducationandworkforcedevelopmentprograms(i.e.,bridgesforadultswithorwithouthighschoolequivalencybutwithfoundationalskillsneeds).However,somesmallercommunity-basedadulteducationprogramsreportedthattheystruggledtomeetstatebridgerequirementsduetothelimitedsizeoftheirparticipantpoolsandalackofresources.CCCadulteducationleadership,keenlyinterestedinbuildingrelationshipsbeyondthecollegewallsinitseffortstopromotecollegetransition,offeredtopartnerwithcommunityorganizationsonbridges.Thereseemedtobeanabundanceofgoodwillandanappetiteforpartnerships,butnoclearinitiativesurfaced,andtherewerebarriers,includingthelackofstatefundingforbridgeprogramsandtheabsenceofprovisionsforproviderstopartnerandeachreceive“credit”forservingthestudents.

Interestedinfosteringpartnershipsandrealsystemschange,WomenEmployedbegantoworkcloselywithCCC’sAdultEducationdivision,theChicagoJobsCouncil(CJC),andtheChicagoCitywideLiteracyCoalition(CCLC)todevelopandseekconsensusonavisionthatwouldalignprogramsacrossthecity,facilitatestudenttransitionsacrossprograms,andalignservicesnomatterwhichagencyactsastheinitialorprimaryserviceprovider.10

WomenEmployedworkedalongwithCJCandCCLCtogeneratecollaborationamongserviceproviders.Forayear,leadersatthesethreeadvocacyagenciesheldconversationswithcommunityorganizationleadershiptobuildtrustandovercomeresistancetoworkingwithCityColleges.Additionally,NewYork-basednonprofitPublicAgenda(withfundingfromtheJoyceFoundation)conductedformalqualitativeresearchwithCityCollegesandcommunityorganizationpersonneltogaugereadinessforcollaborationandelicitinformationonpotentialbarriers.FindingswerethatorganizationsthathistoricallyhaddifficultrelationshipswithCityCollegesbeganexpressingoptimismaboutcollaboratingwithCCCforthefirsttimeinrecenthistory.

Meanwhile,communityorganizationswerefirsthearingabouttheCareerFoundationscourse;reactionwasthatthiswasatooltheyurgentlyneededtobuildintotheirprogramming.SomeorganizationssawCareerFoundationsasawaytoofferthe“careerexploration”bridgecomponentwithexistingresources.Furthermore,theideaofpartneringaroundCareerFoundationsseemedtoresonatewithorganizationsinawaythatpartneringaroundbridgeshadnot.

9 BridgeswerefirstrequiredbyICCBinFY12-13fortheirfundedprograms,butwerestronglyencouragedstartingwiththereleaseofits2009five-yearstrategicplan.10 Thegroupcraftedthefollowingvisionstatement:“Anylow-skilledChicagoan,nomatterwhichorganizations/heapproachesforhelp,hastheopportunitytoimprovehisorherskillstobeabletotransitiontoapostsecondarycredentialleadingtoafamily-sustainingjob.”

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AsWIOAreauthorizationrequirementsgraduallystartedbecomingavailable,notonlydidadulteducationprovidersbecomeeagerforCCCpathwaysinformation,butworkforcedevelopmentagenciesdidaswell.Bothtypesoforganizationsrealizedtheyneededtounderstandandhelpclientsgetontocareerpathways.InformationonCCC’srevampedpostsecondarypathwayshadbeenslowinfilteringthroughtothecommunity,andtheCareerFoundationscourseheldpromiseasameansofdemystifyingthosepathways.

Withgrowinginterestfromthecommunity,WomenEmployednoticedCBOmanagerswereenrollinginthe12-hourteachertrainingtolearnaboutthecourse.Inresponse,theydevelopedashorter(three-hour)orientation,the“CareerFoundationsInstitute,”especiallyfordirectors,managers,transitionadvisors,andsupportstaffwhoneededanunderstandingofthecurriculumtomanageprogramplanning,instructorsupport,andrecruitment,andwhocouldcontributetothesharedvisionofpathwaysalignmentthroughimplementationofthecourse.AfterthefirstinstituteinSummer2015,12organizationscametogethertoformtheCareerFoundationsConsortium,convenedbyWomenEmployedandwithcontinuedCJCandCCLCinvolvement.

DuringYear1,theConsortium:• ImplementedCareerFoundationsateachorganization• Collaborativelydesignedarecruitmentflyer• Developedalistofreputablenon-collegetrainingprogramstosupplementCCC

pathways• ParticipatedinstudentandstafffieldtripstoCCCcampuses• DevelopedcurricularadaptationsforanESLpopulationSignificantly,therewascollaborationandsharingbetweenWIOATitleIandTitleII

organizations,manyofwhomhadneverhadtheopportunitytositatthesametable,despitethesimilaritiesamongthepopulationstheyserve.Thecoursehadbecomethecatalystthatbroughtdiverseorganizationstogethertopromoteandalignlocalcareerpathways.

TheCareerFoundationsConsortiumisnowinitsthirdyearand,withminimalchangesintherosterofparticipatingorganizations,includesfivefundedunderadulteducation(WIOATitleII)andsevenunderworkforcedevelopment(WIOATitleIoralocalfundingsource,e.g.,CommunityDevelopmentBlockGrantfunds).TheCareerFoundationsConsortiummodelhasbeenfine-tunedovertime.Underthemodel,WomenEmployedhascommittedto:

• MaintainingtheCareerFoundationscurriculum• Providingteachertraining• Providingliaisonsfortechnicalsupport• Conveningconsortiummeetingstosharebestpracticesandchallenges• CoordinatingCCCcampusvisitsandfacilitatingstudenttransitions• Collectingdatathroughinstructorandstudentsurveys• Providingstipendstoconsortiummembers

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Studentresponsehasbeenpositive.Instudentend-of-coursesurveys,95percentindicatedtheylearnedaboutnextstepstocompletetheireducationgoals.Ninety-sixpercentreportedfeelingmoreconfidentaboutreachingeducationandcareergoals.Asagroup,respondentsshoweda19percentincreaseintheirlevelofinterestingoingtocollegeasaresultofthecourse.11

ParticipatingorganizationsagreetooutcometargetsforthenumbersofstudentsservedwithCareerFoundations,cohortslaunched,andtransitionsaccomplished(e.g.,movingtobridges,collegecareerpathwaysprograms,upper-levelhighschoolequivalencyorESLclassesatCCC,orenrollmentinatrainingprogram).OrganizationsalsoagreetocommunicateregularlywiththeirWEliaisons,providedataonoutcomesandtransitions,attendconsortiummeetings,participateincollegevisits,andsendnewCareerFoundationsteachersfortraining.

InMay2017,researchersfromPennStateUniversityreleasedpreliminaryfindingsfromastudyofpathwayprogramsinChicago,Miami,andHouston.Inpublicremarks,theynotedthatWomenEmployed’sCareerFoundationsworkisoneoftheonlyexamplestheyfoundofon-the-groundeffortstocoordinateprogramsacrosssystemsandmoveadultsintopostsecondarytraining.12Thus,developmentoftheconsortiumnotonlyallowedbothworkforcedevelopmentandadulteducationorganizationstocometogetherandshareknowledge,expertise,challenges,andsolutions,butthecollaborationhasbeeninvaluableasweseektoencouragethedevelopmentofanalignedpathwaysystemthatcanbereplicatedinotherregions.Thisworkcanserveasanexampleforbothcitywideandstate-levelworkforcedevelopmentandadulteducationcollaborationgoingforward.

Whilewehavecomealongway,wehaveonlylaidthegroundworkforourcollectivevisiontocreateacitywidecareerpathwaysystemthatmorethan45,000youngandolderadultscanaccessthroughexistingorganizationsandcollegesintheirneighborhoods.Muchworkisstilltobedone—partnershipsmustbeexpandedsosmallerorganizationswithoutthecapacitytodeliverprogrammingwillreferclientstoCareerFoundationsclasses;cooperativeagreementsmustbedevelopedwithlargeragenciesandinstitutionstobecomereferralnetworkstomovemorestudentsthroughCareerFoundations;andproceduresmustbeinstitutionalizedtofacilitatetransitionsfromcommunityprogramsintocollege-levelclasses—toensureafunctioningcareerpathwaysystemwhereadultsexperienceasmoothtransitionfromcommunityprogramsintocollege,wheretheycanearnthedegreesandcredentialsneededtolaunchoradvanceacareerandachievetheirdreams.

11 Career Foundations Student Post-Course Survey,WomenEmployed,surveyconductedthroughSurveyMonkeyOctober2017-April2017.12 Data-to-Action Summit,CarolClymerandEstherPrins,May1,2017.LecturepresentedatData-to-ActionSummitinJPMorganChase,Chicago.

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Keaton | Developing Mathematics Curricula

DEVELOPING INTEGRATED, CONTEXTUALIZED INDUSTRY MATHEMATICS CURRICULA IN SHORT TERM

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

Dirk A. Keaton1 So Others Might Eat Center for Employment Training

ABSTRACTManyeducatorsincommunity-basedadulteducationorganizationsareattemptingtoadoptIntegratedEducationandTraining(IET)strategies.Inthispaper,theauthordescribeshowhehascollaboratedwithinstructionalandprogramstafftodevelopanddeliveranintegrated,contextualizedindustrymathematicscurriculum.Hehighlightstheimpactofthiscurriculumonstudentsuccess,instructionaldelivery,andschoolculturewhileunderscoringthechallengesposedbyadoptingIET,amethodologydevelopedforcommunitycolleges,inacommunity-basedorganization.

CONTEXTSoOthersMightEatCenterforEmploymentTraining(SOMECET)offerstwoIntegrated

EducationandTraining(IET)programs:BuildingMaintenanceServiceTechnician(BMST)andMedicalAdministrativeAssistant(MAA).IETisaservicedeliverystrategyinwhichstudentsreceiveworkforcetraining,workforcepreparation,andbasiceducationservicesconcurrently.Allstudentsreceive660ormorehoursofworkforcetraining,approximately70%ofwhichishands-on.Inaddition,bothprogramsincludeintegrated,contextualizedbasicskillscoursesthatareco-taughtbythebasiceducationandindustryinstructors.Studentsalsoparticipateintwoworkforcepreparationcourses:CareerDevelopmentandShopTalk.CareerDevelopmentisa60-hour-longcoursethatcoverstopicssuchasbusinesscommunication,jobsearching,andnetworking.ShopTalk,a24-hour-longcourse,teachesstudentshowtobetter“utilizeresources...workwithothers,understandsystems,andobtainskillsnecessaryforsuccessfultransitionintoandcompletionofpostsecondaryeducationortrainingoremployment,”allofwhicharedefinedbytheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityActof2014(WIOA)§113-128asworkforcepreparationsubjects.Eachprogramisdesignedtobecompletedin6to9months.Allparticipantstakeanindustry-recognizedcertificationexam—TheNationalHealthAssociationCertifiedMedicalAdministrativeAssistantortheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency

1 TheauthorwouldliketoacknowledgetheassistanceofLonnieMurray,AmeishaGathers,BlaineVann,SofyaLeonova,AnnaChrist,VaughnEdmeade,CarlynnMiller-Gore,JudyMortrude,MikhailaRichards,andJesseZarleyinpreparingthispaperandthecontinuedassistanceandsupportofallhisSOMECETcolleagues.

DevelopingIntegrated,ContextualizedIndustryMathematicsCurriculainShortTermCertificatePrograms|ByDirkA.Keaton

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608TypeI—uponcompletion.Aftersecuringemployment,graduatesparticipateinayear-longRetentionServicesprogram.Theemploymentretentionspecialistsserveasmediatorsbetweenemployedgraduatesandtheirplacesofworkandhelpgraduatesidentifyandremedybarriersthatmayinterferewithsuccessfulemployment.

SOME,SOMECET’sparentorganization,isaninterfaith,community-basednonprofitthatexiststohelpthepoorandhomelessofournation’scapital.Wemeettheimmediatedailyneedsofthepeopleweservewithfood,clothing,andhealthcare.Wealsoworktohelpbreakthecycleofhomelessnessbyofferingservicessuchasaffordablehousing,jobtraining,addictiontreatment,andcounselingtothepoor,theelderly,andindividualswithmentalillness.BecauseoftherangeofservicesofferedbySOME,wecaneasilyreferSOMECETclientstoservicessuchashousing,behavioralhealthservices,andothermedicalcare.

Wechosetoprovideintegrated,contextualizedbasicskillscoursesbecauseofthediverseandprofoundneedsofbothSOMECET’sstudentsandthoseofDCadultlearnersingeneral.DespiteDC’sdeservedreputationasoneofthemosteducatedcitiesinAmerica,manyofDC’spoorestresidentslackthebasicskillstheyneedtoentermiddle-skillemployment.Fewerthan25%(24.36%)ofallpersonswhotookeCASAStestsatAmericanJobCentersscoredatleastatthe8thgradelevelonbothmathandreadinginFY2016(DepartmentofEmploymentServices,2017).2Moreover,morethan90%(90.78%)ofDCresidentswhoparticipatedinWIOATitleIIadulteducationprogramsinFY2016-2017readand/ordidmathatan8thgradelevelorlower(OfficeofCareer,Technical,andAdultEducation).3SOMECET’sstudents’scoresmirrorthesestatistics.Although80-90%ofallSOMECETstudentshaveahighschooldiplomauponenteringtheprogram,theaveragestudentenrollswithaCASASmathscoreof225(AdultBasicEducationIntermediateHigh,6thgradeequivalency)andareadingscoreof236(AdultSecondaryEducationIntermediateLow,9thgradeequivalency).4

ManyDCresidentsarepreventedfromenteringjobtrainingprogramsbecausetheyhavelowbasicskills.DChashistoricallyrequiredstudentstobothhaveahighschooldiplomaandtoreadanddomathatleastatan8thgradelevelbeforequalifyingforIndividualTrainingAccounts(whicharefundedwithWIOATitleIdollars).Manytrainingproviders,regardlessoftheirfundingsource,haveadoptedtheserequirements.WhileDC’sWorkforceInvestmentCouncil5overturnedthisregulationinAprilof2016,manytrainingprovidershavenotchanged

2 MostDCprogramsusethe“GradeLevelsforWIOATitleIFundedAgenciesandYouthProviders”todeterminegradelevel(ComprehensiveAdultStudentAssessmentSystems).Allgradelevelequivalenciesgiveninthispaperarebasedonthatdocument.3 BecauseofdifferencesinfiscalyearsandreportingrequirementsbetweentheAmericanJobCenters,thedistrict’sWIOAtitle2providers,datafromidenticaltimeframesandthepercentageoftitleIIstudentswhoscoredbelowan8thgradelevelarenotavailable.4 BasedonananalysisofSOMECET’sCASAStestdatasince7/1/2014,whenwefirstimplementedECASAStests.5 AlocalbodythatfunctionsasourWorkforceInvestmentBoard

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theirentryrequirements.EvenbeforeadoptingIET,SOMECETdidnotrequirestudentstohavehighschooldiplomasandonlyrequiredstudentstohaveaCASASMathscoreof214(AdultBasicEducationIntermediateLow,4thgradeequivalency)andareadingscoreof224(AdultBasicEducationIntermediateHigh,6thgradeequivalency).

IETwasarelativelynewstrategyin2013whenSOMECETfullyimplementedthemodel.Whendevelopingourmodel,mostoftheIETprogramsandinitiativesthatweresearched—I-Best,FastTRAC,andAcceleratingOpportunities—weredeliveredatcommunitycollegesandthelevelandnatureofthesupportservicesofferedbyeachvariedconsiderably.WashingtonStatepilotedI-BEST,themostfamousofallcareerpathwaysinitiatives,inthe2004-2005schoolyearandfullyimplementeditin2007-2008.ThoughI-BESTintroducedintegrated,contextualizedinstructiontoawideraudience,mostI-BESTprogramsdidnotincludeaworkforcepreparationcomponent.6 Minnesota’sFastTRACisamorerobustIETmodelasitincludesanavigatorwhoprovidessupportservices,referrals,assistsincareerdevelopmentandjobsearches,recruitsandorientsstudents,andservesasabridgetothecollege(i.e.helpingstudentsregister).FastTRACprogramsalsoincorporate“bridge”courses,contextualizedbasicskillscoursesforstudentswhodon’tachievethescoresnecessarytoentertrueFastTRACprograms.ThebridgecoursesinhalfoftheFastTRACprogramsin2011“includedjobsearchskills[suchas]findingjobs,resumepreparationandintervention,andlesscommonly,jobretention”aspartoftheircurriculum(Burns,Lindoo,Dincau,Speck,&DeMaster,2013,p.24).JobsfortheFuture’s2011AcceleratingOpportunitiesInitiativerequiredallparticipatingstatestoprovide“academicandsocialstudentsupports”suchastheservicesofaFastTRAC-stylenavigatoraswellasservicesliketutoring,careercounseling,financialcounseling,advising,andaccesstocomputerlabs(Anderson,etal.,2015).

I-Best,FastTRAC,andAcceleratingOpportunitiesdifferconsiderablyfromSOMECET’sIETmodelastheyweredesignedforthecommunitycollegecontextandrepresentedacollaborationbetweenmultipleschoolsandnonprofits.InaFastTRACprogram,forexample,atechnicalinstructoremployedbyacommunitycollegemayco-teachwithabasiceducationinstructorwhoworksforthelocalschoolsystem.Theirclassmaybeheldinacommunitycollegeclassroom,andanonprofitmayemploythenavigatorwhohandlesthecasesofstudentsinthatclass.Thisstrategyofcombiningmultipleresourcesisoftenreferredtoas“braiding.”WhileSOMECETdoes“braid”funding(students’tuitionissupportedbyavarietyoffoundationgrants,privatedonations,SNAPEducationandTrainingfunding,whichprovidefundingfor80students,andWIOATitleII,whichprovidesfundingfor90-100students),weareasingle,community-basednonprofitwhichhostsalloftheIETprogrammingandemploysalloftheprogramstaffandinstructors.

6 ThoughresearchonI-Bestislimited,Wachen,Jenkins,&VanNoynotedintheir2010essaythatonlyathirdofI-BESTprogramshaddesignatedamainpointofcontactwhocouldconnectI-BESTstudentstoresources.

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CHALLENGESIwashiredastheAdultBasicEducation(ABE)instructorinDecemberof2012andwas

taskedwithdevelopinganddeliveringintegrated,contextualizedadultbasiceducationcourses.IhadpreviouslyworkedasabasiceducationinstructoratLivingWages,alocalhighschoolequivalencyprogram,andasacomputerinstructoratatradeschool.Workinginbothcontextsgavemeauniqueunderstandingofthetechniquesusedtoteachbothbasicandindustryskills.ThoughIhadnotdevelopedintegratedlessonsperse,LivingWagesisaprogramdedicatedtopopulareducation.Thisdoctrine,foundedbyPauloFreire,suggeststhatstudentslearnbestwhentheyengageindialoguewithinstructorsabouttopicsthatarerelevanttotheireverydaylife.WhileatLivingWages,Iincorporatedlocalnewsandneighborhoodevents,students’goals,andstudents’interestsintolessons.Developingindustrylessonplansseemedtobeanextensionofthiswork.However,IfacedthreechallengesuponstartingtheprogramatSOME:1)theindustryinstructorsandIwerenewtoco-teaching,2)industryinstructorshadlimitedtimededicatedtoco-planning,and3)SOMECET’senrollmentstrategyleadtonewstudentsenrollinginmyclassbiweekly.

Bothmyco-teachersandIhadlittletonoexperienceco-teaching.Initially,someinstructorswereresistant.LonnieMurray,oneoftheBMSTinstructors,startedatSOMECETinNovemberof2012.Hewasconcernedabouttheeffectthatco-teachingwouldhaveontheclassroomenvironmentsincehehad“justgottentherhythm”ofteachinghisclass.Thiswasalsohisfirstteachingposition,andheworriedthatIwouldtryto“tellhimwhattodo”becauseIhadmoreteachingexperience(personalcommunication,October25,2017).Othersworriedthathavingamathinstructorintheirclassroomwouldsendthemessagethattheyweren’tequippedtoteachmaththemselves.Thiswasespeciallytrueforthoseindustryinstructorswholackedconfidenceintheirownmathability.

