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Narrative Report for Wyoming 2021

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Section 1

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

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

AEFLA Section 223(1)(a)

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

Each year the adult education programs in Wyoming are required to align their programming activities to not only the goals outlined in the Unified State Plan, but also to at least one statewide initiative outlined in the State Plan.

For FY 21/22, the State established two goals for local providers that were directly related to at least one of the goals outlined in the Unified State Plan and to a statewide goal outlined by the State's Educational Attainment Committee.

Goal 1: By June 30, 2022, the State will have 15% of qualified Adult Education students engaged in career pathways aligned programs incorporating digital literacy for credential attainment or enrollment in postsecondary/ training so that participants have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century.

By the end of the fiscal year, the State had surpassed this goal as nearly 41% of qualified Adult Education students had completed a career services course which placed them along an identified career pathways track and by years end many had enrolled in postsecondary education and/or earned a credential. In addition, modifications to local curricula saw the integration of digital literacy at all adult education centers through such means as the purchase of specialized software programs or the incorporation of home grown digital literacy instructional curricula.

Goal 2: By June 30, 2022, the State will have 20% of all qualified ‘youth’ co-enrolled with WIOA core partner programs and engaged in a career pathways system that advances participation in employment, postsecondary enrollments and/or participation in (pre) apprenticeships, internships, and work experience programs.

In order to meet this goal, the State AE office began to require that a Referral form be completed for all qualified youth. The intent of the Referral form was to not only make referrals to WIOA core partners, but also to other community service providers for complete wrap around services for the participant. Throughout the year, the AE programs in Wyoming enrolled 939 ‘qualified’ youth and a total of 662 referrals were made.

In conjunction with the new referral system, the State AE office collaborated with the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services to create a co-enrolled ‘youth’ program. Through a coordinated review and evaluation of programmatic data for Adult Education and the Wyoming Workforce Centers, it was determined that there existed a great opportunity to co-enroll increasing numbers of youth. Throughout the State large numbers of out of school youth, aged 16-24 were enrolling in Adult Education programs; yet these participants were not taking advantage of the services which could be provided by Title I: Youth and/or Title III: Wagner Peyser. As a result, a new contractual joint program was launched to target out of school youth and required that qualified students be co-enrolled so that effective services could be delivered by both Title I and Title II. Multiple coordinated joint trainings were done throughout the year for such things as tracking progress made by participants, financial aspects, and overall program management.

Once these two new systems were in place, the State began a data match system with the WIOA core partners to identify all participants who were co-enrolled. This was monitored and tracked on the LACES database for Adult Education. From the 622 referrals Adult Education programs made to various community service providers, nearly 40% of all qualified youth were co-enrolled in WIOA core programs by the end of the fiscal year; thereby meeting Goal #2.

The Adult Education program in Wyoming also identified a conceptual weakness in developing programming for Integrated Education and Training programs (IET). Through discussions with local providers and through evaluations of the types of courses offered by the local adult education centers, the State determined that there existed a great need for training on how to develop IET’s for frontier States as well as a need to find funding to supplement the training component of the IET. In order to address the professional development need, all local programs in the State were required to complete the federally supported IET Design Camp which was held in FY 21/22. The State then required that each local provider begin to develop an IET program in conjunction with the Wyoming Dept. of Workforce Service. Unfortunately, as of the time of this report this collaboration has not occurred due primarily to Workforce Service's lack of understanding of what IET’s are and how collaborative efforts can help participants meet individual goals. We are currently working on ideas to cross train our respective departments on the creation of IET’s. The secondary challenge associated with IET development in Wyoming stems from this State being a minimally funded State for Adult Education. Because efforts to implement the ‘Ability to Benefit’ clause in the State have not been successful, the State office for Adult Education is currently seeking ARPA funds to help fund the training component of these IET’s. We hope to implement this new program of study as soon as possible, if funded.

Another area targeted for professional development in FY 21/22 was cross training of Adult Education directors and the Wyoming Workforce Center managers. In order to have an effective one-stop system in Wyoming it is critical that the core partners have a good understanding of the services available through the core partners. To this end, Adult Education and the Wyoming Dept. of Workforce Services held quarterly ‘Meet & Greets’ in a virtual setting. Each one of these were well attended and focused on differing topics. These ‘Meet & Greets’ have proven to be an extremely effective way to increase local level collaborative efforts among the WIOA core partners and will continue into the current fiscal year.

