Narrative Report | National Reporting System

State Leadership Funds (Adult education and family literacy act Section 223 (AEFLA))

Describe how the State has used funds made available under section 223 (State Leadership activities) for each the following:

AEFLA Section 223(1)(a)

Alignment of adult education and literacy activities with other one-stop required partners to implement the strategies in the Unified or Combined State Plan as described in section 223(1)(a)

The Executive Director, Office of Adult Education (OAE) served on the state-level Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board (KWIB). There are 10 Local Workforce Development Areas (LWDAs) and designated regions across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A member of a local provider program is nominated and selected to serve as the adult education representative of the Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) within their service area region. Local providers are encouraged to support and participate in the Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) for their designated region. Representation on these boards allowed the Office of Adult Education under the Department of Workforce Development, to align office priorities with state and local decision-making processes to better serve working age Kentuckians.

In PY22, the OAE as a part of the Kentucky Department of Workforce Development (DWD) made a concerted effort to maximize opportunities to align activities and services across the four WIOA types in support of assisting Kentuckians. The OAE coordinated with the DWD Commissioner’s office to follow up on referrals from the Kentucky Career Centers (KCC)/One-Stops to ensure that adult education services were provided, and that co-enrollment was tracked across the WIOA partners. The College and Career Navigators (CCN) played an integral role in this process by identifying the multi-faceted needs of adult learners and providing guidance and a pathway to mitigate issues through alignment with other WIOA partners and stakeholders across the Commonwealth. The State CCN Senior Coordinator oversees the CCNs and the Career Pathway process. The CCNs and instructors use the information provided by the one-stop center and LWDBs to connect clients to applicable employment, education, and training resources.

In PY22, the OAE continued to refine the integration of state staff and the LPNs into the Kentucky Integrated Business Engagement System (KIBES), a web-based system, which allows OAE and the LPN to share business engagements and referrals to benefit employers and adult education students. Although the KIBES process has been beneficial, the OAE explored other pathways to enhancing the development of partnerships which included the establishment of a new branch, the Targeted Services Branch, to maximize the opportunity to align clients with educational and employment opportunities. The OAE continues to coordinate with the Office of Employer and Apprenticeship Services (OEAS) quarterly to align its work and referral processes in KIBES to create synchronization and efficiency across the process.

AEFLA Section 223(1)(b)

Establishment or operation of a high-quality professional development programs as described in section 223(1)(b)

OAE provided multiple professional learning courses focused on essential components of reading. The courses emphasized GED-aligned, Corrections-friendly instructional resources and strategies as well as improving adult learners’ listening skills to enhance comprehension. Student diagnostic report data was analyzed and leveraged to improve student outcomes.

Additionally, OAE enhanced the partnership with Goodwill Industries of Kentucky to provide literacy component specific instruction to address student needs in support of obtaining a secondary diploma or recognized HSE. This partnership further refined the distance learning process to incorporate addressing clients who lacked a passing GED component score after multiple attempts. The Instructor Development and Student Outcomes Branch in conjunction with the Morehead State University Adult Education Academy developed individualized tutoring plans for students in support of them securing employment after passing the GED math component. This has particularly successful in the largest adult education service area (Jefferson County) as multiple adult learners in this county have benefited and gained employment through these individualized tutoring plans. This process remains an important part of the success of the adult learners across all 120 counties. The instruction was aligned to all GED High Impact Indicators (HII) for Mathematics and other GED components which included formative and summative assessments for each GED HII-aligned module. 18 participating local instructors and program directors and 18 students participated in a distance learning pilot to serve Goodwill Work & Learn clients wanting to earn a GED for better employment opportunities. 3 students earned MSGs, including 2 GEDs by the conclusion of the pilot. The intent is to use the course as a model for future OAE-initiated instructional initiatives.

During PY22, OAE hosted multiple statewide KYAE Education training sessions available to WIOA partners and stakeholders. The events focused on creating better understanding of the alignment across WIOA partners and further development of the Integrated Education and Training (IET) and Workplace Literacy (WPL) models of instruction.

