“Doing It All”: Successes and Challenges in Teaching Adult Education

Dear PD and Program Management Colleagues:

I'm happy to share that we are hosting a guest discussion, "Doing It All: Successes and Challenges in Teaching Adult Education," beginning this Tuesday, September 29th. Please see below and share this announcement with all who you think would be interested in participating.

Jackie Taylor


“Doing It All”: Successes and Challenges in Teaching Adult Education

September 29 – October 2, 2015

The landscape for adult learners in the 21st century has changed, and with it the roles and expectations of adult educators. Adult educators prepare adult learners to pass rigorous high school equivalency exams, be digital age learners with the reading, writing, numeracy, and critical thinking skills needed to be competitive in today’s economy, and successfully transition to college and careers. They design engaging lessons aligned with new college and career readiness standards. Many also teach in a linguistically diverse classroom while helping immigrants integrate into society and participate in civic life. The vast majority do this part-time while often juggling multiple jobs in order to make ends meet.

Join us for a guest discussion with adult educator Anurag Sagar to explore the evolving demands on 21st century adult educators and what we can do to help them be as successful as possible in their roles.

Dr. Anurag Sagar is a veteran adult literacy educator.  She has worked in the field since 1991 in a variety of capacities and is currently an ESL coach for the Pennsylvania Implementation Support Services.

To Participate:

Join either the Evidence-based Professional Development or Program Management LINCS CoPs. We would like this to be a grassroots discussion from the field. So please invite all who you think have something to contribute! Directions on how to join and participate are below.

Many thanks,

Jackie Taylor, Moderator

Evidence-based Professional Development


How to Join the LINCS Community and Groups

The guest discussion takes place in the Evidence-based Practice and Program Management Groups within the LINCS Communities of Practice (COP). To join:

  1. If you are not a member of the LINCS CoP, visit: https://community.lincs.ed.gov/ to create an account.
  2. Once logged in, click the “Groups” tab in the horizontal navigation.
  3. You will be directed to a list of groups you can join. Select either “Evidence-based Professional Development” or “Program Management”.
  4. You will be redirected to that group’s home page. On the right you have the option to set your Email Subscription.
  5. Select “Immediate” from the drop down menu (you can always change this to another setting after the guest discussion.).
  6. Click “Submit”.

You will then receive an email notice when someone posts. To comment or reply, just log in to the LINCS CoP. Then click the link in your email to be directed to the post itself and to a comment box where you can contribute your thinking on the issue.

 

Comments

David,

It is amazing how ideas can pop in the head of one person to another, case in point; I was driving to a PD event with my "road dog", mentor  and Co-trainer Laura Barrera and was sharing with her the discussions that were occurring on the Lincs board. She asked me about helping her get over the learning curve of technology to be able to get onto the Lincs site and participate in the discussions. I know that teachers and other trainers would greatly benefit from this online platform however there are some barriers that can impact the usability of the platform. 

1) Getting the word out! How do we spread the word about such sites and forums in order to reach the "boots on the ground"? I myself found my way in by a series of twists and turns. I received the link to the "PD Gauntlet" article via the TCALL listserv maintained by Harriet Smith. I then contacted Jackie Taylor whom I had recently had the pleasure of meeting at the TexBEST summit in San Antonio. She then directed me to the Lincs discussion board and that is how I landed here. But that is not the end of my journey.... 

       Possible Solution: If there is a site that is for teachers I cannot think of it, but that can be Lincs if the marketing and branding creates that image. Currently teachers may stumble upon Lincs as a resource for instructional lesson ideas, plans and materials but as far as it being seen as a platform for connecting, sharing and discussing that would take a user promotion type approach similar to social media. Include an option on Lincs to "share with or invite a friend"  . In that manner Lincs can grow their user base. 

