State Leadership Funds (Adult education and family literacy act Section 223 (AEFLA))
AEFLA Section 223(1)(a)
New York’s 200 local programs funded under WIOA Title II continued their commitment to align their adult education program and literacy activities with their local American Job Center (one-stop). As articulated in their contractual agreements with NYSE and a part of NY’s WIOA Combined State Plan under Operational Planning Elements, each awardee was required to coordinate effort with their local American Job Center and provide direction and support to students. Local programs preserved their commitments outlined in signed agreements submitted back in 2018 as a part of their proposal review and award; these agreements remain supported. Each student is required to be registered with the assistance of a Title II case manager, in JobZone, followed by a demonstration of how to manage their account on that site.
AEFLA Section 223(1)(b)
New York continues to support a team of geographically organized technical assistance centers across the state. The seven Regional Adult Education Network (RAEN) centers funded with Section 223 funding in program year 2021-22 kept local program staff engaged and supported as they continued to provide remote, in-person, and hybrid learning options to their students. In program year 2021-22, NYSED staff and RAEN participated throughout the year in various work groups established by New York State Department of Labor. These work groups, including the Interagency Workgroup, the Data Integration Work Group, the Training and Assistance Work Group, and the Youth Work Group, have continued to meet throughout Program Year 2021. During Program Year 2021, in addition to the barriers to employment presented by our adult students, the impact of the pandemic on employment was addressed in joint remote meetings such that students could continue to receive support. The barriers to employment were exacerbated by the pandemic’s impact and required more individual support. Local programs were provided remote and in person training to provide more opportunities for case managers to support their students.
During program year 2021-22, leadership funds supported systemic integration of WIOA employment data and performance requirements into NYSED’s custom built adult education management information system—Adult Student Information System and Technical Support (ASISTS). Included were the following modifications to ASISTS:
- ASISTS continued a quarterly electronic exchange of employment data from DOL’s Unemployment Insurance database
- The MOU, drawn, signed, and renewed in 2021, continues to provide for aggregate data to be exchanged with ASISTS on a quarterly basis
- Social Security Numbers are encrypted for secure exchange are used for the match
- Social Security Numbers are not required for students to participate in educational Title II services
- Those students, for whom the local program does not report a Social Security Number, must be followed up via a survey manually
- Data that continues to be included in the exchange:
- Median earnings in the second quarter after exit from the program
- Employment in the second quarter after exit from the program
- Employment in the fourth quarter after exit from the program
In program year 2021-22 the seven geographically defined RAEN centers shifted back toward in person training and professional development opportunities. In person training was supplemented with NYSED crafted remote professional development opportunities. The RAEN, under the guidance of NYSED’s Adult Education Program and Policy (AEPP) Unit, provided statewide training to all local program staff. More than 5,000 teachers and administrative staff attended either in person or remote training sessions.
NYSED and RAEN centers fully supported the electronic access to academic modules and independent study materials created under a combined effort between content experts at NYSED and curriculum experts from the City University of New York (CUNY). All electronic materials remain with full public access on two dedicated websites: www.TeachingtotheCoreNY.org and www.collectEDNY.org.
NYSED and RAEN staff monitored remote teaching sessions and met with teachers to offer support and suggestions for improvements including posting vetted materials on their respective websites. In addition to academic materials, RAENs also provided constant access to the NYSED/CUNY CareerKits. These CareerKits are accessed completely electronically and are shared with students electronically as well. They reflect pertinent career seeking activities that include training requirements to eleven high demand industries. Each CareerKit can be used by teachers in their classrooms or be shared with students with teacher remote facilitation. Using a pedagogy of inquiry and discovery, the CareerKit presents a range of activities and resources that support the continued acquisition of basic language and literacy skills in the broad context of work. The kits are designed to be used by literacy professionals who help students learn about and navigate career choices. All career services are integrated via the CareerKits into every component of instruction, ABE, ASE, and ESL. The activities take the form of practices already used in a language or a literacy/HSE class including reading and discussion, writing and revising essays, solving word problems, interpreting graphs and conducting research all centered on the topic of work. The study of careers includes academic support including basic literacy skills and improved critical thinking. At the same time, students learn how to navigate electronic career databases, find and interpret online help wanted ads, assess job offers, analyze job outlooks and match their own interests to careers in rising industries. During program year 2021, a major increase in students who were unemployed due to pandemic closures, prompted teachers and case managers to seek and support opportunities for remote employment for their students.
