Narrative Analysis Tool
Instructions
The Narrative Report responses below can be further filtered by one or more states, as well as keywords.
For more information on Narrative Reports please see the technical assistance documents.
| State | Provision of technical assistance to funded eligible providers |
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| Alabama | Alabama’s adult education consistently provides technical assistance based on program data and program self-evaluation. As with professional development, technical assistance is derived from national, state, and local evidence-based practices and innovative strategies designed for continuous program improvement. As discussed in last year’s report, the state created a more defined regional approach to technical assistance and support by dividing the state into north, central, and south regions. Each region has an assigned Regional Director that is a Title II liaison to assist with collaborative growth with required and strategic partners, such as career centers, business and industry, WIOA partners and non-profit community-based stakeholders. The regional team provides technical assistance in supporting local programs to ensure equity and access to adult education services throughout all thirty-five one-stop comprehensive and satellite career center locations in Alabama. Technical assistance is based on the results of desk top monitoring performed quarterly by the regional directors as well as the real-time data system performance reports. Areas of need are addressed and targeted with additional professional development delivered by state experts based on best practices with continuous improvement plans and performance goals established to benchmark program improvement. Technical and program training is also provided to new directors by ACCS through the New Director Training, created in Canvas and available on-demand along with specific data and fiscal management training modules. Grant related trainings, such as expenditure reporting is also designed and delivered to ensure the accountability of grant funds. These trainings are combined with mentoring efforts delivered by regional or local program directors. Courses from LINCS are often utilized on a programmatic level and trainings are shared from other states, adapted for use in Alabama for specific assistance in utilizing researched best practices in teaching and learning which could include: reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, English language, and workforce skills. Alabama Adult Education produces a range of in-demand resources, toolkits, and programmatic guidance through webinars and face to face training based on researched based best practices in workplace readiness, career pathway development, English language acquisition, and distance education. Within the data management system, Alabama Adult Education System for Accountability and Performance (AAESAP), resources and recordings of trainings are archived. Recordings include but are not limited to presentations on MSG reporting, IET/IELCE programs, programmatic data analysis, and retention strategies for serving the most in need. |
| Alaska | The AAE State Director and Education Associate provided technical assistance as needed to eligible providers. Daily communication with programs regarding updates and questions were handled through the AAE office on topics including:
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| American Samoa | The ASCC organizational chart shows that the AELEL program is now under the Vice President of Academic, Community, and Student Affairs. The latest change of the organizational chart was approved and signed in May 2022. In addition, the AELEL division is temporarily housed in the Multi-Purpose Center (MPC) of the ASCC campus. This move took place in December 2022, which includes four classrooms, director's office, and a computer lab area for students. There has been much improvement with resource materials for faculty and students. The college is currently in the process of improving the building which originally housed all the offices of the AELEL division earlier this year. In addition, ASCC has continuously shown positive support to maintain learning facilities for our students in their educational endeavors. |
| Arkansas | ADWS/AES and AALRC fielded calls from partners and local providers on various topics and specific situations. Some areas in which technical assistance was provided include: • Technical training on the agency’s data management system, provided by ADWS/AES staff. • Technical support provided by the AALRC’s Information Technology Specialist related to software and hardware issues and questions. • As a means of ensuring prompt and informed responses to local providers, specific email addresses were developed for access by multiple ADWS/AES staff members for general topics. |
| California | CALPRO: Between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, CALPRO served 2,723 adult educators at 74 unique training events. CALPRO provided professional development services on a wide variety of topics and delivered them in multiple formats from written publications, online videos, and self-assessments for individuals to intensive six-month institutes for cohorts. Throughout 2021–22 all institutes, Community of Practices (CoPs) and trainings were available virtually. Regional CoPs were conducted face-to-face, via Moodle, Adobe Connect, and Zoom. Key topics for CALPRO during the 2021–22 program year include equity, immigrant integration and civics education, learner motivation and persistence, student recruitment and enrollment, Integrated Education and Training (IET), and collaborative curriculum alignment. These topics were delivered through PD or were the subject of major new material development efforts. For example, Immigrant integration and civics education was the subject matter of CALPRO’s new PD institute and CoP. Equity was the subject of the development of a new evidence-to-practice brief, as well as the subject of regional communities of practice (CoPs) throughout the state and in a webinar series. To advance the state’s interest in assuring equity in services for all adult learners, CALPRO marketed and conducted the Success for All Learners Through Equity Community of Practice and produced a Research-to-Practice brief. CALPRO also provided institutes to help new administrators with leadership development. The annual New Administrators Leadership Institute covers topics and skills that new adult education administrators require to perform their jobs effectively including Fiscal and Personnel Management, Program Marketing, WIOA Implementation, Equity, Collaboration and Partnership Building, and Instructional Leadership. In addition, a quarterly webinar series by and for admins was conducted and covered topics from student recruitment and persistence, teacher recruitment and retention, and marketing. CALPRO’s two longitudinal training events that include administrators, the Professional Learning Communities Institute (PLC) and Integrated Education and Training Clinic (IET), both took place once again in the 2021-22 program year. The IET Clinic is a six-month training and coaching cycle that addresses all major program and partnership elements needed to run a successful IET program, with 56 participants completing the clinic. The PLC Institute prepares participant to focus on the framework and the training needed to craft plans and start a PLC process of school improvement focusing on student learning through ongoing professional development embedded in the agency’s school calendar. Professional development for teachers and program staff occurred across numerous topics including success for all learners through equity, accelerated learning to facilitate career pathways, learner motivation and persistence, effective teaching, mastering the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS), integrated and contextualized workforce (ABE and ESL), implementation of English language arts