Wealsohadlimitedtimetoco-plananddeliverinstructionalmaterial.SOMECETstudentsparticipatein30hoursofinstructionaweek.Thisincludes2hoursofShopTalk,6hoursofCareerDevelopment,3hoursofintegratedbasiceducation,and19hoursofindustryinstruction.WhiletheemploymentretentionandprofessionaldevelopmentspecialistsdeliverShopTalkandCareerDevelopment,respectively,industryinstructorsarewhollyorpartiallyresponsiblefordeliveringtheremaining22hoursofcontent.Asaresult,industryinstructorshavealimitedamountoftimetoperformtheiradministrativeduties,meetwiththeirsupervisors,andplanlessons.Co-planningtookupthisvaluabletime,andsinceIhadlittlebackgroundinthebuildingmaintenanceorthemedicaladministrationindustry,ourearlymeetingswerelengthyandnotveryproductive.

SOMECET’sbiweeklyenrollmentmodelalsopresentedchallenges.Aftercompletinga1-2weeklongintroductorycourse,studentsareincorporatedintoexistingindustryclasses.Thismeansthatontheirthirdweek,studentsmightenteraplumbingunitandworkalongsidestudentswhohavebeeninthesameprogramforseveralmonths.Whilethisenrollment

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modeliscommonfortechnicalschools,adultbasiceducationprogramsinDCusuallyoperateonquarterorsemesterschedules.WhenIfirststartedteachingadulteducationin2008,thereceivedwisdomwasthatstudentsshouldstudythefourbasicoperations(addition,subtraction,multiplication,anddivision),fractions,decimals,percentages,geometry,andalgebra(usuallyinthisorder).Classestypically“cycled”throughthesetopics,andmostprogramswaiteduntilthe“cycle”restartedtoenrollnewstudents.Advocatesofthisenrollmentmodelarguethatmathematicalknowledgeisscaffolded.Inotherwords,theacquisitionofnewconcepts(i.e.percentages)ispredicateduponknowledgeofcertain,foundationalconcepts(i.e.multiplyingdecimals,longdivision,andtheuseofratiosandproportions).Toteacheffectivelyinthisenvironment,Iwouldhavetogoagainstconventionalwisdomandcreateacurriculumthatwouldallowstudentswithvaryinggraspsoffoundationalconceptstoparticipateandsucceedinthesamelesson.

IMPLEMENTING CHANGEThoughwedidnotrealizeitatthetime,SOMECETsetouttocreateanewmodelofco-

teaching.I-Bestpairedindustryinstructorswithadultbasiceducationinstructorswhospentatleast50%oftheirtimeco-teaching.Wachen,Jenkins,&VanNoyin“HowI-BESTWorks”emphasizedthat“facilitywith[teamteaching]oftendevelopsonthejob,slowly,overaperiodoftime.”Oneoftheinstructorsinterviewedevenlikenstheprocesstoa“marriage”(2010,p.19).Iwasmandatedtobeginco-teachingwith4differentinstructorsbytheendofJanuary2013.BecauseofthistimeframeandthenumberofinstructorsIhadtoworkwith,50%co-teachingwasoutofthequestion,andIhadtofindwaystoquicklydevelopsuccessfulworkingrelationshipswitheachoftheinstructors.Severalfactorscontributedtothesuccessofourintegrated,contextualizedbasiceducationcurriculum:thesupportofmanagement,meetingwithindustryandABEinstructorstodevelopsharedpriorities,collaborativelydraftinglessonplanswithindustryinstructors,observingindustryinstructionduringmyfirstmonthsatSOMECET,andcreatingmaterialstargetedtoourstudents’learningneeds.

Theimportanceofmanagement’ssupportcannotbeoverstated.Ourmanagementteamreiteratedtoinstructorsthatintegrated,contextualizededucationwasnotanexperimentthatweweretryingout,butastrategythatwewerecommittedtoadopting.Mymanager,VeronicaWright,alsocheckedinwithmeregularlytoensurethatindustryinstructorsweremeetingexpectations.Ifaninstructorwas,forexample,notco-teaching,shewouldmonitorthesituationandcommunicateexpectationstothemwhennecessary.

Icreatedindustryinstructorbuy-inby,first,focusingonlessonsthataddressedinstructors’priorities.Bothindustrycourseshadexistinglessonsandassignmentsthatrequiredmathematicalknowledge.Forexample,thefinaltwounitsintheMedicalAdministrativeAssistantcourserequirestudentstomaintainasimulatedpettycashbox,reconcileabankstatement,andcalculatepatientbalance(includingpercentages)onpatientledgercards.By

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developinglessonsfocusedonthesesubjects,Icreatedgoodwillandmetinstructors’needs.Aftermeetinginstructors’needs,Imademyownrequests.Forexample,Ifoundthat

studentsinaplumbingclasshaddifficultymultiplyingdecimals.IaskedBlaineVann,oneoftheBMSTinstructors,howplumbersusedecimalmultiplication.Hetoldmeaboutoffsets(whichistheverticaldistancebetweentwofittings).Offsetsareusedtomeasurethetravel,thedistancebetweentwoangledfittings.Tocalculatethelengthofatravel,onemultipliesaconstant,adecimallike1.414,withthelengthoftheoffset.Wethenworkedtogethertodevelopseverallessonsfocusedoncalculatingoffsets.

Wedevelopedtheselessonsthroughasystemofdrafting.Iusuallybeganlessonplanningbyaskingleadingquestionslike,“whendoesanHVACtechnicianaddorsubtractfractions?”Whentheindustryinstructorsaid,“IaddfractionswhenI’mtryingtodeterminetheheightofasplitsystem(aunitthatcombinesaheaterandairconditioner)andsubtractthemwhenIcalculatethedistancebetweentheductandthesplitsystem,”Iwouldaskfollow-upquestionslike,“howtallistheaveragesplitsystem”and“howfardoesaducthangdownfromaceiling?”Iwouldtakethemeasurementstheygavemeandworkwiththemtodevelopseveralexamplewordproblems.Then,Iwouldattempttosolvetheproblemsinfrontofthem,askingthemquestionsabouttheprocesstheyusewhennecessary.Afterthemeetingwasover,Iwoulddomyownresearch(i.e.lookingupadditionalmeasurementsandscenariosinwhichHVACtechniciansusefractions)andexpandtheexamplequestionsintoafull-lengthassignmentorpacket.

Aftermydraftlessonplanswerecomplete,Ipresentedthemtotheinstructorsforfeedback.WhileIwouldoftentaketheleadintheinitialplanningconversation,theindustryinstructorsgavemuchmoreenthusiasticfeedbackandsuggestedhelpfulandcreativeadditionstothelessonduringthefollow-upmeetings.Forexample,IpresentedLonnieMurraywitharelativelysimplelessononcalculatingBoyle’sLawthatlargelyusedexamplesfromphysicstextbooks.HeenhancedthelessonbysuggestingthatIincorporatethe“drag,”orthevolumeofthetubesusedinanHVACrecoverysystem.IsuspectthatthismethodwaseffectivebecauseIleveragedeachofourstrengths:IhadbeentrainedasaninstructorandcouldstructureactivitiesaseffectivelessonswhileMr.Murrayandtheotherindustryinstructorshadtheabilitytothinkcreativelyabouttheirindustries.Theseplanningsessionswouldgenerallylastforanhour,butdevelopingandrevisingthedraftswasverytime-consuming.DuringmyfirstninemonthsatSOMECET,IestimatethatIdevotedabout50%ofmytimetowritingandrevisinglessons.Thisinvestmentoftimeonmypartmayseemexcessive,butitenabledustomaximizeourlimitedco-planningtime.

Observingindustrylessonshadthegreatestimpactonmydevelopmentanddeliveryoflessonplans.DuringmyfirstyearatSOMECETIattendedafewindustryclassesaweek,outsideofmyindustrymathclasses.Ifirstdidsowiththeintentionofservingasa“model

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student.”InmanyI-BESTclassrooms,theadultbasiceducationinstructorspendsallorpartoftheirtimeasa“modelstudent”wholearnsthetradealongsidethestudentsandasksquestionsorrequestsmoreclarificationfromtheindustryinstructorwhennecessary(Wachen,etal.2010).WhileIwasoccasionallyabletohelpstrugglingstudentsoraskaclarifyingquestion,IfoundthatIbenefittedmuchmorefrombeingintheclassthanthestudentdid.Throughattendingindustryclasses,Ilearnedmuchmoreaboutthetrade,thelessonstheteachertaught,andtheterminologyheorsheused.Moreover,Icouldrefertospecificmomentsortopicsfromapreviousday’slessonwhengivingmyownlecture.Forexample,whenteachinghowtocalculateusingOhm’sLaw,Icouldrefertothedefinitions,metaphors,andexamplesthattheindustryinstructorusedinhisorherbasicelectricaltheorylecture.Referringtocolleague’sinstructioncanhelpstudentstodrawconnectionsbetweenmaterialacrossdisciplinesandtodevelopaglobalunderstandingoftheirfield.7AsIbecamemorefamiliarwiththetradesandtheinstructors’favoritetermsandexplanations,observingclassesbecamelessnecessary.

WhenIdevelopedmylessonplans,Ihadtodesignthemwhollyorpartlyfromscratch.Thisisbecausetherewerefewadequateindustrylessonsandcurriculadirectedatmystudents’skilllevelin2013.AsImentionedabove,moststudentsatSOMECETdomathatanABEIntermediateHighlevel.WhileeducatorsinbothMinnesotaandWashingtonstatehadmadelessonsandcurriculapubliclyavailableonline,manyofthebestweredirectedatstudentswhoperformedatamuchhigherorlowereducationalfunctioninglevelthanmystudentsandmanyweredirectedatESLstudents.

Similarly,mostoftheindustrymathtextbooksavailablecouldnotbeusedwithoutadaptation.Someassumedahighlevelofmathproficiencyanddevotedmostoftheirspacetowordproblemsandprovidedonlybriefexplanationsofthetext(e.g.ATP’sMathfortheBuildingTrades).Othersfocusedongeneralworkforceapplicationsratherthanaspecificindustrysector(e.g.SteckVaughn’sMathSkillsfortheWorkforce).Stillothers(e.g.MathematicsfortheHealthSciencesbyJoeR.Helms)offeredhigh-quality,integratedexercisesbutwerewrittenforacollegeaudience.Adaptingthesetextsmadeiteasierforlower-levelstudentstoengageinhigher-levelmath.8Forexample,somemedicaltextbookswillpresentClark’sRuleasfollows:

7 Similarly,MelissaC.Leavitarguesthatreferringcolleagues’ideasduringlectureallowsstudentsto“achievehigherlevelsofsynthesisandintegrationintotheirstudyofnewmaterial”(2006).8 SOMECETwentthroughasimilarprocesswhendesigningitscurriculum.Whileweusetextbooks(likeDelmar’sAdministrativeMedicalAssisting)whicharedesignedforacommunitycollegeaudience,wedeliverourowntestsratherthanthoseprovidedwiththebook.Ourtestsareshorterandlesscomprehensivethanthosecreatedbythetextbookcompaniesandgenerallyfocusontheskillsthatonemostneedstosucceedintheirtargetprofession.

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Thisalgebraicformulationlooksunfamiliartomanyofmystudentswhomaynothavepassedoreventakenanalgebracourse.However,ifitisreformulatedlikeso:

itlookslikeafractionmultiplicationproblem,somethingmorefamiliartointermediatehighstudents.Similarly,manyelectricaltextbooksoftenrequirestudentstoderiveallthreeformulationsofOhm’slawfrom

Byprovidingstudentswithallthreeformulations,difficultcalculationsthatindustryprofessionalsperformdailycanbemadeaccessibletostudents.

Creatingandadaptingcontentalsoallowedmetoincludemoreauthenticindustrymaterials.Forexample,plumbersuseamanualcalledafittingscheduletodeterminethesizeoffittings.Similarly,insulationcompaniespublishtablesforcalculatingtheminimumandmaximumamountofinsulationtousepersquarefoot.Whilethesedocumentshaveobviousmathapplications,theyarenotcreatedforeducationalpurposes,andneitherislikelytobefoundinanindustrymathtextbook.Lookingupthesedocumentsrequiresconsiderableresearch.However,incorporatingthemintoclassesmakesindustrymathseemmorerealandlendscredibilitytoinstructors’claimsthatprofessionalsusemathdaily.

BecauseofSOMECET’senrollmentmodel,mymathclasseswerecomposedofstudentswhoseindustryexperience,timeintheprogram,andmathematicalabilitiesvariedconsiderably.SOMECETaddressesthischallengeinitsindustrycoursesbymakingeachunitmodular.TheHVACunit,forexample,doesnotpresupposeaknowledgeofcarpentryorelectricalwiring(thoughrelevantcompetenciesfrombothareincorporatedintolessons).Weattemptedtomakeourindustrymathcoursesjustasmodularbyidentifyingasmallsetofmathcompetencieswithunitsinthecurriculum.Forexample,weassociatedtheunitsintheBMSTprogramwiththefollowingcompetencies:

Unit CompetenciesCarpentry Area, Reading Blueprints, Multiplying Fractions, Volume, Converting Weights and

MeasuresElectrical Multiplying and dividing using decimals, formulasHVAC Volume, Area, Multiplying Fractions, Order of Operations, Solving Single Variable

Algebra EquationsPlumbing Adding and Subtracting Fractions, Multiplying Decimals, Converting Decimals to

Fractions

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Thoughsomeoftheaboveunitssharecompetenciesincommon(i.e.HVACandCarpentry),manydonot(i.e.ElectricalandCarpentry).Asaresult,newstudentsfeltlessovermatchedwhenenteringaclasswithstudentswhohadspentmoretimeatSOMECET.Forexample,aveteranstudentinanelectricalclasswhohadtakencarpentrywouldnothavemuchmoreofanedgeoveranewstudentsinceneitherhadtakencoursesthatinvolveddividingdecimalsbefore.Thecompetenciesineachoftheseunitsarescaffolded.One,forexample,mustknowhowtodividedecimalsbeforetheycanuseelectricalformulaslikeOhm’sLaw.However,thecurriculumdoesnotpresupposethatoneneedstobefamiliarwithfractionsbeforeprogressingtodecimals(asmanyadulteducationcurriculado).Moreover,thenumberofcompetenciesaddressedineachunitwassmallenoughthatastudentwhoenteredinthemiddleofaunitcouldcatchupthroughwarm-upassignmentsandthehelpoftheirpeers.

RESULTSDuringthefirstsixmonthsofimplementingI-BEST(JanuarythroughJuneof2013),we

sawan11.75%increaseinEducationalFunctioningLevel(EFL)gainsbypost-testedstudents(studentswhotooktwoormoreCASAStestswhileattendingSOMECET).Ineachsuccessivefiscalyear,thenumberofpost-testedstudentswithEFLgainshasexceeded50%.Moreover,inFY2015-2016,morethan67%ofpost-testedstudentsachievedEFLgains,exceedingthepercentageofstudentsmakingEFLgainsinthestatebymorethan12%.Furthermore,ifweexcludethosecategoriesinwhichnostudentsenrolled,suchasESLandASEHigh,weexceededstateperformancebymorethan25%(OfficeofCareer,Technical,andAdultEducation).DuringFY2015-2016,approximately59%ofallSOMECETstudentsachievedEFLgains(asdefinedbyNRStable4).ThisexceedsthestatepercentageachievingEFLgains(excludingcategoriesinwhichnostudentswereenrolledatSOMECET)byapproximately31%andtheoverallstateperformancebyapproximately25%(accordingtotheNRS).Thissuccessnotonlylendscredencetotheeffectivenessofintegratededucationandtraining,butalsoshowsthatahighlysuccessfulIETprogramcanbebuiltwithouthavingthehighlevelsofco-teachingmandatedbyinitiativeslikeI-BEST.

Furthermore,ourexperienceprovidesevidencethatlower-levellearnersandlearnerswithouthighschooldiplomascanbenefitfromco-taughtinstruction.AsImentionedabove,DChashistoricallyrequiredstudentstobothhaveahighschooldiplomaandtoreadanddomathatan8thgradelevelbeforeparticipatinginjobtrainingprograms.AsDCareaprogramshaveadoptedIET,manyhaveplacedstudentswithoutahighschooldiplomaor8thgradelevelreadingandmathproficiencyintoeitherbridgecourses(whicharegenerallycontextualizedbutnotintegratedorco-taught)orun-integrated,un-contextualizedbasicskillscourses.Similarly,manyFastTRACstudentswithmystudents’CASASorTABEscoreswouldberequired

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toparticipateinabridgeclass.9These“cutscores”areareflectionofanationaldebateaboutwhocanbenefitfromIET.Manyeducatorsandadministrators,includingadvocatesforlow-scoringlearnerslikePickard(2016),areskepticalthatstudentswithlowbasiceducationscorescansucceedinintegrated,contextualizededucationorevenbridgecourses.SOMECETprovidesevidencethatthesestudentscansucceedandthatthe“cutoff”forfullyintegrated,contextualizedinstructioncanbelowerthanmanyeducatorsbelieve.

Perhapsthemostimportantresultofimplementingintegrated,contextualizedbasiceducationwasitseffectonindustryinstructors.WhenImetwithRosalieJaenisch,aFastTRACindustryinstructoratSaintPaulCollegeandheadofthatcollege’sMedicalOffice/HealthInformationTechnologyDepartment,andCarlynnMiller-Gore,herbasiceducationco-teacher,inNovemberof2013,Ms.JaenischtoldmethatoneofthemostvaluablethingsshelearnedfromworkingwithMs.Miller-Gorewasteachingtechniques.Specifically,Miller-GoretaughtJaenischhowtousesecondlanguageteachingtechniques(suchasthoseadaptedfromDictation:NewMethods,NewPossibilitiesbyPaulDavisandMarioRinvolucri)tohelpstudentslearnmedicalterms(personalcommunication,November15,2013).Ihavenoticedthattheindustryinstructorshaveacquirednewandsharpenedtheirexistingteachingskillsthroughworkingwithme.

Byco-teachingwithindustryinstructors,Imodeledbehaviorsthattheyadopted.Forexample,LonnieMurray(personalcommunication,October25,2017)noticedhowIwouldwalkaroundtheroomwhileteaching,checkingtomakesurethatstudentswerecomprehendingandontask,andbegantodosohimself.HealsoappreciatedhowIwouldmodelthought(orexplicitlydescribemybehaviorsandthoughtsIwashaving)whenteachingstudentsanewconcept.Afterco-teachingalessonongaugereadingwithme,hebegantousemytechniqueforreadinggaugeswhileteachingstudentsintheshop,andworkedtomodelthoughtwhenintroducinganewconcepttohisstudents.WhileLonnieestimatesthat“lessthan50%”ofstudentsusedtobeabletocomprehendanyofhislecturesbeforeheworkedwithme,heestimatesthatnow,about“85%percentofstudentscanunderstand.”

Asourrelationshipsdeveloped,Ialsobegantodirectlyteachmyfellowinstructorstechniqueslikelessonplanningandassessment.SOMECET,likemostDCareatradeschools,

9 Forexample,St.Paul’smedicalofficeassistantcourserequiredseventhgradereadingandmathforparticipationinthebridgeand8thgradereadingandmathforintegratedcoursework(Burns,etal,2013).Furthermore,theaudienceforhealthcarebridgecurriculaavailablethroughMinnesota’sAtlasABEdatabaselistvariesconsiderably.OnerequiresaCASASreading230-236(8th-9thGrade,ABEIntermediateHightoASELow),whileanotheristargetedatstudentswithTABEreadingbetween6.0-12.5(usuallycorrelatedwith6thtoabove12thgradelevel)andTABEmathbetween5.0and12.5(Miller-Gore,2017).Ineachofthesecases,mostofourstudentswouldhavetotakeabridgebeforeproceedingtointegratedinstruction.Burns,etalalsonotethatmostFastTRACparticipantstakeabridgebeforeenteringintegratedinstruction(2013).SincemostofmylearnerswouldhaveenteredabridgecourseinFastTRAC,thishelpstoaccountforthelackofpubliclyavailableintegratedcurriculatargetedatmylearners’level.

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doesnotrequireindustryinstructorstohaveprevioustrainingorexperienceineducation.Ofthe11instructorswhoIhavetaughtalongsideatSOMECET,6hadnottaughtbeforearrivingatSOMECET.Fourofthemedicalinstructorshadtaughtatproprietaryschools.Theseschoolstypicallyusepackagedcurricula(inwhichalllessonplans,PowerPointpresentations,andassignmentsareproducedbyacompanylikeDelmarorElsevier).Becauseofthis,mostinstructorsIworkedwithhadneverreceivedformaltrainingonhowtowritealessonplan,structurealesson,orassessstudentunderstanding.ManyofthelessonplansthatexistedatCETuponmyarrivaldidnotreflecttheactivitiesthatwentonintheclassroom.Moreover,manylessonsweredevotedentirelytolectureorlackedkeycomponents(suchasassessmentsoropportunitiesforguidedpractice).Forexample,MAAinstructorswouldoftenlectureonCPTcodesandthenreleasestudentstocompleteaCMS-1500formwithoutfirstshowinglearnershowtoproperlyfilloutsaidform.