It should be noted that all CareerKits have, as their foundation, labor market statistical data. In program year 2021-2022, the eleven CareerKits continued to support career services instruction throughout the following high demand areas: Construction, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Education & Child Care, Community & Social Services, Retail, Hospitality, Recreation, & the Arts, Technology, Transportation, and Food Production. More information on the NYSED/CUNY CareerKits can be found at www.tinyurl.com/cunyCareerKits
In addition to the increased effort and focus on CareerKits during the pandemic, we continued to support eight topic areas in math that represent those portions of the HSE test where the majority of adult students were not successful based on data collected over a five-year period. Electronic, self-paced, comprehensive learning packets for each of these identified topic areas were shared with students; these electronic packets reside on our easily accessible website www.CollectEDNY.org. Teachers supported the use of these packets either remotely through synchronous time or in their classrooms for those that had returned to in-person programming. They are used by teachers as instructional tools within their classroom and used as distance education options for students that cannot commit to a classroom setting. AEPP is tracking the use of the packets through the electronic management system to follow the progress and success of those students using the packets as a preparation tool.
Program year 2021 marked the next NYSED Teacher Leader Institute provided in May 2022. A total of fifty-seven new Teacher Leaders were comprehensively trained on how to best deliver, in turnkey fashion, the aforementioned learning materials back to each of their RAEN regions. The RAENs identified potential Teacher Leaders in the areas of Math, ELA, and ESL. All three areas of training included the materials from the updated CareerKits. These new Teacher Leaders now joined the statewide cadre of Teacher Leaders that have been associated with this initiative since 2014.
AEFLA Section 223(1)(c)
Leadership funds supported statewide technical assistance, monitoring, and troubleshooting by the AEPP Regional Team, the NYS Director of Accountability, and the RAEN directors to improve data quality and monitor program sustenance in every WIOA Title II program.
The NRS Director of Accountability for adult education provided remote, comprehensive updates on WIOA policy and procedures for literacy programming during program year 2021. Data recognition, data collection, and data reporting protocols were all updated and shared with local program staff via webinars (that were recorded and disseminated to program staff), and follow up conference calls. In total, the NRS Director of Accountability for adult education conducted 41 training sessions in program year 2021.
The provision of technical assistance to eligible providers of adult education and literacy activities receiving funds under this title is the primary focus of a vendor contract funded by NYSED. Leadership funds continue to support Technical Assistance and Training for NRS programming. This technical assistance included the development and dissemination of instructional and programmatic practices aligned with state and federal policy. These practices are based on rigorous or scientifically valid research in reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, English language acquisition programs, distance education, and staff training.
Leadership funds helped support joint effort from NYSED ACCES-AEPP regional associates, who work along with Director of Accountability, and the seven RAEN directors to support programs most in need. After conducting a comprehensive review of all funded programs, it became evident that due to the pandemic, most of our funded programs were in need of enrollment increases, risk management and technical support. NYSED temporarily halted the identification of Individual Technical Assistance Programs (ITAPs) in each RAEN region for this reason. Together, the State director, NYSED regional staff, RAEN directors, and the Director of Accountability monitored and evaluated the quality of these programs as many had been providing services exclusively in remote delivery, while others struggled to satisfy their student population by bringing back as much in person programming as possible. The range varied across the state and required AEPP to keep constant vigilance on the updated information each program shared throughout the program year. It was also very important for AEPP to disseminate continual reminders to all programs of NYSED policy, remote options, and effective practices.
Monitoring teams were assembled to support any program engaged in any amount of remote learning options. AEPP Regional staff along with the respective RAEN directors would solicit remote instruction schedules from each locally funded program. Master schedules were developed so that staff could join remote learning sessions to observe and offer constructive feedback to the teachers and program managers. In addition, best practices were identified and also noted on monitoring documents posted to the NYS Accountability website.
|
Regional Adult Education Network Deliverables |
Activities |
FY2021/2022 July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022 |
|
Technical Assistance to local programs |
Remote Site Visits conducted |
42 |
|
Remote Desk Monitoring (local programs) |
123 |
|
|
Monitoring of Remote Learning/Teaching Sessions |
157 |
AEFLA Section 223(1)(d)
The New York State Adult Education Programs and Policy (AEPP) Team and the RAEN directors continued to provide coordinated technical assistance to programs that struggled to remain operational during the pandemic. Given the severe impact on student recruitment, persistence, and sustainability, annual benchmarks were again temporarily paused in the areas of Measurable Skill Gain and Post Test Rates. The RAEN directors provided technical assistance to assist programs in identifying those areas most in need of improvement while emphasis was drawn to enrollment and building back classrooms that had been eliminated or were depleted during the height of the pandemic.
Rather than identifying Individual Technical Assistance Programs (ITAPs) in Program Year 2021, the AEPP office refocused all technical assistance toward building our programs back through continued effort aimed at recruitment and enrollment. The AEPP Regional team worked closely with each RAEN region to provide and encourage strategies toward restoring program to their pre-pandemic capacity. AEPP conducted a multitude of remote site visits to diagnose and further support the individual program needs as they continued to serve students in the safest capacity possible in each community. All communication with programs was documented and posted to the accountability website. www.adult-education-accountability.org. Program staff, RAEN Directors, and NYSED AEPP staff all have access to the information stored on this site and can track their progress and communication accordingly.