standards, learning goal-setting, learner persistence, managing the ESL multilevel classroom, using questioning strategies to improve instruction, lesson planning, understanding the adult learner, optimizing ESL instructional planning, evidence-based writing instruction in ESL and ABE classrooms, and designing programs for adults with learning disabilities. Professional development for teachers was offered through face-to-face regional training workshops and conferences, facilitated online courses, facilitated webinars, self-directed courses, and virtual workroom participation. CASAS: In the past year, CASAS has resumed delivering timely training in multiple formats to all funded agencies to meet grant requirements and to improve data quality and student performance — with continued emphasis on virtual access to training opportunities. The trainings cover California WIOA, Title II accountability, assessment policy and assessment implementation, and NRS data collection and reporting using TOPSpro Enterprise. In PY 2021–22, more than 3,000 participants registered online for 150 online training sessions. CASAS also provides the data portal, an online tool that presents California NRS adult learner outcome data for educational functioning level gains and employment (https://www2.casas.org/dataPortal/) at the state, regional, and local agency levels. In PY 2021-22, CASAS hosted monthly statewide WIOA II meetings and more than 80 WIOA, Title II online regional network meetings. More than 1,200 participants attended the meetings (mostly online) that addressed state and federal updates related to accountability, the use of data to inform instruction, and statewide policy. In 2020, CASAS and CDE started to host the monthly online statewide network meetings and also facilitated statewide TOPSpro Enterprise meetings that focused on more detailed software and data-related topics. Both meetings averaged well more than 100 participants per session. Since March 2020, CASAS has assisted agencies testing remotely, creating distance learning classes, collecting virtual instructional hours, and recording learner outcomes in a distance-learning environment. Additional workshops addressed recording instructional hours for virtual instruction, remote administration of pre- and post-test assessment, as well as for the Citizenship Interview Test (CIT) and the Civic Objective and Additional Assessment Plans (COAAPs) used for EL Civics reporting. In 2021–2022, more than 22 percent of pre- and post-tests were administered remotely. In lieu of the face-to-face EL Civics conferences, CASAS continued to facilitate YouTube channels that hosted EL Civics presentations online. Between December 2021 and April 2022, they attracted approximately 400 participants. OTAN: In the 2021-2022 program year, OTAN continued to endure the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a shift began to take place in the spring. OTAN programs and services continued virtually through online webinars and workshops and virtual training sessions with agencies across California. The OTAN Technology and Distance Learning Symposium (TDLS) was online for a second year and supported participants and presenters across the United States. In one sign of the shift, OTAN staff in the spring attended their first in-person conferences and restarted in-person trainings after going remote in March of 2020. OTAN is considering a hybrid TDLS in 2023 following the model that other organizations have provided with their own annual conferences and events. Another example of change taking place during the year was with OTAN Office Hours, designed in the spring of 2020 to allow teachers to stop in at any time during a designated period, ask specific questions, and receive dedicated assistance from training staff and subject-matter experts. Attendees came with a wide variety of questions, and OTAN staff and subject-matter experts were there to help. These sessions proved to be very popular for more than a year, but a decision was made to end Office Hours at the end of 2021 because of low attendance. However, OTAN was heartened to see that a number of agencies set up their own office hours for students and teachers supporting their colleagues following the OTAN model. OTAN continued to collaborate with the other leadership projects, CALPRO and CASAS, on distance learning, sharing resources, and much more. Through these collaborations, OTAN was able to provide comprehensive training and support in areas related to technology integration, remote testing, distance learning reporting to the state, distance and blended learning models and research, and open educational resources to support Adult Basic Education and EL Civics education in California. With the support of the leadership projects as well as our adult education colleagues and external partners, OTAN developed the California Adult Education Distance Learning Guidance document in the first six months of 2022 and looks forward to the next steps with promotion, implementation, and further development in the coming year. The pandemic has shifted the practice of education in California, and OTAN will continue to help adult educators implement and refine the new tools they learn about as well as consider the use of educational technology moving forward in a variety of ways. These include different models of learning such as HyFlex and hybrid, helping teachers with creating and implementing online orientations and onboarding learners to remote learning, exploring methods of remote assessment, and using a wide variety of tools to engage learners in new learning environments. |
| Colorado | AEI disseminates instructional and programmatic practices through professional learning events (described above), in weekly “AEI Updates” email communications, and via bi-monthly Office Hours webinars. The bi-monthly Office Hours webinars provided training, best practices, and resources from subject matter experts. Topics included: CCRS-aligned instruction, stress management, the Colorado Talent Pipeline Report, early childhood education credentials and pathways, partnering with libraries, data analysis, and strategies to improve enrollment and retention. To address adult education’s role to provide access to employment, education, and training services as a required one-stop partner, the AEI team continues to seek collaboration with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and the Colorado Department of Human Services. To continue increasing access to digital literacy and technology, AEI purchased Northstar Digital Literacy assessments and partnered with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to further provide digital assessments and training throughout the state. Local workforce centers also benefit from AEI’s Northstar Digital Literacy membership using the assessments and tools in local one-stops. |
| District of Columbia | OSSE AFE provided technical assistance to sub-grantees and local program providers via check-in meetings, webinars, telephone calls and emails. Technical assistance topics included 1) program design, implementation and evaluation; 2) intake and assessment; 3) curriculum and instruction; 4) student recruitment, retention and persistence; 5) student progress and outcomes; 6) data collection and management; 7) budget and finance; and 8) accountability and reporting as well as other related topics. Additionally, the AFE team provided technical assistance to sub-grantees to support their implementation of recommendations for continuous improvement in the areas of 1) student recruitment, retention, progress and involvement; 2) instructional models and methods; 3) program management and leadership; and 4) data collection and reporting. |
| Georgia | In FY22, GOAE staff collectively worked together to provide technical assistance to adult education programs. Grant Program Support Coordinators (GPSC) are the primary contact between GOAE and the 30 local programs, providing programs with continual technical assistance as identified through needs assessments.
