State Leadership Funds (Adult education and family literacy act Section 223 (AEFLA))
AEFLA Section 223(1)(a)
Virginia Adult Education Narrative Report 2021-2022
This report is prepared and submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) pursuant to annual reporting requirements. This report and those from previous years are made available on the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) Data, Monitoring, and Evaluation webpage.
State Leadership Funds (AEFLA Section 223)
The VDOE uses state leadership funds to provide, directly and through cooperative agreement with the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center (VALRC) at Virginia Commonwealth University, opportunities for professional development (PD) and technical assistance to adult education and literacy practitioners throughout the Commonwealth.
In support of the requirement in Sec. 223(1)(a), alignment of adult education and literacy activities with other core programs and one-stop partners, the vision of the Virginia WIOA Combined State Plan is to “improve economic opportunity for all Virginians by serving those who are not yet earning a sustainable wage and, as important, by focusing the resources and mechanisms of our workforce system to recruit people into the workforce and connecting them to businesses in high demand industries.” To carry out this vision, the VDOE uses state leadership funds to provide technical assistance, training, advising, and resources to eligible providers for offering career pathways and integrated education and training (IET) programming to ensure that adult learners have equitable opportunities to acquire digital literacy, employability, and academic skills, and are prepared for further postsecondary education or training or employment.
In program year (PY) 2021-2022, the VALRC facilitated a year-long Professional Learning Community (PLC) focused on Virginia’s implementation of IET and Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) programming. For the eight PLC sessions, a mean of 21 IET practitioners, including instructors, program managers, occupational trainers, and workforce partners participated from all of Virginia’s 22 adult education regions, providing a virtual space for collaboration across the state to share resources, networks, and expert guidance to strengthen learning outcomes, credential attainment, employability, and collaborations with workforce partners and employers. The lead VALRC facilitator participated in the pilot of the OCTAE IET Design Camp program in 2020 and later served as a cohort facilitator for the IET Design Camp in 2021. To further support the growth of IETs and career pathways, the VALRC redesigned and maintained their IET Blueprint website to align with the state’s IET planning tool and the implementation guidance from the OCTAE IET Design Camp.
To support effective IETs and transitions to further education, training, and employment, a cohort of 20 adult education practitioners was sponsored to participate in a career coach certification course, offered by the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). Thirteen completed their certification in the PY2021-2022 timeframe, others were still in the process of earning their full certification.
The VDOE Adult Education Coordinator and the VALRC’s workforce education specialist continued to serve on the Sector Strategy and Career Pathway Academy (SSCPA) steering committee to support the maintenance and adoption of this statewide effort to promote increased awareness of and interagency collaboration around sector strategies and career pathways among all workforce partners across agencies and locations.
AEFLA Section 223(1)(b)
In support of the requirement in Sec. 223(1)(b), the establishment or operation of high-quality professional development (PD) programs, the vision of the VDOE is for the continuous improvement of instruction in adult education and literacy and support for practitioners in all roles to provide high-quality programming and instruction. The VDOE, through its cooperative agreement with the VALRC, supports both required and permissible state leadership activities as part of a high-quality PD program.
Building on effective virtual training models during PY2020-2021, the VALRC continued to offer primarily virtual PD options to programs, including webinar series, facilitated online courses, self-paced tutorials, PLCs, on-request workshops for regional programs, and conference presentations at state and national conferences. During PY2021-2022, the VALRC provided more than 280 hours of PD to 2,101 attendees. The overall average hours of PD per participant was 7.4 hours, an increase from the pre-pandemic level of 1.7 hours per participant in PY2018-2019.
The VALRC offered webinars, online resources, and facilitated online courses on quality online instruction. The Quality Teaching Online (QTO) course was developed through participation in the Innovating Digital Education in Adult Learning (IDEAL) Consortium. The VALRC offered QTO webinars and developed and maintained a page on its main website (valrc.org) that provides rubrics, tips, strategies, and quality indicators for virtual instruction. The VALRC specialists provided instructional workforce preparation PD through a Teaching Skills that Matter (TSTM) PLC in spring 2021 and focused on PD for academic skill building through a standards-based, three-part webinar series on the Key Shifts in English Language Arts, a PLC on Improving Reading Instruction in Print Skills, and a math instructors’ online support group that convened monthly throughout PY2021-2022. The VALRC also delivered facilitated, online, six-week courses for more in depth PD, including English Language Proficiency Standards and Adult Educators; Beyond Basics: English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Beginning Literacy; and Disabilities and the Adult Learner.
