Work Group Report

1

• Workforce Creation and Adult Education Transition
  Council
• Adult Learning Work Group
• October 7, 2008

2
Work Group Structure

• Work Group Chairs
• Melinda Brown, President , Maryland Association
  for Adult and Community Continuing Education
  Adult Education Coordinator, St. Marys County
  Public Schools
• Patty Keeton, Executive Director of Continuing
  Education and Workforce Development, Howard
  Community College
• Subcommittees and Chairs
• Group 1 Adult Learning Structure Co-Chairs
• Patty Keeton, Executive Director, Howard
  Community College
• Marjorie Zimmerman, Adult Ed Coordinator, Calvert
  County Public Schools
• Group 2 Administration, Program Coordination
  Services Integration Co Chairs
• Karen Gianninoto, MSDE Adult Ed Specialist
• Jim Parker, Former OVAE Program Coordinator and
  AE Consultant
• Group 3 Data Collection and Outcome Measures
• Melinda Brown, Adult Ed Coordinator , St. Mary's
  County Public Schools and MAACCE President
• Carolyn Mitchell, Director, Office of Workforce
  Information and Performance, DLLR

3
Work Plan

• Work Groups Responsibilities
• Recommend a framework for a new State system of
  delivering adult education and workforce programs
  that tracks outcomes of adult education students
  and provides for the effective alignment of adult
  education and literacy programs with workforce
  development programs.
• Address the need for longitudinal outcome data to
  enhance the current accountability system.
• Work to develop a seamless plan for the
  transition of the adult education and literacy
  programs from MSDE to DLLR. The plan will include
  strategies for ensuring program continuity for
  clients, strategies for ensuring continuity in
  the administration of grant programs and
  strategies for addressing potential challenges to
  implementing the transition while continuing the
  delivery of quality content to clients.
•  

4
Work Plan

• Subcommittees Charges
• Adult Learning Structures Group 1 Recommend a
  work plan containing short term and long range
  objectives for an adult learning system in
  Maryland that embodies an integrated education
  and training approach for adult learners.
• Administration, Program Coordination Services
  Integration Group 2 Develop a seamless plan
  for the (administrative) transition of the adult
  education and literacy programs from MSDE to
  DLLR. Recommend the composition and
  responsibilities of a State Advisory Council on
  Adult Education, Literacy and Workforce
  Development, as well as assist in the development
  of the State Plan for Adult Education.
• Data Collection and Outcome Measures Group 3
  Recommend a new State system of accountability
  for adult education and workforce programs that
  tracks outcomes of adult education students and
  provides for the effective alignment of adult
  education and literacy programs with workforce
  development programs.

5
Work Plan

• Meetings and Conference Calls
• Co Chairs Weekly conference calls with
  consultants
• Full Work Group Meetings 8/29, 9/29
• Adult Learning Structures
• Meetings 8/29, 9/29 Email survey Webinar
  10/15
• Administration, Program Coordination Services
  Integration
• Meetings 8/29, 9/19 Conference Call 9/12
  Webinar 10/13
• Data Collection and Outcome Measures
• Meetings 8/29, 9/29 Conference Calls 9/11,
  9/18, 9/25

6
Issues Under Consideration

• Transition Considerations
• Continuity of service means that there will be no
  interruption of service or negative impact on
  learners.
• The State Plan needs to be aligned with the
  Governors objectives and federal requirements.
• State and local alignment between Adult Education
  (AE) and Workforce Programs is limited.
• DLLR expectations for programs are unknown,
  beyond current MSDE requirements and mandates.
• Current State Advisory Council representation and
  mission need review.

7
Issues Under Consideration

• Current State Practice, Policy and Requirements
• Under the current state-to-local formula, there
  is a wide range of per student costs.
• The State mandates a prescriptive set of local
  program requirements that are not found in WIA
  Title II or the current State Plan.
• Under the current system, local grant amounts are
  pre-allocated to each of the MD jurisdictions.
• Current funding to local programs limits
  professional development to foundation trainings,
  assessment trainings and standards
  implementation.

8
Issues Under Consideration

• Current State Practice, Policy and Requirements
  contd
• State AE staff assignments, especially Specialty
  Area designations, have been essentially static
  for some time.
• There is near exclusive use of National Reporting
  System (NRS) as the measure of program and
  learning outcomes.
• Adult General Education (AGE) funding is
  available only for public school adult programs.

9
Issues Under Consideration

• Program Delivery
• During the next 10 years, Marylands economy will
  grow and change and will require a more highly
  skilled workforce.
• There are multiple and varied perspectives about
  the adult learning programs and services
  currently operating in Maryland.
• Maryland considers effective practices to include
  serving those most in need, identifying an
  individuals goals, providing support services,
  and integrating education and training.
• Maryland needs to expand the capacity of its
  programs and increase statewide access to Adult
  Learning opportunities.
•  

10
Issues Under Consideration

• Data Collection and Outcomes
• A more effective and efficient data system will
  require sufficient resources to design and
  maintain a state-of-the-art system.
• Maryland needs to ensure that it continues to
  meet federal data requirements.
• Easier access to information about what students
  are learning can help improve local programs.
• Programs need the ability to follow performance
  of the students beyond pre-test and post-test and
  use data systems to track ongoing performance
  and to inventory student needs.

11
Issues Under Consideration

• Data Collection and Outcomes contd
• Programs need to share data between agencies.
• Student demographics are entered multiple times
  because of incompatible systems.
• Maryland lacks a long-term (5-10 years) tracking
  systems for individuals in the system.