To further address technical assistance needs, GOAE utilized the following methods to disseminate models and promising practices during FY22:
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| Guam | The SAO provides continuous technical assistance for support, compliance, up-to-date information, and resources through emails, Google Meets, phone calls, in-person meetings, and Exploring WIOA monthly sessions. Technical assistance (TA) was provided to the local provider throughout the year for program agreement compliance. The provider received copies of federal regulations, including the approved budget and procurement procedures. Presentations on various topics include the Assessment Policy, Work Schedule Plan, and required reports (Cumulative Monthly Activity Report, State Monthly Report, Data Integrity Report, Time and Effort Certification, Budget, Inventory, and Close-Out Report, TOPSpro, NRS Table 4, and the Guam Public Law PL34-104 relative to the increased compulsory age from 16 to 18 years old). Every effort was made for continuous communication with the provider to ensure student and program success, as the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges to student recruitment and retention. Although face-to-face classes resumed, students were still anxious about returning to class. |
| Hawaii | Technical Assistance
In PY 2021 – 2022, the state provided technical assistance to the local service provider in one of the areas as described in section 223(a)(1)(C):
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| Idaho | Technical assistance is provided in a variety of ways: a) To address the high turnover rate in local instructional staff and among local directors, local directors designed local onboarding training that specifically meets their programmatic needs. Local directors provided the state with their program’s specialized training. New local directors met with the state director on a biweekly basis to cover a variety of topics relevant to their position and region. National director’s meeting resources and links were provided to new directors and then discussed with the state director. Data specialists completed MIS archived training materials and resources and received mentoring from seasoned data specialists from other programs. b) Data collection and MIS training were delivered face-to-face and through webinars which were conducted by trainers employed by LiteracyPro. Technical assistance was made available to data staff through a state-supported service contract with LiteracyPro. Transcripts of the pieces of training were disseminated to each local provider. c) NRS training: The state director utilized resources from NRS training and presented it in either bi-weekly AEFLA director meetings or through calls with local directors. Follow-up technical assistance was provided through specialized requests with LiteracyPro in the use of LACES. d) Annual National Directors meeting: The state director presented information l from this meeting to local providers through biweekly meetings and calls with local directors. e) State shop talks: The state director shared presentation slides and resources from the shop talks with local directors and allowed time in the biweekly AEFLA director meetings for clarification of any additional questions about the information presented in the slides. f) Communication agreed-upon processes: Local directors, instructors, and other AE staff are encouraged to call, email, or attend meetings at the state. There is an open-door policy where technical assistance is provided at any time on any issue deemed necessary. g) Idaho AE programs are housed in community colleges throughout the state. The colleges provided additional training to AE in the use of technology, instructional best practices, and leadership/management. |
| Illinois | WIOA 223 Leadership funds were used to provide technical assistance to all funded providers through the Professional Development Network, PDN, and the state’s supported distance learning projects. These multi-year initiatives resulted in a continuity of services aligned with the ICCB Strategic Plan and the WIOA State Plan. Comprised of experts in Assessment, Standards-based Instruction, English Language Learning, Digital Literacy, Integrated Education Training, Workplace and Employability Skills, and Recruitment and Student Retention, the PDN provided holistic, relevant, and ongoing support for adult education administrators, career navigators, and support and intake staff. Technical assistance to program leaders also included participation in the National State Director of Adult Education’s Leadership Excellence and Development Institute. Recognizing the turnover in adult education that was exacerbated due to the pandemic, the LEAD Institute reinforced the statewide goal to enhance Integrated Education and Training programs, Integrated English Language and Civics Education, and the new Workplace Literacy Skill Development. Thirty-five professionals, ICCB AEL staff, and members of the Professional Development Network participated in this Institute. Additionally, the ICCB Director of Workforce Education led two teams in OCTAE’s IET Design Camp. The two programs that joined the professional development opportunity were included as a part of their Program Action Plan to better plan, design, implement, and assess the required IETs in Illinois’ Adult Education and Literacy program. |
| Indiana |
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| Iowa | State leadership funds support the following activities and initiatives in providing technical assistance (TA) to AEL-awarded providers, core partners, and the education and workforce community.
AEL Coordinators - Each year state staff update the Coordinator Handbook, including key areas of WIOA implementation, Iowa AEL policies and best practices in instructional services and program management. The Department conducted the annual training for new and experienced program coordinators in October 2021. Program leaders meet on a bi-monthly basis throughout the calendar year.
Data Specialist - Each year state staff update the data specialist handbook. The handbook is a comprehensive reference on entering data into the Iowa AEL management system (TOPspro Enterprise). In addition, a Data Dictionary is provided to set a statewide standardization of instructions and definitions for the data management system. Data specialists meet with a state consultant every other month to discuss topics such as registration, updates to the data management system, NRS guidelines, year-end performance and assessment policies.
AEL Instructors - AEL instructors participated in TA organized by the Department on Northstar, an online digital literacy program. The TA covered digital literacy standards, assessments, curriculum, self-directed online learning, and how to start incorporating and implementing digital literacy using the Northstar features.
Education and Workforce Community - Iowa AEL is responsive to requests from sector partnerships, Regional Planning Partnerships, and economic development committees. These collaborations expand AEL’s participant pipeline and help connect students to meaningful pathways toward education and careers.