In spring 2022, as a way to support programs serving newcomer refugee groups, the VALRC began facilitating the Serving Refugees PLC, a space for programs to share how they were working with partner agencies, preparing for an increase in beginning literacy learners, and providing culturally responsive education. Throughout the five-month PLC, guest speakers from across the country presented on connecting with the refugee resettlement agencies and community liaisons for recruitment and engagement of participants; provided information and resources for using an asset-based and culturally responsive approach when working with emerging English language learners; and provided training for ESOL and adult basic education (ABE) teachers. In addition, the VALRC developed materials that programs could use with community partners to articulate the role of adult education in refugee resettlement and connect refugees to educational services until they are able to start attending adult education classes.
To support teacher development and retention, the VALRC offered two iterations of the Teacher Leader PLC (Teacher Leader 101 and 201). Teacher Leader 101 focused on working with those new to the PLC on developing coaching and culturally responsive teaching skills. Participants gained a toolbox of coaching strategies to strengthen teacher-teacher and teacher-student interactions. Teacher Leader 201 focused on working with those who had been through 101 and wanted to apply what they learned to a specific project related to their unique teaching and learning environments. Participants focused on goal setting, problem solving, and cultivating a reflective practice. Teacher Leader 201 participants also had opportunities to build facilitation skills by co-facilitating Teacher Leader 101 sessions.
In PY2021-2022, the VALRC developed and launched the Inclusive Virginia (inclusive.valrc.org) website devoted to providing adult education program leadership, staff, and instructors with information, instructional strategies, resources, and accommodations for providing access to effective adult education for all learners seeking adult education opportunities, including adults with disabilities.
AEFLA Section 223(1)(c)
In support of the requirement in Sec. 223(1)(c), the provision of technical assistance, the VDOE provided technical assistance and guidance to eligible providers by sharing promising practices on high-quality, research-based instruction and programming; program accountability; and serving effectively as a one-stop partner. Technical assistance needs are solicited from program managers throughout the year and are informed by the results of the VDOE’s monitoring and evaluation efforts, described below.
The VALRC supports the VDOE in providing technical assistance by facilitating monthly data office hours with the VDOE staff and bimonthly program managers webinars and curating archived recordings. The VALRC disseminated resources through its publications, websites, and listservs. Primary areas of focus include standards-based instruction (SBI) and implementation guidance; distance education; data reporting, analysis, and use; digital skills; career pathways; program management; high school equivalency; English language acquisition; numeracy; and learning disabilities.
In PY2021-2022, the VALRC assigned two adult education program manager peer mentors to support two new regional program managers. Throughout the year, the VALRC provided coaching protocols, facilitated virtual meetings, and offered stipends for the mentors. The VALRC documented the process and solicited feedback from the mentor/mentee pairs in order to improve upon and continue the process for new programs going forward.
In PY2021-2022, the VALRC launched its redesigned website to promote greater interactivity and to better connect communications to new content, events, and PD opportunities. The site includes an events calendar where participants can learn about and register for PD, searchable resource collections, digital versions of the VALRC publications, news updates, and a contact form to receive updates from the VALRC supported listservs. The VALRC also updated and maintained three additional resource websites focusing on GED® preparation, inclusive practices for individuals with disabilities, and the IET Blueprint; four listservs; and the GED® Helpline. Publications and communications produced by the VALRC include a quarterly newsletter called Progress; two podcast series that highlight promising practices around the state; a monthly TechTools publication integrated into VALRC’s online resource bank; a YouTube channel; social media updates on Facebook and LinkedIn; and a monthly PD opportunities email announcement to its statewide listservs to share upcoming events, PD opportunities from LINCS and other providers, as well as the VALRC offerings.
