Adult Education Work Group Appendix - Transition Council Report

Download this document in Word format (Word document, 76KB, download Word viewer for free) or Adobe Acrobat format (PDF document, 66KB)

Background Information on Adult Learning and Workforce Trends

• The top three growth industries in Maryland account for nearly half of the total new jobs, most of which require specialized training and education:
• The Health Care and Social Assistance Industry will create 96,180 new jobs by 2016. (DLLR, 2008)
• The professional, scientific and technical services industry is projected to create 56,775 new positions by 2016, including the two fastest growing occupations: computer software engineers (5,665 new positions, a 55.3% increase), and network systems and data communications analysts (4,975 new positions, a 49.3% increase). (DLLR, 2008)
• By 2016, the Construction Industry is expected to employ 39,560 more workers than in 2006. (DLLR 2008)
   
• Not only will Maryland need more highly skilled workers, but there will be significant growth in middle skilled occupations or occupations requiring a post-secondary certificate or Associate's degree. For example,
• The health care industry will demand 17,675 new registered nurses, 8,135 new nursing aides, orderlies and attendants, and 5,075 new home health aides. (DLLR, 2008)
• The Information Technology industry will need 1,880 new computer support specialists. (DLLR, 2008)
• Several middle skilled occupations in the Service Industry will experience growth, including 1,890 new automotive service technicians and mechanics, and 1,130 new paralegals and legal assistants. (DLLR, 2008)
   
• Of the new BRAC jobs, middle and high skilled occupations will be among the fastest growing occupations.
• 97 percent of new positions at Aberdeen Proving Ground will require more than a high school diploma, 72.2 percent will require more than a Bachelor's degree. (DBED, 2007)
• 96.5 percent of new positions at Fort Meade will require more than a high school diploma, 71 percent will require more than a Bachelor's degree. (DBED, 2007)

Background Information on State Websites

Washington State's website includes roles and responsibilities of the state advisory council; a staff handbook outlining policies, local program requirements and expectations on many topics; processes for collaborating with other agencies; and an extensive RFP site that includes 25 subsections with support manuals, economic outlook information and target population needs by region; templates for agreements with postsecondary and business institutions; incentives and many other resources. The site also has easy to use links to federal policy, such as to WIA legislation, and supports a research department that has produced a number of reports on the economic needs of the state and how adult education can meet them, such as Systems Direction, Creating Operations for Washington's Future.

Pennsylvania also maintains an extensive website describing policies and practices. The state has a workforce development system whereby local education providers are expected to show a partnership with business, industry or labor organizations. Programs will also link to Pennsylvania's system of workforce development in Team Pennsylvania CareerLink regions to integrate basic skills with the continuum of workforce development. A performance management plan benchmark report on current workforce programs provides an excellent model for describing the spectrum of existing workforce and adult education programs and how they are integrated.

Arkansas has recently drafted a program policies and procedures manual, detailed information on their RFP process (which includes policies for alignment and recent fiscal year reports). It also describes their Workforce Alliance for Growth in the Economy (WAGE) program based on cooperative agreements with business, education and workforce development to offer three state-related certificates: industrial, clerical, and employability.

Kentucky maintains a policy site and an employer site on their Website describing administrative policies and services to employers. The 2007 publication, A New Framework for Adult Education, describes policies linking adult education and workforce development.

Other states that have clearly outlined State and local alignment between Adult Education (AE) and Workforce Programs and information on local program requirements include Ohio, Rhode Island, and Oregon.

Background Information on State Advisory Councils

State Advisory Councils

Many states describe the activities of their state advisory councils on their websites. For example, the Washington State Adult Education Advisory Council Website includes samples of by-laws for the advisory council, council membership and representation, and descriptions of activities.
Washington's Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board is described on the website. The Board advises the Governor and Legislature on workforce development policy and promotes a high skills-high wage system of workforce development.

The Ohio State Advisory Committee on the Transfer of Adult Career-Technical Education at the Ohio Board of Regents is coordinating the transfer planning process. Their findings and recommendations can be found on the University System of Ohio Website.