The Department developed and disseminated practices and guidance through multiple statewide targeted webinars. The webinars were based on the Department’s review of monitoring outcomes and on an analysis of key data points associated with provider effectiveness. Targeted TA included :
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| Kansas | The annual summer Program Leaders Meeting (PLM) is the most intensive of the PLMs held throughout the year. This two-day event, scheduled near the start of the new program year, brings together leadership from every program across Kansas to share information, review policies, and set the tone for the coming year. For summer 2022, topics included data reviews and the introduction of Program Portraits, a new tool developed by KBOR to give all programs a picture of the state as a whole and of local program performance in enrollment, outcomes, and demographics. Updates and expectations for high-school-equivalency diplomas and staff professional development were discussed. Significant time was allotted to AESIS, performance outcomes, quality measures, and policies; fiscal responsibility and sound financial practices were also covered. Programs had the opportunity to share strategies and best practices in cohorts, and the state introduced a new marketing partner that will be working with Kansas to develop better outreach and recruitment tools. In the spring, KBOR hosts an all-day PLM, required for all local directors, as a precursor to the KAEA Conference, an event that returned to in-person in April 2022. The topics and structure of the KAEA PLM are similar to the summer PLM, with the state providing updates, assistance, and direction, while local directors have the opportunity to share and discuss challenges and successes. Other mandatory PLMs were held virtually in September, October, November, January, February, March, and May as quick, focused technical assistance addressing relevant and timely subjects. New local directors are provided with 1:1 assistance by being paired with a more experienced director. This veteran leader can share best practices and be another source of support for the new director. Mentoring meetings are held monthly, at minimum, and generally more frequently. Mentorships have proven especially effective in offering perspective and building relationships, with mentors and mentees often continuing to correspond regularly even after the official period of mentoring is concluded. In addition, in PY2021 KBOR met quarterly with directors in their first or second year. This virtual forum was an opportunity for the state to provide extra training and assistance and for new directors to ask questions, share experiences, and receive guidance for next steps |
| Kentucky | Provision of Technical Assistance OAE provided technical assistance in the use of technology to expand flexible learning options for program participants in support of achieving measurable learner outcomes. Instructional staff received training on digital curricula and reporting features to track learner progress and inform instruction. OAE offered seven options of digital curricula to KYAE providers and learners, covering all NRS levels and in support of learners’ various goals (academic skills practice, GED®, workplace English, civics, etc.) These digital curricula were utilized to create blended learning opportunities with flexible service delivery to remove barriers to participation. To address gaps in digital literacy skills and access, OAE trained sixty-two College & Career Navigators to serve as digital navigators to support student digital access. OAE offered six professional learning electives to support digital literacy skill development and instructional strategies for technology-enhanced learning. Finally, OAE offered technical assistance to providers on procedures for ensuring accurate data entry and utilizing the reporting features of the KAERS data system to monitor learner attendance and progress. OAE collaborated with providers to create customized database queries to specifically inform their work with participants. |
| Louisiana | State Leadership funds were utilized to promote assessment policy awareness, professional development for data quality, policy, and compliance monitoring, in addition to an added focus on using data for decisions, retention techniques, and overall best practices for instructional delivery.
Accountability in adult education in Louisiana is framed by WIOA and the National Reporting System (NRS). State Leadership funds are used to enhance the web-based data collection/management system that is used by all federally funded adult education programs.
The following are activities and initiatives used to connect assessment and accountability in Louisiana as referenced in the State Plan for Title II of WIOA.
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| Maryland | Six programs were identified for Program Improvement during PY 21 based on three years of performance data. The local programs met with the Labor team to discuss performance issues and propose strategies to address them. Each program developed a program improvement plan that included strategies related to enrollment, retention and instruction, expected outcomes, implementation timeline and an evaluation of each strategy. Additional funds were provided to support implementation of the improvement plan during the grant period. State staff met with the leadership of the six programs to review program improvement progress and will continue to follow the progress of the programs. The state team partners with local programs to onboard new staff, provide forums for discussing common challenges and recommend resources. Regular communication including team meetings and communities of practice have facilitate a sense of collaboration between the state and local leadership. |
| Michigan | The Office of Adult Education staff are organized by region and there is a WIOA Regional Coordinator assigned to each of the 10 regions of the state. The regional coordinators provide on-going technical assistance to each region by responding to emails and phone calls regularly. The regional coordinators also attend regional meetings to better understand the current challenges and activities locally, and address any questions raised by the providers at those meetings. The Office of Adult Education hosted quarterly State of Adult Education virtual meetings using Microsoft Teams that were open to all local adult education administrators and staff. These meetings were used to provide updates on programs and new initiatives, policy, MAERS changes, professional development offerings, and year-to-date performance totals. These meetings were well attended with around 100 attendees on average. The meetings were recorded and housed on Keywe for those not able to participate in the meetings live. The Office of Adult Education also hosted monthly New Directors virtual meetings. While these meetings were developed specifically for new directors, they were open to experienced directors or staff that want a refresher. Each meeting focused on a different requirement, procedure or policy, including but not limited to budgets and allowable costs, an overview of MAERS, assessment policy, participant orientation, participant persistence, and end of year reporting. The sessions were recorded and made available on Keywe. Attendance at the live sessions was between 10-15 at each session. The Office of Adult Education has a MAERS Team made up of 3 staff – the Adult Education Manager, a WIOA Regional Coordinator, and the MAERS Data Specialist. The MAERS Team is available to attend regional provider meetings and offer MAERS training or answer any questions regarding data entry, reports, and data analysis. During PY 2021, the MAERS Team attended 10 regional provider meetings, which represented 4 of the 10 regions. In addition to the regional meetings, the MAERS Team provided one-on-one MAERS training for 13 providers that had new data entry staff or requested specific training on MAERS reports. The Adult Education manager continues to meet regularly with the executive director of the Michigan Association of Community and Adult Education (MACAE) to discuss the challenges reported by the MACAE membership and ensure consistent guidance and recommendations from the state office and association. In addition, the Office of Adult Education manager and the executive director of MACAE hosted “Coffee Conversations” during the program year. These Coffee Conversations began during the pandemic as a way to meet individually with local programs to gain a better understand of the varying challenges and concerns. We have continued these Coffee Conversations because they have been valuable to stay connected to local programs, but the focus of these meetings has shifted to share bright spots and successes. These 30-minute meetings have been beneficial for all parties to keep a pulse on what is happening across the state, share resources, and identify additional guidance needed. The Office of Adult Education communicates regularly with local administrators and staff through a monthly newsletter, as well as using GovDelivery to send important announcements and reminders. GovDelivery allows LEO-WD to track message open and click rates, and this information is analyzed monthly with LEO-E&T Communications to continuously evaluate and improve communication strategies. The Office of Adult Education staff also works with the LEO-E&T Communications team to ensure our website is kept up to date with latest policies, guidance, resources and announcements. |
| Minnesota | Federal state leadership funds are used to support state-level technical assistance and to provide administrative and professional development services necessary to operate the adult education system in Minnesota. These resources helped to provide essential areas of technical assistance, such as: maintaining the Minnesota Adult Education website (www.mnabe.org); providing frequent communication with local program staff through quarterly webinars, fall meetings with adult education managers, spring grant application meetings, and trainings at the annual ABE Summer Institute; providing direct guidance through thousands of individual emails and calls from local program staff; and disseminating a weekly electronic PD newsletter with information about training opportunities, instructional resources, and promising practices.