In January 2022, in response to a need identified by the VDOE to recruit adult learners who have one remaining GED® test left to pass, the VALRC designed and launched the “Just 1 to Go” promotional campaign and marketing toolkit that includes an original logo and customizable templates for social media posts, emails, webpages, video scripts, and flyers for use by adult education programs around the state. The VALRC’s communications specialists provided training and ongoing technical assistance on how to use the toolkit and incorporate it into programs’ communication strategies. This campaign was promoted by all one-stop partners in a coordinated effort to emphasize the critical importance of a secondary credential to job seekers.
In collaboration with teachers and program managers across the state, the VALRC solicited written work from learners and published its inaugural adult learner publication, Spotlight. Spotlight features over 60 learners’ stories of refugee resettlement, immigration, challenges in education, successes in education, and original art and fiction. This publication was printed and distributed to programs to use as an instructional tool. The VALRC’s podcast series, Voices from the Field, continues to highlight promising practices and innovations around the state. This year, the podcast episodes focused on the challenges and opportunities around serving refugee groups, highlights in workforce development and career pathways, and learner reflections on writing for the Spotlight publication. The VALRC also curates Stories from the Field, its second podcast series, which focuses on learner achievements and credential attainments, practitioner and program innovations, and challenges the field faces.
The VALRC supported six programs in a year-long planning effort to develop family literacy programs. To assist programs with their planning, the VALRC provided PD through the National Center for Families Learning and hosted a monthly PLC where programs learned about the four components of family literacy, heard from guest speakers, and explored resources for developing and sustaining family literacy programs. In partnership with the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy, the VALRC developed the toolkit From Scratch: Using AEFLA Funds to Develop a Family Literacy Program, which features evidence-based strategies, resources, worksheets, and program examples to help practitioners develop a well-rounded, intergenerational, four-component family literacy program.
At the 2021 Virginia Association for Adult and Continuing Education (VAACE) conference, the VDOE and VALRC delivered sessions focused on distance education, teaching learners to build knowledge, teaching learners to use evidence, engaging with Probation and Parole to serve reentering citizens, using higher order thinking activities with emerging English learners, and demonstrating Standards in Action instructional techniques for English learners. The VDOE High School Equivalency Administrator provided a master class in how to use the GED® Manager interface and the VDOE Adult Education Coordinator provided a keynote presentation to look at the PY2020-2021 data and discuss the service trends that had been disrupted and re-imagined due to pandemic-related restrictions.
AEFLA Section 223(1)(d)
In support of the requirement in Sec. 223(1)(d), monitoring and evaluation of quality, VDOE uses state leadership and administrative funds to support monitoring and evaluation activities, which include not only evaluating the quality of and improvement in local adult education activities but also the effectiveness of efforts by the VALRC. The requirement to disseminate information about models and proven and/or promising adult education practices within the state is discussed as an integral component of the work that the VALRC delivers as PD and technical support under 223(a)(1)(b).
The VDOE’s system for assessing the quality of providers of adult education and literacy activities is based on five major activities, which can occur both consecutively and concurrently throughout the program year: (1) a program self-assessment survey completed by each provider, (2) the distribution and review of an annual risk rubric for each program, (3) ongoing data monitoring of information entered by each program in the state Management Information System (MIS) and the Online Management of Education Grant Awards (OMEGA) fiscal system throughout the program year, (4) technical assistance calls, the content of which is based on 1-3 above, between the VDOE and each funded program, and (5) the identification of programs for site-visit reviews, based on information collected in activities 1-3 above.
In PY2021-2022, the activities listed above were successfully completed, starting with the distribution of the Program Self-Assessment Survey, which is designed to allow a means for programs to document their leadership and management processes and assist the VALRC and state office staff in the development of program-specific technical assistance plans. Risk rubrics were created from various data related to program operations and performance and distributed to all funded programs, and technical assistance calls were then conducted with all funded programs in January. These direct conversations with program staff allow the VDOE to combine the quantitative analysis provided by the risk rubrics with the more qualitative nature of the responses provided on the program self-assessment survey and serve a primary role in ascertaining the specific technical assistance needs of individual programs.