In PY22, IETs and WPLs increased significantly due to an intentional focus on work-based learning and the development of partnerships across the training and employment communities. The IET/WPL Review Team was reorganized to incorporate Professional Learning Coaches who assisted with the development of Single Set Learning Objectives (SSLOs) to maintain the concurrent component of the literacy instruction and the contextual alignment of the training component. The IET/WPL Review Team led by the OAE, Program Administration, Performance, and Compliance (PAPC) Branch continued to enhance the IET/WPL process by utilizing LINCS IET training materials, meeting with OCTAE and engaging other states to foster an environment of continuous improvement. Kentuckians earned a total of 519 Measurable Skill Gains in the IET/WPL type categories. 4 IETs from postsecondary transcripts; 193 WPLs from progress towards milestones; and 322 IETs from occupational exams.

AEFLA Section 223(1)(c)

Provision of technical assistance to funded eligible providers as described in section 223(1)(c)

OAE partnered with the Education and Labor Cabinet’s Digital Equity Office to develop greater levels of expertise and pathways for instructional enhancements in the spaces of digital fluency and access to virtual modalities of instruction. The intent was to provide technical assistance in the use of technology to expand flexible learning options for program participants in support of achieving measurable learner outcomes. Instructional staff received training on digital curricula and reporting features to track learner progress and inform instruction. OAE incorporated content on digital curricula during the quarterly Local Provider Director meetings to provide KYAE providers and learners with the tools required to maximize the use of technology.

To address gaps in digital literacy skills and access, OAE trained 56 College & Career Navigators to serve as digital navigators to support student digital access. OAE offered four professional learning electives to support digital literacy skill development and instructional strategies for technology-enhanced learning. The following electives were offered during the performance year:

Digital Tools
Statewide Digital Literacy & Distance Learning PLC
Foundational Best Practices for Blended Learning
Phone-Friendly Instructional Resources

Finally, OAE offered technical assistance to providers on procedures for ensuring accurate data entry and utilizing the reporting features of the KAERS data system to monitor learner attendance and progress. OAE collaborated with providers to create customized database queries to specifically inform their work with participants.

AEFLA Section 223(1)(d)

Monitoring and evaluation of the quality and improvement of adult education activities as described in section 223(1)(d)

Pursuant to the local provider’s contract with OAE for the provision of adult education services, local providers were required to operate a program in compliance with the KYAE Professional Learning Requirements for all provider roles. The Professional Learning minimum hour requirement was reviewed by OAE and based on local provider feedback and best practices solicited from other states, the requirement was reduced from 25 to 18. All eligible provider adult education staff regardless of compensation status are subject to KYAE Professional Learning Requirements.

Per the PY22 KYAE Program Manual, page 70, “Should the provider fail to meet this requirement, a Notice of Noncompliance will be placed in the program file and will be considered in any evaluation of the program’s performance.”

At the conclusion of PY22, 19 of the 26 local providers were fully compliant with professional learning requirements with no stipulations. The remaining non-compliant providers and their specific circumstances were addressed during the first quarter of PY23.

The monitoring and evaluation process is based on a continuous improvement comprehensive model that focuses on progress towards performance requirements and the identification and mitigation of risks. All US ED, OCTAE and State-specific requirements are monitored and assessed throughout the PY to include performance indicators, finance/budget processes, and coordination across other WIOA types in support of co-enrollment and risk management.

The Program Administration, Performance, and Compliance (PAPC) Branch leads the monitoring and evaluation effort which includes periodic site visits to identify risks and to provide technical assistance. The process involves identifying the performance levels across the eligible provider network and developing a plan via the Performance improvement Plan (PIP) process and based on fulfillment of PIP requirements the Technical Assistance Plan (TAP) process.

PAPC has been able to identify existing and potential risks across the network as well identify best practices that can be implemented across the network to enhance compliance and performance in support of the overall state monitoring process. These best practices included organizational practices to mitigate risks regarding records management and finance processes.

Risks were assessed monthly and quarterly to determine which providers required technical assistance. All monitoring and evaluation content is addressed in the KY Program Manual. Policies are updated annually to address best practices and to incorporate any modifications by US ED and or the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

A Mobile Response Team (MRT) process was developed to measure the quality of activities and enhance the monitoring and evaluation process. The PAPC Branch leads this effort which consists of representation from all Branches across the state staff. The MRT conducts site visits upon requests by eligible providers and when risks and or performance gaps are identified based on the weekly performance reports and budget/finance analysis process.

The results of the monitoring and evaluation process for PY 22 were used to guide and shape the updates to the Monitoring and Evaluation section of the KY Program Manual for PY 23. This is an iterative process that includes data analysis but goes beyond the numbers to include engagements with eligible providers to determine roots causes. The KY Program Manual is disseminated to all eligible providers and quarterly updates are provided throughout the PY.

