State Leadership Funds (Adult education and family literacy act Section 223 (AEFLA))
AEFLA Section 223(1)(a)
The Oregon State Adult Basic Skills (ABS) Director actively participates in the Governor’s Workforce System Executive Team (WSET). The work of the WSET is directed and supported by the Oregon Workforce Cabinet and the Governor’s Office. The WSET supports the Workforce Cabinet and the Oregon Workforce and Talent Development Board to implement the alignment of workforce investment, education and economic development system. The WSET provides joint guidance and criteria for the integration of the workforce system, commits resources for system priorities and makes recommendations to agency leadership on policies, programs and funding priorities. The State ABS Director remains actively engaged in Oregon’s workforce system discussions.
In partnership with the WSET and local workforce board directors, the State ABS Team continues to provide technical assistance for the field regarding the implementation of the WIOA Memorandums of Understanding and Infrastructure Cost Sharing Agreements.
The Oregon ABS Team continues to be actively engaged in the implementation of the State of Oregon’s Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act plan. This continued collaboration has led to a renewed focus on the role adult education plays in workforce development and career technical education pathways. Efforts continue at the local level to support these important transitional education points.
The ABS State Director also meets on a regular basis with the State Directors of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title I, Career and Technical Education, and state apprenticeship leaders. The purpose of the group is to work on alignment in key areas such as adult education and training, work-based learning, and apprenticeship.
The Oregon Council of Adult Basic Skills Development (OCABSD) meets quarterly. A portion of these meetings are dedicated to understanding WIOA performance requirements, Integrated Education and Training (IET), Integrated English Language and Civics Education (IELCE), and how to engage workforce partners in these areas. These meetings are traditionally held in person over a two to three day period. However, as a result of the pandemic and corresponding Governor Executive Orders, all “in-person” meeting formats were canceled and transitioned to an online and virtual format. In the late spring of 2022, the State of Oregon began to allow employees to travel to meetings. As a result, the OCABSD meetings have moved to a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and virtual participation. The State ABS Team remains actively engaged in collaboration and partnership with the OCABSD.
During the 2021-2022 program year, the State ABS Team regularly engaged adult education and literacy providers in the implementation of WIOA and continued to support discussion and information dissemination with state adult education and literacy providers. Dissemination included providing state plan implementation updates during quarterly OCABSD meetings and continued distribution of the newsletter titled “T2 News” which includes updates regarding training and technical assistance opportunities at both state and national levels.
OCABSD members discussed state and local planning, sharing perspectives on alignment with learning standards, program delivery, and data policies.The State ABS Team prioritized state leadership funding to support projects that advanced WIOA implementation, such as the creation of materials to support the implementation of the Oregon Adult English Language Proficiency Standards (OAELPS) and the implementation of Adult College and Career Readiness Standards (OACCRS). In addition, the team provided training to local providers on the importance of measurable skill gains and their effects on future funding at both the state and local levels. Furthermore, in an effort to continue to improve MSG performance, the State ABS Team contracted with a local provider to implement an online proctoring system. This initiative responds to feedback from programs who are facing assessment challenges by providing them the ability to test their students remotely.
AEFLA Section 223(1)(b)
In 2021, State Leadership hired a new Adult Basic Education (ABE) State Leadership Coordinator after the previous ABE State Leadership Coordinator retired. This position is responsible for Title II Professional Development for funded programs across Oregon. The new ABE State Leadership Coordinator began reviewing the ABE Professional Development Framework for updates as well as drafting a five-year professional development plan for the upcoming 2022-2027 program grant cycle. The five-year professional development plan will ultimately be based on input from State Leadership, local programs, WIOA partners, and federal partners, with selected areas of focus based on surveys, dialogues with partners, federal mandates, best practices, and state context.