This year a new administrator professional development advisory team was created to help plan and deliver training and support around program administration. Support included an administrator webinar series that focused on issues such as choosing appropriate learning models, programming and budgeting in a time of uncertainty, and networking around adult education hiring practices. Presenters were local program directors and state adult education staff helped to facilitate discussion and answer questions.
Technical assistance also supports funded eligible providers in the following specific ways:
(1) Developing and disseminating instructional and programmatic practices based on the most rigorous or scientifically valid research available in reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, English language acquisition programs, distance education, and staff training. The Adult Education Leadership Team is focusing on increasing the capacity of instructors and programs to provide quality instruction in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, English language acquisition, and distance education via implementation of PD activities and associated technical assistance such as: support to programs using the Student Achievement in Reading (STAR) model; Evidence-Based Reading Instruction webinars and online courses; annual Language and Literacy Institute; Adult English as a Second Language (ESL) Study Circles; participation in the Minnesota Teachers of Mathematics Conference; Minnesota distance learning website (www.literacymn.org/distancelearning); Distance and Blended Learning Basics online course; and online resource libraries in the areas of Academic, Career, and Employability Skills (ACES), adult career pathways, adult diploma/high school equivalency, adult education staff orientation, College and Career Readiness standards, cultural competency, ESL, numeracy, project-based learning, reading, science, social studies and civics, and writing. These online resource libraries can be found at https://atlasabe.org/resources/.
(2) Fulfilling their role to provide access to employment, education, and training services as required one-stop partners. Eligible providers work closely with their one-stop partners and understand the roles each partner plays in supporting the client. Referrals and co-enrollment are encouraged. Co-enrollment is highest between adult education and the WIOA youth program. Several eligible providers have been in the process of trying to shift the delivery of Integrated Education and Training (IET) to online coursework. This would make the IET approach more accessible for many individuals. Technical assistance and PD focusing on IET is a growing priority; two IET trainings shared practices and discussed the possibility of moving to a regional model. In addition, four meetings were held with the state team and the Adult Education field to discuss the logistics of offering online statewide training courses. The Minnesota Adult Education Leadership Team decided to pilot statewide online training courses in 2021–2022. Best practices were shared via webinars with the field on building pathways to employment and how to work with some of the employers. Initially, these have been entry level jobs for newcomers, and the engagement with employers is a practice we will continue to highlight.
(3) Using technology to improve program effectiveness through training and technical assistance focused on preparing instructors and program administrators to identify and utilize technology to enhance instruction, programming, and distance education. The Minnesota Department of Education Adult Education Leadership Team contracted with Literacy Minnesota to provide professional development and technical assistance in the areas of educational technology, digital literacy, and distance learning. In 2021–2022, the Minnesota Adult Education Technology & Distance Learning Team led 43 training webinars with 1,343 participants attending. Trainings focused on a wide variety of topics, including distance learning best practices, educational technology tools, the use of distance learning platforms, and the Teacher Verification Model. In addition, two webinar series focused on technology and distance learning were offered in 2021–2022:
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| Mississippi | The OAE has previously mentioned its investment in rigorous research helping providers learn, understand, and implement instructional practices from scientifically-based research. The overall goal of MS’ designed professional development framework is to improve the quality of instruction in adult education programs, enhance program accountability, and share best practices while serving as a one-stop partner more effectively and efficiently. Through research and evaluation, the OAE provided targeted technical assistance, specifically with technology, instructional design through Open Educational Resources (OER), distance learning, and ESL.
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| Nebraska | Technical assistance was an integral part of State Office’s focus to ensure providers reached maximum effectiveness. Targeted professional development opportunities were promoted to inform instruction with research-based best practices in all content areas. Since 2016, career pathways have been an integral part of ensuring student success through individualized onboarding and goal setting allowing students to create their own, individualized learning plan. With the long-standing emphasis on digital literacy in Nebraska, digital access has continued to be an integral part of student access, support and success, with providers offering remote access to quality education and assessment. With continued monitoring, ongoing technical assistance was provided to address potential issues via various methods of communication, to include emails, phone calls and Zoom calls. Technical assistance was also offered consistently through the monthly State-of-the-State Zoom Meetings, Performance Improvement meetings and the Program Director Meetings. Targeted technical assistance was provided to the IELCE and IET providers through a scheduled monthly Zoom meeting. Enhanced technical assistance on fiscal and budget related matters were provided. The State Office also sends out quarterly, detailed Budget Status Update reports. Individualized meetings are scheduled on an as-needed basis. The State Director also hosted individual quarterly calls with program directors to provide personal technical assistance and to offer guidance in a wide range of topic areas. The monthly Performance Improvement and Transition Coordinator meetings provided an opportunity for some in-depth technical assistance. A close review of each program’s onboarding processes identified areas needing improvement. Collaboration, training, and the sharing of best practices enhanced the quality of the onboarding process statewide. The importance of providing clear expectations in a trauma-informed environment to welcome students committed to reaching their educational goals positioned both the students and Nebraska Adult Education for successful performance. |
| Nevada | Dissemination of best practices takes place through tailored high-touch Technical Assistance (TA) provided to individual programs on an ongoing basis. Each local program works with the Professional Development (PD) contractor to develop a TA plan for the program year. TA has been delivered through a virtual approach. Individual TA was delivered on organizing and scaffolding materials, distance learning, student retention, building Integrated Education and Training (IET), and working with multilevel classrooms. A.I.R. staff either delivered training or brought in subject matter experts. |