AEFLA Section 223(a)(2)

As applicable, describe how the State has used funds for additional permissible activities described in section 223(a)(2)

OAE sponsored a large group COABE membership for all staff in PY22. This large group membership allowed staff to benefit from national models and promising practices shared via the COABE website, email blasts, webinars, and electronic journals. The Education and Labor Cabinet approved a Strand Partnership MOU between OAE and COABE with an effective date in PY 23. Further, programs who earned performance funding based on previous year’s performance were eligible to use that funding to attend OAE-approved state and national conferences.

Additionally, OAE utilized the professional learning community concept which consisted of 10 coaches who provided instructional support to all 26 local providers and two statewide coaches with a focus on ESL and corrections. Program Directors, Assistant Directors, and experienced Instructors working 500+ hours/year were guided by coaches as they used research-based protocols to analyze performance data and identify opportunities for instructional improvements. Coaches also disseminated instructional best practices across the local provider network. These, and other resources, are shared in periodic newsletters called, KYAE PL Updates.

Performance Data Analysis

Describe how the adult education program performed in the overall assessment of core programs based on the core indicators of performance. Discuss how the assessment was used to improve quality and effectiveness of the funded eligible providers and any plans to further increase performance in future reporting years.

Process

The Office of Adult Education utilized two primary methods to analyze ongoing data trends for each local provider by service area. Weekly and monthly reports illustrated overall statewide performance trends in enrollment, GED attainment, and MSG rate, with comparison data from previous years. State Performance Rankings were released monthly to capture progress across the network. In addition to quarterly desktop audits, in which a sample of data entry was monitored and verified for ⅓ of fiscal agents, OAE periodically ran reports such as “Level 99”, “Reportable Individuals to Participant Transition”, and others as deemed necessary. OAE identified outliers in the data set to resolve anomalies.

Results

OAE established state performance targets for each Fiscal Agent utilizing ACS data of individuals with less than a high school diploma. The negotiated MSG rate was 45.2%. KYAE Local Providers finished Program Year 2022 with an MSG rate of 53.45%. Twenty-five of the twenty-six Local Providers met the negotiated MSG rate. Seventeen programs achieved 50% of their enrollment goal, and twenty-one Local Providers reached 50% or higher of their GED goal. OAE provided targeted assistance to providers through a Mobile Response Team (MRT), consisting of state-level subject matter experts (SMEs) across the OAE branches, following the risk assessment from provider rankings and input from the local level. Below is a table representing data from the largest local provider.

	JCPS (*from state ranking)	State (*from SPR)	% from JCPS
	Participants	MSG	Participants	MSG	Participants	MSG
PY 18	2435	1105	16796	8587	15.38%	14.88%
PY 19	1754	458	13773	5529	12.73%	8.28%
PY 20	658	146	6332	2601	10.39%	5.61%
PY 21	1475	393	8632	4115	17.09%	9.55%
PY 22	2067	709	11668	6237	17.7%	11.37%

Analysis

Statewide performance increased in PY22 across all federal and state performance indicators due to a focus on the purpose and definition of AEFLA Sections 202 and 203 in support of Sections 231, 225, and 243. The Education and Labor Cabinet emphasized transition and pre-release services in state and local correctional facilities and thus OAE adopted the Putting Kentuckians First (PKF) initiative which focused on transition related services for justice-involved individuals under the umbrella concept of “Jobs on Day One” which seeks to provide a job on day one upon release from a correctional facility for Kentuckians. The increases from Integrated Education & Training and Workplace Literacy programming are due to the development of an IET/WPL Planning tool and the establishment of partnerships with employers and training providers such KCC Companies, Amazon, Anderson Cleaning company, and Goodwill Industries of Kentucky.

At both state and local levels, KYAE experienced a moderate level of turnover which required periods of intensive staff development with the loss of veteran educators, however, this provided the opportunity to onboard new, highly capable subject matter experts across multiple areas of need in the program year.

Despite the challenges of personnel shortages across the Local Provider Network, KYAE experienced progress and enhanced integration with other WIOA partners as well as the Local Workforce Boards in the Commonwealth.

Action

OAE’s monitoring and evaluation of these goals consist of: Quarterly Performance Check-ins, Desktop Audits, and On-Site Compliance Visits. KYAE has implemented additional accountability processes by requiring the LPN to adhere to KYAE operational calendars and contingency plans.