Link to the Kentucky Adult Education Advisory Committee.

Background Information on Professional Development

1. Many states invest heavily in a well-developed and frequently updated state website. State adult education websites in a wide number of states were extensively reviewed for information on the content and nature of communication and professional development and for the organization/utility of the websites themselves for informing stakeholders of integrated activities between adult education, workforce development, postsecondary transitions and business/industry. Find adult education websites for all states. In some cases, much of the professional development and information sharing is contracted out to an adult literacy resource center (as is the case in Maryland). However, links to the literacy resource centers can be found on most adult education home pages.

The following states have strong overall websites for general information sharing, integration with workforce development and professional development and are recommended for review: Washington, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Massachusetts. Other states are strong in particular areas. For example, Rhode Island has a model RFP process for supporting innovation in transitions work and Michigan has a well developed policy handbook for practitioners.

The most complete websites require considerable state funding including staff time for a full time web manager and other staff (such as state-level professional development staff) to provide input. They include a clear user-friendly design with links to full text documents and forms. Features of some of the more extensive websites (such as Washington, Ohio and Pennsylvania) include:

Policy

• "What's new" section updated frequently
• Links to state-wide mission, goals and policy publications
• Links to state staff, state advisory boards and key state policy organizations
• State-wide calendar for state and regional planning events
• Links to full text national policy documents and resources (e.g. WIA requirements, upcoming legislation, national organizations)
• Links to key state and federal requirements and policies for program administrators (e.g. to tools for responding to RFP's, policy handbooks, assessment guidelines)

Coordination with Workforce

• Regional and state-wide employment outlook information
• Links to one-stops with tools for collaboration (e.g. sample MOU's, one-stop guidelines, examples of collaboration success stories)
• Links to LWIB's/regional planning boards
• A workplace/business section for an employer audience (see Oregon in particular)

Professional development

• Links to regional professional development sites and activities
• A catalog of training activities and locations (sometimes coordinated training with Departments of Labor) with online registration
• A professional development calendar
• Links to on-line professional development
• Professional development policies (e.g. guidelines for annual program and teacher professional development plans, travel forms)
• Online system for tracking professional development points (in some cases)
  Teachers and Administrators
• Discussion boards around special interests (e.g. program administrators, regional needs, ESL, using technology, special needs students)
• Information on testing and assessment

Special Initiatives

• Links to special projects such as postsecondary transitions or workforce literacy
• initiatives

2. Many states have both a state and regional professional development center. Many states have both a state professional development organization and several regional centers (often in between 4 and 8 regions) including Washington, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Kentucky, with some states combining several Local Workforce Investment Board areas into a single region. SABES (the System for Adult Basic Education) in Massachusetts has perhaps one of the most well developed regional systems but even small states such as Rhode Island, have regional professional development centers. Features of regional professional development centers:

• Full-or part-time regional professional development coordinators
• A structure for regional coordinators to meet and plan at the state level
• Regional conferences and training (allowing for training closer to home and regional collaboration)
• Regional resource centers (physical centers) in some cases
• Site visiting to local programs for site-based professional development and program improvement activities.
• Regional coordinators conduct practitioner needs assessments that feed into state-wide professional development planning
• In some cases, regional newsletters, websites, libraries, etc.

In most cases the regional professional development coordinator is an experienced teacher/trainer or former program director; however, this position could be split between an adult educator and a DLLR coordinator to facilitate integration.

MSDE-AELS utilizes a model of the local network of trainers and a train-the-trainer system. MSDE-AELS delivers training to the grant funded Specialists, who in turn are required to deliver local and regional training for the grantees. The State, in the past, delivered professional development to the field via regional conferences. This practice required a significant level of funding from the limited resources available in Maryland. Several years ago, in response to the local grantees' requests as well as research-based best practices, Maryland moved to the current model. Site visits to regions and local programs are provided by trainers and the State Professional Development Specialist to accommodate the regions.