Both on-site and virtual site visits were conducted in PY2021-2022. As in the past, the VDOE monitoring teams included a regional program manager serving as a peer reviewer and a member of the VALRC staff. A hybrid monitoring site visit was conducted with the Commonwealth Charities Diocese of Arlington (CCDA) IELCE Program on April 25-27, 2022. A Report of Findings was issued, and although the CCDA grant with the VDOE for IELCE services has concluded, should CCDA apply for and receive adult education funding from VDOE in the future, the VDOE would engage in a corrective action plan process to address the findings in the report with CCDA staff members. On May 9-11, the VDOE conducted an on-site monitoring visit to Region 10, serving the counties of Albermarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson and the city of Charlottesville for both their IELCE and AEFLA programming. A Report of Findings was issued and a corrective action plan (CAP) was approved. On June 15 and 28-30, on-site monitoring visits were conducted with both Region 13, serving the counties of Brunswick, Halifax, and Mecklenburg and Region 14, serving the counties of Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway, and Prince Edward in Southside Virginia. Southside Virginia Community College serves as the fiscal agent for both region 13 and 14, so the on-site monitoring reviews occured concurrently as many of the administrative processes and staff members are shared between programs.
AEFLA Section 223(a)(2)
Many of the activities described above as responsive to state leadership requirements 223(1)(a) through (d) include elements of permissible state leadership activities as well. For example, the work to support practitioners to offer high-quality online distance instruction and disseminate standards-based curricula through the commissioned online courses draws on permissible activities 223(2)(b), (c) and (i). Providing technical assistance on implementing IET programming for career pathways and ensuring comprehension of the new reporting requirements draws on the permissible activities of 223(2)(d) through (g). The work by the VALRC to develop and disseminate the “Just 1 to Go” GED® campaign and a video to be used in the statewide referral portal is an example of permissible activity 223(2)(l).
Performance Data Analysis
Enrollment rebounded significantly in PY2021-22 and enrollment trends returned to pre-pandemic patterns. In PY2021-2022, Virginia served 14,152 participants, up from 10,378 the previous year. Returning to a pre-pandemic pattern of serving nearly 60 percent of students in English language acquisition or integrated English literacy and civics education activities, in PY2021-2022, 58.6 percent of students were enrolled in these classes. This is also seen in the overall share of Hispanic students increasing to 43.3 percent from the low of 35.47 percent the previous year. We continued to serve more women, 67.63 percent, than men in PY2021-2022; this ratio remained as high a differential as it was during the pandemic years, largely due to the extremely low enrollment in correctional education, which is typically male-dominated. Although correctional education enrollment was up from 252 in the previous year to 416 participants, the state is far from pre-pandemic levels in this area. Of note is the percentage of students who report that they are employed while enrolled. In the past five years, only in PY2020-2021 did this percentage dip below 50 percent and even then by less than a percentage point.
Multiple aspects of adult education services were transformed in PY2021-2022 as programs adapted remote intake, assessment, and instruction as an integral part of their service model and continued the intensive outreach and flexibility established during the pandemic. The overall average hours of instruction was 71.67 hours per student and 35.31 percent of students had some hours recorded as distance education. Retention remained high at 67 percent. The state office frequently discussed the retention rate with providers and the factors that contribute to it such as flexibility of scheduling and individual tutoring to help students continue to make progress. Program Year 2021-2022 required programs to maintain extreme levels of flexibility in order to retain students as family, children's’ school, and work schedules continued to be disrupted for students and teachers.
On several outcome measures, IET students outperformed the state aggregate measures in PY2021-2022. The new MSGs were the topic of ongoing and intensive professional development and technical assistance as programs strategically designed their IETs, communicated with their partners, and learned how to report and track progress. Reporting MSG Types 3, 4, and 5 for the first time in PY2021-2022 yielded 702 additional MSGs reported by the state on NRS Table 4. Programs offered many IET courses despite enrollment and training partner challenges, and 1,365 participants, just under 10 percent of the total enrollment, were enrolled in an IET. Follow up measures for IET students indicated that 50.65 percent were employed in the second quarter after exit and 51.35 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the state’s overall rates of 30.89 percent and 24.42 percent, respectively. Median quarterly earnings in the second quarter after exit for IET students was $6,401.40, compared to the state overall earnings rate of $6,064.81. The rate of attaining a postsecondary credential within one year of exit for IET students was 50.64 percent, compared to the state’s overall rate of 27.81 percent.