| New Jersey | NJ continues to utilize leadership dollars to ensure targeted professional development for all NJ Title II providers to ensure accurate and clean data in line with NRS requirements. The NJDOL OAL continues to utilize LiteracyPro Systems’ LACES (Literacy, Adult and Community Education System) software as the Management Information System (MIS). PY 21 training was provided by Literacy Pro staff to all New Jersey providers in separate, deep dives of agency specific data and best practices/errors. These online trainings focused on further areas of concern regarding data collection, student barriers at entry, and overall management, and specifically directed technical assistance was provided to each agency in order to help produce strong data. All sessions were held the length of a day and were recorded. Additionally, LiteracyPro sends the team/directors guidance documents summarizing how the trainings went and any further areas for concern. To provide ongoing technical assistance NJ DOL OAL program staff continue to analyze the LACES data on a monthly basis in targeted desk audits and observe/document trends and other areas that could be perceived as areas of concern and/or remediation. Technical assistance was provided to Title II agencies in the completion of the 2nd year of funds applications. This included new guidance on tracking Career Services, Training Services, budgeting, and planning was sent to all directors, staff and partner agencies. |
| New Mexico | Technical assistance (TA) was provided to programs by request and as structurally initiated by NMHED-AE. In PY 21/22, structurally initiated forms of TA included key updates of tools and policies, including our Data Policy and all of our monitoring tools; monthly virtual meetings with program directors, in which we provided guidance and discussed key issues relevant to compliance and performance; twice-weekly email updates to directors on compliance, performance, and upcoming opportunities; the development of the Propeln.org website that provides a wealth of resources for programs; the development of a New Hire Handbook for all new program staff; monthly data quality and performance webinars hosted by LiteracyPro for all directors and data techs; and customized TA prompted by data and financial desk reviews and site visits. NMHED-AE provides TA by request as well. We emphasize that program staff should freely contact us, and all state staff respond to multiple requests for TA a week. Our Data Administrator responds to multiple TA requests each hour. We have a warm and closely collaborative relationship with local programs in New Mexico which lends itself well to just-in-time TA. If the state staff are not able to answer a question or provide specific TA, we are often able to connect program staff to their knowledgeable peers and to our professional development consultants, who ably offer the assistance with our oversight. |
| North Carolina | The North Carolina Community College’s College and Career Readiness department uses Federal state leadership funding to support technical assistance and professional development activities for sixty-six WIOA Title II-funded providers.
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| Northern Mariana Islands | Our office operates as both state and local. We provide instruction, assessment, testing, and professional development for the CNMI. Within the program year, the office often meets to address needs and concerns. Because we operate as both state and local, issues are addressed quickly. And, because of the nature of our island community, students are able to comfortably share their successes and challenges with the program. We use the information to continually update and improve our program and the services we offer them and to the community. |
| Ohio | In PY 21, Ohio worked to implement activities that ultimately provided TA to the eligible providers
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| Oklahoma | State staff have built strong connections with program directors to increase communication and provide support. They visited all programs a minimum of three times between the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022. One program could not receive visitors at the beginning of the year due to COVID-19 restrictions. The AEFL state staff met with them virtually until the visitor ban was lifted. Technical assistance was provided as needed and when financial and/or data discrepancies appeared. Program visits provided opportunities for state staff to see promising practices. The practices were used for an AEFL Best Practices session during the Oklahoma Works Partner’s Conference. Technical assistance was given during visits and by request. State staff have been provided mobile phones and laptops to ensure availability for technical assistance. Program directors can contact them via email or phone when assistance is needed. Proactive activities included on site and telephone support, with topics such as, assessment guidelines, duplication of records, age requirement documentation, data entry procedures, and financial deadlines. Data entry was monitored monthly. LACES and Coffee Training opportunities were available bimonthly that included time for Q and A. Financial entry was also monitored, and technical assistance was given according to needs demonstrated on financial entries and requests. Emails were sent to program directors, data, and financial personnel periodically to provide updates, clarify guidelines, and communicate changes. |
| Oregon | 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. |
| Puerto Rico | The PRDE provided technical assistance to eligible providers as described in section 223(1)(c). During the PY 2021-2022 the AEP Program implemented a training on CASAS testing for location, appraisal and pre and post-test for in ESL English teachers as testing administrators for CASAS tests. The AEP implemented technical assistance activities focused on the effective use of the Adult Information System (AIS) at AEP which purpose is to maintain accurate participants’ data and continuous improvement in data quality. The AEP maintains a service log for reference and monitoring. The AEP offered a new training session to service providers’ centers directors through two workshop on how to prepare the RFP for two new competences for providing services on ABE, ESL and IET. The training was focused on key issues such as how to gather and save data, data quality validation, data usefulness to demonstrate services effectiveness, performance levels standards negotiated with NRS and follow-up to performance indicators. Additional technical assistance was provided through phone calls and electronic mail. Issues were attended through the Adult Information System (AIS) call center. This effort was implemented at central AEP offices to guide local providers in the daily operations of the data collection for adult education activities. Also, the AEP completed 42 visits to teachers to provide tech assistance on NRS data collection compliance. |
| South Carolina | Technical Assistance to Funded Eligible Providers The OAE used funds made available under section 223 to provide technical assistance to funded providers in the following ways: Last school year, technical assistance was provided primarily through Microsoft Teams to both individual and groups of providers via Deep Dive sessions, statewide training sessions, regional meetings, and individual web meetings. Conference calls were also conducted. With input from OAE, regional trainings were conducted by the TAN staff. Local programs were notified of trainings via Training Calendar schedules that were created and disseminated by the OAE quarterly. The training calendar was organized to reflect the date, time and location of each training event, and included session criteria and intended audience. Interested participants registered for individual trainings through a professional development system utilized by OAE. In addition, OAE convened three required Statewide Director’s meetings during the course of PY 2020-21. These meetings were held to keep local AE Directors updated on information that could affect program policies, performance and partnerships. |