3. Many state professional development centers provide a range of resources.
These may include: a periodic e- newsletter (see Ohio's Friday Facts that comes out weekly with updates and professional development opportunities) or other mechanisms for letting teachers know about professional development opportunities; professional development policies and planning tools; data collection and needs assessments of the adult education workforce; online curricula, lesson plans and lesson planning tools (see Oregon); and information on state content standards or curriculum guidelines. Given that many teachers find it difficult to travel to state literacy resource centers, many states such as Washington are making an effort to provide full text documents in their resource libraries. Tennessee had developed a lending library that mails materials to teachers and Massachusetts provides a library in each region.

Some of the resources provided by MSDE-AELS include:

• monthly conference calls (all grantees participate in these) for the purpose of sharing announcements and information regarding professional development opportunities, policy updates, data collection/reporting/ analysis issues and tools, state standards development and implementation special initiatives and opportunities, resources available through the Adult Literacy Resource Center, and local program activities or issues;
• online discussion lists for Administrators of Local Grants, Instructional Specialists, Intake-Assessment Specialists, MIS Specialists, and Family Literacy Coordinator; the purpose of these lists is to disseminate announcements and information of all the types listed in the previous bullet, as well as to provide a forum for discussion for the each of the groups;
• Administrator Meetings held at least annually to share and disseminate information of all the types listed in the first bullet;
• New Administrator Orientation Meetings held at least annually to provide resources and contacts for those administrators new to the network
• The Adult Literacy Resource Center has a sizable lending library which accepts in-person, telephone or email requests, and is available to mail materials to requestors.

4. Many states have an on-going formative evaluation system for gauging how well the professional development system is reaching and serving adult basic education practitioners and program directors. In the case of Maryland, this formative evaluation system should also gauge how well the professional development system is reaching DLLR staff and determine the extent to which DLLR staff has improved their understanding of the adult education system and adult educators have increased their knowledge of the workforce development system and employment outlooks and options for adult learners.

MSDE-AELS utilizes surveys to evaluate the response to professional development offerings, and to consider modifications to the professional development program. Additionally, site visits are frequently conducted to observe the practices resulting from professional development. Annual professional development planning meetings, in which all grantees participate, are convened to seek input from the grantee network and this input is utilized in the planning of the statewide professional development program. Two statewide joint trainings were held for One-Stop staff and adult education grantees, "Common Customers, Common Needs,"to share information about service systems and plan for collaborative initiatives to enhance services to customers.

5. Some states collect data on teacher characteristics. Several states collect data each year on the characteristics of their teachers to support state-wide planning. Data includes:

• the experience level of practitioners (years in the field, levels of education);
• teaching hours and full or part time status;
• the type of teaching or population of students they teach (GED, ESOL, etc.);
• the number of hours, annually, of paid professional development they receive (from the state or from the program);
• preferred professional development options.

MSDE-AELS collects data on the teacher characteristics on an on-going basis and utilizes this data to plan for professional development.

6. Many states require annual program-level professional development plans as well as individual teacher professional development plans and fund a required level of professional development per year. Individual teacher professional development plans is some states specify a required minimum level of professional development. For example, the Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers recommends that each program should be funded to allow practitioners to receive a minimum of 2.5% of their annual working time as paid professional development (which includes a variety of approved professional learning activities). For full-time teachers, who teach 40 weeks a year at 40 hours a week (1600 hours a year) this would be 96 hours a year: 40 hours of paid professional development, 8 hours to develop their professional development plans, 32 hours to be involved in program improvement, and 16 hours to participate as a member of the field (e.g. in local, state or national adult literacy activities). For a teacher working 40 weeks a year, this would be 2 1/2 hours a week out of a full-time job spent on professional development and program improvement. For part-time teachers, while hours are proportional, a minimum numbers of professional development hours are required. See: Staff_Development_Needs_Assessment.  Optimally, at least some funding allocation is provided for out-of-state or national conferences to allow practitioners to learn about national initiatives.