In alignment with 2 CFR 200.332 (e)(1) KYAE addressed local program performance issues immediately by focusing on the bottom ⅓ of the state rankings to provide Technical Assistance. This consisted of making site visits to those providers to identify areas of improvement and provide technical assistance. Desk Audits were conducted, and Quarterly Performance Check-Ins were completed. Providers also had the opportunity to request TA and virtual meetings were conducted with program directors to provide feedback to increase performance.

Integration with One-stop Partners

Describe how the State eligible agency, as the entity responsible for meeting one-stop requirements under 34 CFR part 463, subpart J, carries out or delegates its required one-stop roles to eligible providers. Describe the applicable career services that are provided in the one-stop system. Describe how infrastructure costs are supported through State and local options.

The Office of Adult Education is committed to building community-benefiting bridges that will increase customer access to education and workforce development services. Local Provider Networks provided services to the one-stop centers within their local workforce services areas. Kentucky used the Local Funding Mechanism (LFM) to provide partners with the most flexibility in how they can leverage their resources and come to consensus on the infrastructure budget and partner contributions.

In PY22, the OAE examined the presence of adult education staff in one-stop centers to determine access to adult education services and the effectiveness of the referral process from other WIOA partners. The intent was to provide inclusive and convenient services administered by a connected support staff helping clients attain their educational and professional goals. Onsite instructors and CCNs were available at some locations for intake and Career Pathway Plan completion with clients. The CCN Career Pathway Plans served as a method to track students’ educational and professional goals and needs for services to overcome nonacademic barriers. The CCN State Coordinator oversaw the CCN process and provided training and support across the LPN. The OAE reviewed the activity logs completed by the CCNs. Activity logs were used to capture CCN activities in relation to student outcomes. Analysis revealed that gaps remained in the activity log process and technical assistance was provided through the MRT process to ensure that clients received the services and assistance they needed for self-sufficiency and transition to postsecondary education and or employment.

In PY22, the OAE became more integrated with the Kentucky Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Kentucky Career Center/One-Stop referral system to identify gaps and to track client progress. The DWD provided a monthly one-stop referral list to OAE and the OAE, Outreach and Strategic Partnership Branch coordinated with the Local Providers to monitor client progress and to provide guidance and assistance when necessary.

Career services and the comprehensive process of providing eligible participants access to training and education as it relates to workforce preparation and career opportunities was a focus for PY 22. The Office of Adult Education spearheaded by the Outreach and Strategic Partnerships (OSP) Branch worked closely with the Kentucky Career Development Office (CDO) responsible for administering Title III activities to improve the career services process in Kentucky. The Executive Director, OAE participated in CDO training events in PY 22 and CDO provided a block of instruction during one of the Local Provider Director Quarterly Meetings in PY 22 to provide adult education Directors to tools to address the career service needs of adult learners.

Kentucky also expanded its Integrated Education and Training (IET) program is PY 22 which resulted in significant increases in progress toward milestones and passing technical/occupational knowledge-based exams in support of the measurable skill gain process. Kentucky enhanced the IET/WPL Planning Team as well as the IET/WPL Planning Tool to provide greater levels of assistance and guidance to eligible providers regarding career services related activities.

Many of the career services activities are rooted in the Kentucky Career Center/One-Stop process administered by the Local Workforce Boards through the administration of WIOA Title I activities. Kentucky adult education personnel are in many of the KCCs in Kentucky to address the adult education and family literacy needs of Kentuckians as well as to address career services activities. The Education and Labor Cabinet (ELC) administers the infrastructure cost process for the WIOA process. The ELC calculates the adult education shared costs and infrastructure costs and the amounts paid are annotated on the Office of Adult Education (OAE) expenditure reports. During the monthly finance/budget meetings, the OAE Fiscal Management and Contracts Branch is provided an update on infrastructure costs by the ELC Budget Office.

Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education

Describe how the state is using funds under Section 243 to support the following activities under the IELCE program:

IELCE Funds and grants

Describe when your State held a competition [the latest competition] for IELCE program funds and the number of grants awarded by your State to support IELCE programs.

Kentucky most recently conducted a competitive Request for Applications in March 2022 for the 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2025 Grant Cycle. As a result of the competition, three Adult Education eligible applicants were awarded IELCE funding under section 243: Bluegrass Community and Technical College; Jefferson County Public Schools; and Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Training activity

Describe your State efforts in meeting the requirement to provide IELCE services in combination with integrated education and training activities;

In PY22, IELCE programs served 1,723 English Language Learner students (ELLs), attaining 642 measurable skill gains (MSGs). No IELCE program completed Integrated Education and Training programs with ELLs in PY22, however, all IELCE program students had access to integrated education and training opportunities through program partnerships with providers across the Commonwealth.