12
Research and Data Requests

• Baseline information on what programs are
  currently in operation in terms of specific
  services, outcomes, and target populations (MSDE
  and DLLR)
• Survey of effective practices from Maryland
  programs
• Comparison of Maryland practices and learner
  performance to other states (SRI and CRW)
• Survey of data currently collected within MSDE,
  DLLR and MHEC databases
• Survey of best practices of selected states
• Interviews with experts in other states

13
Challenges

• Unfulfilled and partially fulfilled information
  and data requests.
• Limited time to develop issues and
  recommendations, discuss group structures, meet
  as a group, review minutes of meetings and make
  corrections.
• Some additional transition challenges are
  identified in the issues above.

14
Preliminary Recommendations

• Transition Considerations
• Ensure that a process is in place for grantees to
  apply for Continuation Funding, and receive grant
  award letters to continue program operation for
  FY 2010
• Communicate the timeline for grant approval
  process and reporting requirements to the local
  programs
• Ensure that there is a stable and predictable
  funding level for a statewide network
• Submit state plan revisions to U.S. Department of
  Education

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Preliminary Recommendations

• Transition Considerations contd
• Review the current six challenges addressed in
  the State Plan and determine if they are being
  met and if the challenges should change in the
  future
• Communicate DLLRs expectations to local
  programs, especially those that may differ from
  the current MSDE expectations.

16
Preliminary Recommendations

• Advisory Committee
• Replace the STAC with an Advisory Committee for
  Adult and Workforce Education within DLLR
• Develop mission statement for the advisory
  committee and establish duties of the committee
• Extend membership to better represent
  stakeholders including students and grant
  holders
• Establish a standing program administrators
  affinity group to share questions and inform the
  new State Advisory Committee

17
Preliminary Recommendations

• Current State Practice, Policy and Requirements
• Review the current state formula for distributing
  funds to the Maryland jurisdictions and local
  grantees
• Clarify and make transparent the funding formula
  decision-making process related to federal and
  state funding
• Identify and explain various differences in
  outcomes and funding allocations among programs
  by conducting a comprehensive program evaluation

18
Preliminary Recommendations

• Current State Practice, Policy and Requirements
  contd
• Identify state-imposed local requirements, as
  mandated by WIA Title II, the State Plan and the
  program RFP and where possible, reduce local
  program requirements - especially those not
  funded
• Review local matching requirements and adjust
  them to reflect recently increased state funding
• Determine the benefit of providing AGE funds only
  to public schools

19
Preliminary Recommendations

• Capture New Priorities
• Review the State Plan and incorporate the current
  Governors objectives for Adult Education and
  Workforce Systems where needed
• Review the recommendations from the other work
  groups for possible incorporation into the State
  Plan
• Review the current Governors Workforce
  Investment Board Mission and Vision and align
  with the State Plan

20
Preliminary Recommendations

• Capture New Priorities
• Review the federal performance requirements and
  determine if additional state performance
  measures are needed to demonstrate program
  success to state agency or other stakeholders.
• Broaden outcome measures beyond NRS and provide
  funding to meet this goal
• Change state staff assignments as needed to
  reflect new state priorities
• Promote and reward adult education and workforce
  programs that include alignment with DLLR, DBED,
  and DHR

21
Preliminary Recommendations

• Professional Development
• Examine and evaluate alternative models of
  professional development delivery systems that
  include teacher certification and credentialing
  options
• Explore the possibility of developing regional
  centers that provide professional development
• Explore using grant funding to allow local
  grantees to attend national trainings
• Review Section 8.3 of the State Plan and the
  Guide for the Development of State Plan, Sections
  8 and 9 to improve professional development
  offerings
• Design professional development programs that
  inform adult educators about local WIB resources.
• Identify DLLR trainings and options offered by
  Institute for Excellence and Workforce that would
  be beneficial to or duplicate existing adult
  education professional development

22
Preliminary Recommendations

• Alignment
• Review best practice models that demonstrate
  success of integrated approaches in providing
  adults with basic skills and occupational/
  vocational training
• Identify effective adult education and workforce
  systems partnerships assess and discuss why some
  regions lack collaboration
• Promote and reward adult education and workforce
  programs that include alignment with DLLR, DBED,
  and DHR
• Establish cooperative arrangements between adult
  education programs and workforce development
  systems in order to assist interested learners
  with transitions to career and educational
  pathways
• Strengthen regional partnerships, including
  community-based organizations, K-12, community
  colleges, libraries, and One-Stops to create more
  efficient referral systems

23
Preliminary Recommendations

• Program Delivery
• Continue to use the broad definition of target
  populations as outlined in the Adult Education
  legislation
• Continue the range of current adult education
  program offerings during the transition
• Recommend new program structures and priorities
  based on data, related state needs, and a review
  of national best practices
• Adapt curricula in adult learning and establish
  partnerships to provide individualized and
  comprehensive services to those in need of higher
  skills in order to participate in the changing
  economy.

24
Preliminary Recommendations

• Program Delivery contd
• Expand EDP program services and GED testing sites
  throughout the State.
• Identify and expand the role of technology in
  providing additional services throughout the
  State.
• Incorporate labor market information into new and
  existing adult education curriculum that
  identifies skills required for certain
  occupations/sectors, and earnings at various
  skill levels
•  

25
Preliminary Recommendations

• Data Collection Outcome Measures
• Create and maintain a data mining or
  clearinghouse system that provides timely
  information and is accessible for program
  improvement, reporting, accountability and both
  short and long term analysis
• Use existing data to create a 2008 baseline
  that allows for individual student and program
  queries as well as quarterly reports on key
  measures
• Develop a system that tracks economic
  self-sufficiency and less dependence on state
  programs and institutions
• Develop outcome measures that reflect diverse
  goals and expectations for individual learners