Themanagers,seeingtheneedtocreateconsistencyinthecurriculum,encouragedmetoprovideinternalprofessionaldevelopmenttotheotherinstructors.Iobservedindustryinstructors’classesandmetwiththembiweeklytogoovertheresultsoftheobservations.Ithenworkedwiththemtoimprovetheirdeliveryandrevisetheirlessonplans.Throughthismethod,Itaughtinstructorshowtocoldcallconfusedorinattentivestudents,developoutcomes,andmatchassessmentsandinstructiontothestatedoutcomes.IalsoenhancedtheirprofessionaldevelopmentbydirectinginstructorstoonlinecoursesofferedbyLINCS.Notonlydidthesecoursesteachthemadditionalskillssuchasformativeassessment,butinstructorswouldcometometoaskquestionsabouttopicsthataroseinthecourses,enrichingourconversationsaboutstudentlearningandprogress.

Thisopportunityforcollaborationalsohelpedinstructorstodeveloptheirownmathabilities.Oneinstructor,AmeishaGathers,reportedthatco-teachingmathwithmegavehertheconfidencesheneededtopursueherbachelor’sdegree,andanotherreportedthatco-teachingwithmehelpedherstudyforthemathportionoftheGRE.LonnieMurray(personalcommunication,October25,2017)alsosaidthatparticipatinginindustrymath“rejuvenated”mathskillsthathehadn’tused.Notonlyhasheincorporatedadditionalmathconceptsintohisindustryclass,butheworkswithstudentstohelpreinforcelessonsthatIteachintheindustrymathclass.Hewilloftentiehands-on,practicallessonstorecentmathassignments.Forexample,ifwedoapacketfocusedonsubtractingfittingallowances,hewilltakestudentstotheshopthenextmorningandshowthemhowtosubtractfittingallowancesinreallife.Thishelpsthemretainmathconceptsandbemorepreparedforthenextmathclass.

Astheindustryinstructorsdevelopedtheirmathskills,theyhavesharedtheirexperiencewiththeirclasses,therebyraisingenthusiasmformath.WheneveranewgroupofstudentsarrivesinAmeishaGathers’class,shemakesapointofsayinghowshe“usedtohatemath”andtriedtoavoiditbothinschoolandherpersonallife.Shethensharestheeffectthatworkingwithmehashadonhermathabilityandherconfidenceinit.SinceMs.Gathersisa

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professionalintheirtargetfield,studentsidentifywithher,andthistestimonialhelpsstudentstoseemyselfandMs.Gathersasateamandencouragesresistantstudentsto“buyin”toindustrymath.

RECOMMENDATIONSSOMECETsuccessfullydevelopedanddeliveredintegrated,contextualizedbasicskills

curriculaatatimewhenthistechniquewaslargelylimitedtocommunitycolleges.Becauseofthesuccessofhigh-profileinitiativeslikeI-BESTandthepassageofWIOA,manynonprofitorganizations,communitycolleges,andotherprovidersarenowattemptingtodevelopintegrated,contextualizedcurriculaoftheirown.Theseeducatorscanderivethefollowinglessonsfromourexample:

• UseABEinstructorsasinternalprofessionaldevelopmentresources—Adulteducationinstructorsoftenhavemoreexperienceandformaltraininginhowtoteachanddevelopcurriculathantheindustryinstructorswhotheypartnerwith.BycreatingformalandinformalopportunitiesforABEinstructorstosharetheirskills,industryinstructorscanimprovetheirowndelivery.

• Designcontextualizedmaterialsdirectedatstudentswithloweducationalfunctioninglevels—Whilemanyoff-theshelfcontextualizedmathtextbooksarenotappropriateforstudentswithlowmathskills,thesematerialscanbemodifiedandenhancedtoservestudentswithloweducationalfunctioninglevels.

• Includelearnerswithlowbasicskillsincontextualized,integratedinstruction—Contextualized,integratedinstructionisextremelybeneficialtostudentswithlowbasicskills.Inintegratedclasses,theABEinstructorisabletoreinforceconceptstaughtbytheindustryinstructor,andviceversa.

ByutilizingABEinstructorstodevelopanddelivercurriculadirectedatlow-skilledlearnersandstrengthenindustryinstructors’teachingskills,programscanlowertheir“cutscores”andallowmoreadultlearnerstoachieveoccupationalcredentialsandentersustainablewageemployment.ThishelpsfulfillthevisionpresentedbyWIOA:thatalladulteducationstudentscanenterandadvanceinacareerpathway.

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REFERENCESAnderson,T.,Eyster,L.,Lerman,I.,O’Brien,C.,Conway,M.,Jain,R.,&Montes,M.(2015,March).The

Second Year of Accelerating Opportunity: Implementation Findings from the States and Colleges [White Paper].RetrievedNovember5,2017,fromUrbanInstitute&TheAspenInstitute:https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/43726/2000132-the-second-year-of-accelerating-opportunity.pdf

Burns,M.,Lindoo,S.,Dincau,J.,Speck,R.,&DeMaster,D.(2013).Minnesota fastTRAC: Implementation Study of 2011 Career Pathways.St.Paul:DepartmentofEmploymentandEconomicDevelopment.RetrievedNovember4,2013

ComprehensiveAdultStudentAssessmentSystems.(n.d.). For WIOA Title I Funded Agencies and Youth Providers NRS Educational Functioning Levels to CASAS Scale Scores and Grade Levels.RetrievedNovember13,2017,fromhttps://www.casas.org/docs/default-source/wiaandnrs/casasnrs-grade-wiaI.pdf?sfvrsn=15?Status=Master

DepartmentofEmploymentServices.(2017).DOES Performance Responses FY16-17.RetrievedNovember5,2017,fromhttp://dccouncil.us/files/user_uploads/budget_responses/DOES_performance_responses,_FY16-17,_Part_1.pdf

Leavit,M.C.(2006,Fall).TeamTeachingBenefitsandChallenges.SpeakingofTeaching,16(1),p.2.RetrievedNovember10,2017,fromhttps://web.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/Newsletter/teamteaching.pdf

Lyons,C.(2015).EnglishforHealthcare.RetrievedNovember10,2017,fromhttp://atlasabe.org/resources/adult-career-pathways/health/english-for-healthcare

Miller-Gore,C.(2017).MedicalOfficePrep.RetrievedNovember10,2017,fromhttp://atlasabe.org/resources/adult-career-pathways/health/medical-office-prep

OfficeofCareer,Technical,andAdultEducation.(n.d.).Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education National Reporting System.RetrievedNovember5,2017,fromhttps://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/login.cfm

Tran,J.(2014).Minnesota’sTomorrow:EquityistheSuperiorGrowthModel.PolicyLinkandTheUniversityofSouthernCaliforniaProgramforEnvironmentalandRegionalEquity.Retrievedfromhttp://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/MNT_032514.pdf

Wachen,J.,Jenkins,D.,&VanNoy,M.(2010,September).HowI-BESTWorks:FindingsfromaFieldStudyofWashingtonState’sIntegratedBasicEducationandSkillsTrainingProgram.CommunityCollegeResearchCenter.RetrievedNovember5,2017,fromhttps://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/how-i-best-works-findings.pdf

WorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct,29U.S.C.§§113-128.(2014).

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Korengel | Nurturing Adult Students’ Internal Locus of Control

NURTURING ADULT STUDENTS’ INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL TO IMPROVE SELF-EFFICACY AND ACHIEVEMENT

Jacqueline E. Korengel, Ed.D. Kentucky Skills U, Council on Postsecondary Education

Ifyouindulgemeforafewmomentsasyoureadon,Ithinkyouwillappreciatetheremindersofjusthowmuchourworkasadulteducatorscaninfluenceourstudents’lives.Whenastudentdarkensourdoor,wemaybethelastbastiontohelpempowerthemtomoveforwardintheirlives.

Asadulteducators,weknowmanyofourstudentsenterourprogramswith“barriers”tolearning.Thesebarriersoftenrequire,notjustovercoming,butdisabling,beforeastudentcansuccessfullyengageintheireducationalpursuit.Thispursuitisjustthefirststepinbecomingaproductive,self-sufficientcontributortoahealthyeconomyandqualitystandardoflivingintheircommunity.

Barrierisdefinedassomethingthatpreventsmovementoraccess.Synonymsforbarrierinclude,obstacle,obstruction,hurdle,stumblingblock,etc.Therefore,thereisanimplicationabarriermayberemoved.However,manyofourstudentsdon’tfindtheirwayoveroraroundtheirbarriersbecauseovertimetheirbarriershavecometodefinethem.Iamnotreferringtobarriersliketransportation,childcare,etc.Iamreferringtobarriersthatfollowourstudentsliketheirshadows.Thoseformerlymentionedbarriersaremoreeasilyremovedthroughreferralsandpartnershipsinourcommunities.Thelatterbarriers,notsomuch.

Inthesestudents’minds,thebarrierstowhichIdenotehavebecomepersistent,pervasive,andpermanent,and,ultimately,theirreality.What’smore,theirsupportnetworkisfrequentlyplaguedbythesameverityand,inprinciple,offerlittleopportunitytorealizesomethingbeyondshort-term,present-daysurvival.

WhenIwasanundergraduateinpsychologyclass,Idiscoveredtwotermsthatprofoundlyresonatedwithmeforavarietyofreasons,leastofwhichweremyparents’lifeexperiencesandtheirconsciouschoicesnottoletthoseexperiencesdefinethemorwhattheyandtheirchildrencouldachieve.

Thosetermswerelocusofcontrolandself-efficacy.Thereappearstohavebeenkeeninterestinresearchingthetwotermsinthe70s,80s,and90s,butlessprolificnow.Locusofcontrolislikelydefinedaswhatyouexpect;centerofcontrol.Whatdistinguishesthedefinitionistheadditionof“internal”and“external.”Individualswhobelievethattheyhavecontroloveralifesituationhaveaninternallocusofcontrolandthosewhobelievethatoutsidefactorshavemorecontroloveralifesituationhaveanexternallocusofcontrol.Therefore,locusofcontroldescribesthedegreetowhichpeoplebelievetheyhavecontroloversituationsintheirlives.

Whenyouthinkofyourstudentsdoesthereappearthatonelocusofcontrolismore

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prevalentthantheother?Holdthatthought…Consistentlyviewinglifesituationsasoutofyourcontrolandgenerallydirectedbyoutsideforcescanleadtolearnedhelplessness(whichwecanexploreanothertime)andpoorself-efficacy.Self-efficacyinvolvesbelievinginone’sabilitytotakethestepsnecessarytoproducedesiredoutcomes.Highself-efficacypermitsanindividualtoapproachasituationwiththebelieftheywillsucceed.Lowself-efficacy,ontheotherhand,willlikelyimpedeanindividual’sapproachtoandachievementofadesiredoutcome.

Studieshaveindicatedindividualswithhighself-efficacytendtohaveaninternallocusofcontrol.Ironically,thesesameindividualshaveanexternallocusofcontrolintheeventoffailure.SoifIpredominatelypossessaninternallocusofcontrol,itislikelyIapproachsituationswithahighself-efficacy.However,ifmydesiredoutcomedoesnotcometofruition,Iwillblamefactorsoutsideofmycontrolorexhibitexternallocusofcontrol.

Withthatinmind,ithasbeenindicatedthatifIhavelowself-efficacyapproachingatask,Iwilllikelypossessanexternallocusofcontrolwhenitcomestoachievingadesiredoutcome,BUTaninternallocusofcontrolifIfailtoachievethedesiredoutcome.Therefore,Iwillblamemyselfforfailures,whileatthesametime,givecredittooutsideforcesformysuccesses.

Self-efficacygenerallyresemblesthelevelofcompetenceanindividualfeels.Whatcharacteristicsshouldwelookfortoidentifyindividualswithlowself-efficacy(whowilltypicallyexhibitexternallocusofcontrol)?Individualswithlowself-efficacydonotenvisionthemselvessucceeding.Consequently,theyareunwillingtotakerisksortrynewthings.Theyfearuncertaintyrelated,again,toself-doubt.Theywantguaranteedsuccess.Frequently,lowself-efficacyleadstofeelingsoffailurebecausebeliefsofincompetencearegeneralizedtootheraspectsoftheirlives,resultinginpersistent,overallfeelingsoffailure.Ironically,somelowself-efficacyindividualsmaytrytoimpressuponothersasuccessfulandcompetentimagewheninfacttheybelieveandfeeltheopposite.

Startingtosoundfamiliar?Thegoodnewsisthatwealreadydothingsthathelpempowerourstudents—eventhoughwemaynotdirectlycorrelatethemtolocusofcontrol.Additionally,atleastaccordingtoRussHillwhohaswritten,“TeachInternalLocusofControl,”studentscanlearnhowtointernalizesuccessbylearningtoviewtheirworldintermsofaninternallocusofcontrol.

Hillrecommendsusingwhathecalls,“ThePersonalAchievementStrategy.”Itisasix-stepstrategyhavingstudents(1)studythemselves;(2)creategoalideas;(3)setpersonalgoals;(4)plan;(5)strivetoachievethesesameself-setgoals;and(6)evaluatetheeffectivenessoftheirefforts.Hill’stheoryisasstudentsachievepersonalgoals,theyactandthinklike“internals”(internallocusofcontrol)andexperienceachievement.Consequently,theycometobelievetheirabilitytoinfluencetheirownlives.Basedonresearch,achievementandinternallocusofcontrolareinteractive—achievementleadstoagreaterbeliefininternalcontrol.Beloweachstepinthepersonalachievementstrategyisbrieflydescribed:

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Step 1: Studying Self:Askstudentstosharetheirpastachievements(writingthemdowncanbeverypowerful).Thisprovidesthestudentwithaforuminwhichtodefineexamplesofspecificpersonalpastachievementsforwhichtheycanbeidentifiedas“doers,”whosetandachievegoals,arerecognizedandreinforcedfortheirachievements,andbegintobuilda“reserve”ofpersonalpastachievements.Consequently,studentsbegintothinktheycaninfluencedesiredoutcomesintheirlives.

Step 2: Getting Goal Ideas:Usetheinformationresultingfromstepone’sself-studyandfacilitatestudents’explorationofpotentialpersonalgoals,e.g.,brainstorming,interestinventories,etc.Thisexplorationcontinuestheprocessofgeneratingpositiveenergy,promotingthemasagentsoftheirowndestinies,andbeginstolaythegroundworkforcommitmenttotheirpersonalgoals.

Step 3: Setting a Goal:Educatorsfrequentlyrecognizethevalueofgoalsetting.Forstudentslearninginternallocusofcontrol,measurable,specific,andtimelygoalsareequallyimportant.However,goalsthatareattainable/doable/reasonableareparticularlykeyforthesestudentsinordertopromotetheachievement→internalcontrol→achievementexperience.

Step 4: Planning: Helpstudentstobecome“process-conscious.”Thisstepunderscorestheplanningprocessbydoingandreceivingreal-lifefeedbackonachievingplannedoutcomes.Planningbehaviorsuchaslistingtaskstobeaccomplishedtoreachgoals;sequencingtasks;matchingtaskstoresources;collectingnecessaryinformationandrevisingplans;selectingwaysinwhichtowork;andseekinghelp,supportstudentsinrealizingtheneedtobreakdownbigger,morecomplicatedgoals,furtherfortifyingtheircommitment,andillustratingthattheyareincontrolofhowtheirgoalsareachieved—notoutsideforces.

Step 5: Striving:Essentiallythisstepinvolvespersistenceandfollow-through.Justdoit.Strategiesthatcanassiststudentswiththisstepinclude,rememberingandfocusingonpastsuccesses,visualizingachievingtheirgoal,andrecallingotherswhohaveperseveredandsucceeded.

Step 6: Evaluating:Thisisanimportantsteptopermitstudentstoreflectupontheirachievementprocess.Thisconcludingstepsetsthestageforthecontinuationoftheirachievementprocess.Assiststudentswithunderstandingtheiranswerstothesequestions:DidIachievemygoalasIhavespecifiedit?;WhatdidIdowell?;andWhatcanIimprove?Togetheryoucanreflectuponwhetherandhowthesix-stepstrategyworked.

Asadulteducators,wefrequentlycitebarrierstostudents’educationalpursuits.Whiletheusualtransportationandchildcareissuesoftenarise,wehavetoconsiderourstudents’lifeexperiencesandhowtheyhaveinternalizedthem.Ourstudentsneedtounderstandtheyareincontroloftheirlivesandbuildingthesestepsintotheeducationalexperienceearlyoncandemonstratetothemthattheycanachievetheirdesiredoutcomes.However,ittakestime,commitment,andgoalsettingwithintentionalpursuitofincrementalsuccesses.Most

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importantly,ittakesperseveranceandtheabilitytoreflectuponsuccessesandmisstepstounderpincontinuedachievementandadvanceinternallocusofcontrol.

Itislikelytheprocessoutlinedaboveisfamiliartoadulteducatorsbecausetheyarealreadyintegratingtheseelementsintheeducationalexperience.However,Ithinkit’sworthvisitingthegenesesofwhyweprovidespecificfeedback,chunkgoalsintosmallermilestones,createasafeenvironmentinwhichit’sokaytofail,reinforcesuccesses,andperpetuateresolveandreflection.Howstudentsviewtheircontrolovertheworldaroundthemshapesmanythings,includingtheirperceptionoftheircompetenceandlikelihoodtoachieve.Therefore,likeourstudents,asadults,wewanttoknowwhywearelearningand,ultimately,applyingwhatwelearn.Recognizingtheinfluenceoflocusofcontrolandself-efficacyremindsuswhyouractionsandattentiontotheseconceptscanbesosignificant.

REFERENCESBird,CharlesDr.,(2010)Thinking about self-efficacy and locus of control, positivity, strengths-based

teams, well-being,retrievedfrom:http://drcharlesbird.com/creatingthefuture/2012/02/thinking-about-self-efficacy-and-locus-of-control/,CreatingtheFuture,AdventuresintheSecondHalfofLife.

Boyd,Natalie,Lesson transcript on self-efficacy,retrievedfrom:http://study.com/academy/lesson/self-efficacy-and-locus-of-control-definition-and-meaning.html,Study.com,Psychology104:SocialPsychology.

Frank,MonicaA.,Ph.D.,(2011),The pillars of the self-concept: self-esteem and self-efficacy,Retrievedfrom:https://excelatlife.com/articles/selfesteem.htm,ExcelAtLife,PursuingExcellenceinLife,Relationships,Sports,andCareer.

Hill,Russ,(2011),Teach internal locus of control: A positive psychology app.BeachHaven,NJ:WilltoPowerPress.

Weisz,JohnR.andStipek,DeborahJ.,(1981),Perceived personal control and academic achievement,ReviewofEducationalResearch,Vol.51,No.1,pp.101-137.

http://drcharlesbird.com/creatingthefuture/2012/02/thinking-about-self-efficacy-and-locus-of-control/

http://drcharlesbird.com/creatingthefuture/2012/02/thinking-about-self-efficacy-and-locus-of-control/

http://study.com/academy/lesson/self-efficacy-and-locus-of-control-definition-and-meaning.html

http://study.com/academy/lesson/self-efficacy-and-locus-of-control-definition-and-meaning.html

https://excelatlife.com/articles/selfesteem.htm

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Uvin | Are We on the Brink of Something Big?

ARE WE ON THE BRINK OF SOMETHING BIG? REFLECTIONS ON THE CURRENT AND FUTURE STATE OF

CAREER PATHWAYS POLICY AND PRACTICE

Johan E. UvinInstitute for Educational Leadership

InthisbriefarticleIreflectonwhatwe—asanation—haveaccomplishedtodateincareerpathwayspolicyandpractice.Iarguethatweshouldnotrestonourlaurelsandtakeonthenextlevelofpolicyandpracticechallengesuntilwemakegoodonthepromiseofcareerpathwaysasanequitystrategythatprovidesemployerswiththeskilledlabortheyseekandindividualsandfamilieswithmeaningfulemployment,goodwages,andbenefits.TheviewsinthisarticleareentirelymyownanddrawonmyexperienceintheObamaAdministration(2009-2017)andmyrolespriortothatasthestatedirectorfortheOfficeofAdultandCareerandTechnicalEducationinRhodeIsland.Indescribingpolicydevelopments,Ididnotoptforcreatingahistoricalchroniclingofallevents.Instead,IusedeventsthatIhaveperceivedassignificantcontributorstothefederalpolicyframeworkthathasemergedovertime.