In addition to communication efforts, all program data and related data reports are stored in secure, password protected, program accounts. The website and all secure documents are maintained through the office of the NRS Director of Accountability for adult education under direction from AEPP. The AEPP staff have full access to all accounts maintained on the Accountability website. Each AEPP regional staff have password protected access to each program within each of the seven assigned RAEN regions. All technical support, communication (emails, phone calls, text messages, recorded web meetings) were posted to assure constant and supportive assistance was provided to every program throughout the state.
Monitoring programs in Program year 2021 included but was not limited to desk monitoring. The NRS team reviewed all data and created a program evaluation based on current and previous data elements including Measurable Skill Gain, Post Test Rate, and Follow Up Outcome data. Subsequently, web meetings were scheduled with those programs presenting with the most significant deficiencies in these same areas of performance. These web meetings included the AEPP regional team, the regional RAEN Director, and the NRS Director. Based on a review of standard data checking documents, determination of data errors, data omissions, and coding errors was assessed and shared with the local program staff. Itemized lists of action steps was shared at the conclusion of each web meeting; programs were then scheduled for a second review and meeting to confirm all data correction expectations. When necessary, remote tutorial sessions were schedules with local data teams to guide data corrections.
The AEPP office reviewed and supported budget amendments to further support funded programs that needed to shift priority purchases toward safer teaching practices and environments. Funds were also approved to be redirected toward technology equipment and services that could further support students learning remotely.
As a result of pandemic closures and pause, Program Year 2021 marked the third consecutive year where funded programs were not issued the customary NYSED Adult Education Report Cards. The report cards typically quartile rank Measurable Skill Gain (MSG) and Post Test Rate as compared to all other WIOA funded programs. MSG is also weighted to demonstrate the differences in populations that were served. More credit is associated to programs that served those students where Measurable Skill Gain is the most challenging based on NYS and Federal data trends. Measurable Skill Gains include the attainment of the high school equivalency diploma and for industry credentials earned by students. The report cards also normally provide the outcomes of employment and median wage matches both with the electronic data match conducted with NYSDOL and with manual surveys conducted by the local programs.
NYSED requires all funded programs to enter data on a monthly basis. We continued this practice throughout the pandemic. Enrollment, attendance, assessments, and follow up data were entered by the end of the month following the month in which the service was delivered. AEPP has found this policy ensures programs monitor their student attendance and identify trends both up and downward and have ample time to react accordingly. This became especially helpful during the pandemic when program tried various methods for engaging students. Supplemental NYS local funding (used as part of the MOE for New York) is calculated on a contact hour logarithm, consequently, it has become increasingly more important for programs to keep a pulse on their monthly accrual for this NYS funding. This requirement also encouraged programs to employ program improvement strategies throughout the program year. The RAEN centers and NRS Accountability office provided additional training related to strategic data management and opportunities to interpret data trends along with upward or downward movement.
AEFLA Section 223(a)(2)
Leadership funds support joint effort from NYSED ACCES-AEPP regional associates, who work under the NY State Director for adult education, the seven RAEN centers, and the NRS Director of Accountability for adult education. Constant vigilance over risk management is required of all AEPP team members. During program year 2021, New York again suspended the identification of Individual Technical Assistance Programs (ITAP). Rather than identifying specific ITAP programs, all programs were provided remote and as appropriate, in person intense technical assistance. A team effort afforded individual support to every program statewide to guide a return to pre pandemic enrollment and services.
Together the State director, AEPP regional staff, RAEN directors, and the NRS Director of Accountability for adult education mentored and monitored every program and recommended plans for keeping students engaged. Sustaining our programs and keeping them whole continues to be the primary focus for our team.
2. 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.
The annual data from WIOA funded programs informed NYSED in all aspects of managing local programs during this historic pandemic response. In Program Year 2020, four of our funded programs ceased to provide any services to students. They worked with the AEPP team to position themselves for a reopening in Program Year 2021. One of those programs was not successful in reopening however that program was funded entirely by the NYS matched funds and not WIOA funding. The other three programs were successful in a full return to programming in Program Year 2021. Each of the 200 local programs maintained their program data and submitted performance data through NYSED’s online management information system, ASISTS. Within the seven geographic regions, the NYSED regional staff person, the RAEN director, and the NRS Director of Accountability worked as a team to initiate strategies for the preservation and reporting of performance data. That said, a reminder that performance benchmarks were suspended in Program Year 2021 as programs concentrated their effort in bringing students back into programming. The technical assistance and intense data management support afforded these programs the ability to restore as much as possible to pre pandemic services.