| South Dakota | National Training Institute (NTI) The AEFLA Program Specialist and the Professional Development Team attended the National Association of State Directors of Adult Education’s National Training Institute in autumn 2021. The four-day event featured virtual sessions on Immigrant Integration, Digital Literacy, Workforce Partnerships, Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education, Integrated Education and Training, and Career Pathways. Administrative Outreach The primary initiative for PY2021-22 was the full implementation of the PREP model: Participants Reaching Employment Potential. Therefore, the WIOA Title II Program Specialist coded notable time to State Leadership throughout PY2021 to assist the local providers with the new or updated means of communication, data quality, and accountability. The partners used SharePoint to securely transfer participant-information in confidential, secure manner; these transfers included instructional hours, assessment-scores, Programs of Study, progress reports, and sundry documentation. Additionally, there were updated means for tracking WIOA Co-Enrollments [within both the MIS] for the Statewide Performance Report. Moreover, there were opportunities to meet with WIOA Title I Adult/Youth Programs to discuss the delivery of tandem case-management. Taking OCTAE’s cue on its delivery of Shop Talk, PY2021 also saw the commitment of the agency to maintain regular, bi-monthly webinars. Therefore, there were six scheduled AEL Administrators’ Meetings for the year; subsequently, the PD Team used the other alternating six months to schedule regular [bi-monthly] Professional Development calls. However, due to the breadth and depth of ongoing topics, it has been decided to host both the Professional Development calls and these AEL Administrators’ Meetings monthly beginning in PY2022-23. In PY2021-22’s Q4, it was further decided to renew the process of Memoranda of Understanding betwixt AEFLA Providers and the DLR’s One-Stop Local Offices. These MOUS will also commence with the start of PY2022-23. Distance Education Special Project DLR’s Distance Education Special Project was designed to provide incumbent workers, geographically isolated adults, and individuals with various barriers to participating in traditional Adult Education instruction (e.g., transportation, childcare, health issues, etc.) with some meaningful [synchronous and asynchronous] distance education opportunities. This endeavor was not only meant to benefit the aforementioned participants and other Title II providers, but to also advantage DLR One-Stop local offices in appropriate circumstances. While this project served as an allowable Statewide Employment and Training Activity under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (§134), Title II Leadership funds were expended to provide coordination, technical assistance, and support. The agency, along with the Professional Development Team and the [local] Distance Education Coordinator, continued to provide outreach to AEFLA subrecipients (Directors, Coordinators, Instructors, and Support Staff), and One-Stop/American Job Center operators (Managers, Employment Specialists, Workforce Development staff, TANF staff, and Career Navigators). The outreach consisted of informational overviews pertinent to the respective audience, as well as training in both how to access the different modules and how to coordinate services available as a participant in Distance Education. |
| Tennessee | Throughout PY21, TDLWD utilized four of our staff as a “curriculum and instruction team” who led technical assistance efforts related to curriculum and instruction for local staff. These staff included a director of ESL services, a director of academic services, a director of professional development, and an administrator of program development and operations. These staff members worked diligently to observe a variety of classrooms (both in-person and virtual) utilizing our instructor observation form and providing feedback to help teachers improve their practices, as well as to identify effective practices to consider for future statewide training and best practice dissemination. We held many in-person training events and class observations as well as virtual options. This included a regular video conference of local providers’ curriculum and instruction liaisons to discuss ideas around instructional practice. It also included regular training for teachers on using the Schoology learning management system, WIN, NorthStar, BurlingtonEnglish, PowerSchool, and Aztec. We provided technical assistance to IELCE program instructors. The director of ESL services trained all IELCE instructors on the observation form. It was then used to train IELCE instructors on the requirements of an IELCE program and was used during monitoring activities. We continued observing classes and using the observation tool to collect data. We continued collaboration amongst IELCE instructors to share best practices. In 2021-22 we continued to implement an IELCE instructors professional learning community group, facilitated by our ESL director, which regularly convened virtually to discuss best practices. In addition, IELCE instructors received multiple professional development opportunities throughout the year. At the 2021 statewide conference, instructors received training on English Language Proficiency Standards. Additional training was provided to each IELCE program on contextualizing lesson plans and instruction to incorporate student goal sheets. We also continued to expand the “Workforce and Civics Warm-up” curriculum for IELCE instructors to use in the classroom to meet the requirement for civics integration. Finally, IELCE lesson plan examples were shown to program instructors on how civics instruction can be implemented in the classroom. Fulfilling local providers’ role to provide access to employment, education, and training services as required one-stop partners. In PY21, our regional education and workforce coordinators continued to provide technical assistance to local providers concerning their role as one-stop partners. They assisted local AE programs with increasing Workforce Development Initiatives, including: integrated education and training (IET) programming (+11), pre-apprenticeships (+3), workplace literacy programs, and dual-enrollment opportunities (+1). TDLWD continued to update the comprehensive “WIOA Partner Guidance” and the “Workforce Development Initiatives Guidance” documents to make sure the most up to date and accurate information is included. TDLWD regional education and workforce coordinators took part in local partner meetings as well as cross agency training and business services team meetings. TDLWD AE staff along with Workforce Services staff developed virtual access points for the virtual American Job Center and created a virtual pathway for Adult Education. This allows AE students to access AJC services virtually as well as allowing AJC participants to access virtual AE services at the AJC. Assistance in the use of technology, including for staff training, to eligible providers, especially the use of technology to improve system efficiencies. In October 2021, TDWLD released the new professional development platform for all adult education staff. It is called Tennessee Adult Education Professional Development (TAEPD). Program Directors were trained on use of TAEPD. A user webinar was released and an ongoing user toolkit made available. It has allowed for on-demand access to state sponsored virtual professional development content for those who could not attend live sessions and contains registration, attendance, and feedback survey information. It houses additional professional development content to impact program effectiveness. Content varies and users can choose courses based on individual need or as recommended by program directors. Content includes topics on distance learning, Hyflex model of instruction, blended learning, Schoology, using Zoom, and “how-to” for the various state-sponsored software. The platform uses Schoology as the LMS to house the course content—this also serves as a model to instructors for use of Schoology as their distance learning tool with students. Schoology continued to be the state-sponsored distance learning platform. All new employees were provided an account when hired. Communication with