LET’S ACKNOWLEDGE THE GREAT WORK THAT DROVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEDERAL POLICY FOR CAREER PATHWAYS

Upuntilthelate2000s,therewasverylittleintermsoffederalpolicyorinvestmentspertainingspecificallytocareerpathwaysforyouthandadults.Thereweretheremnantsofworkplaceliteracyinvestments,whichhadbeensignificantinthe1980sand1990s.Therewereresidualschool-to-careereffortsinitiallyauthorizedbytheSchool-to-WorkOpportunitiesAct,whichexpiredin2001.TherewassomefundingforworkplaceeducationandincumbentworkertrainingthroughtheprogramsauthorizedbytheWorkforceInvestmentActof1998.And,thereweresomeisolated,uncoordinatedinvestmentsbyfederalagenciesineducationandtrainingprogramsforyouthandadults.

Inthe2000s,however,therewereseveraldevelopmentsinboththepublicandprivatesectorsthat,inhindsight,werepreludestothefullemergenceofafederalpolicyframeworkforcareerpathwayprogramandsystemdevelopment.Isharesomeofthesedevelopmentsbelowforillustrativepurposes.

Mostoftheinnovativeworkfocusedonadultswasseededbyphilanthropy(e.g.,ShiftingGearsandAcceleratingOpportunity),stateinnovations(e.g.,Washington’sI-BESTandMinnesota’sFastTRAC),orlocally-drivenbystrongpartnershipsbetweeneducators,non-profits,andemployers(e.g.,InstitutodelProgresoLatinoinChicago).Onthefederalside,theintroductionofprograms of studyintheCarlD.PerkinsCareerandTechnicalEducation

AreWeontheBrinkofSomethingBig?ReflectionsontheCurrentandFutureStateofCareerPathwaysPolicyandPractice|ByJohanE.Uvin

https://careertech.org/perkins

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Actof2006wasacriticaldevelopment.The2006LawcalleduponstatestocreatesequencesofacademicandCareerTechnicalEducation(CTE)courseworktohelpstudentsattainapostsecondarydegreeorindustry-recognizedcertificateorcredential.AdvanceCTE,theassociationofstatedirectorsofCTE,tookthisconstructanddevelopedprogramsofstudythatspannedsecondaryandpostsecondarybydesignandtiedtheseprogramsofstudytocareerpathwaysincareerclusterstoassiststatesandlocalpractitionersinimplementation.Roughlyaroundthesametime,theUnitedStatesDepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesinitiatedin2007thePathways for Advancing Careers and Education project(PACE),amulti-site,randomassignmentevaluationofpromisingstrategiesforincreasingemploymentandself-sufficiencyamonglow-incomefamilies.ThePACEteamcametofocusoncareerpathwaysasthemaininterventionframeworktostudy.TheOfficeofCareerandTechnicalEducation,thenstilltheOfficeofVocationalandAdultEducation,beganaseriesofmodesttechnicalassistanceinvestmentsusingitsnationalactivitiesresourcesauthorizedundertheAdultEducationandFamilyLiteracyActtoadvancetheideasofintegratededucationandtrainingprogramsandcareerpathwaysforadults.TheEmploymentandTrainingAdministrationattheUnitedStatesDepartmentofLabor,usingresourcesfromdiscretionaryprogramsandresourcesfromtheAmericanRecoveryandReinvestmentActof2009,investedinpathwaysoutofpovertyandcareerandsocialpathwaysleadingtoeconomicself-sufficiency.

Bythelate2000s,theseinitiativeshadcreatedlotsofmomentumand“buzz”inourcapital,butquestionsstartedcomingupbecausetheseinitiativesweren’tnecessarilycoordinatedortiedtogetherintoapubliclysupportedtalentdevelopmentstrategy.1Leadingresearch,policyandadvocacyorganizationsinboththepublicandprivatesectorsdevelopedpolicyrecommendationsinthecontextofthereauthorizationoftheWorkforceInvestmentActof1998thatspokedirectlytotheneedforgreaterconnectionsbetweenvariouseducation,training,humanservicesagencies,andtheprivatesectorandtotheneedforsharedaccountabilitymeasuresandforgreateralignmentbetweenvariousprogramsinordertocreatecollegeandcareerpathwaysforyouthandadults.Inretrospect,theseconcernstakentogetheriswhatgaverisetothedevelopmentofacomprehensivepolicyframeworkforcareerpathways.

LET’S CELEBRATE THE EMERGENCE OF A FEDERAL POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR CAREER PATHWAYS

Inthedecadethatfollowed,policydevelopmentforcareerpathwaysacceleratedandpracticematuredultimatelyresultinginthecodificationofcareerpathwaysinstatutewithimplementationexpectationsatscale.LeadinguptothecodificationofcareerpathwaysintheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA)of2014,therewereseveralkey“events”

1 Theprivatesectorusestermssuchastalentdevelopmentandtalentpipelinedevelopment.Thesearedemand-sidephrasesforwhatthepublicsectorunderstandsascareerpathways.

https://careertech.org/perkins

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thatfacilitatedthedefinitionandeventualadoptionoffederalcareerpathwayspolicyandpractice.Iofferachronologicalaccountofselectreports,policies,programs,andfundingopportunitiesthat,atleastinmymind,werepreludestothefederalpolicyframeworkforcareerpathwaysthatisknowntoday.

In2011,HarvardUniversityreleasedPathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge to Prepare Young Americans for the 21st Century,launchedthePathwaystoProsperityProject,andsubsequentlypartneredwithJobsfortheFuturetodevelopanetworkofpractitionersin14states(todate)tobuildcollegeandcareerpathwaysforyouth.

InOctober2011,thefirstroundoftheU.S.DepartmentofLabor’sTrade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT)grantprogramwaskickedoff.CongresshadauthorizedtheTAACCCTgrantprogramaspartoftheAmericanRecoveryandReinvestmentActof2009toincreasethecapacityofcommunitycollegestomeetlocalandregionallabordemandforaskilledworkforce.TheHealthCareandEducationReconciliationAct,signedinMarch2010,providedtheTAACCCTprogramwithnearly$2billioninfundingoverfiscalyears2011-2014,orapproximately$500millionannuallyoverfourroundsofgrants.DOL,whichadministersthegrants,fundedatotalof256three-tofour-yeargrantstoinstitutionsofhighereducationofferingprogramsthatcanbecompletedintwoyearsorless.Thisisamajorinvestmenttoincreasetheabilityofcommunitycollegestoaddressthechallengesoftoday’sworkforce.GrantsaredesignedtohelpworkerseligiblefortrainingundertheTAAforWorkersprogram,aswellasabroadrangeofotheradults.“ThroughTAACCCT,communitycollegeshavedevelopedorredesignednearly2,600ProgramsofStudytohelpadultslearnskillsthatleadtofamily-supportingjobs.Eachcollegeorconsortiumofcollegesdevelopedprogramsofstudyalignedwithlocalandregionalbusinessneeds,whichwereidentifiedthroughpartnershipsformedorstrengthenedwithgrantfunds.Tohelpadultstudentsobtainindustry-recognizedcredentialsmorequickly,collegesareusingTAACCCTfundingtoinnovatewithstrategiessuchascareerpathways,creditforpriorlearning,competency-basedmodels,onlinetraining,andstrongstudentsupportsystems.ThecurriculumandotherlearningmaterialsdevelopedbyTAACCCTgranteesarebeingmadewidelyavailabletoalltypesoftrainingprovidersonSkillsCommons.org.”2

ThereleaseofInvesting in America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education bytheUnitedStatesDepartmentofEducationinApril2012introducedasetofprinciplestoincreasetheresponsivenessofprogramstothedemandside,enhanceequityandquality,andpromotegreatercollaborationbetweenvarioussegmentsoftheeducationandworkforcedevelopmentsystemsandbetweenthepublicandprivatesectorsincludingbusiness,industry,andlabormarketintermediaries.

Inthatsamemonth,thefederalagenciesofLabor,Education,andHealthandHuman

2 https://doleta.gov/taaccct/

http://www.skillscommons.org/

https://doleta.gov/taaccct/

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Servicesissuedjointguidance(http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/ten-attachment.pdf)aroundcareerpathways.Intheguidance,careerpathwaysisdefinedasaseriesofconnectededucationandtrainingstrategiesandsupportservicesthatenableindividualstosecureindustryrelevantcertification,obtainemploymentwithinanoccupationalarea,andadvancetohigherlevelsoffutureeducationandemploymentinthatarea.Theagenciesestablishedaninteragencyworkinggroupandbegantoincreaseandcoordinatetheirprogrammatic,technicalassistance,andresearchinvestments.TheyalsopartneredwithexternalorganizationssuchastheNationalGovernorsAssociation,foundationssuchastheJoyceFoundation,andleadingresearchorganizationssuchasAbtAssociatesonaseriesofnationaldialoguesoncareerpathwaysexploringissuesofevidence,practice,andpolicy.Asaresultofthisjointletter,manystatestookexecutiveorlegislativeactionstoreplicatetheinteragencycollaborationmodeledbyfederalagenciesatthestatelevels.

Alsoin2012,theCenterforLawandSocialPolicylaunchedtheAllianceforQualityCareerPathways,fundedbytheJoyceFoundation,theJamesIrvineFoundation,andtheGreaterTwinCitiesUnitedWay,tohelpstateandlocal/regionalpartnershipsstrengthentheircareerpathwaysystems.ThisAlliancedevelopedasetofindicatorstomeasurethequality,outcomes,andimpactsofcareerpathwayprogramsandsystems.

In2013,theNationalGovernorsAssociationanditspartners,theCorporationforaSkilledWorkforceandtheNationalSkillsCoalition,releasedState Sector Strategies Coming of Age: Implications for State Workforce Policymakers inwhichitintroducedaframeworkthatarticulatedtherelationshipsbetweenandshowedtheintegrationofCareerPathwayPrograms,SectorStrategies,andIndustryClusters.Thiswasasignificantcontribution,astherehadbeeninadequateclarityuptothatpointregardinghoweconomicdevelopment,sectordevelopment,andcareerpathwaystrategiesrelatetoandsupporteachother.

InNovemberof2013,theU.S.DepartmentofLaborandtheU.S.DepartmentofEducationlaunchedtheYouthCareerConnectgrantprogramtoencourageAmerica’sschooldistricts,institutionsofhighereducation,theworkforceinvestmentsystem,andtheirpartnerstoscaleupevidence-basedhighschoolmodelsthatwouldtransformthehighschoolexperienceforAmerica’syouth.Theprogram’sintentwasto“strengthenAmerica’stalentpipelinethroughIntegrated Academic and Career-Focused Learning;Work-BasedLearningandExposuretotheWorldofWork;RobustEmployerEngagement;IndividualizedCareerandAcademicCounseling;andIntegrationofPostsecondaryEducationandTraining.”3

InDecemberof2013,JPMorganChaselaunchedNew Skills at Work,afive-year$250millionglobalinitiativetoleverageitsresources,expertise,andglobalreachtohelpinformandaccelerateeffortstosupportdemand-drivenskillstrainingforadults.Additionally,JPMorganChaselaunchedaprogramtoexpandskills—basededucationforyoungpeople—New Skills for

3 https://doleta.gov/ycc/

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/ten-attachment.pdf

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/ten-attachment.pdf

https://doleta.gov/ycc/

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Youth—whichisa$75millionprogramtohelpsolvetheyouthunemploymentcrisis.OnCapitolHill,leadingmembersofCongress,suchasSenatorMurrayandothers,started

introducingcareerpathwaybillsandinspring2014,thebi-partisanSenateHELPCommitteeteampickedupitslastWorkforceInvestmentActreauthorizationconversationandsenttheWIOAtoPresidentObamatosign,whichhedidonJuly22,2014.AfederaldefinitionofcareerpathwayswasformallycodifiedinWIOA,intendedtoimprovesystemsalignment,andexpectationswerearticulatedforstateandlocalworkforceboardstobuildcareerpathwaysystems.Onthesameday,VicePresidentBidenreleasedReady to Work: Job-Driven Training and American Opportunitythatfurthervalidatedtheimportanceofcareerpathwaysasacriticalelementofademand-driventalentdevelopmentsystem.

InDecember2014,theConsolidatedandFurtherContinuingAppropriationsActof2015gavecareerpathwaysanadditionallegislativeboost.IthelpedreopenthedoortoopportunityinpostsecondaryeducationbychangingtheHigherEducationActof1965,asamended(HEA),topartiallyrestorewhatisknownasthe“abilitytobenefit(ATB)alternatives.”ThislawchangedtheHEAtoallowastudentwhodidnotreceiveahighschooldiploma(oritsrecognizedequivalent),orwhodidnotcompleteasecondaryschooleducationinahome-schoolsetting,tobeeligibleforTitleIVfinancialaidthroughenrollmentinaneligiblecareerpathwayprogram.

InJanuary2015,PresidentObamalaunchedUpSkill Americaandcalledonbusinessesacrossthecountry“tohelpworkersofallagesearnashotatbetter,high-payingjobs,eveniftheydon’thavehighereducation.”4Sincethen,thiseffortwasinstitutionalizedattheAspenInstitute.Thisemployer-ledmovementaims“toexpandopportunityforAmerica’sworkersandallowoureconomyandcommunitiestothrive.Themovementpromotestrainingandadvancementpracticestohelpworkersprogressintheircareersandmoveintobetter-payingjobs.Ledbyaleadershipteamofemployerorganizations,UpSkill America’smissionisto“recognizeemployersthatinvestintheirfrontlineworkers;promotetheadoptionofpoliciesandpracticesusedbyemployerstoeducate,trainanddevelopfrontlineworkers;andhighlighteffectivelocalandregionalworkforcedevelopmentpartnershipsandhowtheyeducate,train,anddevelopindividualsforsuccessintheworkplace.”5Morethanonehundred(100)leadingemployers(e.g.,CVS,Walmart,andothers),labor-managementinitiatives,andlaborunionsmadecommitmentsthroughUpSkill Americatoupskilltheirfrontlineworkers.Manyothershavejoinedthismovementsincethen.

InMarch2015,NewAmericalaunchedOpportunity@Work,anewcivicenterprisetobebasedatNewAmericaandfocusedon“re-wiring”theU.S.labormarkettoenablemore

4 https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/01/22/upskill-america-presidents-plan-help-hardworking-americans-earn-higher-paying-jobs5 https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/upskill-america/

http://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/news/blog/nsc-releases-analysis-of-white-house-plan

http://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/news/blog/nsc-releases-analysis-of-white-house-plan

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/01/22/upskill-america-presidents-plan-help-hardworking-americans-earn-higher-paying-jobs

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/01/22/upskill-america-presidents-plan-help-hardworking-americans-earn-higher-paying-jobs

https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/upskill-america/

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Americanstoachieveeconomicopportunityandupwardmobilityinthejobmarketandworkplace.Focusedonthedemandside,Opportunity@WorkexpandsaccesstocareeropportunitiessothatallAmericanscanwork,learn,andearntotheirfullpotentialinadynamiceconomy.Inthenextdecade,Opportunity@Workaimsto“enableatleast 1millionAmericanstodemonstratetheirskillsandgethired—generatinga$20billionboostinannualearningsbyhelpingworkersovercomebarrierstohiring,learning,andfinancingtraining.”6

Inthatsamemonth,PresidentObamalaunchedtheTechHire Initiative,anewcampaigntoexpandlocaltechsectorsbybuildingtechtalentpipelinesincommunitiesacrossthecountry.ThePresidentpledged$100millioninfederalgrantfunding.Oneyearlater,inspring2016,theU.S.DepartmentofLaborannouncedthe$100millionH-1BTechHire Partnership Grants Program.

Inthatsameyear,thirteenfederalagencies,includingtheDepartmentsofAgriculture,Commerce,Defense,Education,Energy,HealthandHumanServices,HousingandUrbanDevelopment,Interior,Justice,Labor,theSocialSecurityAdministration,Transportation,andVeteransAffairs,issuedaletterofcommitmentaffirmingtheimportanceofaligningworkforceandeducationsystemstosupportcareerpathways.ThissecondjointletterwasanoutgrowthoftheObamaAdministration’sinteragencySkillsWorkingGroup,whichlaunchedin2014andheldaNationalDialogueonCareerPathways.

OnSeptember13,2016,ina405-5vote,theU.S.HouseofRepresentativespassedH.R.5587,theStrengtheningCareerandTechnicalEducationforthe21stCenturyAct(thebillthatwouldreauthorizePerkins).OnJune22,2017,H.R.2353,anupdatedversionoftheStrengtheningCareerandTechnicalEducationforthe21stCenturyAct,wasbroughttotheflooroftheU.S.HouseofRepresentatives,andthebillwaspassedonavoicevote.ThebillincludedtheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityActdefinitionofcareerpathways.TheSenatehasyettoconsideritsbill.

Finally,theemergenceoftheGuided Pathwaysmovementatcommunitycollegesinrecentyearsisanothersignificantdevelopment,asitlooksatoptimizingthelearningexperiencesandoutcomesofthosewhoarepartofthepostsecondarysegmentofcareerpathways.Asthatworkmovesfromtheorytomorewidespreadpractice,aclearerarticulationofhowGuidedPathwaysfitwithinthebroadercareerpathwayspolicyframeworkwouldbehelpfultothefield.

Clearly,thereislotstocelebrate.Inarelativelyshortperiodoftime,ournationhasgonefromnofederalpolicyframeworkforcareerpathwaystocodifyingcareerpathwaysinthelargestfederalstatutethatauthorizesactivitiesandfundinginthepublicworkforce

6 http://www.opportunityatwork.org/about-us/

https://s3.amazonaws.com/PCRN/docs/15-0675.CareerPathwaysJointLetterFinal-4-22-2016.pdf

http://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/news/blog/associate-director-joins-thought-leaders-in-national-dialogue

http://www.opportunityatwork.org/about-us/

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developmentsystem,aswellassignificantinclusionsofcareerpathwaysinfederalstudentaidappropriationbillsandCTEreauthorizationproposals.

LET’S REFLECT ON THE CURRENT STATE OF CAREER PATHWAYS POLICY AND PRACTICE

Today,ouremphasisneedstoshifttosupportrobustcareerpathwaysimplementationatscale,continuedinvestmentsinevaluation,andinnovationandideation.

Supporting ImplementationTechnicalassistancetothosewhodesignandimplementcareerpathwaysprogramswill

continuetobeessential.Thefederalagencieshavedevelopedtoolkitsandotherusefulresourcestosupportimplementationandhaveincreasinglymadecoordinatedtechnicalassistanceinvestments.TheyshouldstaythatcoursesothatthepromiseofcareerpathwaysreflectedinthepoliciesinWIOAbecomesapromisekeptinimplementation.

Thecareerpathwaysystemdevelopmentexpectationsinthelawwillrequireenhancedresourcesandtechnicalassistance.Thelevelofcross-sector,cross-system,andwithin-systemsegmentalignmentandcollaborationthatisneededissignificant.Thisisnotaboutrenamingoldprogramsascareerpathwayprogramsandbundlingthemtoclaimtheestablishmentofasystem.Itisaboutstateandlocalleadersinboththepublicandprivatesectorsworkingtogethertodesignpathwaysthatspan,include,andleveragestate,local,andprivateresourcesfromvariouseducation,training,healthandhumanserviceagenciesandfrombusiness,industry,andintermediariessuchaslabormanagementinitiatives.Thosecollaborationswillclarifyhoweachplayercontributestothepathwayandhowthesepathwaysarenestedinsectorstrategiesthatsupporteconomicdevelopmentandgrowth.

Onenext-levelchallengeinthisworkwillbetofurtherdevelopthedemandsidecomponentsofpathways.Withthegrowinginterestinapprenticeship,atrulydemand-drivenanddemand-/employer-fundedcareerpathwaycomponent,wearebeginningthatwork.Closercollaborationwithourbusinessesandindustrybeyondapprenticeshipsisnextsowecanmakethelearningfirmssupportanintegralpartofthepathway.Wehavemadehugestridesonthesupplysidewiththepre-employmentsegmentsofpathways,butnowweneedtodoabetterjobofconnectingtheworkonthedemandsidethatleadingforward-thinkingemployersarepursuingaspartoftheirlong-termtalentpipelinedevelopmentefforts.Thisdemand-sideactivityissignificant.WalmartandtheWalmartFoundation,forinstancecommittedtounlockingthefullpotentialoftheU.S.retailworkforce.Startingwiththeirownassociates,Walmarthasinvested$2.7billionovertwoyearsinhigherwages,education,andtraining.TogetherwiththeWalmartFoundation,thecompanyisinvesting$100millioninsystemsthathelpcreateeconomicmobilitywithinandbeyondretail.Someinvestmentshaveincludedissuesofpathwaysandcredentialingintheretailsector.Aspolicyandfunding

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responsibilitiesandfederalauthorityaredevolvingtothestateandlocallevels,greaterinvolvementoftheprivatesectorinlocalandstatecareerpathwaysystemdevelopmentworkisnecessary.Agreatstartingplaceismakingconnectionswiththetalentstrategiesoftheseforward-thinkingemployers.