In Program Year 2021-2022, the total number of students served was 48,445 students. This cohort represents an approximate increase of 24% over the previous year’s enrollment. While we acknowledge that we did not reach pre pandemic enrollment which was closer to 70,000 students, this increase of 9,454 students represents the consorted effort from AEPP to support and preserve the services to adult students in New York. It should also be noted that the reduction in the number of students enrolled was counterbalanced by very significant increase in the persistence of students and resulting increases in learner outcomes. While New York State successfully transitioned all programs and students to remote learning in March of 2020, many students were unable to continue their learning opportunities due to several impeding issues. Regardless, programs offered students remote, in-person, and hybrid options for student engagement in Program Year 2021. New York’s average contact hours from Program Year 2020 was 54 hours per student while Program Year 2021 rose to almost 100 hours per student (99.7). This significant increase is beginning to rival our pre pandemic averages that ranged between 101 and 117 per student.
Along with a struggle to regain enrollment, New York’s Measurable Skill Gain was also negatively impacted during the pandemic surge. Program Year 2021 marks a sizeable increase in our MSG. Overall, the total MSG for all twelve Educational Functioning Levels rose 13.66% over Program year 2020 for a total MSG of 45.86%. While this positive impact has not yet reached the results from the last pre pandemic year, Program Year 2018, it is quickly moving toward that goal of 61.91% as we anticipate the continued effort on the part of our AEPP team will move us even close if not beyond in subsequent years. This significant increase in MSG was thoroughly impacted by the major effort our programs demonstrated in post testing their students. Program Year 2021 shows evidence of a massive effort to post test students and move back toward pre pandemic performance levels for post testing. In Program Year 2021, 61% of students enrolled were successfully post tested within the valid time range whereas in Program Year 2020, the number of students successfully poste tested was 18%; this massive effort marks an overall increase of 43% post tested.
In Program Year 2021, New York experienced a major shift in the implementation of the High School Equivalency Diploma. New York’s contract with the Data Recognition Corporation concluded on December 31, 2021. As a result of this severe change in testing procedures, the NYS Board of Regents implemented the return to the GED as the HSE diploma exam beginning January 1, 2022. This shift initiated a major effort in moving all HSE preparation programs funded under AEPP from TASC preparation materials and curricula to the new GED associated materials and preparation tools. Coupled with the drive away from pandemic enrollment impact, this new shift required a major focus on retraining and the dissemination of appropriate materials and protocols for testing students with the new GED exam. The shift resulted in a very slow implementation as the technological requirements and onboarding process required for the GED was vastly different from that used for the TASC.
New York’s achievement of HSE diplomas was impacted greatly by this shift in policy and protocol and yet, despite these major differences and lengthy onboarding process for our HSE preparation programs we managed to report 1, 207 diplomas earned in Program Year 2021 demonstrating an increase of 240 diplomas over the previous program year in spite of this major interruption to both testing and preparation. Our hope is that through various efforts launched in the following program year, New York will resume the pre pandemic expectations for diploma achievement that resulted in more than 3,200 diplomas pre pandemic annually.
3. Integration with American Job Center Partners
Describe how the State eligible agency, as the entity responsible for meeting American Job Center requirements under 34 CFR part 463, subpart J, carries out or delegates its required roles to eligible providers. Describe the applicable career services that are provided in the American Job Centers. Describe how infrastructure costs were supported through State and local options during program year 2020-21.
The New York State Commissioner of Education represents WIOA Title II on the State Workforce Development Board. New York State has 33 Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs). Each local workforce development board has a Title II representative identified by NYSED and recommended to the county elected official for approval. The Title II designee represented local WIOA funded programs in the workforce area at local meetings with the Local Workforce Development Boards.
During program year 2021-2022, ACCES-AEPP, working as part of the NYS WIOA interagency team, assisted all local funded programs in developing comprehensive Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between themselves and each LWDB. Each MOU included the specific career services for Title II and the WIOA Title II funding for the LWDB. These MOUs were developed and implemented remotely.
Examples of the services agreed upon in the executed MOUs include the use of JobZone for all adult literacy students. This system is designed and supported entirely by the WIOA Title I provider, the New York State Department of Labor. JobZone is a job search and career development web-based tool that is customized to each student’s local community. As a part of our commitment to this collaborative work, the access to and use of JobZone was added to the NYSED Certified Case Management training required of all funded programs in Program Year 2021-2022. In addition, through the American Job Center, adult literacy students are guided through CareerZone which enables the learner to access detailed career and education information for more than 800 occupations.
AEPP funded programs do not individually contribute to infrastructure costs because our programs are not co-located. During Program Year 2021, as a direct result of the impact of the pandemic, most of the local American Job Centers continued to be closed to client foot traffic; this situation afforded little to no collaboration of in person services. Regardless, there was and continues to be the complete involvement with the aforementioned web-based tools. Our funded programs deployed their case managers to connect and engage literacy students with these services remotely. Through these software components, the case manager can monitor and guide the student’s career exploration and job search. In addition, our funded programs continued to refer their students to their local Workforce Development Boards and American Job Centers to access and apply for services online. AEPP funded case managers assist students with these processes to assure the ability to gain access and benefit from the services provided from the NYS Departments of Labor via the American Job Centers. Many of our programs that resumed in person operations in Program Year 2021 also provided instruction at the American Job Centers as they had pre pandemic.
4. Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) Program (AEFLA Section 243)
Describe how the state is using funds under Section 243 to support the following activities under the
IELCE program:
- 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.
- Describe your State efforts in meeting the requirement to provide IELCE services in combination with integrated education and training activities;
- 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 NRS Annual Reporting Instructions for PY 2020-21 performance results, challenges, and lessons learned from implementing those program goals; and
- 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.
During Program Year 2017-2018, NYSED rebid WIOA Title II funding to support Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) programs. A total of 36 local programs were awarded grant funding to provide services under IEL/CE. In Program Year 2020-2021, these IELCE programs entered their 4th and final year and operated under AEPP pandemic guidance. The RFP required that programs receiving this award had to demonstrate the training associated with these awards would be fiscally supported by a funding resources other than WIOA. Under NYS policy, these programs were not able to use WIOA Title II funds to support the training initiatives. This requirement resulted in IELCE programs working very closely with local employers, higher education centers, and proprietary training establishments to provide the training component leading to an industry related credential. Both the employer and the training/credentialing program met with approval from the local Workforce Development Board and AEPP prior to the proposal being implemented. This requirement established a direct connection to the local need for both the training and the proposed employment.
IEL/CE programs worked closely with their training partners to continue providing the training component as much as possible during the pandemic. In some cases, the training providers halted all training due to the pandemic conditions in their communities; this occurred primarily in the city of New York. Regardless, the local literacy programs continued to provide remote, in-person, and hybrid variations of contextualized ESL instruction in anticipation of a return to training at some point in the program year. Local IEL/CE program staff continued to meet quarterly via remote options with employers. During the pandemic, very few employers were able to increase their staffing however, the constant communication between our funded literacy programs assured the persistence of action steps leading to employment as credentials are earned. Literacy teachers continued to meet remotely with employers to ascertain curriculum and instructional modalities that mirrored the needs of the employer. Case managers continued to meet with learners to monitor their progression and readiness for employment which included job preparation skills, resume preparation, and workplace skill expectations. This intense case management supported the transition anticipated as these employers began to reopen and bring on new staff which included IEL/CE students that have successfully completed their training component. This consistent and constant communication between local programs and local employers ensured employment opportunities as each community began to open and recover from the pandemic impact. To further support our case managers, AEPP staff and RAEN staff monitored the remote sessions with students to provide even more guidance and support for employment when the pandemic moved in a more positive direction.
The ACCES-AEPP team, the RAEN Directors, and the NRS Director of Accountability met remotely with each of the 36 funded programs quarterly. Strategies for sustaining student engagement in the absence of training was a focus of these meetings. Case management was heightened during this program year to provide ample and sustainable support to students enrolled in the IEL/CE programming. The team reviewed all approved expectations and suggested alternatives and options for connecting students to training providers when possible. Throughout the program year, remote monitoring of classes for both contextualized literacy and training were conducted. Teachers were supported, encouraged, and worked alongside AEPP staff to manage the shift from in-person to remote instruction. This ESL population required full support as many were unable to manage the technology necessary to remain engaged in the program. The AEPP team also managed budget amendments to further support the ongoing needs of teachers and students during the pandemic.
To ensure close coordination between IELCE programs and local workforce development, ACCES-AEPP facilitated remote communication to keep all partners apprised of the support being provided to both students and program aimed at sustaining the program and possible credential attainment amid the pandemic closures. Local programs made remote meetings possible between students and American Job Center staff to access job exploration for post program planning.
5. 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.
Optional – Describe implementation efforts, challenges, and any lessons learned.
New York adopted the College Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education released in 2013, which are aligned to the New York State’s K-12 common core standards. All instruction and professional development funded under WIOA title II (as noted in all sections above) as well as the professional development provided by the RAEN Directors supported these standards in program year 2020-2021. Full remote access to all training materials, teacher designed modules, and professional development was supported throughout the program year. Programs were encouraged to provide ample time for teachers to electronically access these materials and RAEN center directors worked remotely to guide teachers as they moved these modules to remote classrooms. Materials, modules, and training videos/materials are all available statewide on two websites: www.CollectEdNY.org and www.TeachingtotheCoreNY.org.
6. Programs for Corrections Education and the Education of Other Institutionalized
Individuals (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 NYSED has not, in the past, collected data on recidivism for Corrections Education and Other Institutionalized Individuals funded under WIOA Title II. Agencies that have received WIOA funded for this population have kept data or have provided qualitative information about their specific population.