users occurred within state level supported user groups. A series of professional development sessions for its use were provided monthly from January 2022-April 2022 and additional user courses were housed in TAEPD. Our membership has been extended with the IDEAL Consortium from World Education, which allows for TDLWD staff members to participate with staff from other states in learning about and discussing best practices in distance education and education technology. Resources on the Hyflex model from World Education are linked within TAEPD. This allows for ease of access to relevant content. In addition, TDLWD staff spearheaded the implementation of a new pilot program for corrections education, which allows incarcerated individuals to use Android tablets (via the vendor “APDS”) to access education and training resources. The pilot includes 24 tablets at three county jails in Tennessee. The tablets can be checked out and used by students in jail to work on basic academic skills curriculum and HiSET preparation. This project is a joint effort between TDLWD AE, TDLWD Workforce Services, the Office of Criminal Justice Programs (OCJP), and Tennessee Corrections Institute. The pilot program was funded through CARES funds. In the next program year, live video conferencing between student and teacher will be available on the tablets. TDLWD staff provided training to local staff on how to implement and utilize the tablets. The APDS tablet-based programs in county jails has expanded to include an additional 16 counties. These counties received grants through OCJP for evidenced-based programs. We have been able to expand adult education services to 10 facilities and are awaiting access to the additional six facilities to provide adult education services. To help support this effort, our staff members presented information about our services to the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association and the Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI), the governing body for local and county jails across the state. |
| Texas | In addition to the professional development services that TWC provides statewide through PDCs, TWC utilizes established PD systems to deliver Technical Assistance (TA) to providers. State staff work closely with PDC to create, organize, advertise and conduct TA throughout the program year. TWC utilizes PDC platforms to host several TA events designed to support just-in-time statewide needs. TA topics are responsive to ongoing program data analysis and evaluation. Some TA activities include:
Bi-weekly calls with all AEL providers—Held twice a month, AEL state staff use this time to showcase any PD/TA topics that are being developed to support grant effectiveness. Agenda topics range from upcoming PD events, policy-related updates or changes, program spotlights (best practices), recent/common monitoring findings, and data system enhancements.
Monthly webinars—We have developed consistent scheduling of PD/TA events relative to specific job duties/functions to support capacity building amongst peers. The purpose is to encourage alignment of AEL services with core partners, stakeholders and community organizations as well as disseminate resources on education, training, or programmatic practices that enhance the overall AEL ecosystem. Examples include ‘Manager Mondays’, ‘Teacher Tuesdays’, ‘Workforce Wednesdays’ and ‘Tech and Tell’.
One-on-One TA—TWC state staff conduct one-on-one TA either in person or through webinar/Microsoft Teams, as needed based on individual program evaluation. Seven state staff are assigned specific programs to monitor performance accountability, expenditures, and deliverables.
Statewide TA—Statewide TA events are delivered in multiple formats: webinars, regional events, and conferences. Topics include (but not limited to) performance accountability, data system reporting, leadership, new director training, and quality assurance.
Fall Institute—Annual fall convening of AEL providers, partners, and stakeholders to disseminate best practices and support peer learning. A pre-conference business meeting is also held to provide information, tools, tips and resources related to grant compliance and effectiveness, often referred to as ‘State of the State”. This event is supported largely by our statewide PDC, held in person (Austin, Tx), but has also been offered virtually since 2020. Adding a virtual option has increased the number of attendees and expanded our reach. In September 2021, four session tracks were supported:
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| Virgin Islands | Technical Assistance was provided in alignment with section 223(a)(1)(C), on programmatic and data collection and reporting issues to providers through webinars, telephone inquiries, email and site visits. SOCTAE staff also provided face-to-face workshops and additional assistance on an as needed basis throughout the year. In addition, ongoing communication with programs regarding updates and questions are handled through SOCTAE on an as needed basis on topics including, Assessment Policy, administration of TABE, grant management and allocations, data entry procedures, and developing accommodations. Correspondences were sent periodically to programs keeping them up to date with announcements, program changes, and areas of required improvements based on their report submissions. Due to the impact of COVID-19, SOCTAE offered webinar trainings for adult educators on distance learning resources. Online TABE testing and guidance for online proctoring of TABE was developed. The guidance conveyed that adult education providers may implement remote test proctoring in accordance with the test publisher’s procedure for secure remote testing. Constraints of the pandemic has lessened and as such, TABE testing also resumed with in person proctoring. In response to COVID-19’s effects upon AEFLA students, administrators, teachers, and support staff, continuous technical assistance provided AEFLA instructors with some resources and techniques to help adult learners in crisis and assist staff in dealing with their stressors such as navigating changing work environments, dealing with urgent transitions, and related challenges as a result of remote learning. Sub-grantees were able to provide online services for adults who were incumbent workers, geographically isolated, and/or encountered various barriers to participating in traditional Adult Education instruction (e.g., transportation, childcare, health issues, etc.) with synchronous distance education opportunities and One-Stop referrals. |
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| Wisconsin | The WTCS also used state leadership funds to deliver technical assistance to enhance program effectiveness and assist providers in meeting established AELFA performance standards. During the reporting period, examples of technical assistance provided to Wisconsin’s AEFLA providers include:
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| Wyoming | One of the greatest areas of technical assistance provided to local providers this year resulted from the launch of an online intake form which integrates data into the LACES database. Wyoming worked closely with LACES to develop and create this online intake and we were the first in the country to begin its use. However, as with all new projects this came with a need for technical assistance, both at the launch phase and multiple times thereafter to address issues that came up. LACES provided all technical assistance as needed for this new product and the result has been that all providers in Wyoming, except one, are using the online intake form. The use of the online intake form has reduced data entry processes while ensuring that all participants are captured for NRS reporting purposes . In addition, the online portal provides for an easy registration process that core partners can place on their own websites and/or for participants to register for AE classes in Wyoming from any location.
Technical assistance is also provided to local providers in numerous other ways.
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