Kentucky identified the need to address challenges associated with the implementation, execution, and monitoring of IELCE programs. Mitigation strategies were developed to address identified issues and to develop a Way Ahead for IELCE programs. Intense IET-specific training and IELCE guidance was conducted with IELCE program directors in PY22.

The increased statewide awareness of IET and Workplace Literacy (WPL) remained a focus in PY22 and the statewide IET/WPL Planning Tool was refined. The IET/WPL Planning Tool explicitly required identification of local employer, trainer, and workforce development partners. This tool is submitted for approval to an IET Review Team that reviews IELCE submissions as well as ABE submissions. Further, the tool requires identification of funding sources for each program, necessitating IELCE programs to account for their section 243 funds specifically for IETs.

IELCE Section 243(c)(1)

Describe how the State is progressing towards program goals of preparing and placing IELCE program participants in unsubsidized employment in in-demand industries and occupations that lead to economic self-sufficiency as described in section 243(c)(1) and discuss any performance results, challenges, and lessons learned from implementing those program goals; and

IELCE programs continue to forge partnerships addressing regional workforce development through collaboration with other WIOA partners and stakeholders to meet the needs of both program participants and employers such as Amazon. The OAE is coordinating with other Department of Workforce Development offices to enhance efforts to provide education, training and employment opportunities to participants who do not meet postsecondary admissions requirements and or career-credential criteria. In PY22, the OAE explored partnerships which included the Kentucky Office of Refugees to assist recent immigrants with attaining English and workplace literacy skills.

Developing a pathway to unsubsidized employment for IELCE participants has been a work in progress for Kentucky. Progress was made over PY 22, however, there is room for growth and expansion and steps are being taken to improve the process. One success story is the partnership between the Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Adult Education program and KCC Companies. JCPS Adult Education provided language and literacy instruction for KCC employees in support of the IELCE process in PY 22. This partnership has provided opportunities for JCPS Adult Education to provide unsubsidized employment IELCE participants as KCC Companies is in the process of opening a new facility which will create hundreds of new employment opportunities for IELCE participants. Kentucky is continuously working with the other two IELCE process to create pathways for unsubsidized employment for participants.

The results in Jefferson County are encouraging as it relates to MSG increases and the development of pathways to employment. Challenges were identified which included ensuring that language literacy activities include career services and employment processes and that the IET requirements of the IELCE process is embedded into the overall concept. These lessons learned from PY 22 contributed to modifications that have been implemented during PY 23.

IELCE Section 243(c)(2)

Describe how the State is progressing towards program goals of ensuring that IELCE program activities are integrated with the local workforce development system and its functions as described in section 243(c)(2) and discuss any performance results, challenges, and lessons learned from implementing those program goals.

Kentucky Career Centers continue to make referrals to IELCE programs, as do other community partners such as Kentucky Refugee Ministries. Those partnerships are vital to KYAE efforts to better align program activities with local workforce boards’ priorities to prepare immigrants for the workforce and a new culture. Several opportunities for growth have been identified specifically related to collaborating with local workforce boards and referral efforts among WIOA partners.

Adult Education Standards

If your State has adopted new challenging K-12 standards under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, describe how your Adult Education content standards are aligned with those K-12 standards.

In PY22/FY23, OAE continued to use the Instructional Framework Series as the common instructional foundation for the agency. Mathematics, Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA), and English Language Proficiency (ELP) Instructional Frameworks provide a common instructional basis with alignment to the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS). In general, the Math and RLA frameworks contain common color coding to signify the type and percentage of standards-based content at each TABE level. In PY22/FY23, work began in the ESL PLC to revise the existing English Language Proficiency Instructional Framework in anticipation of upcoming revisions to NRS English Language Learner (ELL) performance descriptors and assessments aligned to the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). The resulting FY23 Revised ELP Instructional Framework aligns CASAS Life & Work and CLAS-E more explicitly to the ELP Standards in a streamlined and simplified format. Lessons submitted by Kentucky ELL instructors during this work also explicitly address civics instruction in Kentucky ELL classes through the statewide adopted IELCE/ESL Lesson Plan Template. All frameworks are enhanced with hyperlinks to instructional objects created by Kentucky adult educators, the KYAE Lesson Bank, statewide curricula, and other Open Educational Resources.