In PY2021-2022, 34.3 percent of the state’s total GED® graduates attended adult education classes (568 out of 1658, which excludes in-school youth and local and regional inmates). This is an increase from the previous year’s 28 percent. Virginia’s “Test for Free” and “Just 1 to Go” campaigns continued to promote enrollment in adult education and provide an opportunity for students to earn free testing vouchers. Virginia’s adults had a 76 percent GED® pass rate, mirroring the national pass rate during the same time period.
Integration with One-stop Partners
In PY2016-2017, the state delegated the roles and responsibilities for addressing one-stop requirements under 34 CFR part 463, subpart J, to the regional program managers and their fiscal agents. The regional programs work closely with their local workforce development boards (LWDB) and one-stop operators to coordinate services, identify regional workforce needs, and facilitate access to adult education services through the one-stops, called Virginia Career Works Centers. Virginia has over 50 comprehensive and affiliate Center locations in the 14 workforce regions. In PY2021-2022, 16 regional programs contributed to their Centers either in direct funds or in-kind contributions toward infrastructure in accordance with the MOU established by each LWDB. All regional programs participated in the services offered at their Centers, and regional program managers served on boards and committees of the LWDBs. Most Centers continued to offer online, virtual services as they phased in in-person service. Of note, some career services were offered to adult education students through remote synchronous appointments when physical Centers were closed. These appointments, either individual or with a class of students, were coordinated by both the adult education staff and the Center staff. This type of career service has been described as more approachable and productive for students than a referral to another physical location, and the VDOE expects that these virtual appointments will continue to be available and expanded to additional regions as a service to students.
During the pandemic-related disruptions, communication across partner entities was frequent as agencies and local boards coordinated news about which programs were open for which services and how individuals could request appointments or referrals. For example, the LWDB network assisted in the promotion of the GED® “Test for Free” and “Just 1 to Go” campaigns and the messaging around the importance of completing a secondary credential. The adult education providers were encouraged regularly to share communications with students prepared by other workforce partners to encourage adults and families to seek benefits offered during the pandemic such as expanded SNAP benefits, the Earned Income Child Credit, Medicaid, the Affordable Connectivity Program, resources at the libraries, and more.
The Virginia workforce development system also engaged in cross training and cross-agency PD. The Sector Strategies and Career Pathways Academy continued to be offered, moving the synchronous portion to a Zoom format. Since its implementation in 2019, Virginia has had over 779 workforce professionals participate in the Academy. Eighty-seven percent of adult education grantees have staff who have earned badges in sector strategies and career pathways content through this Academy. Adult educators have maintained a consistent presence in cohorts as well as served as guest presenters and facilitators in statewide events. An eight-hour online event, Trauma-Informed Care, was also offered to a cross-agency audience in the summer of 2021, and, by popular request, this event was offered again to a cohort of adult education practitioners through the VALRC.
The Common Referral Portal, launched in May 2020, is a web-based, mobile-friendly tool that can refer users to services that are designed to assist them in finding training, certification, education, and employment services. Individuals seeking services can create an account, answer common intake questions, choose referral recommendations, and begin connecting with services. Currently supported by six state agencies, including the VDOE with AEFLA state leadership funds, the portal is a “no wrong door” approach to service referrals among workforce development agencies and is supported by a Data Trust that allows for the sharing of unique identifiers. Training for adult education practitioners to assist learners in the use of the Portal as a career service continues to be delivered through webinars, newsletter articles, and email blasts. Enhancements to the Portal include the implementation of a Professional Center through which career coaches and navigators can be more directly involved in offering career services and making referrals. In the fall of 2021, the VALRC developed and launched a promotional video, “Pathways to Success,” that highlights the value of adult education programming for adults with a range of goals and skill levels. The video was added to Referral Portal where it is available for job seekers to learn more about adult education options.
Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education
IELCE Funds and grants
The VDOE held a multi-year competition in 2020 for PY2020-2023 awards; PY2021-2022 was the second of the three years. Seventeen IELCE applicants were awarded, including fiscal agents at community colleges, school divisions, and community- and faith-based literacy organizations. The IELCE programs are clustered in the high-immigrant population areas of Northern Virginia, Richmond City, Charlottesville, and the Hampton Roads area. Four additional programs are in the rural agricultural areas of the New River Valley, Shenandoah Valley, and Eastern Shore. IELCE applicants were required to offer or partner to offer an IET in an industry aligned to their LWDB’s strategic plan or regional economic analysis. Applicants mapped their plans and partners’ contributions onto the IET Planning Tool, a graphic organizer required for all IETs.