Corrections Education programming was gravely impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic. Programs operating in correctional facilities were halted from entrance into the facility. In most cases, instruction was moved to a remote status however, internet connections were not permitted to students. As a result, teachers compiled packets of self-directed materials to share with students on a bi-weekly basis. Depending on the facility, some teachers were given an opportunity to meet individually with students in guest visiting areas; in other facilities, operation returned to pre pandemic structure and teachers were able to engage directly with their students in physical classrooms. This option afforded our teachers the opportunity to review material with students and provide individual support.
In a few cases, other facilities would not permit any entry for any reason so teachers would communicate direction to their students based on work collected and delivered from corrections staff. This further complicated the ability for teachers to assist students through their learning process. Teachers found that students remained interested in continuing their education and pathway toward a high school equivalency diploma in spite of pandemic closures and institutional protocol. In a few cases, inmates were released to home confinement where it was possible for them to communicate online with teachers. Our WIOA Corrections programs worked tirelessly in Program Year 2021/2022 to reengage their incarcerated students and assist on their continuum toward a high school equivalency diploma.
Many agencies have described systemic barriers to obtaining tracking information on this incarcerated population and express that they cannot report meaningful statistics with confidence. Another consideration is the challenge of a follow-up contact and data gathering as the participants wish to distance themselves from their former connections to the courts and the corrections system. In some cases, the adult education programs are prohibited from contacting inmates upon their release. In spite of these types of restrictions, New York will work to support these funded programs in the goal of reporting significant data on recidivism. These challenges are ongoing and have been the focus of our technical assistance support to our Corrections Education programs.
Our corrections programs also provided intense case management and transition services to those inmates released during Program Year 2021-2022. Teachers worked hard to transition these inmates back into traditional community programs. As noted, most of these programs were operating remote services which further complicated the ability for those students to access appropriate instruction to continue to their goal of achieving a high school equivalency diploma. Teachers in these programs committed to investing in the NYSED/CUNY CareerKits which are housed electronically and therefore easily accessible to students once they were released. The CareerKits provide some self-paced lessons that students can work through on their own and then confer with teachers for further guidance and support. The CareerKits are also found on either of the two websites: www.CollectEDNY.org and www.TeachingtotheCoreNY.org .
Performance Data Analysis
The annual data from WIOA funded programs informed NYSED in all aspects of managing local programs during this historic pandemic response. In Program Year 2020, four of our funded programs ceased to provide any services to students. They worked with the AEPP team to position themselves for a reopening in Program Year 2021. One of those programs was not successful in reopening however that program was funded entirely by the NYS matched funds and not WIOA funding. The other three programs were successful in a full return to programming in Program Year 2021. Each of the 200 local programs maintained their program data and submitted performance data through NYSED’s online management information system, ASISTS. Within the seven geographic regions, the NYSED regional staff person, the RAEN director, and the NRS Director of Accountability worked as a team to initiate strategies for the preservation and reporting of performance data. That said, a reminder that performance benchmarks were suspended in Program Year 2021 as programs concentrated their effort in bringing students back into programming. The technical assistance and intense data management support afforded these programs the ability to restore as much as possible to pre pandemic services.
In Program Year 2021-2022, the total number of students served was 48,445 students. This cohort represents an approximate increase of 24% over the previous year’s enrollment. While we acknowledge that we did not reach pre pandemic enrollment which was closer to 70,000 students, this increase of 9,454 students represents the consorted effort from AEPP to support and preserve the services to adult students in New York. It should also be noted that the reduction in the number of students enrolled was counterbalanced by very significant increase in the persistence of students and resulting increases in learner outcomes. While New York State successfully transitioned all programs and students to remote learning in March of 2020, many students were unable to continue their learning opportunities due to several impeding issues. Regardless, programs offered students remote, in-person, and hybrid options for student engagement in Program Year 2021. New York’s average contact hours from Program Year 2020 was 54 hours per student while Program Year 2021 rose to almost 100 hours per student (99.7). This significant increase is beginning to rival our pre pandemic averages that ranged between 101 and 117 per student.
Along with a struggle to regain enrollment, New York’s Measurable Skill Gain was also negatively impacted during the pandemic surge. Program Year 2021 marks a sizeable increase in our MSG. Overall, the total MSG for all twelve Educational Functioning Levels rose 13.66% over Program year 2020 for a total MSG of 45.86%. While this positive impact has not yet reached the results from the last pre pandemic year, Program Year 2018, it is quickly moving toward that goal of 61.91% as we anticipate the continued effort on the part of our AEPP team will move us even close if not beyond in subsequent years. This significant increase in MSG was thoroughly impacted by the major effort our programs demonstrated in post testing their students. Program Year 2021 shows evidence of a massive effort to post test students and move back toward pre pandemic performance levels for post testing. In Program Year 2021, 61% of students enrolled were successfully post tested within the valid time range whereas in Program Year 2020, the number of students successfully poste tested was 18%; this massive effort marks an overall increase of 43% post tested.