The WIOA core partners continued to work closely with the Wyoming Workforce Development Council, the State WIB, to sustain and promote growth for the Next Generation Sector Partnership models in manufacturing, healthcare, and construction & trades. Regular meetings were held throughout the year by local Next Gen. teams to provide leadership and guidance, but more importantly to help identify industry sectors most ‘in need’ around the State. Adult Education centers throughout Wyoming relied heavily on information coming from these local Next Gen teams to continue to develop stackable credential pathways from high school and HSEC to two-year degree programs and beyond as well as in planning for the development of pre-apprenticeship programs in manufacturing and in various health professions. And finally, after nearly ten years of meetings and a coordination of efforts, our local adult education center which serves the Shoshone and Arapaho nations signed an MOU for the delivery of Adult Education services on the reservation

AEFLA Section 223(1)(b)

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

Wyoming continues to utilize a three-tiered system for Professional Development which places equal emphasis on local level core trainings, state level trainings, and specialized national trainings. Because leadership funding in Wyoming is very limited, PD is a joint effort between the State office, local providers and the Wyoming Lifelong Learning Association[1]. In order to identify professional development needs, directors, instructors, and other key AE staff are surveyed and research-based trainings are brought to instructors and staff by engaging individuals who will bring a strong message. Representative examples of these professional development opportunities are reflected in Table 1.

Table 1: Wyoming's Three-tiered PD System
Tier Examples include
Tier 1: Local PD UW & other local sources accessed for such topics as 'Bridges Out of Poverty', FERPA & Sexual Harassment training, TABE, AZTEC, Next Gen Sector Partnership Academy, Digital literacy through Teknimedia, Northstar, & Essential Ed. In-service trainings were held through the year to address local needs. Assessment policy training and distance learning trainings were conducted both locally and by the State.
Tier 2: State mandated State Institute, Align & Redesign, Local directors meetings, LACES, TABE 11/12 certification, Integrating Digital literacy and problem solving into curricula, Trauma informed instruction, Designing Hybrid classes, Data dives for program improvement, and the rollout of Teaching Skills that Matter to all AE staff.
Tier 3: Regional/National PD LINCS, COABE, NAHCY, TESOL, Career pathways, NRS trainings, NTI, National Director's meetings, MPAEA, IET Design Camp, Correctional Education Association Conference.

This year all AE staff in the State were involved in a six month (re)certification and training process on Align and Redesign (A & R). The State initially went through this training in 2014 and credits, in part, the success of our program in Wyoming to the protocols implemented as part of A & R. However, since this initial training there has been a large turnover in staff so it was necessary to run this training again so that everyone shares a common knowledge on such things as brain based learning, participatory learning, developing the career services course, and utilizing powerpath. Although this training was conducted by a national trainer, we are currently in the process of training three Wyoming staff members on how to deliver this content so that we can maintain our high level of performance even in light of staff turnovers.

Another major accomplishment this year in professional development is that the State director began to train local directors on how to utilize data for purposes other than just NRS reporting. Each month, the State director focused on some aspect of data which locals could use to help improve performance and/or for program improvement:

  1. Enrollment trends
  2. Demographics
  3. Learner Type
  4. Employment status at intake vs. after exit
  5. Trends in distance learning
  6. How students are earning MSG’s
  7. Barriers to Employment
  8. Referral Reports
  9. WIOA Co-enrollments
  10. Credential Attainment
  11. Data Matching & Surveying

This was followed up by a requirement for all local director’s to complete the online NRS Data Detective series and submit the earned certificate as evidence of completion.

This year’s virtual State Institute featured Dr. Amy Lloyd from the US Department of Education as our Keynote speaker. Conference sessions included the State rollout of Teaching Skills That Matter, Numeracy, digital literacy, and trauma informed instruction. The Essential Components of Reading (ECR) are required, by State policy and through program assurances, to be integrated into local curricula, which is subsequently monitored by the State. This year, local providers were required to deliver ECR training at in-services so that staff could develop a local understanding of how to better utilize ECR, and to identify challenges low level readers (and ESL) students have.