Training activity
In PY2021-2022, there were 3,399 IELCE participants statewide, 271 of whom participated in IET programs. The IET enrollment represents 7.9 percent of the total IELCE enrollment and 19.8 percent of the state’s total IET enrollment of 1,365. Aligning occupational training to the language capabilities of English language learners remains a challenge for programs; some programs continue to create opportunities that scaffold the foundational skills necessary to be successful in occupational training. IET programs in PY2021-2022 were offered for students from all program types in career clusters including educational services, technology, transportation, construction, healthcare, manufacturing, accomodation/food services, and customer service. Training was offered in accommodation/food services (56 participants), healthcare (49 participants), educational services (41 participants), and administrative and support services (39 participants). Participants had the opportunity to earn credentials including Certified Guest Service Gold Professional, Personal Care Aide, Certified Nurse Aide, Childhood Development Associate Level 1, Paraprofessional, Microsoft Office Specialist, AWS Welding, Commercial Driver’s License, CompTIA ITF+, Entrepreneurship, and Dental Assisting.
At the outset of 2021, the VDOE launched a year-long focus on technical assistance for programs to incorporate the new MSGs (types 3, 4, and 5) for IET and workplace literacy students. Through various presentation opportunities, this guidance was contextualized and re-presented to help develop practitioners’ understanding of how to adjust their program design to take full advantage of demonstrating gains. A data training was held in February 2022 for all providers to demonstrate how to document and enter the gain information.
Other technical assistance efforts included discussions and presentations with the VDOE colleagues in Early Childhood Education in the summer and fall of 2021. Providers offering or planning to offer education and early childhood career pathways were introduced to a host of online resources and partners with whom to work in their regions. The VALRC also hosted PLCs to support providers in their efforts to develop and deliver IETs. Supporting language learners continues to be a focus of Virginia’s IET technical assistance.
As mentioned earlier, the VALRC provided PD to help providers understand the resettlement timelines and requirements and prepare for the many refugees who came through Virginia from Afghanistan and Ukraine. The range of literacy and English proficiency represented in the newly arrived immigrants and refugees was quite wide and, in the case of the Afghan refugees, community language and translation resources were not initially well-established. This was the source of much conversation, partner identification, PD for practitioners, and agency collaboration at the local and state level. In Northern Virginia, some of the IELCE providers were able to serve as resources to the LWDBs to offer cultural competency training for staff or identify translators.
IELCE Section 243(c)(1)
Programs consult with their LWDBs’ plans to prepare and place students for in-demand occupations and provide career services to students either by a program-based career navigator or by hosting regular access to a career coach from the local community college or Career Works Center. These services continued to be offered remotely through teleconferencing and individual appointments. Programs also serve businesses in their communities by announcing and promoting job openings to students and hosting recruitment activities such as career fairs, many of which were held virtually. These activities are reported to the VDOE quarterly.
IELCE Section 243(c)(2)
Post-exit indicators reported in PY2021-2022 for IELCE students in the follow-up cohort indicate that 18.33 percent were employed in the second quarter after exit, 18.59 percent were employed in the fourth quarter after exit, and 34.57 percent attained a recognized postsecondary credential within one year of exit.
Adult Education Standards
Since the adoption of the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) in 2016, the VDOE and the VALRC have been implementing training and technical assistance and institutionalizing the use of standards-based instruction (SBI) through practices and grant requirements. Virginia is now in what Susan Pimentel, in the Handbook for Sustaining Standards-based Instruction in Adult Education (2014), describes as Stage Four implementation, “Initiating a Scale-Up Plan: Sustaining Momentum, Progress, and Creative Renewal.” The VDOE competitive grants require that programs demonstrate full implementation of standards-based instruction; program monitoring ensures that programs self-assess and document this implementation. The SBI webpage (valrc.org/standards-based-instruction) of the VALRC website provides key links, resources, and technical assistance. During PY2021-2022, fillable PDF versions of the CCR Observation Tools were developed to further support program staff in observing classrooms for standards alignment.