Instructional alignment and additions continued in PY22/FY23, when OAE added 10 new math and 10 new science CCR- and GED® High Impact Indicator- aligned HyperDocs to its KYAE Digital Lesson Bank and for inclusion in future revised Math and RLA Instructional Frameworks. Alignment with standards was further emphasized by OAE via a seven-part series of technical assistance sessions centered around the launch of the KYAE Integrated Education and Training (IET) and Workplace Literacy (WPL) planning tool. The planning tool requires all programs to align new IET and WPL projects to KYAE Employability Standards, CCR Standards, Kentucky Department of Education Kentucky Career Pathways Program of Studies 2022-2023, and Advance Career and Technical Education Career Clusters with their appropriate core standards. Additionally, at the end of PY22/FY23, phase one of revisions to the existing KYAE Employability Standards resulted in the revised KYAE Employability Standards, better aligned to academic and training standards required for successful IET and WPL programming.

All Program Directors, Assistant Program Directors, and experienced Instructors working 500+ hours per year were required to participate in provider-based professional learning communities. Each professional learning community was no longer required to produce a capstone product aligned to specific needs of adult learners, however, the MRT which is spearheaded by the Program Administration, Performance, and Compliance Branch (PAPC) in conjunction with the Morehead State University Adult Education Academy and the OAE Digital Fluency and Distance Education SME provided technical assistance to improve digital literacy for staff and students as well as provided guidance regarding student tracking, case management, and customer relationship management processes to improve coordination of instruction and student support.

Optional – Describe implementation efforts, challenges, and any lessons learned

Kentucky has identified the necessity to review the educational standards, applications, and educational support products to ensure alignment with both federal and state standards as well as emerging trends and best practices. Simply moving forward with processes from the previous PY is not always prudent or the best option for enhanced service delivery.

Programs for Corrections Education (AEFLA Section 225)

What was the relative rate of recidivism for criminal offenders served? Please describe the methods and factors used in calculating the rate for this reporting period.

The relative rate of recidivism for criminal offenders served in Kentucky is 27.15% (per KY DOC 2022 Annual Report, pg. 33) which is measured every two years. 27.15% is a historic low. The following methods and factors were used in calculating the rate for this reporting period:

Recidivism is measured by criminal acts that resulted in rearrest, reconviction, or return to prison with or without a new sentence during a two-year period following the participant’s release. The recidivism rate for the population served under KRS Chapter 533 will be measured by: (a) The number of defendants assessed who did not meet the eligibility requirements for the program following the clinical assessment; (b) The specific offenses charged for each defendant and the classification of offenses charged; (c) The percentage of defendants participating in the program who successfully completed the program; (d) The percentage of defendants discharged from the program for noncompliance; and (e) The percentage of defendants who are arrested, convicted and incarcerated within six (6) months, one (1) year, and two (2) years of successful completion of the program.

In PY22, Corrections instruction was improved from the previous PY, but challenges remained due to staffing shortages; security and operational concerns; and intermittent lockdowns. OAE facilitated Corrections-focused Professional Learning elective courses. The courses emphasized reading, vocabulary, mathematical operations, algebraic reasoning, instructional strategies, and deepening understanding of Corrections-specific instructional technology including Online Proctored GED (OP GED) and Brainchild Study Buddies. The adoption of the Putting Kentuckians First (PKF) Initiative and establishment of the Targeted Services Branch within the OAE has contributed to the enhancement of overall adult education services in the corrections space by focusing on pre-release instruction and training as well as transitional services in support of continued education at the postsecondary level and or employment.

Additionally, in PY22, KYAE served 1,860 participants in 76 local correctional facilities and state adult institutions. During this period of participation, 961 participants earned an MSG; 518 participants earned an MSG through making a level gain; and 443 earned an MSG through obtaining their GED. Further, in PY22, OAE will work with the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) to assess data collected and track the recidivism rate for program participants. The data collected will be shared with WIOA core partners to strengthen partnerships and guide processes and policies for Corrections education. Consistent with PKF, Kentucky statute KRS 533.270-290 (Senate Bill (SB) 90) established a Behavioral Health Conditional Dismissal Program to provide qualifying participants treatment and education/training opportunities in lieu of incarceration. The OAE, Lifelong Learning Branch administers the education and training component per KRS 533.286.

Narrative Report for Kentucky 2022