In winter 2022, State Leadership created a dedicated webpage for Oregon ABS Professional Development. The page houses resources for Oregon’s ABS learning standards, including the Oregon Adult College and Career Readiness Standards (OACCRS) Language Arts and Math Handbooks; the standards Foundation Trainings, which is comprised of an Orientation Module on the state’s adult education learning standards and an Adult Education Module on the needs of adult learners; additional professional development modules for learning standards; and sample standards-aligned course outlines. Modules are available in facilitated and/or self-study versions, and additional professional development modules for learning standards will continue to be developed in the 2022-2023 program year. Additionally, in winter and spring 2022, faculty trainers under contract with the state worked on finalizing the Oregon Adult English Language Proficiency Standards (OAELPS), which are based on the national English Language Proficiency Standards, for publishing at the beginning of the 2022-2023 program year for Oregon’s ABS ESL programs. The development of an updated learning standards Orientation Module was begun in spring 2022 to include OAELPS.
To complement the developed learning standards materials, the State ABS Team partnered with faculty trainers and learning standards points of contact at local programs to develop guidance on standards-based professional learning communities (PLCs). With input from these two groups, the State ABS Team created a guide outlining research-based practices for developing PLCs, as well as state compliance requirements for standards-based PLCs, and shared it with the local points of contact for learning standards at each program. These local points of contact for learning standards, known as Local Leads, also began meeting regularly with the new ABE State Leadership Coordinator for state updates relating to learning standards and professional development, as well as to share practices and experiences with their counterparts across the state. Out of this work grew conversations around data-driven instruction and several ideas for local and statewide PLCs related to using assessment data to identify areas of student learning need. The ABE State Leadership Coordinator also worked with contracted faculty trainers to begin offering Course Outline Guide Alignment Trainings, which are customized local trainings that help programs align their course outline guides (sometimes also called syllabi) to Oregon’s learning standards; these trainings can also serve as the basis of PLC work.
Also in the 2021-2022 program year, Oregon continued its work with Teaching Skills that Matter (TSTM). The state’s TSTM Sustainability Plan was finalized in preparation for rolling out TSTM at the local and state levels. In the first year of the three-year plan, faculty on the TSTM team presented at the Oregon Adult Basic Skills Conference and participated in a presentation through LINCS. They also hosted presentations and informational sessions at their local programs and began putting together resources for the ABS Professional Development Page. Additionally, one of the TSTM-trained faculty collaborated with state learning standards trainers in the development of the Language Arts professional development modules, while another worked with one of the state learning standards trainers to offer a statewide PLC on lesson planning using OACCRS and TSTM.
In recognition of Oregon’s falling MSGs during COVID, particularly among ESL students, State Leadership worked on solidifying a partnership with BurlingtonEnglish due to its status as official partner of CASAS as well as reports of measurable skills gains from other ABS programs using it across the country. At the end of the 2021-2022 program year, State Leadership purchased 1,000 seats of BurlingtonEnglish for Title II funded programs across the state. At the beginning of the 2022-2023 program year, the State ABS Team will release an RFA for local programs to apply for those seats. In addition to the seats, programs will receive a suite of professional development courses delivered by BurlingtonEnglish to make sure that programs are implementing the program with fidelity and using best practices.
Other professional development work done in program year 2021-2022 includes the development of the Oregon Adult Education Community of Practice, which is an online space for adult educators across Oregon to gather and share best practices, local activities, and more; participation of two ABS State Team members and two local programs in the 2021 IET Design Camp; and the delivery of Oregon’s statewide Adult Basic Skills Conference, “Elevate the Essentials” (previously the Oregon GED Conference). Oregon also has plans to participate again in Standards in Action 2.0 Training in fall 2022, the topic of which is State-based Curriculum Review. In addition to the offerings outlined in this section, professional development updates, including information about models and promising practices, are provided at monthly Title II Directors’ Calls, quarterly OCABSD meetings, and through the weekly Title II Newsletter. The State ABS Team also renewed its large-group membership in the Coalition of Adult Basic Education (COABE) for all Title II programs in Oregon.
Finally, Oregon requires state certification in order to administer and score state-approved assessment tools for state and federal reporting. State assessment certification comprises the completion of CASAS Implementation Training (online) and familiarization with Oregon assessment policies and procedures as published in the ABS Policy Manual. During 2021-2022, 51 practitioners from Title II programs and the Department of Corrections were certified for these assessments. CASAS recertification is required every three years through the CASAS Online Training Modules. In 2022-2023, Oregon will update its CASAS training requirements to align with the training updates issued by CASAS in June 2021. Additionally, State Leadership offered three BEST Plus 2.0 Trainings for initial certification by the Oregon State BEST Plus 2.0 Trainer. During 2021-2022, 25 practitioners from Title II programs and the Department of Corrections were certified for this assessment.