The VALRC provided a variety of training options to support new and experienced educators in effective SBI, from foundational training introducing the CCRS and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) to subject-area-specific training that fully integrates standards. As programs continued to respond to the pandemic, the VALRC focused on online delivery methods for PD to fit teachers’ needs and availability. Standards-aligned PD offerings included two, six-week PLCs on evidence-based reading instruction; a monthly math instructor support group; and a six-week online course on using the ELPS. The VALRC developed an interactive, three-webinar series on integrating the CCRS English language arts/literacy key shifts into instruction that was offered twice in fall 2021. The VALRC also offered four customized PD events on standards implementation to program cohorts.
The VALRC supported a team of Virginia teachers in participating in the “Standards-in-Action 2.0” Implementing Standards-based Instruction for English Learners training in August 2021. The participating teachers appreciated the training but recommended finding ways to share the information statewide through less time-intensive PD that more fully addresses instruction for beginner- and intermediate-level learners. In spring 2022, the VALRC offered a four-part series of interactive webinars on Purposeful Reading for English Language Learners that adapted the strategies and activities from the Standards-in-Action 2.0 trainings. Virginia also continued to support dissemination and use of the standards-aligned Teaching the Skills that Matter skills, lessons, and approaches. The VALRC offered an overview of the TSTM Toolkit in a fall webinar and a winter PLC that focused on lesson planning and implementation using the TSTM workforce preparation materials.
VDOE also commissioned a suite of nine (three mathematics, three English language arts, and three English for speakers of other languages) CCRS-aligned online courses intended to support the expansion of remote synchronous and asynchronous instruction. By managing a master suite of exportable Canvas courses, Virginia aims to minimize the duplication of effort by regional adult education programs and instructors and create a high-quality set of courses for adult education and literacy instruction that is aligned to rigorous standards and best practices and designed to be customizable by instructors. Development work was conducted by Virtual Virginia throughout PY2021-2022 with the goal of introducing the courses to Virginia adult educators in PY2022-2023.
Programs for Corrections Education (AEFLA Section 225)
During PY2021-2022, there was no methodology in place for matching the recidivism rate for criminal offenders or released individuals served in programs supported with Section 225 funds. However, the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) has published state definitions and formulas for setting the state rate of recidivism of re-arrest, re-conviction, and re-incarceration at intervals of 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months. Virginia continues to have one of the lowest recidivism rates in the country at 22.3 percent.
In PY2021-2022, the state analyzed the recidivism rate for state responsible (SR) offenders who served their entire sentences in local jails, a setting that is more likely to have had educational services provided by the adult education program rather than through the VADOC. These services are, in almost all cases, offered on a less intense schedule than VADOC services. Inmates who spent their entire SR term in jail had higher re‐arrest and re-incarceration rates (57.9 and 24.5 percent, respectively) than those who spent at least part of their SR incarceration in a VADOC facility (50.3 and 20.4 percent, respectively). The VADOC analysis shows that re-incarceration rates were higher for those with mental health impairments, substance abuse history, and gang affiliation.
Although correctional education services remained extremely limited in PY2021-2022 again due to pandemic restrictions and severe staffing shortages in the facilities, some regional programs were able to offer educational services in local and regional jails, community institutions, and community re-entry programs, including through distance education materials. Enrollment was up from 252 in the previous year to 416 correctional education participants.
Of those 416 participants, 132 (32%) participated in an IET program in correctional facilities, a 22% increase from PY2020-2021, in the career pathways of hospitality, agriculture, and transportation/warehousing. Participants had the opportunity to earn credentials in Certified Logistic Associate, ServSafe Managers, and NOCTI’s Horticulture-Landscaping.
In PY2021-2022, these facilities experienced a 55 percent increase in the number of GED® passers over the prior year as academic preparation and testing resumed after the pandemic. In total, 67 individuals earned a secondary credential. The correctional population maintained a 70 percent GED® pass rate, which is slightly lower than the national pass rate. Of the 67 graduates, 16 were identified as having participated in the “Just 1 to Go” campaign.