In Program Year 2021, New York experienced a major shift in the implementation of the High School Equivalency Diploma. New York’s contract with the Data Recognition Corporation concluded on December 31, 2021. As a result of this severe change in testing procedures, the NYS Board of Regents implemented the return to the GED as the HSE diploma exam beginning January 1, 2022. This shift initiated a major effort in moving all HSE preparation programs funded under AEPP from TASC preparation materials and curricula to the new GED associated materials and preparation tools. Coupled with the drive away from pandemic enrollment impact, this new shift required a major focus on retraining and the dissemination of appropriate materials and protocols for testing students with the new GED exam. The shift resulted in a very slow implementation as the technological requirements and onboarding process required for the GED was vastly different from that used for the TASC.
New York’s achievement of HSE diplomas was impacted greatly by this shift in policy and protocol and yet, despite these major differences and lengthy onboarding process for our HSE preparation programs we managed to report 1, 207 diplomas earned in Program Year 2021 demonstrating an increase of 240 diplomas over the previous program year in spite of this major interruption to both testing and preparation. Our hope is that through various efforts launched in the following program year, New York will resume the pre pandemic expectations for diploma achievement that resulted in more than 3,200 diplomas pre pandemic annually.
Integration with One-stop Partners
Describe how the State eligible agency, as the entity responsible for meeting American Job Center requirements under 34 CFR part 463, subpart J, carries out or delegates its required roles to eligible providers. Describe the applicable career services that are provided in the American Job Centers. Describe how infrastructure costs were supported through State and local options during program year 2020-21.
The New York State Commissioner of Education represents WIOA Title II on the State Workforce Development Board. New York State has 33 Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs). Each local workforce development board has a Title II representative identified by NYSED and recommended to the county elected official for approval. The Title II designee represented local WIOA funded programs in the workforce area at local meetings with the Local Workforce Development Boards.
During program year 2021-2022, ACCES-AEPP, working as part of the NYS WIOA interagency team, assisted all local funded programs in developing comprehensive Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between themselves and each LWDB. Each MOU included the specific career services for Title II and the WIOA Title II funding for the LWDB. These MOUs were developed and implemented remotely.
Examples of the services agreed upon in the executed MOUs include the use of JobZone for all adult literacy students. This system is designed and supported entirely by the WIOA Title I provider, the New York State Department of Labor. JobZone is a job search and career development web-based tool that is customized to each student’s local community. As a part of our commitment to this collaborative work, the access to and use of JobZone was added to the NYSED Certified Case Management training required of all funded programs in Program Year 2021-2022. In addition, through the American Job Center, adult literacy students are guided through CareerZone which enables the learner to access detailed career and education information for more than 800 occupations.
AEPP funded programs do not individually contribute to infrastructure costs because our programs are not co-located. During Program Year 2021, as a direct result of the impact of the pandemic, most of the local American Job Centers continued to be closed to client foot traffic; this situation afforded little to no collaboration of in person services. Regardless, there was and continues to be the complete involvement with the aforementioned web-based tools. Our funded programs deployed their case managers to connect and engage literacy students with these services remotely. Through these software components, the case manager can monitor and guide the student’s career exploration and job search. In addition, our funded programs continued to refer their students to their local Workforce Development Boards and American Job Centers to access and apply for services online. AEPP funded case managers assist students with these processes to assure the ability to gain access and benefit from the services provided from the NYS Departments of Labor via the American Job Centers. Many of our programs that resumed in person operations in Program Year 2021 also provided instruction at the American Job Centers as they had pre pandemic.
Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education
IELCE Funds and grants
During Program Year 2017-2018, NYSED rebid WIOA Title II funding to support Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) programs. A total of 36 local programs were awarded grant funding to provide services under IEL/CE. In Program Year 2020-2021, these IELCE programs entered their 4th and final year and operated under AEPP pandemic guidance. The RFP required that programs receiving this award had to demonstrate the training associated with these awards would be fiscally supported by a funding resources other than WIOA. Under NYS policy, these programs were not able to use WIOA Title II funds to support the training initiatives. This requirement resulted in IELCE programs working very closely with local employers, higher education centers, and proprietary training establishments to provide the training component leading to an industry related credential. Both the employer and the training/credentialing program met with approval from the local Workforce Development Board and AEPP prior to the proposal being implemented. This requirement established a direct connection to the local need for both the training and the proposed employment.
Training activity
IEL/CE programs worked closely with their training partners to continue providing the training component as much as possible during the pandemic. In some cases, the training providers halted all training due to the pandemic conditions in their communities; this occurred primarily in the city of New York. Regardless, the local literacy programs continued to provide remote, in-person, and hybrid variations of contextualized ESL instruction in anticipation of a return to training at some point in the program year. Local IEL/CE program staff continued to meet quarterly via remote options with employers. During the pandemic, very few employers were able to increase their staffing however, the constant communication between our funded literacy programs assured the persistence of action steps leading to employment as credentials are earned. Literacy teachers continued to meet remotely with employers to ascertain curriculum and instructional modalities that mirrored the needs of the employer. Case managers continued to meet with learners to monitor their progression and readiness for employment which included job preparation skills, resume preparation, and workplace skill expectations. This intense case management supported the transition anticipated as these employers began to reopen and bring on new staff which included IEL/CE students that have successfully completed their training component. This consistent and constant communication between local programs and local employers ensured employment opportunities as each community began to open and recover from the pandemic impact. To further support our case managers, AEPP staff and RAEN staff monitored the remote sessions with students to provide even more guidance and support for employment when the pandemic moved in a more positive direction.