AEFLA Section 223(1)(c)
During the 2021-22 reporting period, the state ABS team engaged in a variety of technical assistance activities. These activities included facilitating research-based and responsive trainings, attending the OCABSD quarterly conferences, remote local program visits, as well as regular web conferences with both ABS directors and ABS data professionals from across the state.
The state ABS team continued to participate in quarterly OCABSD meetings, bringing together ABS directors and ABS staff. These meetings included high-quality trainings and were delivered to local ABS Directors and data professionals.
In May 2022 through June 2022, the state ABS Education Specialist completed remote program visits with each of Oregon’s seventeen local ABS providers. These meetings focused on local program administration and teaching and learning practices, as well as local compliance with state and federal requirements.
Throughout the year, monthly conference calls were held for data professionals with a focus on data integrity and performance reporting. An additional set of monthly calls were also held for local ABS Directors. The members of the state ABS Team were continually available via email, phone call, and web conference, as needed, for local ABS Directors and staff who desired assistance with ABS administration and activities.
AEFLA Section 223(1)(d)
The state ABS Team carried out a variety of monitoring activities during the 2021-22 reporting period. These activities included standard grant monitoring activities, use of program-specific tools and templates, meetings with grantees, creation of monitoring reports, and grantee involvement in monitoring reports.
Standard grant monitoring activities included document submission, desk monitoring, and online monitoring activities. Each local ABS program submitted a Final Financial Status Report, Federal NRS Tables (through TOPspro Enterprise), TOPSpro Enterprise Data Integrity Reports, and additional TOPSpro Enterprise reports as requested.
Each local ABS program communicated with the state ABS Team via routine emails and Zoom meetings, as well as submitting records of local staff professional development, submission of invoices, and reviews of program operations.
The state ABS Team maintained documentation of monitoring efforts and provided feedback to each local ABS program, citing each program’s strengths and areas for improvement. The state ABS team also provided responsive training and technical assistance, thus ensuring that each local ABS program took appropriate actions to address deficiencies.
The ABS Team created a Risk Assessment for each local ABS provider, incorporating a Financial Risk Assessment component and a Program Performance Risk Assessment component. Local ABS Directors then wrote Program Improvement Plans (PIPs), incorporating program administration and teaching and learning strategies to meet the needs of students. These PIPs were discussed during conferences with the state ABS Team, at which time the state ABS Team was able to offer feedback and support for each local ABS Director’s proposed deliverables and strategies.
AEFLA Section 223(a)(2)
Oregon uses an approach to ABS professional development administered through workshops, conferences, certification, special projects, and technical assistance. Content and format of services are updated to incorporate new research and promising practices in the field. In 2020, the State Leadership Coordinator began a new comprehensive planning process to develop a framework for professional development. Two temporary staff positions were also funded to assist with WIOA implementation, including professional development requirements. The state Team continued to facilitate development of workshops and training and manage logistics. The state Team also encouraged and funded attendance by state and local program staff at multiple national conferences, for example COABE, and other events such as state director meetings, and the National Association of State Directors of Adult Education (NASDAE) National Training Institute. State and local program staff also attended trainings related to the alignment of national and state learning standards, and National Reporting System (NRS) trainings in order to enhance continued data improvement efforts.
These activities build on previous leadership activities in carrying out the objectives of the state plan in support of continuous program improvement and professional development to enhance ABS in Oregon.