Wyoming also had teams participate in virtual trainings for NTI, the National Reporting System, and OCTAE sponsored trainings for State directors and a team presented at the International TAOS conference where the dissemination of information about the impacts the A & R project has had on Wyoming performance since its original launch in 2014.

[1] In fiscal year 2021/2022, WYLLA became the official professional development leg of the State’s Adult Education program.

AEFLA Section 223(1)(c)

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

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.

  1. In order to address professional development needs for local instructional staff and among local directors, the State provides standardized virtual training modules:
    1. For New Instructors: All new AE staff in the state are required to complete these 11 modules as part of their local training process. The modules are available on the SEA website at: https://communitycolleges.wy.edu/adult-education/directors/new-teacher-training/
    2. For ESL Instructors: The State requires that all ESL instructors in the State complete the 13 online modules found at: https://communitycolleges.wy.edu/adult-education/directors/new-teacher-training/#esltraining
    3. For New Local Directors: All new local directors are required to complete the 8 online training modules prior to a face to face (or virtual meeting) with the State director.
    4. Program Administrator’s Handbook:  This year the State created a 16 chapter handbook for local director’s to utilize. The handbook, available at: https://communitycolleges.wy.edu/adult-education/directors/, covers a wide range of topics, from data and financial aspects to NRS reporting and research and evidence based instruction.
  2. Data collection and MIS training is delivered through face-to-face, as well as through webinars and is conducted by trainers employed by LiteracyPro. Technical assistance is available to data staff through a State-supported service contract with LiteracyPro. Transcripts and recordings of the webinars are sent to the programs and are also made available through the LACES website.
  3. NRS trainings: The State Director utilizes materials from AIR/NRS national trainings and presents it in either face-to-face meetings and/or through monthly conference calls with local directors. This is typically followed by a technical application to LACES through an additional webinar.
  4. National Training Institute: Here again, the State Director presents information learned from this conference to local providers.
  5. State shop talks: The State hosts monthly Zoom meetings with local directors to keep them abreast of information.
  6. Emails, phone face-to-face meetings: local directors, instructors, and other AE staff are encouraged to call, email, or attend meetings at the State at any time. We have an open door policy where technical assistance is provided at any time on any issue deemed necessary.

AEFLA Section 223(1)(d)

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

Adult Education programs in Wyoming are on a two-year monitoring visit rotation; consequently the number of monitoring visits done each year is based upon this rotation. These virtual monitoring(s) have proven to be a very effective way to monitor and evaluate the quality of local AE programming.  Despite being extremely time-consuming, virtual monitoring visits provide the SEA with extended time to review and comment on evidence submitted by the local providers as part of their monitoring tool checklist. Once the SEA’s review process is completed, a virtual meeting is held between the SEA and the local provider to review each chapter in the compliance checklist and to provide technical assistance. For FY 21/22 there were five programs monitored and all were found to be in compliance. “In Compliance” letters were subsequently sent to all five providers.

New, End of Year (EOY) report cards were issued to providers along with their risk assessment upon the submission and review of an EOY narrative report. These two documents gave providers information related to weaknesses and challenges the State identified in their program and provided them with their State ranking for both performance as well as size of program.

The monthly State monitoring of local program data identified a systematic weakness in how career service hours were being recorded by local programs as not all hours were being recorded. The State conducted a training session with local directors and data staff so that the data could be corrected before the end of the year. In order to ensure that this type of problem does not occur in the future the State now requires that local monitoring of career service hours must be completed as part of the month desk monitoring report.

AEFLA Section 223(a)(2)

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

Additional permissible activities described in section 223(a)(2) and implemented in Wyoming during grant year 2021/22 included training and/or technical assistance for:

  • The continued promotion of workplace AE and literacy activities promoted through Next Generation Sector partnership academies/meetings or through direct contact with local employers.
  • Integrated Education and Training models, Align & Redesign, Essential Components of Reading/Writing/HSEC, Digital Literacy, and strategies to assist students
Section 2

Performance Data Analysis

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

Process:

The State takes a multi-tiered approach to analyzing and monitoring data. Because data is the key to success, the State monitors and reviews data through multiple sources. This year the State implemented a ‘Roadmap to Data Success’ system which highlighted six key aspects to data analysis:

  1. Local Program Data Reviews: take place on a monthly basis where student and staff data found in the LACES database are reviewed and reconciled for accuracy. Programs then submit a monthly report that measures progress towards meeting federally negotiated performance targets for both measurable skill gains, financial tracking, and overall program comments.
  2. State Reviews:  Upon receipt of these reports, the State conducts a monthly evaluation of each provider to review student and staff data, financial aspects of the grant as well as provide technical assistance as needed. In addition, the State tracks performance  through a multi-year tracking document which evaluates local program performance, retention, enrollments in Adult Education and co-enrollments between the core partners and referrals made between core partners and other community service providers.
  3. Quarterly Reports: track successes and challenges in the local program and provide the State with the documentation needed to provide technical assistance while monitoring local program performance for the quarter.
  4. WIOA Core Program Co-Enrollment Reports: Once per quarter, Titles 1-IV develop a co-enrollment report which details those participants who were co-enrolled between the programs. These numbers are then used for federal reporting purposes, as required for Title II.
  5. Data Dives: Each local program was encouraged to conduct an extensive evaluation of programmatic data to review any one aspect of their program for the purpose of program improvement.
  6. Annual reports: Adult Education providers submit comprehensive annual reports that evaluate various aspects of the Adult Education program and include a review of compliance to WIOA Sec 231 (e), success and challenges, program improvements, program evaluation and monitoring efforts, an analysis of data shown on the NRS tables, effective educational practices, integrated programming inclusive of Integrated Education and Training programs (IET) and Integrated English Language & Civics Education (IELCE) programs, program alignments to the Unified State Plan, professional development, and career pathways.

Errors identified in these processes were discussed with the local provider and were immediately corrected.

Results:

Despite the challenges created by a cyber-attack on one of our local programs, each provider met federal negotiated targets within the 90% range for both EFL and outcome measures. In fact the state surpassed its targets in all areas as shown in Table 2. The State credits this performance to increased vigilance on data monitoring, monthly trainings on data validation and increased efforts on data matching and surveying. One example of this increased vigilance is that several local providers have implemented an ‘alert’ system to notify instructors that a student is approaching the time in which a post-test is needed.

Table 2: Wyoming Performance FY 21/22
FY 21/22 Federal Target Actual Performance
Measurable Skill Gain 48.00% 65.6%
Employed 2nd Quarter After Exit 45.00% 60.34%
Employed 4th Quarter After Exit 43.0% 59.34%
Median Earnings $3,570.00 $4,450.76
Credential Attainment 48.00% 65.26%

Local providers did a great job in capturing as many posttests as possible. Wyoming surpassed its established 60% post-test benchmark and strove to meet EFL gains through all approved means, which this year included 1.4% of eligible participants earning MSG through the new IET/Workplace measures. By the end of the year Wyoming had post tested 61.80% of all enrolled participants while another 27.6% had achieved EFL gain through the completion of a HSEC. These factors, combined, saw Wyoming surpass its performance measure target of 48% with an actual MSG performance rate of 65.6%.

Because employment outcomes are tracked a year to eighteen months behind, Wyoming expected to see the full impact of the pandemic on employment measures in FY 21/22. This did not occur, at least not for the enrolled AE participants. However, recent employment reports and an increased cost of living may have a larger impact upon employment statistics for FY 22/23.

Analysis & Action

A comprehensive review of performance trends across the past several years, reveals that Wyoming’s AE programs are consistently increasing performance levels each year; thereby showing continuous program improvement. 

Three Year MSG Trend:      FY 19/20: 49%                FY 20/21: 53%                  FY 21/22: 66%

Outcome measures for the same three years also reveals improvement; however, this may be resulting from increased levels of data matching and surveying as well as from local providers developing a more comprehensive understanding of how each cell on table 5 populates.

In order to compare program performance across the past several years, the State reviewed enrollment numbers, retention rates, and how participants were making MSGs. These results are shown in Table 3. Overall, Wyoming saw improvements in every aspect under review.