IELCE Section 243(c)(1)
The ACCES-AEPP team, the RAEN Directors, and the NRS Director of Accountability met remotely with each of the 36 funded programs quarterly. Strategies for sustaining student engagement in the absence of training was a focus of these meetings. Case management was heightened during this program year to provide ample and sustainable support to students enrolled in the IEL/CE programming. The team reviewed all approved expectations and suggested alternatives and options for connecting students to training providers when possible. Throughout the program year, remote monitoring of classes for both contextualized literacy and training were conducted. Teachers were supported, encouraged, and worked alongside AEPP staff to manage the shift from in-person to remote instruction. This ESL population required full support as many were unable to manage the technology necessary to remain engaged in the program. The AEPP team also managed budget amendments to further support the ongoing needs of teachers and students during the pandemic.
IELCE Section 243(c)(2)
To ensure close coordination between IELCE programs and local workforce development, ACCES-AEPP facilitated remote communication to keep all partners apprised of the support being provided to both students and program aimed at sustaining the program and possible credential attainment amid the pandemic closures. Local programs made remote meetings possible between students and American Job Center staff to access job exploration for post program planning.
Adult Education Standards
New York adopted the College Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education released in 2013, which are aligned to the New York State’s K-12 common core standards. All instruction and professional development funded under WIOA title II (as noted in all sections above) as well as the professional development provided by the RAEN Directors supported these standards in program year 2020-2021. Full remote access to all training materials, teacher designed modules, and professional development was supported throughout the program year. Programs were encouraged to provide ample time for teachers to electronically access these materials and RAEN center directors worked remotely to guide teachers as they moved these modules to remote classrooms. Materials, modules, and training videos/materials are all available statewide on two websites: www.CollectEdNY.org and www.TeachingtotheCoreNY.org .
Programs for Corrections Education (AEFLA Section 225)
The NYSED has not, in the past, collected data on recidivism for Corrections Education and Other Institutionalized Individuals funded under WIOA Title II. Agencies that have received WIOA funded for this population have kept data or have provided qualitative information about their specific population.
Corrections Education programming was gravely impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic. Programs operating in correctional facilities were halted from entrance into the facility. In most cases, instruction was moved to a remote status however, internet connections were not permitted to students. As a result, teachers compiled packets of self-directed materials to share with students on a bi-weekly basis. Depending on the facility, some teachers were given an opportunity to meet individually with students in guest visiting areas; in other facilities, operation returned to pre pandemic structure and teachers were able to engage directly with their students in physical classrooms. This option afforded our teachers the opportunity to review material with students and provide individual support.
In a few cases, other facilities would not permit any entry for any reason so teachers would communicate direction to their students based on work collected and delivered from corrections staff. This further complicated the ability for teachers to assist students through their learning process. Teachers found that students remained interested in continuing their education and pathway toward a high school equivalency diploma in spite of pandemic closures and institutional protocol. In a few cases, inmates were released to home confinement where it was possible for them to communicate online with teachers. Our WIOA Corrections programs worked tirelessly in Program Year 2021/2022 to reengage their incarcerated students and assist on their continuum toward a high school equivalency diploma.
Many agencies have described systemic barriers to obtaining tracking information on this incarcerated population and express that they cannot report meaningful statistics with confidence. Another consideration is the challenge of a follow-up contact and data gathering as the participants wish to distance themselves from their former connections to the courts and the corrections system. In some cases, the adult education programs are prohibited from contacting inmates upon their release. In spite of these types of restrictions, New York will work to support these funded programs in the goal of reporting significant data on recidivism. These challenges are ongoing and have been the focus of our technical assistance support to our Corrections Education programs.
Our corrections programs also provided intense case management and transition services to those inmates released during Program Year 2021-2022. Teachers worked hard to transition these inmates back into traditional community programs. As noted, most of these programs were operating remote services which further complicated the ability for those students to access appropriate instruction to continue to their goal of achieving a high school equivalency diploma. Teachers in these programs committed to investing in the NYSED/CUNY CareerKits which are housed electronically and therefore easily accessible to students once they were released. The CareerKits provide some self-paced lessons that students can work through on their own and then confer with teachers for further guidance and support. The CareerKits are also found on either of the two websites: www.CollectEDNY.org and www.TeachingtotheCoreNY.org .