2) Bridging the tech gap. Far too many of our teachers are immigrants to technology that may not see an online discussion board as something in their comfort zone. It is unfortunate that we still suffer from a serious technology gap when it comes to our instructional staff in education. I know that Texas Workforce Commission (funding source for AEL in Texas) has prioritized incorporation of technology into the classroom and yet this is still and area where adult education struggles. The funding is not there for all programs to have technology in each classroom and in situations where the technology is there the equipment remains under utilized. With that said, in order to build the habit of participating in forum discussions one would have to build this into  the habit and practice of teaching. 

      Possible Solution: Make the it easier to get on the site, sign up and navigate in the way a social media site is easy to navigate. There are several reasons why Facebook is so popular and one of them is the user-friendly nature of the site and another is the fact that it has become an information source of varied topics based on user preference. It was a challenge to finally get to a place where I was on a discussion in Lincs that beckoned me to respond and even then my temptation was to lurk. I finally introduced myself and then the discussions started but initially I was unsure. Again we need to assure teachers that they are in a safe easy to use forum that will support them and assist them if they have questions. 

3) Navigating the site.- As I stated before when I got on the Lincs Community site it was not really apparent at first blush where I should go and what I should do. I worked my way through by trial and error and now I am learning from others. However, so many sites have gotten us used to the technology leading us where to go next to sign up and how to get from here to there that some people may lose interest if they have trouble signing up. 

       Possible Solution- This may be a simple fix and as easy as adding on dialogue boxes that respond to FAQ easily accessed from the home page.

4) Motivation to participate. Why did I brave the tech jungle to get to your discussion page? I was very motivated by the possibility of sharing ideas to improve PD in Adult Education as it is a passion of mine. I wanted to get ideas and share what I know and my experiences. I wanted to make sure that the discussion includes big ideas like SEL, Brain Based Concepts and multiple modes of learning (VAK). 

       Possible Solution: Tap in to what teachers really care about! They want to know how to best teach in a multi-level class, how to cut down on planning time, where to get resources and lesson plans, and how they can best help students. If the word gets out that teachers can easily sign up for Lincs and can easily access such information then you may begin to get more teacher input on how to "expand those dimensions' of Lincs. 

Hi Irene,

You make two great points and I am in total agreement with both.  Firstly, having good leadership at the agency or state level is key to having a quality program in which everyone feels invested.  In my view, a good adult education leader would know and acknowledge that we all stand on the shoulders of the teachers!  And if we include teachers in the decision making processes on teacher quality, good PD, what curriculum works, what doesn't, whether assessments align with what the funding agencies require or how much time should be necessary for a student to be in a program before they can be counted, then I think all our programs would benefit.

Secondly, I applaud the way you have chosen to conduct PD.  Not only are you making it a valuable support and tool for teachers, you are making it enjoyable at the same time.  Thank you for sharing your approach to PD.

I would love to hear more about other innovative ways of doing PD. And, teachers please share some PD experiences you have enjoyed and value and/or mandated PD that doesn't work well.

Anurag

 

Hi Anurag,

Thanks for the comments and questions. One of the commitments I made when I became a leader and trainer in Adult Education was that I would strive to make the most of every PD event I facilitate. That means I want to create professional learning environments that includes all the elements we should expect to see in the classroom. Use of themes,  music, props, costumes and more are sometimes labeled as being too K-12. We have to remove the barrier of "That is K-12, we teach Adult Education!" mentality and incorporate what works according to brain research. Since we are in Adult Education and our teachers are adults then training is the best time to model those good instructional practices, providing sample activities and best practices by demonstrating the proper use of those instructional models and how to take what works in K-12 and make it "adult education friendly". I know there are many presenters out there that do not agree with this method and may think it is not professional or distinguished for trainers of their caliber to  present in that manner. However to them I would ask what is their evidence that what they are doing is working?