Table 3: Two Year Comparison of Wyoming Performance
  FY 20/21 FY 21/22 % Change
Enrollments 1412 1586 11% increase
Total MSG Gains 58.80% 65.89% 7.09% increase
MSG: EFL 27.80% 28.40% .60% increase
MSG: Postsecondary 6.3% 8.6% 2.3% increase
MSG: HSEC 24.20% 27.6% 3.4% increase
MSG: IET/Workplace 1% 1.4% .4% increase
Retention 29% left before completing 21% left before completing 8% improvement
Distance Learners 7.2% 8.6% 1.4% increase
       

The State also reviewed the demographic picture of enrollments across the past several years and found that although total enrollments took a dip during COVID, enrollment numbers rebounded in FY 21/22; going from 1,570 before the pandemic to 1,586. In addition, the State also reviewed how MSG’s were being earned and whether this has changed over time as understanding this is critical to local programs. The results of this analysis found that the number of students earning an EFL through post testing has remained relatively the same, but the number of MSG’s being earned from entry into postsecondary has increased due primarily to an increase in the number of local providers offering bridge programs. The percentage of students earning their HSEC is also seeing significant increases for a variety of reasons: increased referrals from high schools, increasing dropout rates due to COVID, and for other area specific reasons.

Although providers are now able to utilize several new MSG measures for IET and workplace literacy, the State had only 1.4% of participants showing gain through Milestones or other new measures. The primary reason for this low number is that the State does not have many IET’s and those providers who have an IET must apply for and receive State approval before they can utilize ‘Milestone’s as an MSG. Although the State implemented fairly strict protocols for ‘Milestones’ there were still some challenges as one provider utilized ‘Milestone’ with at least two students who were not involved in an IET. This error was caught shortly after the close of the fiscal year and technical assistance was provided so that a modification in local program could be made for FY 22/23.

It comes as no surprise that students are more successful when they don’t have to worry about things such as transportation, childcare, health care, etc. Consequently, the provision of wrap around services are critical to student success. In order to evaluate whether our students are 1) identifying their barriers and 2) are we addressing them, the state examined the highest two barriers to employment identified by students in FY 2021/22 (low income & single parents) and found that a satisfactory number of referrals were being made to help these participants overcome these barriers.

One of the more significant findings of the State analysis of performance is that our students seem to be getting jobs shortly after exiting our program; however, they seem to struggle to keep that job on a long term basis. This may suggest a lack of skills in such areas as work ethics, soft skills, or possibly a change in career tracks. The implication for local programs is that they may need to increase efforts on preparing students for the workplace, which is a FY 22/23 goal for most providers.

COVID brought many changes to local programs in the State and some of these changes have had positive outcomes on local performance. Hyflex classes are now the norm at several provider’s locations as they offer more flexibility to students in the more rural areas of the state. In addition, as seen during the pandemic, the State continued to see increasing numbers of students taking advantage of distance learning materials which helped to increase retention rates as shown in Table 3.

Throughout the year, the State only allowed the use of NRS approved assessments for EFL placement and/or to measure gain. Testing was conducted in various fashions, inclusive of traditional face-to-face testing and virtual testing (albeit at minimum levels) utilizing local instructors as proctors for TABE online remote testing. In FY 20/21 the State transitioned to TABE CLAS-E as the only approved assessment for ESL participants. Along with this transition was a requirement that all participants be given a full battery TABE CLAS-E assessment. Several of our larger ESL providers struggled with this as instructors insisted that full battery testing took too much time. The State and the local program director, working in collaboration, addressed this through localized training and increased monitoring. By the end of the year, there was improvement in full battery testing. This will continue to be address in FY 22/23.

Section 3

Integration with One-stop Partners

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

Through the (re)application process, grantees are required to submit narrative responses to define how they intend to meet one-stop requirements. For FY 21/22 this included responses to the following:

  1. Explain how partnerships will operate to avoid duplication of effort or enhanced opportunities for students.
  2. Describe the local program’s connectivity to the One Stop Center.
  3. Describe how the local program will fulfill one-stop partner responsibilities as described in WIOA Sec 121(b)(1)(A), as appropriate.
  4. Describe cooperative arrangements with other agencies, institutions, or organizations for the delivery of adult education and literacy activities, inclusive of activities for youth.