In some states, teachers include evidence of their learning in a professional development portfolio or folder that illustrates teacher achievement and a copy is kept in program files. In most states some form of annual teacher evaluation is required which may include a review of the portfolio. Some states review teacher professional development portfolios as a part of the state monitoring process. For example, see the Tennessee Professional development Framework and Massachusetts.

MSDE-AELS requires programs to submit professional development plans with their annual applications for funding; the plans are reviewed by the grant managers who provide technical assistance including research resources, assistance with surveying staff needs, coordination of collaborative efforts with other local grantees, data analysis to inform professional development needs. MSDE-AELS requires local grantees to monitor that each instructor funded by the grant participate in a minimum of eight hours of professional development. Most programs are only able to employ part time teaching staff.

7. In many states teachers also receive paid time to participate in program improvement. (In the case of Maryland, participation in transitions-related committees and working groups might also be included.) In some states (such as Massachusetts) programs are funded a minimum number of annual staff hours for teachers to take leadership in program improvement. This includes reviewing standardized test data and classroom or program-based assessment data for program improvement, participation in regional policy work, designing new curricula (such as work readiness or transitions to postsecondary curricula), coordinating with Department of Labor staff or industry representatives on the development of resources to acquaint students with the state and regional employment outlooks and career pathways, or working with community partnerships to address student needs (such as health care, transportation, child care or job assistance).

MSDE-AELS funds three Specialist Positions for each grant (Instructional, Intake-Assessment and MIS). These positions form a team along with the program Administrator, charged to meet regularly and address program improvement. Professional Development is offered for each of the Specialist groups throughout the year. Maryland was one three states to participate in the Leadership Excellence Academy, which is a national researched-based model of professional development for program leaders-an initial group of thirteen local grant administrators have completed the program as of this date.

8. States offer a variety of professional development models. Among the kinds of professional development include: state-wide or regional conferences, workshops, site-based professional development, participation in state or regional curriculum development committees, peer evaluation and peer mentoring, teacher or classroom-based research, study circles, on-line or hybrid learning, participation in national conferences or national electronic discussion lists, classroom observation with feedback, technology-related training, and training in assessment and data collection. Since many teachers are required to teach a range of content (e.g. reading, math, writing, work readiness, and social studies and science for GED preparation) for students at a variety of skill levels, a range of professional development content is needed. States try to find a balance between state-drive and teacher-driven professional development organized at a variety of times and locations, including on-line options. Options for beginning and more experienced teachers are also planned. Recent research has supported a move away from one-session workshops to more sustained professional development and there is a growing focus on professional development offered at the program level, where the immediate needs of the learners and teachers working as a team can be taken into account. See: Canton, Ohio: Offering Program-Based Professional Development.

MSDE AELS supports a variety of professional development delivery models including conferences, workshops, onsite technical assistance (including Data Quality site visits), peer mentoring, individual or group research, study circles, participation in national discussions, work groups to examine and/or implement various practices (instructor credentialing, assessment, data collection and reporting, professional standards for teachers, ESOL content standards (the online course is under development with a January 2009 launch anticipated). The findings of individual or group research projects and study circles are shared at the annual MAACCE Conference (Maryland Association for Adult Community and Continuing Education).

9. Many states require now required that new teachers to participate in a range of induction/ orientation activities. Given the fact that many adult educators enter the field without degrees specializing in adult education, increasingly states are requiring new teachers to attend orientation training including topics such as: an introduction to adult learning; a brief history/overview of the funding, structure, institutions and history of the field; and an introduction to curriculum and lesson planning. Training might also include an orientation to workforce and employment goals and initiatives. Orientations are provided on site, and/or using a distance learning or blended approach (some face-to-face, some distance learning) with in-person follow up and may be extended to include mentoring and induction into the local program. Some examples include:

• Connecticut: CT has a CD for New Teacher Orientation
• Kentucky: Blended-professional development approach to orientation
• Massachusetts: Program directors participate in a required "Orientation for New Directors" and teachers participate in a required "Orientation for New Teachers."