Sharon Tate and her book "Sit and Git Doesn't Build Dendrites" has lots of great practices that are just fun and engaging. If PD trainers can utilize her checklist to plan their PD then our participants will benefit from sound brain friendly training. Eric Jensen also has published so many wonderful resources that help trainers make their training a more meaningful and productive time. However far too many trainers are still doing the "stand and deliver" spewing out all their knowledge as they present like "the sage on the stage." But that doesn't work and yet unfortunately a lot of PD is still like that; especially at conferences. I have always viewed conference presentations as an opportunity to go all out with the use of posters, dynamic visuals, props, music, themes, and amazing wealth of resources to make the most of that short time. In this way the conference becomes a series of "micro-learning" moments that can be followed up with more intensive and sustained professional learning.

Which brings me to sustained PD and what Mr Rosen has referred to as blended learning. Some of the most meaningful PD I have attended has been those times when I was involved in a long term project where I was called upon to use the resources and strategies in the classroom and then report back. I know in this time of reduced budgets trying to do more long term PD can be costly but the solution can be as easy as offering a stipend to those that successfully complete the long-term training institute as well as only taking volunteers. The reward can be that the person receives a stipend but there can also be the opportunity to be the resident Subject matter expert and be utilized for future training (which then offers more opportunity for a PT teacher to earn more $). Also, and more important is the improvement of the individual practice as well as the intrinsic reward of learning something new and becoming fluent in it rather that just attending a one time event and only building familiarity in a subject rather than expertise. 

 

 

Hi Irene,

 

Thanks for all your great ideas.  I will be keeping them in mind when I am mentoring/coaching folks!  One very important point you have also raised when talking about sustained PD is the reward of a stipend at the end.  I personally feel that is an important aspect of PD that is often forgotten.  I think all teachers are interested in good PD, but would be more inclined to commit to longer term projects if they were compensated for their time and effort too.

I have really enjoyed your feedback and ideas.

Anurag

Irene,

I do not think you (or anyone is over-posting). Thank you so much for your rich contributions! I have been quietly reading, re-reading, soaking in every word. I very much appreciate it when others make time to share.

I look forward to reading your LinkedIn post! Will you please share the link with us here?

Jackie Taylor, Moderator

Evidence-based Professional Development COP

 

Dear Colleagues,

Steve raises a key point – “Instructors (are) being given less hours due to the dictates of the Affordable Care Act”. The ACA mandates that medium and large-sized companies must provide health insurance to employees who work at least 30 hours/week.

Ben Casselman, economics writer for FiveThirtyEight, predicted that “…companies appear to be cutting hours for part-time workers in order to evade the ACA’s mandate that mid-sized and large employers must give health insurance to employees who work at least 30 hours.” (Forbes)

Part-time employees in low-wage sectors like retail, restaurants, and education — that historically didn’t get health insurance through their employers —would now have to be covered, Forbes writer Dan Diamond points out.

Question: If a PT adult education teacher’s hours are cut or capped at 29 hours, then how does this impact the # of paid PD hours a teacher can attend?

I have heard this is the case in Georgia (would someone from GA please confirm or correct that?).

How are other states handling the issue of PT hours and paid PD hours for adult educators under the ACA?

Jackie Taylor, Moderator

Evidence-based Professional Development

Jackie,

Some programs have interpreted the law far more severely than the example you give.  In some cases, an instructor's hours have been cut back to 12 per week.  This has forced them to seek other employment instead of adult education or to try and string together several part time jobs.  

Wow Steve! That's a significant cut to evade the requirement to pay for PT teachers' health insurance. Do you or others know why some programs interpret the ACA requirement to mean such a drastic cut back in hours? If a program or state were to evade paying health insurance, why not just cap it at 29 hours/week?

Thanks for your thoughts,

Jackie

Jackie Taylor, Moderator

Evidence-based Professional Development

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for sharing your ideas, successes and challenges.  I appreciate the time you all have taken and as we move forward in this field, I hope that these thoughts will help shape new policies.

Today, I would like to start a conversation on an innovative model that I have read about and admire and I hope that you will generously share your perspectives on it .