Performance Data Analysis
|
Educational Functioning Level |
2020-2021 Actual Performance |
2021-2022 Target |
2021-2022 Actual Performance |
Change from 2020-2021 Actual Performance |
|
ABE Level 1 |
10% |
51.5% |
24.8% |
+14.8% |
|
ABE Level 2 |
30% |
54.5% |
41.1% |
+11.1% |
|
ABE Level 3 |
20% |
48.5% |
39.0% |
+19.0% |
|
ABE Level 4 |
19% |
44.0% |
32.0% |
+13.0% |
|
ABE Level 5 |
22% |
55.0% |
38.7% |
+16.7% |
|
ASE Level 6 |
33% |
45.0% |
48.5%* |
+15.5% |
|
ABE/ASE Total |
22% |
|
36.7% |
+14.7% |
|
|
|
|
||
|
ESL Level 1 |
2% |
47.5% |
13.6% |
+11.6% |
|
ESL Level 2 |
3% |
54.5% |
17.6% |
+14.6% |
|
ESL Level 3 |
5% |
53.5% |
27.3% |
+22.3% |
|
ESL Level 4 |
7% |
49.5% |
26.0% |
+19.0% |
|
ESL Level 5 |
3% |
43.5% |
24.9% |
+21.9% |
|
ESL Level 6 |
3% |
23.5% |
13.6% |
+10.6% |
|
ESL Total |
4% |
|
24.5% |
+20.5% |
*Met or exceeded federal target
Overall, performance in ABE/ASE measurable skill gains increased by 14.7% and performance in all six ABE levels was significantly greater in 2021-2022 than in 2020-21. Additionally, Oregon exceeded the MSG federal target in ABE Level 6 by 3.5%. The next highest performing EFL was ABE Level 2 (federal target missed by 13.4%) and analysis indicates that only 55 additional students achieving a measurable skill gain in ABE Level 2 were needed to meet the federal target. Similar analysis for ABE Level 3 (federal target missed by 9.5%) indicates that 93 additional students achieving MSG were needed to meet federal targets.
Performance in ESL measurable skill gains increased overall by 20.5% in 2021-22. While federal targets were not met, performance in all six ESL levels was significantly greater in 2021-22 than in 2020-21, with the greatest increase occurring in ESL Level 3 with an increase of 22.3% year over year. Analysis indicates that while the federal target was missed by 26.2%, an additional 196 participants achieving a measurable skill gain were needed to meet the target. Similar analysis for ESL Level 6 (federal target missed by 9.9%) indicates that 96 additional participants achieving MSG were needed to meet federal targets.
In response to local program director feedback (as highlighted in the 2020-21 Federal Narrative Report), Oregon contracted with a local program to establish a statewide remote proctoring service. Available to any local ABS program in Oregon, the statewide remote proctoring service addressed barriers that local programs had with pre- and post-testing, including not having the staffing capacity to conduct widespread remote testing. As a result, pre- and post-testing pairs and assessment rates have increased. Due to the success of the initial year of statewide remote proctoring, the contract was renewed and online proctoring continues for PY2022-23. The contracted program anticipates doing additional analysis of this practice, to determine whether continuation would be in the best interest of the programs and participants.
During the 2021-22 program year, the State ABS Team intentionally emphasized technical support with more frequent, consistent communication with directors and interaction with programs. The State ABS Team focused on how best to support local programs as the pandemic and its effects continued. Some activities included but were not limited to:
- Hosting multiple Oregon Adult College and Career Readiness Standards (OACCRS) trainings including Orientation to OACCRS, OACCRS Math trainings, and OACCRS Language Arts trainings to support instructors in learning about national and Oregon-specific aspects of the state learning standards;
- Supporting Teaching Skills That Matter (TSTM) trained teachers in rolling out TSTM activities locally and statewide; and
- Fielding a team for participation in a Standards In Action training initiative.
Title II providers were required to:
- Report on past effectiveness in performance indicators.
- Provide documentation of achievements and activities that demonstrated capacity and expertise in delivering adult education and literacy activities.
- Commit to local MSG performance targets for 2022-2023. Providers were required to justify any targets that were below state targets.
During the 2021-22 program year, Oregon emphasized performance through several activities:
- Publishing an annual ABS Policy Manual which clarifies procedures for assessment, data collection, and data management.
- Implementing a monitoring process that addresses both risk management and program improvement, as well as performance monitoring of Title II targets set by grantees in their applications.
- Continuing a strong statewide focus on data quality through quarterly data audits and monthly calls with local provider data professionals.
- Implementing a funding formula with a portion of funds awarded based on performance.