MSDE-AELS requires that new instructors receive training to implement the assessments that are used in their program (CASAS or Best PLUS). Further training of new instructors is generally relegated to the program Specialists that are funded by the grant (Instructional, Intake-Assessment and MIS). New Specialist Training is conducted by MSDE-AELS for groups of new Specialists annually, and on an individual basis throughout the year.

10. Some states are exploring approaches for rewarding more experienced teachers. In Tennessee, for example, teachers may qualify for one of three levels of teacher qualification based on experience and amount of professional development. Programs and states are also exploring ways to promote more experienced teachers, for example, to positions as part-time program professional development coordinators, master teachers or coordinators of special initiatives. In some states a paid program-level coordinator of program and professional development (lead teacher/master teacher) serves as a liaison between the state/regional literacy resource center and the program.

MSDE-AELS has drafted "Professional Standards for Teachers in Adult Education; Maryland's Framework", with the assistance of representatives from the grantee network, and has requested input and comment from the entire network. Dissemination is anticipated in the near future.

11. Paid preparation time. Another focus in many states is on developing equitable policies are paid lesson preparation and meeting time. The amount of time varies from state to state.

MSDE-AELS has a long time record of recommending paid preparation time for instructors. Grantees may expend Federal and State grant funds to support paid preparation time.

Background Information on Teacher Credentialing in Adult Education

Maryland needs a qualified teacher workforce that is prepared to work effectively with adults and youth including adults requiring basic skills and immigrants requiring English language skills. The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (1998) allows each state to determine its own teacher development and certification systems. However, many adult educators have backgrounds in K-12 education, no training or credentials in teaching adults (Smith & Gillespie, 2007) and limited access to professional development opportunities. States vary in their requirements. For example, a 2002 survey developed by the Massachusetts Department of Education, Adult (Basic) Education Credential Information by State found that around 28 states required no certificate, 16 states required some kind of license (most often a K-12 teacher license), 5 states required some kind of professional credential based on pre-service or in-service professional development and one state required a form of teacher endorsement. No more recent surveys were identified. Many states are currently discussing actions to take with regard to credentialing. Proponents point to the increased professionalization of the field while opponents point to the limited number of colleges offering degrees in adult education, the cost to educators (particularly part-time workers) of acquiring a degree in the field, and the fact that K-12 credentials often do not appropriately prepare individuals for teaching adults and often screen out individuals who might have the right qualifications to teach adults (such as former Peace Corps volunteers or retired military trainers).

There appears to be an increasing trend toward the development of state endorsed performance credentials that require teachers to take coursework in adult education and/or demonstrate skills acquired through study and teaching experience. There do exist a few resources spelling out what adult education and ESL teachers should know and be able to do, including an initiative undertaken in Massachusetts to investigate the viability of a voluntary license and competency test, a list of competencies developed by the Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers, a set of instructor competencies developed by PRO-NET 2000 through research and consultation with instructors, administrators, and learners (Sherman, Tibbetts, Woodruff, & Weidler, 1999), TESOL Standards for Teachers of Adult Learners and a CAELA Issues Brief on the professionalization of adult ESOL teacher prepared by Dr. JoAnn Crandall (2008). The six categories of PRO-NET competencies are similar to those developed by other groups and include: (1) Maintains Knowledge and Pursues Professional Development, (2) Organizes and Delivers Instruction, (3) Manages Instructional Resources, (4) Continually Assesses and Monitors Learning, (5) Manages Program Responsibly and Enhances Program Organization, and (6) Provides Learner Guidance and Referral. Maryland may want to consider forming a task force to review current initiatives in other states and make recommendations concerning credentialing in Maryland. In the meantime, increasing the range of opportunities for professional development and number of hours of paid professional development for teachers in Maryland would further professionalize the workforce.

MSDE-AELS convened a work group to study teacher credentialing in fiscal year 2002 and 2003. The work group included representatives of the grantee network, as well as noted researcher Dr. JoAnn Crandall. The development of the train the trainer model (utilizing the Specialist positions) and the development of instructor standards are the result of this work.

Updated June 8, 2009