Upon approval of these application, Wyoming delegates its required one-stop roles to eligible providers. Typically, Adult Education’s participation in the one-stop system is through a direct linkage, although some local providers utilize on-site integrated orientations with Department of Workforce Services (DWS) and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR).  Local AE directors also continue to serve on their local Next Generation Sector Partnership team, which provides a direct link to the Wyoming Workforce Development Council, the State WIB. The State AE office monitors how well local providers meet one stop requirements through both the virtual monitoring process as well as through an end of year narrative which requires that the program explain how they maintained connectivity with the one-stop, how they worked with one-stop partners, inclusive of Next Gen, and how the delivery of specific activities demonstrated success in collaborative efforts.

The wonderful collaboration that began in the previous year between the State’s AE director and the director of the Workforce Services One-stop system continued in FY 21/22. Bi-weekly meetings provided the opportunity for the two programs to brainstorm ways in which collaborative efforts could be improved. This resulted in a statewide ‘youth’ initiative (described in #1 above) where workforce services provided financial incentives to qualified co-enrolled youth while also offering a contract to the AE centers. The funds awarded to AE centers through these contracts helped fund instructor salaries and benefits. Collaborative efforts between the core programs have also been instrumental in placing students into internships, particularly in the Gillette area which has been hard hit by layoffs in the coal mines.

Career Services

Local programs provide career services through the one-stop in a variety of ways; staff on site; cross training and through direct linkage. In some areas of the State, workforce services staff have office hours at the adult education site or conduct workshop sessions with students on areas such as interest inventories, career counseling, and helping students sign up for Wyoming at Work to find employment. Supportive services and referrals are made available along with information for child care, food pantries, medical and children’s health, and government services like SNAP and TANF benefits.

Career services provided through the One-stop system include outreach, intake, testing, orientation, career counseling and case management. Local programs offer a required front-loaded Career Service course consisting of assessment of skill levels in literacy, career assessments, aptitude testing, participatory learning strategies used in conjunction with career explorations whereby students learn about various careers, career pathways, FAFSA completions, on/off roads and enrollment into post-secondary education with stackable credentials, certificate and/or degree programs. Metacognitive skill training and strategic screenings to identify personal learning challenges are also provided by some AE local programs.

The State continues to monitor local program participation in the one-stop system through its virtual monitoring checklist. This requires that providers submit documented evidence of compliance to each of the following:

  • Program participation in the WIOA network including Title I and Title IV
  • Services provided through the one-stop system
  • Cooperative engagement of AE staff with community agencies and organizations
  • MOU’s which define the roles and responsibilities of each partner
  • Local director participation in Next Generation Sector Partnership meetings
  • Access to Adult Education through the one-stop center
  • Workforce system partners work in a seamless customer focused delivery network
  • Regional strategies are used to address local workforce education needs

The State supports local program efforts by participation in State level meetings with the core partners to develop & support integrated programming efforts such as job trainings/placements, career counseling, and disability services. State efforts also include participation in the Next Generation Sector Partnership State team lead meetings to identify and develop programming to support regional Next Gen economic needs. The State also presents, participates, and attends meetings held by the Wyoming Workforce Development Council, the Wyoming Business Council, Next Generation Sector Partnerships, and the Educational Attainment Council to disseminate Adult Education performance, best practices, and other areas of concern to the State WIB and other stakeholders.

Infrastructure Costs

The MOU between the core partners defines the parameters within education, workforce, economic development and other entities operate in the State of Wyoming to create a seamless, customer-focused one-stop system that aligns service delivery across the board to enhance access to program services. In Wyoming, infrastructure costs are outlined in an Infrastructure Funding Agreement for an integrated service delivery system. Under this agreement, the core partners are linked through a referral process, to ensure co-enrollment so that the duplication of services can be avoided, whenever possible. The one-stop system identified three allocation bases to determine Partner Agency and Partner contributions: Career Services, Infrastructure costs, and Shared Services.

The infrastructure agreement was signed again in September 2021 with the approval of the Wyoming Community College Commission’s attorney, the Executive Director for the Commission as well as other stakeholders. Prior to obtaining the appropriate signatures, the State Director for Adult Education, along with relevant core partners reviewed and approved the document.  Adult Education’s yearly in-kind fiscal contribution to the infrastructure agreement totals $465.89. Local providers are not expected to contribute to costs outlined in the agreement as long as an adequate number of referrals are made by AE local providers to the WIOA core partners.