Maintaining Investments in EvaluationAsimplementationevolves,federal,state,andlocalpolicymakers,funders,and

practitionerswanttoknowwhattheoutcomesofcareerpathwayprogramsareandwhattheimpactisofthecareerpathwaysystemswecreate.Evidenceisneededthatshowswhetherandhowcareerpathwayprogramsperformrelativetothestatusquo.Collectively,weneedtogatherdatatoeitherrejectorconfirmthehypothesisthatcareerpathwaysystemscanmaketalentpipelinesmoreefficientandaffectfirmandeconomicperformanceinaregion.Fortunately,therearesomesignificantrobustevaluationsunderwayandnewevaluationcapacityisbeingfunded.Thelong-termevaluationsunderthePACEandH-POCProgramsattheU.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesandtherecentinvestmentinaCTEresearchnetworkbytheInstituteforEducationSciencesaretwoexamples.Ascareerpathwayprogramsarebeingimplementedatscale,statesandlocalcommunitiesshouldconsidersupplementingthesefederalinvestmentswiththeirown.Intermediaryshort-termoutcomesandimpactfromthePACEandH-POCprogramssuggestthatcareerpathwayprogramscanbeeffective.Longer-termoutcomeandimpactdataarecurrentlybeinganalyzed.

LET’S INNOVATE: POLICY AND PROGRAM INNOVATION AND CAREER PATHWAYS IDEATION

Innovating Within the SystemAsmentionedearlier,wecannotrestonourlaurelsbecausewearelearningthatthefirst

iterationandgenerationofcareerpathwayprogramsandsystemsmayneedtoevolvetomeetunmetequitychallengesandtakefulladvantageofrapidtechnologydevelopments.Toaddressthesechallengesandtorefreshthecareerpathwayprogramandsystemconstructsforthefuture,weneedtoengageinpolicyandprograminnovationwithinthecurrentcareerpathwayssystemandweneedtoengageinanideationexerciseaboutwhatcareerpathwaysprogramming,servicedelivery,andsystemscouldorshouldlooklikeinthefuture.Thelatteris,inessence,aquestionabouttherelevanceofthemodelforaworkplacethatwillcontinuetorapidlychangeintermsofwhatpeopledo,whatmachinesdo,andwhatchallengesandopportunitieshuman-machineinteractionswillpresent.

Letmestartwithinnovationinourcurrentpoliciesandpractice.Asoftoday,wecannotsaythatourcareerpathwayprogramsandsystemsfulfilltheequitypromise.Resourcesareinadequatetoensureuniversalaccess.And,theavailableresourcesfromvariousfederalandstateprogramsarenotleveragedinanoptimalwayduetoeligibilityconstraintstiedtoselectfundingstreams.Toaddressthelatter,apolicyinnovationisneeded—perhapsa

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careerpathwaysperformancepartnershipauthorityconceptuallysimilartothePerformancePartnershipPilotAuthorityfordisconnectedyouth.Suchauthoritywouldallowlocal,regional,state,andeveninter-statecareerpathwaypartnershipstoreceiveflexibilitythroughtheirtribal,municipal,county,andstategovernmentstopoolanyfederal,state,andlocalresourcesthatcansupportanyaspectassociatedwiththeparticipationofyouthandadultsincareerpathwayprograms,andbeexemptfromaccountabilityandreportingrequirementsassociatedwiththeseprogramsinexchangeforanagreeduponsetofoutcomes.Butbeyondresources,thereareotherchallenges.

Oneparticularchallengethatwarrantsmuchmoreattentionthanithasreceivedtodateisthatnotallofourprogramsandsystemsaredesignedtofacilitatetheparticipationofindividualswithvisibleandinvisibledisabilities.WiththeexceptionofaninvestmentinahandfulofstatesbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducation’sOfficeofSpecialEducationandRehabilitativeServices,verylittleisknownregardingtheextenttowhichlocalcareerpathwayprogramsfacilitatetheparticipationandsuccessofpersonswithdisabilities.Stimulatinginnovationinhowuniversaldesignprinciplescanbeusedtocreateprogramsthatwillresultincompetitiveemploymentforyouthandadultswithdisabilitiesisoneimportantnextstepforustotakecollectively.

Similarly,innovationisneededinprogrammodelsthatleveragetheassetsofimmigrantandrefugees,particularlythoseindividualswhoarestilldevelopingtheirEnglishlanguageskillsandthosefacingre-credentialingbarriers.Becausetoooftenweuseadeficitmodel—whichdrivesselectivity—weareunnecessarilydelayingtheunleashingofthetalentsoftheseindividuals.

Alongthesamelines,weneedinnovationintheadultcareerpathwaydesignsofprogramsthatworkwithadultswhomaynothavehadaccesstoormaynothavebeensuccessfulinpostsecondaryeducationandtraining.Particularly,weneedinnovationandcollaboration.Communityschools—ofwhichthereareanestimated5,000-7,500inourcountry—areanchorinstitutionsincommunities.Soarecommunitycolleges.Careerpathwayprograms—bothforyouthandfortheparents—presentanaffordableopportunitytolinktheofferingsofthesetwoanchorinstitutions.Fartoofewoftheseinstitutionshavefoundeachotherforthispurpose.Inaddition,weneednewdesignsforlow-incomeadultsthataccommodatetheirneedstolearnandearnatamuchgreaterscale,withmuchenhancedsupports,andwithagreaterlikelihoodofin-programandpost-programsuccess.TherecentAdultCareerPathwaysDesignChallenge,apartnershipbetweenCOABE,theNationalAssociationofStateDirectorsofAdultEducationandtheInstituteforEducationalLeadership,withthesupportoftheECMCFoundation,isoneexampleofthetypeofinnovationthatisneeded.7

Afinalareaofinnovationthatweoughttoconsiderishowwecanleveragetherapid,exponentialimprovementsintechnologytoaddressunmetopportunityinvariousareasof

7 Formoreinformation,pleasevisit:http://mindsthatmoveus.org/.

http://mindsthatmoveus.org/

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programming.Applicationsbasedonartificialintelligencewillmakeitpossibletorethinkcompetency-basedremediationandlearningthatisfullypersonalizedandcustomized.Itcanfacilitateembeddedassessmentandmicrocredentialing.Augmentedandvirtualrealityapplicationscanoptimizeappliedlearningandcreatevirtualwork-basedlearningexperiencesincludingvirtualapprenticeships.Authoringplatformscanbecreatedtofacilitatethecreationofcustomizedwork-basedlearningexperiencesandvirtualcollaborativeproblemsolvingusingreallifeandrealworkproblemsetsengaginglearnersfromallovertheworld.Theseopportunitiesareheretoday.Weneedtoincentivizeinnovationsthatusethesetechnologiestoenhancethequalityandeffectivenessofeducation,training,andwork-basedlearningexperiencesincareerpathwayprogramswhilekeepingthecostfortheuserlowornonexistentastonotexacerbateequityissues.

LET’S IDEATE AND CREATE A CAREER PATHWAYS MODEL FOR THE FUTURE

Re-envisioning the Career Pathways Model for the FutureWemustdomore,though,thaninnovatewithintheexistingcareerpathwayspoliciesand

practices.Weneedtoaskourselves:Whatdofuturecareerpathwayprogramsandsystemslooklike?Howmightwedesignthemusingequityasthedrivingdesignprinciplesowecanbegintoaddresspersistentinequitiesandinequalities?Thesequestionsgetattheheartofhowdifferentconstituentgroupsviewthepurposesofeducationandworkforcedevelopmentandoureducationandschoolingmodels,whichIargue,werecreatedtoaccommodatetheneedsofdifferenteconomies(predominantlyagriculture)andhaveoutlivedtheirusefulness.

Withtheexponentialgrowthincomputingpowerandadvancesinartificialintelligenceandvirtualandaugmentedrealityapplications,thequestionofthedurabilityofthecurrentcareerpathwaysmodelisbeggingforananswer.Itwillsoonbepossibletofacilitateaccesstothehighestqualitycontentandfullypersonalizeandoptimizelearningofchildren,youth,andadults.Ifwekeepcostsforlearnersdown,thenthatmeansthatwe—atleastintheory—wouldnolongerdependonanyoneinourinstitutionstobethefacilitatorsofaccesstocontentandtheattainmentofcompetencies.Wewouldnolongerdependonabrickandmortarface-to-facearrangement,oratleast,notexclusively.AsReecieStagnolia,theChairoftheNationalAssociationofStateDirectorsforAdultEducation,says,“wearemovingfrombrickstoclicks.”8 Thesedevelopmentscallforachangeintheroleofourinstitutions.Theyalsocallforatleastanexaminationofwhatcareerpathwayprogramsandsystemsmaylooklike.Giventhecustodialresponsibilitiesschoolshaveundermandatoryschoolattendancelaws,whathappensintheseschoolsofthefuture?Whatdocareerpathwayslooklike?Similarly,howdothesedevelopmentsaffectthecommunitycollegemodel?Orthemodelourworkforcedevelopmentandemploymenttraininginstitutionsemploy?Doourinstitutionsbecomecentersofapplied

8 PersonalcommunicationattheWesternPathwaysConferenceinSaltLakeCityinJune2018.

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learningwhereyouthandadultscanaccesstechnologiesandsubjectmatterexperts—humansandrobotsandmachines—tofacilitatethesolvingofreallifeproblemsets?Dotheybecome“performancecenters,”asParminderJassalattheInstitutefortheFuturehassuggested?Or,willtheygoaway?Or,willtheymaintainface-to-faceopportunitiesassupportedonrampstoassistwithnavigationforthoseyouthandadultswhomightneedsignificantwraparoundsupportservices?Perhapsweshouldtalklessaboutwhattheroleisofourcurrentinstitutionsinthefutureofworkandlearningbutmoreaboutwhatecosystemsweneedtofacilitatelearninginthefuture.Weneedtobeginthisconversation.

Let’sgoonestepfurther.Rememberwhenhybridandonlinelearningtookoffandeventuallymatured?Theonlinelearningfieldwentfromparticipation,quality,andoutcomeconcernstoaplacewhereitisnowwidelyacceptedthat—whendesignedwell—onlinelearningopportunitiescanbeeffectiveandefficient.Withtheanticipateddevelopmentsintechnologyoverthenext3-5years,thereisanopportunitytoconsideranewwayofthinkingabout“anytime,anywherelearning.”Inonlinelearning,thatphrasebasicallymeansyoucandoyourlearningatalocationandatimethatisconvenientforyoutousetheInternettoaccessyourweb-enabledcourse.Butwhatifweexpandedourinterpretationandacknowledgedthatlearningtakesplaceallthetimeindifferentcontexts(formalandinformal)andindifferentformats.Canweenvisionacompetency-basedlearningsystemthatdoesbothpriorandcurrent(i.e.,real-time)learningassessmentsintheverylocationsandmomentswherewefindourselves?Cantheroleofinstitutionsbetofacilitateaccessandnavigationtoresourcesinreal-timeandaggregatelearning/competencyattainmentandcredentialit?Thetechnologyishere.Wemusthavethisconversation.

Nowlet’sthinkaboutcareerpathwaysinthatnewtechnology-richworld.Itisalmostimpossibletopredictwhatjobswillbegeneratedorhowcurrentjobswillbeaffected.Thatposesarealchallengeforbothindividualswhowantacareer,acareerpathway,andcareerprogressionandforthosewhoprovideeducation,training,work-basedlearning,andcredentialingexperiencesalongthevarioussegmentsofthepathway,particularlysincealargeportionoftheprogrammaticofferingsarestilltiedtobeingphysicallypresentataninstitution.Thecurrentmodelforcareerpathwaysmightnotworkwellformanycareersinthatnewfutureofours.Wemighthavetothinkaboutamodelthatismoreaboutskillacquisitionthatfacilitatescontinuedemploymentasajobevolvesorfacilitatesaccesstonewonesastheyarecreatedandoldoneseliminated.Andthe“leavetolearn”modelwillnotworkwellinthatcontextbecausepeoplecannotaffordtoleavework,bewithoutincome,andontophavetopaysignificantamountsintuitionandfees.TheInstitutefortheFutureenvisionsthatworkandlearningwillnolongerbeseparatebutthatwearemovingtowardsanewmodelthatfullyintegratesboth.Whatdoesthatmeanforthewaywethinkaboutcareerpathways?Howdowebegintobuildonthecross-sectorecosystemwehavetodayforonethatfitsthisnewchallenge?Wemustbeginthisconversation.

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LET’S ACTThereislotsofworktobedone.Ihavedescribedsomeofthatwork.Thereareample

opportunitiesforpublicandprivatefunderstoseedthepolicyandprograminnovationwork.Therearenumerousopportunitiesfortribal,municipal,county,state,andnationallawmakerstogranttheauthorityandflexibilitytooptimizethepoolingofresourcestoexpandaccesstoandoutcomesofcareerpathwayprograms.Therearealmostunlimitedopportunitiesforlocalleadersandteachers,faculty,andtrainerstoidentifyandimplementprograminnovations.

Beyondthesesteps,Ibelievethatitistimeforuscollectivelytobeginthenextdialogueoncareerpathwaystoexaminewhatcareerpathwayprogramsandsystemslooklikeinthefutureworldofwork.Iamwillingtohelpfacilitatethatdialogueandinviteyoutostepforwardifyouare.Thisdialoguewillaffordus—inthepublicandprivatesectors—thechancetodesignasystemforequityandprosperitythatcanreversethedisturbingtrendsinlackofaffordableaccessandwideningincomegapsandwealthinequalitiesbyrace,ethnicity,gender,disability,languageproficiency,andotherbackgroundcharacteristicsandcircumstances.TheecosystemweaspiretoshouldworkforallAmericans,notsome.Ifwebuilditwithequityasourcentraldesignprinciple,itwillworkwellforeveryone,everywhere,fromtheurbancore,tosuburbia,toIndiancountry,toruralcommunities,includingAppalachia.

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Mortrude | Economic Impact

FAILURE TO FOCUS ON ECONOMIC IMPACTS DIMINISHES ADULT EDUCATION

Judy MortrudeCLASP’s Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success

Adulteducation—formalstructuredactivitiesdesignedtoeducateadults—occursinschools,colleges,churchbasements,communitycenters,libraries,andworkplaces.Adulteducationservespeopleneedinghighschoolcompletion,workingadults,adultswithlimitedworkhistory,elderswithalifetimeofworkbehindthem,parentswithsmallchildren,collegeboundindividuals.Thecommondenominatorinthesediversesettingsandamongthesediversepopulationsispeoplemotivatedtobuildfoundationalskillsinordertomakeachangeintheirlives.

Adulteducationasaprofession,asasystem,wastesfartoomuchenergydebatingthemostimportantpurposeofadulteducationandbemoaningthefactthatshowingtheimpactofadulteducationonanindividual’slifeisdifficult.Howdowemeasureself-efficacy?Howdowemeasureanadultlearner’sinvolvementinsupportofachild?Howdowemeasurecivicengagement?Asaconsequence,theadulteducationsystemhasdefaultedto“EducationalFunctionLevel”gainasthedemonstrable,reportablemarkofsuccess.TheNationalCouncilofStateDirectorsofAdultEducationLegislator’sResourceBook,“TheBlueBook,”1listsstate-by-stateemploymentstatusofparticipants,stateandfederalinvestment,andenrollmentbyprogramarea,butthentellsthestoryofthatinvestmentonlyby‘ProgramEnrollmentPerformance’notinghowmanyadults“leftbeforecompleted”or“improvedoneormorelevelsorstillenrolled.”This,essentially,isthecurrentstateoftheargumentforadulteducation’svalue.

Asapractitionerandprogramadministrator,Iunderstandwhat“ProgramEnrollmentPerformance”means.Ialsoknowthat‘improvedoneormorelevels’inadulteducationprimarilymeansgainingpointsonastandardizedtestwhichcouldbeanindicatorofmanythingsoutsideofknowledgegain,e.g.,havinghadbreakfastonpost-testday,havinghadtheexperienceoftesttakingrecently,havingexternalmotivationtofocusonthatparticulartestingevent.Everyeducatorknowsthatthereal valueofadulteducationisn’tmeasuredbyexams.Andfornearlyanyoneoutsideofadulteducation,includingmostpolicymakers,“improvingalevel”isacompletemystery.

Adecadeago,inmyroleasaprogramadministratorofalargeurbanadulteducationschool,Ireadanarticlethatarguedfordismantlingthefederaladulteducationinvestmentandincludedthisdescription:

1 http://www.naepdc.org/Blue%20Book%2020160825.pdf

FailuretoFocusonEconomicImpactsDiminishesAdultEducation|ByJudyMortrude

http://www.naepdc.org/Blue%20Book%2020160825.pdf

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The stereotype of adult basic education and ESL courses conjures up the image of adults, tired from a full day of hard work, meeting in stark classrooms in an otherwise empty primary or secondary school, and being led through skill drills by equally tired teachers. Sadly, this negative stereotype is uncomfortably close to reality. Of course, there are many shining examples of adult basic education that do not come close to this negative stereotype. But there is a big gap between best practice and common practice.2 Newtotheworldofpolicypapersandangeredbythis(tooclosetohome)argument,I

triedtounderstandwhatkindofanti-liberalorganizationwouldmakesuchaclaim.WhowasthisCenterforAmericanProgress(CAP)?ImaginemychagrinwhenIdiscoveredCAPisanagentofnationalprogressivethought.Ifprogressiveswerewritingthisaboutadulteducation,whatcouldwedotoprovethevalueofourworktothelargerworldofpolicymakerswhoseworldviewsspanthepoliticalspectrum?

Thankfully,duringthefirstdecadeof2000,leadingadulteducationadministratorsandpractitionersweresteppinguptoinnovateinadulteducationdesignanddeliverythroughcareerpathwayprogramdevelopment.Overthepastdecade,adulteducationhasbecomepartofanationalconversationinitiatedinpartbythehauntingETSPerfectStorm3research—respondingtothestructuralrealitythatahighschoolcredentialisnolongerthemarkerforself-sufficiencyinourneweconomyandthat,demographically,ourgrowingpopulationsarethosewehavehistoricallyservedpoorlyinoureducationsystems(nottomentionthestructuralhurdlesbuiltintooursocietyformanylow-skill,low-incomecommunitiesofcolorwhenaccessinghousing,healthcare,banking).

TheconversationbecameevenmorecriticalastheProgramfortheInternationalAssessmentofAdultCompetencies(PIAAC)4researchrevealedtheabysmalperformanceofAmericanadults,includingyoungadults,onliteracy,numeracy,andProblemSolvinginTechnologyRichEnvironments(PSTRE)tests.Inresponse,philanthropicinvestmentsupportedadulteducationtobuildprogramsandpoliciestosupportbridgeprograms,transitionprograms,integratededucationandtraining,andcareerpathwaysforpeopleoutsideofthemaineducationalpipelinewhowereseekingeducationalandeconomicmobilitythroughadulteducation.5

2 https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2007/12/pdf/nes_lifelong_learning.pdf3 https://www.ets.org/Media/Education_Topics/pdf/AmericasPerfectStorm.pdf4 http://piaacgateway.com/what-is-piaacupdated/5 FordFoundationBridgestoOpportunity:https://www.fordfoundation.org/library/reports-and-studies/bridges-to-opportunity-for-underprepared-adults-a-state-policy-guide-for-community-college-leaders/;MultiplefundersofBreakingThrough:http://www.jff.org/initiatives/breaking-through/funders-partners;JoyceFoundationShiftingGears:http://www.joycefdn.org/news/2015-shifting-gears-report-released;MultiplefundersofAcceleratingOpportunity:http://www.jff.org/initiatives/accelerating-opportunity.

https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2007/12/pdf/nes_lifelong_learning.pdf

https://www.ets.org/Media/Education_Topics/pdf/AmericasPerfectStorm.pdf

http://piaacgateway.com/what-is-piaacupdated/

https://www.fordfoundation.org/library/reports-and-studies/bridges-to-opportunity-for-underprepared-adults-a-state-policy-guide-for-community-college-leaders/

https://www.fordfoundation.org/library/reports-and-studies/bridges-to-opportunity-for-underprepared-adults-a-state-policy-guide-for-community-college-leaders/

http://www.jff.org/initiatives/breaking-through/funders-partners

http://www.joycefdn.org/news/2015-shifting-gears-report-released

http://www.jff.org/initiatives/accelerating-opportunity

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Whilepractitionersbuiltpathways,researchersdemonstratedadulteducation’simpactinnewways.MostrevolutionarywasthebolddecisionbyWashingtonstateleaderstobringaboutsystemicchangeinitsadulteducationsystembyfirstanalyzingdataontheoutcomesneededforlow-skilladultstoachieveeducationalandeconomicsuccessandthenrevealinghowfewbasicskillsstudentswereachievingthoseoutcomes:

“Ingrained Attitudes and Culture:” It almost goes without saying that efforts to bring about substantial changes in policy and practice are going to run up against an inclination to maintain the status quo. One strategy to help shift such attitudes and beliefs is to make data on student outcomes and on gaps in achievement by various student groups available to practitioners, and then to ask whether these outcomes are acceptable and whether there are efforts that they could make (along with students themselves) to increase student success. This was the approach that the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) used in presenting the research showing that students who attain the “tipping point” of at least a year of college and an occupational credential earn substantially more than those who do not—and yet very few students, particularly those who start out in adult basic skills, make it to that level. SBCTC used this research to rally educators throughout the system to the view that the tipping point is the minimum level of achievement that should be expected of students without postsecondary credentials and that concerted efforts had to be made to increase the rate at which students reach that point.6

ThiscourageousstepofacknowledgingsystemicdeficitswascoupledwithaffirmationthatWashingtonstateleadersknewabetterway:IntegratedBasicEducationandSkillsTraining(I-BEST).Washingtonstateandlocalpractitionershavecontinuedtoleadthefieldwiththeirgroundbreakingstrategy.Inspring2018,PathwaysforAdvancingCareersandEducation(PACE)isexpectedtoreleaseagoldstandardevaluationofI-BESTandotherpathwayprograms7whichwillagainbuildourfield’sknowledgebaseonwhatworks,forwhom,andhow.