- Distributing a weekly Title II newsletter to program directors with details on upcoming events and webinars, state deadlines, and other important information pertinent to Title II programs in Oregon.
Regarding Employment Second Quarter after exit, Oregon achieved 31.0% of participants who exited the program and were in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter. This represents 78% of the federally negotiated target for this indicator: 39.9%. To meet the federally negotiated target, Oregon would have needed 413 additional participants to be in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter following exit from the program.
Regarding Employment Fourth Quarter after exit, Oregon achieved 17.0% of participants who exited programs and were in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter. This represents 77% of the federally negotiated target for this indicator: 22.2%. To meet the federally negotiated target, Oregon would have needed 436 additional participants to be in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter following exit from the program.
The median earnings of program participants in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program was $5,031.04. This exceeds the federal negotiated target for this indicator: $3,535.00. While this is an impressive increase over programmatic targets, caution should be used when considering this spike. A multitude of factors were in play during the PY2021-22, which included business re-openings and an increase of demand to fill entry level positions. What resulted was a significant increase in starting wages for employees. Other skilled trade openings saw a similar increase in starting wages. However, it has been suggested that once the economy slows, this trend may slow and/or reverse.
Regarding Credential Attainment, Oregon achieved 20.4% of program participants eligible to be included in this measure attained a recognized postsecondary credential or a secondary school diploma/recognized equivalent during participation in or within one year after exit from the program. This exceeds the federal negotiated target for this indicator: 17.4%.
Integration with One-stop Partners
Oregon’s ABS programs have been actively engaged in integration with one-stop partners. This engagement occurs at the state level through membership and participation at the state Workforce System Executive Team which includes representation from all WIOA Titles, Department of Human Services Self-Sufficiency programs, and the Governor’s Office of Labor and Workforce Policy. This has included joint guidance and communication related to the pandemic and WorkSource Oregon (WSO) Centers.
At the local level, Title II programs are engaged in the coordination of services, programs, and funding with WSO partners to ensure accountability and alignment in support of a seamless public system. This is achieved through local Title II provider participation in Local Workforce Boards and Local Leadership Teams. All programs are providing access through technology at their local comprehensive workforce centers and many provide on-site services including offering ABE classes.
While Oregon still has many public buildings still closed and executive orders remain in place, Title II providers have been working with their local workforce providers to provide access to the workforce system and services.
The State ABS Team has entered into Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with all nine of Oregon’s workforce areas on behalf of local Title II providers. These MOUs provide a baseline for access to Title II activities, including career services, and define cost-sharing responsibilities. Negotiations continue at the state level regarding the definition and payment for career-services. Due to continued state restrictions regarding COVID 19, negotiations regarding Career Services have been delayed.
Infrastructure costs are supported via Infrastructure Cost Sharing Agreements which have been negotiated by the State ABS Director. For the 2020-21 year, each local area completed their cost sharing calculations, which were reviewed and approved by the ABS State Director and then if indicated, paid for at the local level with local level administrative funds.
Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education
IELCE Funds and grants
Oregon awarded Section 243 funds to four providers as of July 1, 2017. An additional competition for IELCE was completed in 2019, resulting in two additional providers, bringing the total to six for the Program Year 2021-22. The awards were made separately from the Comprehensive Grants.
Grantees committed to offer IET activities and to collaborate with the local workforce system as defined in the final regulations. Grantees provided updates to the State Team on IET activities over the course of the year. Enrollment declined and curriculum development activities were placed on hold during the 2020-21 program year due to the pandemic and corresponding Governor’s Executive Orders.
Training activity
In the 2021-2022 program year, the six providers indicated offering IETs in fields such as early childhood education, welding, healthcare (CNA, Nursing Assistant, EMT, Medical English, etc.), manufacturing, accounting, and CTE. In addition to providing the type of IET(s) being offered, providers submitted documentation on shared learning outcomes and IET program design.
Oregon continues to use quarterly OCABSD meetings and the monthly Directors’ Calls as forums for discussion around IETs. In addition, two State ABS Team members and two local programs participated in the 2021 IET Design Camp, the materials from which were shared on Oregon’s ABS Resources webpage for programs across the state.