Section 4

Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education

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

IELCE Funds and grants

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

The State ran an IELCE competition in Spring 2020 and had only one applicant, the ACES program at Laramie County Community College (LCCC) in Cheyenne, WY. Consequently, the full $60,000 was awarded to this sole applicant.

Training activity

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

After completing the IET Design Camp, ACES staff launched a Healthcare IET for the Health Science career pathway. The program had three class offerings in FY 21/22 and enrolled a total of 15 students into their IELCE program with 8 of them also enrolling in an IET. One of the challenges this program had with the IET component was finding the funding necessary to pay for the training portion. Fortunately, the College was able to find external funding to help support the training costs. IELCE students are typically not eligible for federal financial aid and without the financial assistance may not be able to absorb the costs associated with this type of training.

Enrollment into the IELCE program at LCCC places students into an appropriately leveled ESL class where language and civics instruction are the instructional focus. Students at the intermediate/advanced levels are offered the opportunity to participate in a Healthcare IET which integrates digital literacy, self-management skills, and general employability skills. Participants are also taught many relevant employable skills related to the healthcare field such as, how to measure pulse rates, reading child growth charts, determining burn percentages, recording blood pressure readings and taking temperatures using modern clinical technological devices. While enrolled, participants also learn how to complete online job applications,  interviewing skills and participate in mock interviews with industry leaders. During a Career Boost class they are guided on how to apply to apply to a postsecondary institution of their choice. Students are also shown how to fill out a FAFSA and apply for in house scholarships and the State Hathaway scholarship, when applicable. The job readiness component of the IET is where students truly begin their career training. Once they’ve been certified in CPR, they begin classes in various heath careers which allows them to earn either a short term or long term credential; thereby allowing for the opportunity to earn stackable credentials.

IELCE Section 243(c)(1)

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

Nationwide there is a high demand for qualified individuals to work in various careers in the health industry. This same trend is true in Wyoming and is outlined in the Unified Sate Plan. To meet this demand, the ACES program offers a wealth of health care related opportunities to IELCE participants. Once language proficiency level requirements are met, students can begin either a short or long term of study in a health career pathways track. Short term stackable credentials can be earned in: certified nursing assistant, pharmacy tech., certified medical assistant,  dental assistant and EMT. The college’s Health Science degree program also offers multiple career tracks that the IELCE student can take advantage of such as: registered nurse, radiological technician, surgical technician, paramedic, physical therapy technician, exercise science, healthcare administration, and more. In addition, the program integrated digital literacy skills through Microsoft Applications Suite certification programs.

This year nearly all IELCE students completed a CPR course while working on developing their English language and Civics skills. In addition, the ACES program successfully assisted three of the IELCE students in obtaining their C.N.A. credential while another two individuals earned their U.S. Citizenship. Other individual student goals met by this group also included obtaining their driver’s license and improved abilities to help their children with schoolwork. One of the greatest successes by an IELCE participant was the program’s COABE outstanding student of the year nomination, who earned her AA degree in English and has subsequently enrolled in the University of Wyoming.

Each one of the IELCE/IET participants receive instruction and guidance in navigating towards their next steps in a career. ACES staff act as career navigators and help students navigate the next step along their career pathways. Students are also given access to the LCCC Navigator application on their phones which allows them to schedule appointments with LCCC advisors/success coaches and provides an easy mode for class registrations. Support is offered throughout the process as students transition into postsecondary and/or the workforce.

Given the small size of the ACES IELCE program, it continues to be a challenge to find participants interested in AND capable of completing an IET training component.

IELCE Section 243(c)(2)

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

The ACES program continued to address regional needs for in-demand industries, as identified through the State WIB by promoting its IECLE program offerings through local employers, the Wyoming Business Development Council, Regional Economic Development offices, the Cheyenne Workforce office, and through the local college.

In terms of performance over last year, the program had a 11% reduction in enrollment the rate for unknown reasons. Other notable differences can be seen in table 4.