Ofgreatimportancetopractitionersworkinginthespectrumofadulteducationservicesoutsideofintegratededucation,Dr.SteveReder’s2014researchreportThe Impact of ABS [Adult Basic Skills] Program Participation on Long-Term Economic Outcomeswasabreakthrough:

The results of this research are clear. Three different methods—treatment effects, difference-in-differences, and fixed effects panel regressions—all show statistically significant and financially substantial impacts of ABS program participation on earnings growth. Individuals who participate in programs have higher future earnings as a result

6 https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/press-releases/new_advocacy_publication_announced_bridges_to_opportunity_for_underprepared_adults_a_state_policy_guide_for_community_college_leaders_649.html7 http://dev.abtassociates.com/practice-areas/income-security-workforce/career-pathways.aspx

https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/press-releases/new_advocacy_publication_announced_bridges_to_opportunity_for_underprepared_adults_a_state_policy_guide_for_community_college_leaders_649.html

https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/press-releases/new_advocacy_publication_announced_bridges_to_opportunity_for_underprepared_adults_a_state_policy_guide_for_community_college_leaders_649.html

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of participating, income premiums are larger with more intensive participation, and minimal levels of participation do not produce statistically significant premiums.8

Thestorytoldthroughthisresearchisoftheeconomicimpactofadulteducation,notillustratedinthereportingperiodofonefederalprogramyearbutaccruedthroughtime.It’sastorywe,asafield,shouldembraceevenasmorelongitudinalresearchrevealsthecriticalimportanceofadulteducation’smultipleimpacts.

Theimmediateopportunity,however,istobetteruseadulteducation’smandatedannualreportingtocommunicateourwork’svaluetopolicymakers,investors,andourparticipants.Thefederaladulteducationinvestment,TheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityActof2014’stitleII:AdultEducationandFamilyLiteracyAct,9codifiedmuchofthelearningfromthepastdecadeofcareerpathwayinnovation,allowingfederalinvestmenttosupportintegratededucationandtraining(PublicLaw113-128,Section203(29))andcareerpathways(PublicLaw113-128Section3(7)),andofferinganopportunityforadulteducationtotellthestoryofitsimpactinnewways.

Outsideofthestill-being-defined“effectivenessinservingemployers”metric,WIOAperformancemeasuresfallintothreecategoriesthatarereportedeitherduringprogramparticipantorafterexit:interimprogressmeasures,credentialattainmentoutcomes,andlabormarketoutcomes.

NewtoWIOAistheperformancemetricforobtainingarecognizedpostsecondarycredential(PublicLaw113-128Section3(52)).StateinitiativeslikeWorkINdiana10thatemphasizeobtainingcareercertificationsinin-demandfieldswilloptimizethismetric.WIOAlabormarketoutcomesshiftthefocusfromjobplacementandretentiontothepercentageofparticipantswhoareinunsubsidizedemploymentduringthesecondquarterandfourthquarterafterexitfromtheprogram,alongwiththemedianearningsofparticipantswhoareinunsubsidizedemploymentsecondquarterafterexit.Whileitistruethatnotalladulteducationparticipantsareinthelaborforce,themajorityis,bothwhentheyenteradulteducationandwhentheyexitadulteducation,sooverallthesemetricswillhelpadulteducationtellthatstory.ThebiggestchangeisintheinterimprogressmeasuresnowdefinedasMeasurableSkillGain.Therearefivemeasurableskillgaintypes:

1. Documentedachievementofatleastoneeducationalfunctioninglevelofaparticipantwhoisreceivinginstructionbelowthepostsecondaryeducationlevel;

2. Documentedattainmentofasecondaryschooldiplomaoritsrecognizedequivalent;3. Secondaryorpostsecondarytranscriptorreportcardforasufficientnumberofcredit

hoursthatshowsaparticipantismeetingthestateunit’sacademicstandards;

8 https://www.pdx.edu/linguistics/sites/www.pdx.edu.linguistics/files/ABS_EconomicOutcomes_13.pdf9 https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-113publ128/pdf/PLAW-113publ128.pdf10 http://www.in.gov/dwd/adulted_workin.htm

https://www.pdx.edu/linguistics/sites/www.pdx.edu.linguistics/files/ABS_EconomicOutcomes_13.pdf

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-113publ128/pdf/PLAW-113publ128.pdf

http://www.in.gov/dwd/adulted_workin.htm

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4. Satisfactoryorbetterprogressreport,towardsestablishedmilestones,suchascompletionofOJTorcompletionofoneyearofanapprenticeshipprogramorsimilarmilestones,fromanemployerortrainingproviderwhoisprovidingtraining;or

5. Successfulpassageofanexamthatisrequiredforaparticularoccupationorprogressinattainingtechnicaloroccupationalskillsasevidencedbytrade-relatedbenchmarkssuchasknowledge-basedexams.11

AndtheNationalReportingSystemfurtherdefinesEducationalFunctioningLevelachievementthreeways:pre/posttest;Carnegieunits;andtransitiontopostsecondaryeducationoremployment.Thisnewperformancesystemisaslargeaseismicshiftaswhenstandardizedtestingfirstenteredthefederaladulteducationaccountabilityworld.ForthoseofuswhohavebeeninthisfieldlongenoughtorememberwhenEducationalFunctionLevelgainwasintroduced,therecanbenodoubtthatperformancereportingmetricsWILLdriveservicedeliveryandprogramdesign.TheopportunitynowistouseWIOAperformancetodesignourservicesinawaythathelpsadultsmovefartherfaster,bringsusintopartnershipwithsectorpartnersandprovidersofnon-academicsupports,andhelpsoursystemtelltheimpactofthatcollaborativeworkonourparticipants’lives.

Intheclassroom,thatmeanscareercontextualizededucation.JuliaWilber,AcademicandEmploymentNavigatorattheInternationalInstituteofMinnesota,writescompellinglyofthe“falsedichotomy”ofchoosingtodeliver“schoolfocused”or“workfocused”curriculum.Evenwithapopulationofresettlementstudents,IIMNhasrealized“Bydeepeningourcommitmenttocareercontextualizededucation,wenotonlygivestudentstheacademicandcareerskillstheyneedtosucceedintheAmericanworkforce,butalsoremindthemthattheyarewelcome—thattheyhaveajobandahomehereaswell.”12

Outsideoftheclassroom,thatmeanspartneringwithlocalworkforcedevelopmentpractitionerswho,underWIOA,willoperatewithinterimprogressmeasuresaswell.UnlikethepreviousWorkforceInvestmentAct(WIA),workingunderWIOA,localworkforcedevelopmentprogramswillbeabletofocustheirservicesonparticipantswhowillnotachieveacredentialoremploymentwithinaprogramyear.WorkforcedevelopmentparticipantswhoincrementallydemonstrateskillgainthroughthefullcomplementofWIOAMeasurableSkillGainmetricswhilestillenrolledforcareerandtrainingserviceswillbeperformancewinsforalltheWIOAcoreprograms,notjustadulteducation.

Inthisservicedeliverymodel,thefocusisnotonlyontriagingthe“mostready”candidatesforimmediatejobplacement,butalsoondevelopingacomprehensiveservicemodeltobuildskillsovertime,showingprogressinmultiplewayswhichwilleventuallyresultineducational

11 https://www.doleta.gov/performance/guidance/tools_commonmeasures.cfm12 http://atlasabe.org/mn-abe-news/welcoming-refugees-into-the-workforce-with-career-contextualized-basic-skills-instruction

https://www.doleta.gov/performance/guidance/tools_commonmeasures.cfm

http://atlasabe.org/mn-abe-news/welcoming-refugees-into-the-workforce-with-career-contextualized-basic-skills-instruction

http://atlasabe.org/mn-abe-news/welcoming-refugees-into-the-workforce-with-career-contextualized-basic-skills-instruction

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credentialsandeconomicpayoffs.Adulteducationisacrucialpartnerinhelpinglow-skillpeopleontoapathway,andexpandedinterimprogressmeasurescanliberateadulteducationtoplaywithnewstrategiestoshowskillgain.However,adulteducationparticipantshavefarmoreneedsthanacademicskills,andtheadulteducationsystemitselfisnotresourcedortrainedtodothisworkalone.Atthelocallevel,weneedtoleveragepublicbenefits,community-basedorganizations,andworkforcedevelopment.Atthestatelevel,weneedpoliciesthatrewardco-enrollmentbetweenWIOAcorepartnersandbuildoutadministrativedatacapabilitytodemonstratethelong-termimpactofourwork.By2020,WIOAdatacollectionmaybegintotellthisstory,butonlyifstateandlocalpractitionersunderstandtheperformancemetricsandthevalueofqualitydatacollection.

Beyondfederalreporting,WIOAperformancemetricsareshowingupinstatefundedinitiativeslikeCalifornia’sAdultEducationBlockGrantandStrongWorkforceprogramsaswellasinTANFoutcomedesignstrategies(MOexample).Stateandlocalinvestmentinadulteducationdwarfsthefederalinvestment.Statescanchoosetoaddadditionalperformancemeasuresfortheirfunds,butthemorealignmentwecanbuild,thestrongerthestructurethatwillalloweducators,workforcedevelopmentprofessionals,andsocialserviceproviderstoco-enrollinordertoco-investandleverageoneanother’sstrengthswhile‘gettingcredit’forperformancegainsineachdistinctfundingstream.

Unfortunately,toomanyadulteducatorsarestillunawareofthechangesWIOAperformancebringstothefederalinvestmentandtoalignedstateaccountability.AndmanyeducatorsresistthesechangesandremainskepticaloftheabilityoftheWIOAperformancemeasuressystemtotellthestoryofadulteducation’simpact.Iunderstandthatskepticism,butIencourageadulteducatorstojumpintotheeffort.Jointheconversationonhowwecanshowthevalueofeducationforthosewiththecouragetoenterourprograms.And,yes,Imeaneconomicvalue.Thepeoplewhocometoourprogramsaremakingachoicetospendtheirtimeandtheirenergywithus,andtheydeservetogetsomethingoftangiblevalueforthatexpenditure.Ibelievequalityadulteducationhaseconomicvalueforanindividualandafamily.Ibelievequalityadulteducationisananti-povertyandananti-intergenerational povertystrategy.Ibelievequalityadulteducationbuildscareerpathwayeducationandemploymentopportunities.Asaprofession,letussetouttoprovethatvaluetoallthosewhoinvesttheirtimewithusandthosewhoinvestresourcestosupportus.

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ALABAMA, PROGRAM FACT SHEET 2014-2015

WIOA PERFORMANCE METRICS

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Durden | Blueprints for the Future

GUIDED PATHWAYS, WIOA, AND WASHINGTON STATE’S I-BEST:BLUEPRINTS FOR THE FUTURE OF

ADULT BASIC EDUCATION

William S. DurdenWashington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

ABSTRACTTheguidedpathwaysapproachtocommunityandtechnicalcollegeredesignhassignificantimpactsforadultbasiceducation(ABE).TheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA)andAbilitytoBenefitprovidefederalsupportthatcomplementstheworkbeingdoneinGuidedPathways.Washingtonstate’sapproachtoimplementingguidedpathwayswithIntegratedBasicEducationandSkillsTraining(I-BEST)asafoundationalelementcanserveasamodelforcollegesandABEprovidersnationwideastheyaddressadultbasiceducationanddevelopmentaleducationredesign.Redesignelementsincludeintegrationandcontextualizationofadultlearningstandardsandfoundationalskillsinstruction;facultytrainingandsupport;andnavigationalservicesforstudents.ABEstudentsareadiversesetofstudentswhocanhelpthenationmeetitsneedsforaskilledandequitableworkforce,solongastheyaregivenastructuredpathwaythatwillallowthemtosucceed.

GuidedpathwayseffectivelylaunchedasanationwidemovementwiththepublicationofRedesigning America’s Community Colleges(2015).Bailey,SmithJaggars,andJenkinsidentifythattheir“goalistoconductresearchtohelpimprovestudentsuccessatcommunitycolleges”withtheaddedobservationthat“thereislittleevidencethatthenationismovingtowardawidespreadandsignificantimprovementintheoutcomesofcommunitycollegestudents”(2015,i).Thebookthenreviewsthecurrentstructureofservicesandmakesresearch-basedproposalsforimprovementsthatwillleadtobetterstudentoutcomes.TheCommunityCollegeResearchCenter(2016)providesasuccinctsummaryoftheguidedpathwaysapproach:“Theideabehindguidedpathwaysisstraightforward.Collegestudentsaremorelikelytocompleteadegreeinatimelyfashioniftheychooseaprogramanddevelopanacademicplanearlyon,haveaclearroadmapofthecoursestheyneedtotaketocompleteacredential,andreceiveguidanceandsupporttohelpthemstayonaplan”(p.1).

TheseredesignaspectshavesignificantandimmediateimpactsforadultbasiceducationandEnglishlanguageacquisition(ABE/ELA)programs.Luckily,theseimpactsalignwithchangesinadulteducationbroughtaboutbytheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA),andwiththere-introductionofAbilitytoBenefitin2014thatprovidesTitleIVfinancialaid

GuidedPathways,WIOA,andWashingtonState’sI-BEST:BlueprintsfortheFutureofAdultBasicEducation|ByWilliamS.Durden

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tostudentswithoutahighschoolcredential.Guidedpathwayscanbeseenasacollegeinitiativethatalignswellwithsomepre-existingcareerpathwayapproachesinpostsecondaryeducation.Mortrude(2017)notesthat“GuidedpathwayscanfittheHigherEducationAct(HEA)andWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA)careerpathwaydefinition”ifthecomponentsofsectorfocus,careercounseling,andspecificoccupationaladvancementareaddressed.Takentogether,theguidedpathwaysapproach,WIOA,andAbilitytoBenefithavecreatedauniqueandtimelyopportunityforadulteducationproviderstomeetworkforceneedsbyconnectingadiversestudentpopulationtothepostsecondarycredentialsneededtosecurelivingwageworkinhighdemandindustries.Washingtonstate’snationallyrenownedIntegratedBasicEducationandSkillsTraining(I-BEST)providesamodelforhowthisworkcanbeaccomplishedandscaled.

CONTEXTS AND OPPORTUNITIESGuidedpathwaysisaredesignofthecurrentmodelforservingstudentsinthecommunity

andtechnicalcollegesystem.Theredesigntargetsanddescribesfourfeaturesoftheprevalent“cafeteria”servicemodel:academicprogramstructure,studentintake,instruction,andprogressmonitoringandsupport.Foreachoftheseaspectsofthecurrentservicemodel,guidedpathwaysoffersresearch-basedstrategiesthatarecollectivelyintendedtoimproveratesofstudentcompletion(CCRC,2015,p.2).

Whileeachofthesedesignelementsareinneedofcriticalattentionbyadulteducationproviders,ofmostimportancehereisthejointfocusonassessmentandremediation.Inthecafeteriamodel,“assessmentisusedtosortstudents”andremediation“isnarrowlyfocusedoncollegealgebraandEnglishcomposition”(CCRC,2015,p.2).Incontrast,theguidedpathwaysapproachusesassessmentto“diagnoseareaswherestudentsneedsupport,”andtheinstructioninthesefoundationalskillsis“integratedandcontextualizedwithcriticalprogramoutcomes”(CCRC,2015,p.2).Itisimportanttonotethat“assessment”hereistalkingaboutcurrentandfuturecollegeplacementpractices,notformativeandsummativeassessmentsintheclassroom.

Manystudentsoncollegecampusestakeadultbasiceducation(ABE),Englishlanguageacquisition(ELA),andpre-college,remedial,developmentaleducationcourseworkinEnglishandmathematics.Yet,ashasbeenwelldocumented,“moststudentswhoenterdevelopmentaleducationneversuccessfullyemergefromittoembarkonacollege-levelprogramofstudy”(Bailey,SmithJaggars,andJenkins,2015).Traditionally,assessmentisusedtoplacestudentsintoABEprogramsiftheydonothaveahighschoolcredentialorarelearningEnglish,andintoremedialEnglishormathsequencesiftheyhavethehighschoolcredentialbutdonotachievethecutscoreonaplacementexam.Studentswhogoontoearntheirhighschoolcredentialstillusuallyendupplacingintothesedevelopmentalsequences.

Intheguidedpathwaysapproach,however,assessmentisusednottosortstudentsinto

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differentlevelsofprogramming,buttoidentifythecrucialareaswhereastudentneedssupportintheirchosenpathway(CCRC,2015,p.2).Furthermore,theresultofassessmentisafocusneitherondecontextualizedhighschoolcompletion,noronremedialsequencesinEnglishandmath,butonsuccessfulcompletionofaprogramthatleadstoalivingwagecareerortofurthereducation.Thefocusontheendgoalratherthanonaprocessofremediationstemsfromtheobservationthatpriordevelopmentaleducationreforms“havesoughttostrengthenelementsoftheprevailingmodelwithoutchallengingthatmodel.Butiftheproblemsoriginateinthemodelitself,thenitisnotsurprisingthattheresultsofthesereformshavebeendisappointing”(Bailey,SmithJaggars,andJenkins,2014).

Thestructuralandpragmaticoutcomeofthisredesignforcollegesandadulteducationprovidersisthatfoundationalskillsintegrateswithandcontextualizestolearningoutcomesinthestudent’sselectedpathway.ABEanddevelopmentaleducationnolongerexistasseparatefromthedesignofanacademicprogram.Thankfully,federalandstatepoliciesandprogramsthatsupporttheguidedpathwaysredesignalreadyexist.Contextualizedinstructioncanbebuiltandsupportedfromthreecomplementaryinnovationsthathavetakenplaceatthefederalandstatelevel:theredefinitionofadulteducationinTitleIIofWIOAandtheinclusionofIntegratedEducationandTraining(IET)asafundedactivity;competency-based,co-enrolledhighschoolcompletion;andtheHigherEducationAct(HEA)provisionknownasAbilitytoBenefit.

Whilelowcollegecompletionrateswereprovidinganimusfortheguidedpathwaysapproach,skilledlaborshortagesintheU.S.workforcepromptedthefederalgovernmenttooverhaultheWorkforceInvestmentAct(WIA)andestablishthefoundationofacomprehensiveworkforcedevelopmentsystem.ThiswasinresponsetostatisticslikethosefromCarnevale,Smith,andStrohl(2013),whoseresearchindicatedthatby2020two-thirdsofavailablejobswillrequiresometypeofpostsecondaryeducationandtraining—arisingfigure(p.2).Therewillbefifty-fivemillionjobopeningsthrough2020,withtotalemploymentsettorisebytwenty-fourmillioninthenexttenyears(p.2).Yet,atcurrentlevelstheU.S.willfallfivemillionshortincredentialingworkerswiththeskillsneededtotakethesejobs(2013,p.2).Meanwhile,theOfficeofCareer,Technical,andAdultEducationpublishedfiguresestablishingthatoneinsixadultsintheUnitedStateshaslowliteracyskills,andoneinthreetestsatlowskilllevelsfornumeracy(p.3).