Challenges presented by COVID continued into the 2021-2022 program year, but conditions began to improve. Still, programs indicated that they have trouble creating sustainable cohorts of IET students, particularly in rural areas, and that ESL students need greater language and linguistic development in order to succeed in IET courses. State Leadership has noted programs’ concerns, and is considering offering professional development and technical assistance during the 2022-2027 program cycle in areas such as marketing to identify and recruit participants; creating regional and/or statewide IET models; and the use of BurlingtonEnglish and its career courses for ESL students. (Note: At the end of the 2021-2022 program year, State Leadership purchased 1,000 seats of BurlingtonEnglish for distribution to Title II programs statewide through an RFA process in summer 2022.)
State and local workforce partners continue to meet to identify workforce system needs. Regional sector strategies serve as a framework for the local system, and Title II providers are actively engaged in implementing career pathways to meet regional workforce needs. In fact, multiple state career pathways grantees (not funded through Title II) selected alignment with Title II ABS IETs as one of their primary goals for the 2021-2023 biennium.
IELCE Section 243(c)(1)
Regarding Employment Second Quarter after exit for IELCE participants, Oregon achieved 48.6% of IELCE participants who exited the program and were in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter. This was a higher employment rate than those not in IELCE programs (31.0%). Regarding Employment Fourth Quarter after exit, Oregon achieved 12.5% of IELCE participants who exited programs and were in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter, compared with those not in IELCE programs with a 17.0% employment rate during the fourth quarter after program exit. The median earnings of IELCE participants in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program was $3,626.03, compared with those not in IELCE programs with median earnings of $5,031.04 during the second quarter after program exit. Regarding Credential Attainment, Oregon achieved 16.7% of IELCE participants eligible to be included in this measure attained a recognized postsecondary credential or a secondary school diploma/recognized equivalent during participation in or within one year after exit from the program. This was a lower credential rate than those not in IELCE programs (20.4%). These results represent a concerted effort by the state to increase performance outcomes for those in IELCE programs, including providing targeted technical assistance for those programs not meeting performance indicators, offering statewide access to Burlington English™, and providing state investment in career services.
IELCE Section 243(c)(2)
By the end of program year 2021-2022, which was also the end of the grant cycle, five of the six providers had spent between 97-100% of their IELCE grant funds; the sixth provider spent 77% of their funds. In the spring of 2022, Oregon again competed Section 243 funds, and, again, six providers were awarded funds. The funds awarded in this competition will fund IELCE services in Oregon beginning on July 1, 2022, and will therefore be addressed in the 2022-23 Oregon Narrative Report that will be submitted in Fall 2023.
Adult Education Standards
The Oregon ABS Learning Standards Initiative, adopted by OCABSD in April 2010, reflected a common vision of what adults needed to know and be able to do in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and math to carry out their life goals and purposes. The OALS were aligned with the College and Career Readiness (CCR) Standards of the Common Core State Standards. In 2014, on the advice of OCTAE, the state ABS team undertook a project to align the Oregon Adult Learning Standards with the CCR Standards for Adult Education in order to ensure that adults are ready to transition to a career and/or postsecondary education and training upon exit from ABS. OCTAE recommended several national experts who were well-versed in the CCR standards to perform gap analyses and identify where the Oregon Adult Learning Standards Frameworks needed to increase rigor, focus, and scope. These national experts drafted revised frameworks which teams of Oregon standards experts then finalized and published. The newly aligned Oregon Adult Learning Standards, adopted by OCABSD, became effective July 1, 2016. Training for faculty and administrators on the aligned Oregon Adult Learning Standards began in July 2016 and was offered on an ongoing basis until the end of 2018-19.
Pursuant to a recommendation from OCABSD in October 2018, Oregon ABS programs chose to transition from the Oregon-specific OALS to the nationally recognized College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS). The objective was to preserve certain elements of the Oregon Adult Learning Standards and consolidate them into the Oregon Adult College and Career Readiness Standards (OACCRS). The rationale behind this recommendation was the alignment of the CCRS with the new CASAS Reading and Math GOALS, which are the required assessments in Oregon, together with access to the many resources and materials available nationally to support implementation of CCRS. During program year 2018-19, a Learning Standards Reconciliation Project took place whereby a group of expert trainers, many of whom had previously developed Oregon’s Adult Learning Standards, created Mathematics and Language Arts Handbooks to accompany the implementation of OACCRS. In addition, a training module (OACCRS Orientation Module) was created and posted on the state ABS website in September 2019. This module became part of the “OACCRS Foundation Training” required of all faculty and academic administrators. It was designed to be completed either individually in self-paced mode, or in groups with an in-person or virtual facilitator. There is also an accompanying workbook.