Table 4: Two Year IELCE Performance Trends
  FY 20/21 FY 21/22
Enrollments 17 15
Employed-2nd Quarter After Exit 50% 20%
Employed-4th Quarter After Exit 60% 33.33%
Median Income $2,856.82 $4,480.85
Achieved Citizenship 3 2
Credential Attainment 1 3
MSG: EFL 1 7
MSG: Milestones 1 11
MSG: Secondary or Postsecondary Transcript 1 1

Perhaps the most noteworthy change in performance can be seen in the employment outcome measures. Because these measures are tracked a year behind, it is clear that the pandemic had a large impact upon the IELCE population as employment rates took drastic dives. Median income also shows a drastic movement over the previous year due primarily to several former students getting well paying jobs. Overall MSG rates for IELCE participants rose substantially from a rate of 58.82% in FY 2020/21 to 80%, due primarily to increased State and local monitoring on pre/post testing for this provider. The provider applied for and received, State approval to utilize ‘milestone MSG’s’ for their IELCE/IET participants; consequently resulting in an increase in MSG rates for this population.

Section 5

Adult Education Standards

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

Since full implementation and the adoption of the CCRS several years ago, the State has not made any changes to content standards. Providers continue to use the CCRS, ESL, employability, and social capital skills standards in their educational practices, through soft skills training and other employment related activities. The State is currently researching digital literacy standards and may, if deemed necessary, begin utilizing these as well in future years.

Throughout the State, lesson planning follows a logical scope and sequence utilizing adult learning theories. Program Assurances, which each provider submits each year in the grant cycle require that local programs incorporate the CCRS into all eligible instructional activities. This is monitored by the State in several ways. First, programs are required to use, as a lesson observation tool, the ‘Standards in Action’ checklist which has an additional Wyoming specific observation checklist for ESL and for the required Career Services course. One local program also utilizes a LINCS assessment to measure program alignment to the CCRS. Documentation of these observations is reviewed during monitoring visits. Second, integrated student learning maps and/or learning plans which assimilate Webb’s Depth of Knowledge, utilize CCRS for lesson planning and student goals. Here again, this is monitored through the State’s monitoring tool.

Copies of the standards are available in most classrooms and/or are accessible through provider’s websites as well as through the Wyoming Community College Commission’s website.  https://communitycolleges.wy.edu/adult-education/directors/). Level specific syllabi which reflect the standards are also available through some local provider’s learning management systems.

Section 6

Programs for Corrections Education (AEFLA Section 225)

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

The Corrections population in Wyoming consists of State correctional facilitates as well as local jails and half-way houses. Instruction at these centers focuses primarily on preparation for high school equivalency with employability skills being integrated as much as possible. Inmates in the pre-release stage are also taught employability skills, resume writing, and interviewing skills. This population continued to be affected by COVID restrictions as forced lockdowns prevented inmate participation in adult education classes. As a result, attendance and participation for this population was severely impacted in the beginning of the year. To address this challenge, Wyoming’s AE centers who served this population began utilizing distance learning options whenever possible. This gave many participants the ability to complete their HSEC.

Recidivism rates in Wyoming are not calculated separately for Adult Education participants. Instead, the rate represents all WY DOC individuals. The relative recidivism rate for Wyoming’s DOC is measured by the number of individuals who are re-arrested and placed into State prisons across a three year period. This rate for the period ending in FY 21/22 was 27%.  The Wyoming FY 2020-21 Annual Report for Corrections provides details on the recidivism rates through Performance Indicators in their annual report. WDOC uses the Association of State Correctional Administrators’ measure of recidivism as an indicator of inmate rehabilitation. This performance indicator measures inmate and offender success rates, success rates are the opposite of recidivism. The first metric is focused on:

  •  the percentage of inmates who do not return to WDOC  within three (3) years of release for a new felony and
  •  those who left a WDOC facility (either on parole or  discharged his/her sentence while incarcerated,  discharges include boot camp participants who discharged to probation) who did not return for any reason (this includes new felony convictions and failures on  supervision).

The second performance indicator metric is the percentage of probationers and parolees who successfully complete supervision and do not return to WDOC within three (3) years of discharge. This separation is necessary when measuring success of offenders on supervision because the dynamics of managing these populations vary depending on these categories. For example a parolee’s supervision conditions and discharge are guided by the Wyoming Board of Parole whereas probationers (both felony and misdemeanor) conditions and discharge are guided by District and Circuit Courts.