Toaddresstheseandotherchallenges,abipartisanCongresspassedtheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA),whichPresidentObamasignedintolawonJuly22nd,2014.WIOArequiresthevariousfundedpartnersoftheoldWorkforceInvestmentAct(WIA)tobecomepartofaunifiedworkforcedevelopmentsystem.WIOAbindseducation,training,andemploymentservicestogetherwithasetofsharedperformanceindicatorsandregionalplanningrequirementsamongthepartners.ThebiggestshiftforeducatorsoccursinTitleIIofWIOA,ortheAdultEducationandFamilyLiteracyAct(AEFLA).

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TraditionalliteracyeffortsunderWIAtypicallyfocusedonteaching“life”skillsintheclassroom,withahighschoolcompletionasaterminalgoalforbothEnglishlanguagelearningandadultbasiceducationstudents.ThroughWIOA,however,thefederalgovernmentredefinedadulteducationasaserviceapproachthattransitionsstudentstopostsecondaryeducationorotherwisepreparesthemforlivingwagework.Inordertoachievetransitiontopostsecondaryeducationandtraining,WIOAdirectsadulteducationprogramstoprovidestudentswiththeskillsneededtobecollege-ready.Thisdefinitionclosesthegapbetweencompletionofahighschoolcredentialandenrollmentincredit-bearingcourseworkthatleadstoacertificateordegree.ThehighschoolcredentialisstillarequiredserviceunderWIOA,butplacingstudentsinlivingwagecareersinhighdemandfieldsbecamethenewmandatorytarget.

Atthesametime,WIOAalsoplacednewemphasisonIntegratedEducationandTraining(IET),aserviceapproachthatcontextualizesandintegratesABEstandardsandinstructionwithcareer-technicaleducationprograms.OneoftheprimarybenefitsofanIETisthatthestudentdoesnothavetoearnahighschoolcredentialpriortoentranceintotheprogram,nordotheyhavetotestoutofABE.TheycanearnthehighschoolcredentialwhilecontinuingtolearnthenecessaryEnglishlanguage,mathematical,andemployabilityskillsinthecontextofthetrainingprogram.

Whileitistechnicallypossibleforstudentstostudyforatest-basedhighschoolcredentialintandemwiththeirpostsecondaryprogram,therealopportunityunderWIOA’sredefinitionofadulteducationandemphasisonIETistobuildacompetency-based,co-enrolledhighschoolcompletionprogramthatallowsstudentstocountthecreditstheyearninthepostsecondaryprogramtowardthecompletionofahighschoolcredential.InWashingtonstate,theprogramthatprovidesthisoptioniscalledHighSchool21+(HS21+).Instatestatute,eachcommunityandtechnicalcollegealsofunctionsasahighschooldistrict,thusgrantingthecollegetheauthoritytoawardhighschooldiplomas.Studentscangetcreditforworkexperience,militaryexperience,andotherformsofpriorlearning.

AbilitytoBenefitisafinalkeypieceoffederalsupportthatcollegesandadulteducationprovidershaveinintegratinginstructionandcontextualizingassessmentoffoundationalskills.TraditionalPellgrantsrequireahighschoolcredential.WiththeHigherEducationAct(HEA)provisionknownasAbilitytoBenefit,studentswithoutahighschoolcredentialcanreceivePellgrantsandotherformsofTitleIVfinancialaidwhich,unlikemanystategrants,providesstudentsfinancialsupportforlivingexpenses,allowingindividualstoincreasetheamountoftimededicatedtoeducationandtraining.Inordertobecomeeligible,studentsmustbeenrolledinaTitleIVeligiblecareerpathwayprogram,whiletheinstitutionmustmeetarangeofcriteria,includingthatthestudentcanearnahighschooldiplomaaspartoftheprogramandthatthestudentreceivescounselingservices.Studentsmustalsoeitherachieveacutscoreonanapprovedplacementexamorearnsixcollegecredits.Criticalforplanningefforts,

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then,ishowtofundthefirstquarterofastudents’IETprogramuntiltheycanbeplacedonAbilitytoBenefit.

WithWIOATitleIIrequirementsandAbilitytoBenefitinplace,ABEprovidersinsideandoutsidethecommunityandtechnicalcollegesystemcanjoinguidedpathwayseffortstointegrateandcontextualizeinstruction.WithI-BEST,Washingtonstateoffersablueprintforwhattheseeffortscanlooklike.

I-BEST: A MODEL FOR IET IN GUIDED PATHWAYSIntheguidedpathwaysapproach,adulteducationmergeswithothercollegefunctions

designedtoestablishwherethestudentisatandwhattheywillneedmosttobesuccessful.Keyintakeactivitiesincludeabasicskillsassessment,settingbotheducationalandcareergoals,thedevelopmentofaneducationalplan,identifyingwhetherornotahighschoolcredentialisneeded,andthecreationofafundingpackagebuiltwiththestudent’sendgoalinmind.Anavigatorisassigned,andthisnavigatorservestoassistthestudentastheymovealongtheirpathwaytowardthecertificateand/ordegreethatwilllaunchorbuildtheircareeroptions.Guidedcollegeandcareerpathwaysaredefined,articulated,andfundedfromthebeginningofthestudent’sjourneyallthewaytocollegecertificatesanddegreesthatleadtolivingwagecareers.Studentsco-enrollincompetency-basedhighschoolcompletionprogrammingthatallowstudentstoearntheirhighschooldiplomawhiletheyearncollegecreditinI-BESTorotherIETstructures.Theylearnthemetacognitiveandfoundationalmath,reading,writing,speaking,andlisteningskillsaswellastheemployabilityskillsneededtobesuccessfulinboththepostsecondaryclassroomandintheworkplace.

IntegratedBasicEducationandSkillsTraining(I-BEST)isWashingtonstate’sdeliverymodel,bothforofferingIETservicesinthecommunityandtechnicalcollegesystemaswellasforhowpre-collegeinterfaceswithpostsecondaryprogramsinguidedpathways.I-BESTis“consistentwiththedesignprinciplesforguidedpathways”inthatthe“theprogramintegratesfoundationalbasicskills”and“enrollsstudentsinaprescribed,whole-programscheduleofcoursesthatarealignedwithjobrequirementsinrelatedfields”(CCRC,2015,p4).TheaddedbenefitofI-BESTastheIETdeliverymodelofchoiceisthreefold:1)ithasresearchdemonstratingitsresultsandapositivereturnoninvestment,2)itprovidesamodelforservingallpre-collegestudents;3)itincludesthetrainingandsupportoffacultyinintegratingoutcomes,developingjointassessments,andbuildingcontinuousfeedbackloopstoimproveinstruction.

I-BEST’seffectivenessiswell-documentedandconsistent.Wachen,Jenkins,Belfield,andVanNoy(2012)notethatI-BEST“approximatelyequal[s]theadditionalcostsincurredbyprovidingtheprogram”(p.23).Washingtonstate’sownresearchdeterminedthatstudentsinI-BESTgainanannualreturnoninvestmentof12.4%peryearforstudentsattainingaminimumofoneyearofcollegecreditplusaworkforcecredential,withthetaxpayerearninga4.1%

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returnoninvestmentforthecostofprovidingI-BEST(SBCTC,2013).ThereasonI-BESTisworththeinvestmentisbecauseitproducesresults.Inalong-termnetimpactstudypublishedin2016,“I-BESTexitersgain[ed]substantiallabormarketoutcomes”withemploymentratesrisingby12.3%,averagehourlywageincreasesof$1.61,andaveragehoursofworkperquarterincreasedby65hours(HollenbackandHuang,2016,p.118-119).I-BESTcontinuestoscale-upinWashingtonstate,serving4,891studentsinover250approvedpathwaysfor2016-17(an8%increaseinheadcountovertheprioracademicyear),withthosestudentsearninganaverageof4.6StudentAchievementInitiative(SAI)pointseach(SBCTC,2017).Thismorethandoublestheaveragepointsperstudentofanyotherstudenttypeinthecommunityandtechnicalcollegesystem(SBCTC,2017).SAIisWashingtonstate’snationallyrecognizedperformance-basedfundingmodel.

Sinceitsinitialinceptionasashort-termcertificateprogramforupper-levelABE/ESLstudents,theI-BESTmodelhasevolvedandupdatedtoincludemorestudentsandmoreoptions.In2010,I-BESTtookasignificantleapforwardwiththeexpanded“Prof-Tech”modelthatcontextualizesdevelopmentaleducationrequirementsinanacceleratedoutcomescoursetoworkforcecontentinalonger-termcertificateordegreepathwaythatallowsstudentstolearntheEnglishand/ormathrequirementsaspartoftheirpathway.Valenzuela(2012)demonstratedthatI-BESTstudentslearningmathcontextualizedtotheirpathwayout-performedstudentsinthetraditionalremedialcourse(p.56).In2011,themodelexpandedfurthertoincludeacademic/transferpathways,whicharenowavailableinnearlyhalfofWashingtonstate’scommunityandtechnicalcolleges.Emory,Ramyond,Lee,andTwohy(2016)foundthatAcademicI-BESTstudentsachievedanaccelerationrateof1.93,“indicatingthattheprogramreducedstudents’timeinthewritingsequencebynearlytwoquarters”(p.48).Finally,I-BESTisexpandingintomoreoptionsforlower-levelABE/ESLstudentswiththeI-BESTatWorkmodel,whichplacesanadulteducationinstructorinaworkplacewithacompanytrainertoprovideteam-taughtincumbentworkerskillstraining.Studentsarethenencouragedtocontinuetheireducationatacommunityandtechnicalcollege.TheseexpandedmodelscanservenotonlyallABE/ESLstudentsbutalsodevelopmentaleducationstudents,makingI-BESTablueprintforhowallstudentsneedingtocompletepre-collegecourseworkcanbeservedintheguidedpathwaysapproach.

Intheguidedpathwaysapproach,instructionalredesignalsoincludesacalltotrainandsupportfacultyinassessmentandinusingassessmentresultstoinformcontinuouscyclesofimprovementforinstructionaldesignanddelivery.ThroughtheI-BESTTeamTeachingCadre,theWashingtonStateBoardforCommunityandTechnicalColleges(SBCTC)continuestoofferseveraltrainingsyearly,bothin-stateandout-of-state,tosupportI-BESTprogrammingnationwide.Facultyreceivetrainingandsupportintheessentialsofteam-teachingcollaborationthatincludesthecontextualizationofadulteducationstandardsanddevelopmentaleducationoutcomestotheoutcomesinthepathwayprogram,aswellastrainingandpracticeincontextualizingandco-planningassignmentsandassessments.Inthis

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way,I-BESTmeetsboththeguidedpathwaysapproachtosupportfacultyinassessmentandimprovement,andtheWIOAIETmandatethatanIEThaveasinglesetofintegratedlearningoutcomes.

Finally,guidedpathwayscallsforsignificantprogressmonitoringandsupportforstudents.Thesenavigationalsupportiveservicesprovidecriticalstudentfeedbackonprogresswithcoachingandmentoringtoretainthestudentandguidethemtocompletion.In2017SBCTCcreatedtheI-BESTNavigatorCadretosupporttheprofessionaldevelopmentneedsofanintegratedapproachtonavigationalservicesthatmeshesthehighlysupportiveI-BESTenvironmentwiththelargersupportiveservicesredesignofferedbytheguidedpathwaysapproach.Trainingsarenowbeingconductedstatewidetosupportanddefinetheroleofstudentnavigatorsastheyassiststudentswitheverythingfromintakeandassessmenttofundingandco-enrollmentinotherservices.

CONCLUSION: A DIVERSE AND EQUITABLE WORKFORCEWiththerightsupportsintherightplaces,allstudentscanbesuccessfulincollege-level

programs,oftentimesyearssoonerthantheywouldbeinatraditionalparadigmthatinsistsondecontextualizedremediation.Theintegrationofadulteducationintoguidedpathwaysworkis,atitscore,aboutequity,diversity,andinclusion.InWashingtonstatePrince,Bloomer,andKaikkonen(2014)discoveredthatadulteducationstudentsaremorediversethancurrentmainstreamcollegestudentsandABEasawholeis“aparticularlyimportantportalintocommunityandtechnicalcollegesforgroupsunder-representedinattainmentinthestatepopulation”(p.12).Immigrantsandrefugeesaremostlikelytobegintheircollegeandcareerjourneysinadulteducation(p.13).Andstudentsinadulteducationaremorelikelytohavelowsocioeconomicstatusregardlessofraceorethnicity(p.13).Ifcollegesaregoingtofulfilltheirmissionareastoservetheirregionsandconnectstudentswithrealeducationalandeconomicopportunitiesaswellasmeetemployerneeds,theywillhavetoincludeadulteducationintheirplanningandredesignefforts.I-BEST,backedbyWIOAandAbilitytoBenefitandsupportedbyahighschoolcompletionprogramlikeHS21+,providesonepowerfuloptionfordoingso.

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REFERENCESBailey,T.,Jaggars,S.S.,&Jenkins,D.(2014).Redesigning America’s community colleges.Cambridge,

MA:HarvardCollege.Bailey,T.,Jaggars,S.S.,&Jenkins,D.(2015).What we know about guided pathways.NewYork,NY:

ColumbiaUniversity,TeachersCollege,CommunityCollegeResearchCenter.Carnevale,A.,Smith,N.,&Strohl,J.(2013).Recovery: job growth and education requirements.

Executivesummary.WashingtonD.C.:GeorgetownUniversity,PublicPolicyInstitute,CenteronEducationandtheWorkforce.

Emory,D.,Raymond,L.,Lee,K.,&Twohy,S.(2016).TheAcademicI-BEST:amodelforprecollegestudentsuccessincollegetransferprograms.Journal of Research and Practice for Adult Literacy, Secondary, and Basic Education.5.3.43-49.

Hollenbeck,K.,&Huang,W.(2016).Net impact and benefit-cost estimates of the workforce development system in Washington state.Kalamazoo:MI:W.E.UpjohnInstituteforEmploymentResearch.

Mortrude,Judy.(2017).Career pathways design.Retrievedfromhttp://doingwhatmatters.cccco.edu/StrongWorkforce/CareerPathwaysDesign.aspx.

Prince,D.,Bloomer,T.,&Kaikkonen,D.(2014).Community and technical college student access and success by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status.2014ProgressReport.Retrievedfromhttps://www.sbctc.edu/resources/documents/colleges-staff/research/students-color-research/resh-rpt-14-1-student-access-and-success-000.pdf.

SBCTC(2013).Investments in I-BEST programs: a cost benefit to students and society.Retrievedfromhttps://www.sbctc.edu/resources/documents/colleges-staff/programs-services/basic-education-for-adults/InvestmentsinI-BESTPrograms.pdf.

U.S.DepartmentofEducation,OfficeofCareer,Technical,andAdultEducation(2015).Making Skills Everyone’s Business: A Call to Transform Adult Learning in the United States.Washington,D.C.Retrievedfromhttp://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/making-skills.pdf.

Valenzuela,Hector.(2012).Anintegrationofmathwithautotechniciancourses. MathAMATYC Educator.3.2.53-56.

Wachen,J.,Jenkins,D.,Belfield,C.,VanNoy,M.,Richards,A.,&Kulongoski,K.(2012).Contextualized college transition strategies for adult basic skills students: learning from Washington state’s I-BEST program model.NewYork,NY:ColumbiaUniversity,TeachersCollege,CommunityCollegeResearchCenter.

http://doingwhatmatters.cccco.edu/StrongWorkforce/CareerPathwaysDesign.aspx

http://doingwhatmatters.cccco.edu/StrongWorkforce/CareerPathwaysDesign.aspx

https://www.sbctc.edu/resources/documents/colleges-staff/research/students-color-research/resh-rpt-14-1-student-access-and-success-000.pdf



https://www.sbctc.edu/resources/documents/colleges-staff/programs-services/basic-education-for-adults/InvestmentsinI-BESTPrograms.pdf

https://www.sbctc.edu/resources/documents/colleges-staff/programs-services/basic-education-for-adults/InvestmentsinI-BESTPrograms.pdf

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/making-skills.pdf

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Technology,Innovation,andAdultCareerPathways|ByJenVanek,MitchRosin,JenHetzelSilbert,

KarisaTashjian,AllisonWebber

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION, AND ADULT CAREER PATHWAYS

Jen VanekEd Tech Center @ World Education

Mitch RosinAztecSoftware

Jen Hetzel SilbertOpportunity@Work

Karisa TashjianProvidence Public LibraryAlison Ascher Webber

Ed Tech Center @ World Education

TheWorkforceInnovationandOpportunitiesAct(WIOA)notonlylegislatedacollaborativestructurecrucialforimplementingadultcareerpathways(ACP)programming,italsoclarifiedtheroleoftechnologyinAdultBasicEducation(ABE).NewlanguageembeddedinTitleII,theAdultEducationandFamilyLiteracyAct(AEFLA),resolvedanyambiguityaroundthenecessityforABEtostrengtheneffortsintechnologyintegrationanddistancelearning.ThismadeitclearthattheverylegislationdesignedtosupportACPprogrammingalsospecificallycalledfortheuseofinformationandcommunicationtechnologies(ICTs)fortheimprovementofteaching,learning,professionaldevelopment,productivity,andsystemefficiencies(WIOA,2014).ThispublicaffirmationfollowedyearsofthedevelopmentofinnovativeACPprogramingforcareer-mindedABElearnersacrossthecountry(e.g.,educationalprogrammingdevelopedaspartoftheiBESTinitiativeinthestateofWashington1andMNFastTRACinMinnesota2).However,justasABEpractitionersbegantobetteruseICTsandtosupportdigitalliteracyskilldevelopment,ICTinnovationintheworldofworkmovedevenmorequickly.Theresultisthatemployersareincreasinglylookingforpotentialemployeeswhonotonlypossessdigitalliteracyskillsbutthosewhocannimblyapplythoseskillsastheytakeontasksrequiringproblemsolvingintheworkplace.

1 https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/programs-services/i-best/2 http://literacyactionnetwork.org/sites/default/files/Minnesota%20FastTrac%20Handout.pdf

https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/programs-services/i-best/

http://literacyactionnetwork.org/sites/default/files/Minnesota%20FastTrac%20Handout.pdf

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Vanek, Rosin, Silbert, Tashjian, and Webber | Technology, Innovation, and Adult Career Pathways

ThistechnologicalrealitydemandsthatACPprogramsprovideaccessto,andrequiretheuseof,relevanttechnologiesineducationalprogramming.Towardthisend,ABEmustbepresentinpolicydiscussionsthatshapethework,particularlyconcerning1)innovationinACPprogramming,2)partnershipstosupportsuchinnovation,and3)strategiesthatextendprogrammingoptionstolearnersnotcurrentlyservedinACPprograms.Theseissues,alongwithsomeexemplarinitiativesshowcasinghownewtechnologiescansupportACP,arediscussedbelow.

INNOVATION IN THE ACP PROGRAMMING MUST MATCH INNOVATION IN THE WORKPLACE

21stcenturyworkisdefinedasmuchbyitsmutabilityasbyanyothercharacteristic.Considerthisexample:abeanpickeratacanningfacilitywasoncepartofateamofworkersstandingataconveyorbeltandpickingoffnonconformingbeans,sotheydidnotendupinthecannedproduct.Thatpositionisnowfilledbyatechnicianwhomonitorsacomputerizedcamera,whichrecognizesnonconformingbeansandthentriggersablastofairtoexpelthemfromtheconveyorbelt.Willthissamejobbearoundin10years,whenartificialintelligence(AI)hasadvancedtothepointthatthemachinecanmonitor,reset,andperhapsevenrepairitself?TherearealreadyexamplesofAIreshapingsimilarwork.Forexample,commercialcleaningservicesmightnowemploytechnicianstocoordinateroboticvacuumcleanersratherthanacrewofworkers,andsalespeopleataleadingretailstorenowusehandhelddevicestoreceiveinstructionsfromAI-enabledrobotsonwheretomoveorrelabelproducts.

TheseexamplessuggestthatforACPprogrammingtoremainrelevant,instructionintheuseandapplicationofICTsiscritical.AframeworkforcreativelyemployingICTsinACPprogrammingexistsincurrentfederalpolicyguidingABE,theIntegratedEducationandTraining(IET)modelcalledforinWIOAanddefinedas

…aserviceapproachthatprovidesadulteducation and literacy activities concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation activities and workforce trainingforaspecificoccupationoroccupationalclusterforthepurposeofeducationalandcareeradvancement[emphasisadded]”(FinalWIOAregulationsat34CFR§463.35)(Mortrude,2016,p2).ProgramsworkingwithlearnersatalllevelsshouldintegrateICTuseaspartofthe

workforcepreparationandtrainingactivitiesarticulatedintheIETapproach.Thisdiffersdependingonthestudents’levels.