With regard to English for Speakers of other Languages, in February 2020, OCABSD voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Learning Standards Implementation Committee which comprised faculty trainers, program directors and members of the state ABS team, to adopt the national English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), with the following additions:
- Include the Oregon Process Standards, as incorporated into the current Oregon Adult College and Career Readiness Standards- Language Arts (LA), creating the Oregon English Language Proficiency Standards (OAELPS)
- Format the OAELPS handbook to align with the OACCRS-LA handbook
- Add a toolbox to OAELPS that is similar to OACCRS-LA, helping instructors use the standards and detailing transition points between OAELPS and OACCRS-LA.
- Add the CCRS Listening and Speaking standards along with the process skills and toolbox to the current OACCRS-LA in order to be in complete alignment with the national CCRS.
Work began in PY2021-2022 on these items. Contracted faculty trainers added the Listening/Speaking Process Skills to the OACCRS Language Arts Handbook; reviewed the English Language Proficiency Standards and discussed how to incorporate and format the process skills and applications from OACCRS; and transferred the Listening/Speaking applications to the appropriate Listening/Speaking standards. In winter/spring 2022, the trainers worked on finalizing the OAELPS Handbook. This included formatting it to align with the OACCRS-LA Handbook; adding a toolbox to OAELPS similar to OACCRS-LA; creating applications for using the OAELPS to teach reading, writing, speaking, listening, and math; and creating a detailed narrative and correlation chart outlining the relationship between OACCRS and OAELPS, including how they relate to NRS Levels and CASAS Scale Scores. The OAELPS Handbook is scheduled for release at the beginning of the 2022-2023 program year along with PLC activities for local programs to become familiar with OAELPS and the OAELPS Handbook, as well as an updated Orientation Module to include the newly-released OAELPS.
The state learning standards trainers also continued their work on professional development modules for the learning standards and delivered facilitated trainings for the field on the existing professional development modules for learning standards. One of the learning standards trainers also worked with a TSTM trainer to offer a statewide PLC on lesson planning using OACCRS and TSTM, and two local programs underwent Course Outline Guide Alignment Training to align their course outline guides (sometimes known as syllabi) with OACCRS. In 2022-2023, the state trainers plan to continue module development work, continue facilitation of learning standards professional development modules, re-run the statewide PLC on lesson planning using OACCRS and TSTM, and lead additional Course Outline Guide Alignment Trainings for OACCRS and OAELPS.
State Leadership offered guidance and expectations around participation in standards-based PLCs for Title II program members. Sample activities for local standards-based PLCs were also provided by the State ABS Team and state learning standards trainers. Local Leads, who serve as learning standards points of contact for each program, regularly met with the ABE State Leadership Coordinator to discuss standards-based PLCs and other standards-related issues.
To demonstrate compliance with learning standards, programs have to submit annual compliance documents including a Learning Standards Training and Orientation Plan (detailing how programs engage faculty in learning standards training), an OACCRS Compliance Signature Page (showing implementation of learning standards in categories identified in the ABS Policy Manual), and a Local Lead form (selecting a local point of contact for learning standards and standards-based PLCs).
Programs for Corrections Education (AEFLA Section 225)
Of the 2,635 learners served by the Department of Corrections Title II-funded programs in PY2021-22, 470 earned a GED certificate. Of those, 111 were released from incarceration and 3, or 2.7%, have been re-incarcerated. This information was provided by the Oregon State Department of Corrections using their standard recidivism calculation formula.
While this is a slight increase from the previous years, the effects of the pandemic continued, with outbreaks within facilities, resulting in “lock downs” which resulted in the loss of access to many Title II services for incarcerated participants.