EMBEDDING DIGITAL LITERACY SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN IEL/CIVICS PROGRAMMING

InIntegratedEnglishLiteracyandCivicsEducation(IEL/Civics)programming,ICTusemightfilltherequirementof“workforceprepandtraining,”wherelearnersdevelopdigital

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literacyskillswhileengaginginEnglishlanguagelearningandcivicseducation.Forexample,inabridge-levelmanufacturingprograminMinneapolis,3studentsdevelopEnglishlanguage,literacy,andmathskillsrelevanttoemploymentinmanufacturing.Atthesametime,theyfocusondigitalliteracyskillstosupportcareerexplorationandjobsearchactivities.

WashingtonStateCommunityandTechnicalColleges’IntegratedDigitalEnglishAcceleration(I-DEA)Program4isanotherexample.Inthe32-weekprogram,studentscompleteactivitiesthatsimultaneouslyteachEnglishlanguageandliteracywhilelearningrelevantcollegeandcareer-readinessskillssuchasinformationliteracy,jobexploration,andinterviewskills.Inthisflippedmodel,studentsalsostrengthendigitalliteracyskills;studentscompleteonlineworktolearnconceptsbeforecomingtoclass,wheretheyengageinapplicationandpracticeactivitiesandhavetheopportunitytogethelpwithtechnicalchallengestheyencounteredworkingonline.

HIGHER LEVEL LEARNER APPLICATION OF DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS Learnerswithhigheracademicandlanguageskills,whoperhapshavealreadyestablished

proficiencywithfoundationaldigitalliteracy,shouldbegivensupporttoutilizetheirskillsastheycompletetasksintheirACPprogrammingatthebridgeorpostsecondarylevel.Thissupportmightinvolveexplicitinstructionfordetermininghowtoeffectivelyusetechnologyforsolvingproblems.SuchaprocessislaidoutinPIAAC’sProblemSolvinginTechnologyRichEnvironments(PSTRE)framework.5ExamplesofclassroomactivitiesthatteachthestepsofthisprocesscanbefoundinUsing the PIAAC Framework for Problem Solving in Technology-Rich Environments to Guide Instruction: An Introduction for Adult Educators.6

Alongwithreceivinginstructionforproblem-solving,studentsbenefitfrominstructionmakinguseoftechnologiesusedintheactualworkenvironments.SuchrelevantprogrammingrequiresinvestmentinICTresourcesandinfrastructure(Carter,2017;Jacobson,2012).ABEprogramscannotdothisworkwithoutclosecollaborationofpostsecondaryinstitutionsinvolvedwithhigher-leveltrainingandemployerswhomightpartnerwiththem.

ABE AS A PARTNER IN ACP WORKTobesurethatrelevanttechnologically-richACPprogrammingisavailable,ABEleaders

needtobepresentandindialoguewith1)WIOApartnerswhocanadviseonhowtoalignno-

3 http://atlasabe.org/resources/adult-career-pathways/technical-fields/english-for-manufacturing-and-trades4 https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/programs-services/i-dea/default.aspx5 http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/literacy-numeracy-and-problem-solving-in-technology-rich-environments_9789264128859-en6 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51bb74b8e4b0139570ddf020/t/589a3d3c1e5b6cd7b42cddcb/1486503229769/PSTRE_Guide_Vanek_2017.pdf

http://atlasabe.org/resources/adult-career-pathways/technical-fields/english-for-manufacturing-and-trades

https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/programs-services/i-dea/default.aspx

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/literacy-numeracy-and-problem-solving-in-technology-rich-environments_9789264128859-en

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/literacy-numeracy-and-problem-solving-in-technology-rich-environments_9789264128859-en

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51bb74b8e4b0139570ddf020/t/589a3d3c1e5b6cd7b42cddcb/1486503229769/PSTRE_Guide_Vanek_2017.pdf

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51bb74b8e4b0139570ddf020/t/589a3d3c1e5b6cd7b42cddcb/1486503229769/PSTRE_Guide_Vanek_2017.pdf

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costtotheparticipantinstructionalprogrammingwithlabormarketandemployerneedsand2)developersoflearningtechnologieswiththecapacitytocreatetheresourcesandlearningtoolsneededbyadultlearners.

COLLABORATION TO ALIGN PROGRAMMING WITH DEMANDOneexampleofsuccessfulalignmentofeducationalopportunitieswithlabormarket

demandisfoundinRhodeIsland,whereanemployerintermediaryinformedthedevelopmentofanewcareerpathwayprogram.TheRhodeCoderandDataNavigatorprogramsattheProvidencePublicLibrary7allowadultstoexplorecodinganddataanalytics,buildskills,andprovidenextstepstomoreadvancedtraining.Findingsfrominitialimplementationsuggestthat,ideally,suchprogrammingoffersopenadmission,isfreetothepublic,andbeginswithon-rampclassesfollowedbyemploymentalittlefurtherinthefuture.Thisallowsparticipantstoexplorenewcareerfieldsbeforecommittingresourcesandtime.

ClarkCounty,NV,iscreatingnewpartnershipsbyrelocatingservicestraditionallyprovidedthroughtheWorkforceDevelopmentBoard’sAmericanJobCenter(AJC)tothepubliclibrarysystem.Currently,threeClarkCountylibrarieshaveco-locatedservicestoofferbothadulteducationandworkforcetrainingservicestoeveryoneinthecounty.Co-locationmodelssuchastheseillustratethepotentialbenefitofsharingstudentdata,accommodatingtheneedsofstudentswhochangelocations,andmeetingtheneedsofalladultlearnersonasinglecurriculumdeliveryplatform(i.e.,anonlinecurriculumthatincludesarobustreportingsystemtomonitorstudentacademicprogress).

COLLABORATION ON SCREEN-IN HIRINGNewtech-enabledassessmentsallowemployerstoscreenjobapplicantsbasedon

simulatedperformanceofrelevanttasksratherthanscreeningonlycredentials.ACPprogramscanassistemployersindevelopingrelevantassessments,justliketheNorthstarDigitalLiteracyAssessment8hasformeasuringjobapplicants’computerskills.ACPprogramscanalsoinformparticipantsofwhatcompetency-basedassessmentstotaketoqualifyforjobsthatmayhavepreviouslyrequiredcredentials.

ThroughTalentABQ,9theCityofAlbuquerque,theNewMexicoDepartmentofWorkforceSolutions,andCentralNewMexicoCommunityCollegepartnertoadvanceAlbuquerque’sworkforceandhelpemployersfindtalentusingskills-basedhiring.TalentABQassessesandbuildsjobseekers’qualificationsandthecredibilityrequiredtoaccessanewjobbymeasuringcorefoundationalskillsthatarefoundacross95percentofalljobsintheU.S.Leveraging

7 http://www.provlib.org/rhode-coders-clubs-data-navigators8 https://www.digitalliteracyassessment.org/9 https://www.talentabq.org/about/

http://www.provlib.org/rhode-coders-clubs-data-navigators

https://www.digitalliteracyassessment.org/

https://www.talentabq.org/about/

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theCoreScoreonlinetechnologyforassessingsoftskills,non-traditionaljobcandidatesdemonstratetheirjobreadinesstoemployerswhomayotherwisehaveoverlookedthem.Employersidentifynewtalentthrougha“screen-in”process,ratherthanmissingagreatcandidatethroughatraditional,degree-oriented“screen-out”method.

Technologyalgorithmscanalsoassistjobseekersinunderstandingwhatdegreesmaybeworthpursuing.AnopensourcedatabasecalledCredentialEngine10allowsjobseekers,employers,andeducatorstoeasilysearch,aggregate,andcompareover1,500employmentcredentials(Trumka&Dimon,2017).Theregistrydetailswhichemployersacceptcertaincredentials,whattypeofeducationandtrainingisneededtoreceivethecredential,andwherejobseekerscangetthem.ACPprogramproviders,minimally,shouldunderstandandintroducethese“screen-in”technologiestolearnersandworktobuildpartnershipwiththeirdeveloperstoensurethatACPprogrammingincludes,oratleastleadsupto,recognizedcredentials.

COLLABORATION TO DEVELOP ICTS FOR LEARNINGFindingrelevantonlinelearningresourcesforlearnerstouseinACPprogrammingcanbe

achallenge.Onlineenvironmentsmightbeconfusingforlearnersnewtocomputers;content,language,andgraphicsdevelopedforyoungerstudentsmightbeoff-puttingtoadultlearners;orliteracylevelsrequiredforsuccessfulusemightbetoohigh.Workingwithdeveloperstoovercometheseissuesiscritical.Partneringwithdeveloperscanhelpsolvethisproblem.

InMinnesota,PineTechnicalCommunityCollege,inpartnershipwithJohnsonCenterforSimulation11andHealthForceMN,12collaboratedtomeettheneedforCertifiedNursingAssistant(CNA)studentstobuildsoftskillsrequiredtoprovidequalitypatientcare.AssoftskilldevelopmentwasnotacomponentoftheCNAexam,manyACPprogramsdidnotofferdirectinstruction.TheresultofthiscollaborationistheCNAGame,13 avirtualreality(VR)whereCNAstudentsarewalkedthroughaseriesofscenariosthatpushthemtoaddressaffectiveandnon-technicalaspectsofCNAwork.Thegameisaccessibletolearnerswithbasiccomputerskillsandincludesscaffoldingforlearnerswithlowerliteracyproficiency.Aglossaryoftermsispresentedatthebeginningofeachscenario,whichemploysaudio,text,andsemioticcuesthatreflecttherealworld(e.g.,spacesandobjectscommonlyfoundincarefacilitiesdepictedintheVR).ProgramscanusethegametoensurethatELL/ASElearnersdevelopsoftskillsastheybuildacademicandEnglishlanguageskills.

MAKE THE MOST OF ICTS TO EXPAND COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS Thestrategiesdescribedaboveareimportant,butjustastart.TraditionalABE

10 https://www.credentialengine.org/about11 http://www.johnsonsimcenter.com/12 http://www.healthforceminnesota.org/about/13 http://cnagame.org/

https://www.credentialengine.org/about

http://www.johnsonsimcenter.com/

http://www.healthforceminnesota.org/about/

http://cnagame.org/

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programming,includingitsACPoptions,reachesonly11percentofthe36millionU.S.adultsthathavebasicliteracyneeds(OECD,2013).ExpansionofACPtomorelearnersrequirespolicyshiftsinassessmentandenrollmentplusbuildingnewpartnershipstoon-boardlearnerswhohavenotbeendrawntoACP.

OneexampleofanewpartnershipincludestheMinnesotalibraries’BetterTogetherinitiative,14 whichleveragescollaborationinsupportofdigitalliteracyprogrammingforadultlearners.ThroughBetterTogether,ongoingnetworkinghasstrengthenedrelationshipsamongstparticipatingorganizations,includinglibraries,adulteducation,andworkforceorganizationsstatewide.TheimpactisadeliverysystemfordigitalliteracyprogrammingavailabletolearnersoutsideoftheformalABEsystem,yetalignswithworkforcedemandsandprepareslearnersforfutureenrollmentinABE.

ProvidencePublicLibrary’sRhodeIslandFamilyLiteracyInitiative(RIFLI)15coordinateseducationalservicesforimmigrantsintheareasofEnglishlanguageandliteracy,technologyandmathatpubliclibraries,publichousing,publicschools,theworkplace,andAmericanJobCenters.RIFLI’sperson-centeredapproachtakesservicestowheretheyareneeded,employingopenandflexibleoptionswhereadultscanmakechoicesabouttheirlearningpaths.LearningLounges,16whereadultscangetfreehelpwiththeireducationandemploymentgoalsinatechnology-enabled,welcomingenvironment,isanexampleofthisapproach.ThroughitsPeer2PeerUniversity*LearningCircles,RIFLIprovidesinternet-basedlearningforstudentsonwaitlists.Learnersworkindependentlywithatutorandinsupportofeachother,untilaplaceopensfortheminclass(Sharma,2017).FlexibleonboardinghelpsreachlearnerswhomaynothaveotherwisefoundACPlearningopportunities.

InCalifornia,theCaliforniaLaborFederation’sMobileUpProject17bringsbasicskillsinstructionandcareereducationcoachingservicestoapproximately400underservedLimitedEnglishProficientserviceworkersentirelybycellphone.Cell-Ed’s18 interactivetextandaudiophonelinesareusedtoteachEnglishandbasicskillstohundredsoflow-wagejanitors,long-termcare,andotherlow-wageserviceworkerswhomayhavenotolowdigitalliteracyandinternetaccess.Thisanytime,anywherelearningmakeslearningaccessibletoademographicthatcannotattendregularclassesastheyjugglemultipleresponsibilitiesandirregularwork-shifts.These‘non-traditional’studentsaresupportedbybilingual,mobilecoacheswhotracktheirprogress,providemotivation,makereferralstonext-stepprogramsorwrap-aroundservices,andcoachstudentsonreachingtheircareerorlifegoals.TechinnovationslikeCell-Edand“outofthebox”programdesignsuchasMobileUpareneedediftheworkforce

14 www.mnliteracy.org/educators/better-together-strengthening-adult-learning-communities15 http://www.rifli.org/16 http://www.provlib.org/learning-lounge-ppl17 http://mobileupproject.weebly.com/18 https://www.cell-ed.com/adult-education/

http://www.mnliteracy.org/educators/better-together-strengthening-adult-learning-communities

http://www.rifli.org/

http://www.provlib.org/learning-lounge-ppl

http://mobileupproject.weebly.com/

https://www.cell-ed.com/adult-education/

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developmentsystemwilleverreach,train,andoffercareeradvancementcoachingtothemorethan89percentoflower-skilledadultsleftbehindbytraditionaleducationservicemodels.

CONCLUSIONFromtheAdultLiteracyXPrizetestingappsforadultbasiceducation,tocompanies

competingtodevelopalgorithmstoassessskillsandmatchpotentialemployeeswithemployers,thereisincreasedattentiononboththeneedandthepotentialoftechnologytopreparelowerskilledadultsforhighereducationandemployment.Atthesametime,conversationsonthe“FutureofWork”underscoretheneedtohelpourcurrentandfutureworkforcedevelopcodingandotherhighertechnologyandcriticalthinkingskillstoremainrelevantandemployable.ForACPprogramstosustaintheirrelevanceinthiswork,ABEleadersandotherACPstakeholdersmusttakeseriouslytheneedtoensuretheuseofrelevanttechnologiesinprogramming.Bydoingso,theywillbetterensurethattheprogrammingadequatelypreparesthebroadestrangeofpossiblelearnersforemploymentallalongtheirchosenpathway.

REFERENCESCarter,J.(2017).Expandingaccesstolearningwithmobiledigitaldevices.Journal of Research and

Practice for Adult Literacy, Secondary, and Basic Education,6(2),49–55.Retrievedfromhttps://static1.squarespace.com/static/55a158b4e4b0796a90f7c371/t/59782f28e58c62b0e4b701cc/1501048703128/Summer+Journal+Interactive+FINAL.pdf

Jacobson,E.(2012).Adult basic education in the age of new literacies. New Literacies and Digital Epistemologies. Volume 42. New Literacies and Digital Epistemologies (Vol.42).ERIC.

Mortrude,J.(2016).IntegratedEducationandTraining:Modelprogramsforbuildingcareerpathwaysforparticipantsateveryskilllevel.Opportunities for Action.WashingtonDC:CLASP.Retrievedfromhttps://www.clasp.org/sites/default/files/publications/2017/04/WIOA-IET-Model-Programs.pdf

OECD.(2013).TimefortheU.S.toreskill?WhattheSurveyofAdultSkillssays.OECDSkillsStudies.OECDPublishing.

Sharma,P.(2017).LearningCirclesaddresswaitlistsforEnglishclasses.Retrievedfromhttps://thewell.worlded.org/learning-circles-address-wait-lists-for-english-classes/

Trumka,R.,&Dimon,J.(2017).JPMorganandAFL-CIOCEOs:Findingajobisstilltoohard.Here’showwecanfixthat.RetrievedDecember21,2017,fromhttp://fortune.com/2017/12/07/jpmorgan-chase-afl-cio-microsoft-support-credential-engine/

WorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct,Pub.L.No.H.R.803(2014).UnitedStatesofAmerica.Retrievedfromhttps://www.congress.gov/113/bills/hr803/BILLS-113hr803enr.pdf

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https://www.clasp.org/sites/default/files/publications/2017/04/WIOA-IET-Model-Programs.pdf

https://thewell.worlded.org/learning-circles-address-wait-lists-for-english-classes/

https://thewell.worlded.org/learning-circles-address-wait-lists-for-english-classes/

http://fortune.com/2017/12/07/jpmorgan-chase-afl-cio-microsoft-support-credential-engine/

http://fortune.com/2017/12/07/jpmorgan-chase-afl-cio-microsoft-support-credential-engine/

https://www.congress.gov/113/bills/hr803/BILLS-113hr803enr.pdf

WHAT IS MINDS THAT MOVE US?

We believe that to collaborate is to innovate—and great innovation takes diverse minds to solve complex community issues. This is the founding philosophy behind the Minds that Move Us initiative, a challenge to communities to design innovative education and training models that create social equity and economic mobility for all. Driven by the market demands of business and industry as well as the needs of learners, these challenges engage the bright minds of public/private partners to examine the current education and training gaps within their communities and then create models that can be scaled and replicated within various industries.

WHAT IS THE ADULT CAREER PATHWAY CHALLENGE?

The first Minds that Move Us challenge is to design career pathway innovations for adult learners who do not have any formal postsecondary training or education and lack the skills necessary to put themselves on a career path, especially those with disabilities. Open to communities across the United States, this challenge encourages creativity, collaboration and out-of-the-box ideas as solutions to pressing employment challenges and includes a design camp, festival, and coaching to assist in the development and implementation of promising practices. Applications for this challenge are due Friday, June 29, 2018. Attend our webinar on Friday, June 8th at 2pm EST to learn more.

WHAT ARE COMPONENTS OF THIS CHALLENGE?

Ten selected community teams will participate, at no cost, in the following:

Design Camp – A two-and-a-half day experience to hear from subject matter experts about next generation career pathway design features and approaches that: 1) stack and aggregate learning experiences at various levels of education and industry credentials; 2) use prior learning assessments, competency-based assessments and/or micro-credentials; 3) provide academic and wrap-around supports; and 4) incorporate universal design principles to ensure adult learners with visible and invisible disabilities can benefit from programs.

Ongoing Coaching – Teams are slated to receive 24 hours of coaching over three years to assist in designing their programs.

Career Pathways Festival – A two-day Festival where teams will pitch their programs to a distinguished panel of judges and a live, virtual audience including funders that may consider offering pre-commitments to provide implementation funding for ideas they want to support.

The Adult Career Pathway Challenge: Fact Sheet

To download an application or for more details go to: MindsthatMoveUs.org

POWERED BY: FUNDED BY:

WHY SHOULD COMMUNITIES PARTICIPATE?

Three winners will be selected for a $100K prize each for the first Minds that Move Us challenge which focuses on adult career pathway innovations. Why this particular challenge? Too many adults in the United States do not have the foundational skills necessary to further their education, pursue training opportunities, and improve their skill development. As a result, they are unable to obtain and/or further pursue meaningful and financially viable careers. If you know these challenges exist in your community, this is your opportunity to bring together a diverse team of stakeholders to spark innovation in education, gain national recognition, learn from coaches and subject matter experts, and garner funding for your work. All teams who submit an application will be invited to our Virtual Community of Practice to participate in briefings and convenings to highlight best practices and lessons learned.

WHO PARTICIPATES IN THE ADULT CAREER PATHWAY CHALLENGE?

There are multiple stakeholders within a community that are passionate about solving workforce and education issues, and the Minds that Move Us initiative engages a wide range of public/private partners to collaborate around any given challenge including:

To download an application or for more details go to: MindsthatMoveUs.org

ADULT CAREER PATHWAY CHALLENGE KEY DATES:

6/8/18 Webinar

6/29/18Application Deadline

Week of July 16thWinners Notified

Week of July 23rd Submit Travel Plans

Week of August 6thDesign Camp

HOW DO I LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHALLENGES? To download an application or for more details go to

MindsthatMoveUs.org

TAKE YOUR COMMUNITIES TO NEW HEIGHTSEngage – Educate – Excel

Educators(Postsecondary, adult)

Governmental Agencies

Business & Industry

Workforce Development

Boards

AdultStudents

Community-Based

Organizations