We all acknowledge that there are many outstanding teachers at effective programs throughout the country who are successful in helping students fulfill their aims.  Moreover, no educator would deny we all want our students to move on and up in life, to be as successful as possible in their career and life goals, to be engaged and active participants in society.  That’s why we do what we do. There is also no disagreement that the role of an adult educator is critical.   According to the NCSDAE website:

–nearly half the U.S. workforce today, approximately 52 million adults, has only a high school education or less, while 25 million workers aged 18 to 64 lack even a high school diploma or GED (http://www.mcgraw-hillresearchfoundation.org/).

But, if we are truly serious about helping adult students achieve their goals, then the conversation that we need to have at the same time is, how we can more adequately support the teachers who are responsible for helping these students with their myriad needs?

To its credit, OCTAE has done much to focus on supporting professional development of teachers in a variety of ways (articulated in the recent OCTAE document Making Skills Everyone’s Business: A Call to Transform Adult Learning in the United States).  There are some excellent ideas mentioned here, but we should and could do more to provide support to these dedicated, but overburdened adult educators. 

An innovative model, I have long admired, is Washington’s I-Best: Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training model, that has been shown to be effective (see How I-Best Works: Findings from a Field Study of Washington State’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training Program, CCRC Sept 2010) in quickly improving students’ literacy and work skills. 

As an instructor what I find so attractive about this model is the pairing of two instructors, one to teach basic language/math skills and the other to focus on technical content.  This practice helps instructors focus on different skills and content areas, thus reducing overall load while simultaneously getting better outcomes.  I understand that this is an expensive model and has seen limited implementation due to financial challenges, despite its acknowledged success.

In my capacity as peer coach the appeal of this model is striking.  I see teachers struggling to handle all that is being asked of them (classroom management skills, instructional expertise, contextualized lesson planning, awareness of college- and career-readiness standards, ensuring student outcomes for the program).  The possibility of co-teaching with another teacher who may be more experienced in classroom management or contextualized instruction would be very helpful for the less experienced teacher. It would lead not only to better student outcomes, but also better teacher retention and improvement in program quality.  The challenge, of course, is more funding that would be necessary for widespread implementation of co-teaching and peer coaching models.

What are your perspectives on this model? Do you think it would be helpful in your classes?  

Are there others in this discussion with co-teaching experience? If so, please tell us about it.

Finally, please share your ideas on what you would find most helpful as a teacher.

I look forward to hearing from you,

-Anurag

 

 

Dr. Sagar makes a great point in noting that Adult Educator responsibilities are growing, in a system where most practitioners and administrative staff are part-time. Maybe states and adult Ed. agencies will realize that to accomplish the outcomes WIOA will require means it’s better to have full-time professionalized staff. However, an obvious reality is that huge streams of money aren’t coming our way, yet we still have to make sure teachers are qualified and the best they can be in helping Adult learners succeed.

It’s interesting reading about other states with regards to credentials and PD requirements. In Rhode Island, about 10 years ago we created a committee to explore creating a credential or licensure program for Adult Ed.  With the part-time/low wage situation we had, we thought a licensure program was cruel and unusual punishment for Adult Ed. teachers to pay for and then continue to suffer through low-wage part-time employment. Credential models were more intriguing to us, but in the end, our committee recommended creating a credential only if it was tied in to more money for full-time, well paid positions in the state. We also thought states that had a variety of PD options, not just courses, would work better in building teacher collaboration. In the end, we never started a Credential.

What interestingly came out from this exploration is that many agencies started requiring staff to make PD plans, and our informal PD “system”, aided by a wonderful Professional Development Center, has been moving along well. The State Department of Education has also started requiring certain commitments from adult education professionals, for example requiring everyone be Northstar certified. It means all Adult Ed. staff need to have the requisite technology skill set to help students achieve their goals. I think this is forward thinking, in that the training is free, so no cost to professionals, and it is getting us ready for a key component of helping learners better access and use technology, thanks to more tech-savvy teachers.

With no established PD system, agencies like mine have been moving along, making PD a priority. At the organization I’m part of, we enjoy PD that comes from “the ground up”, where teachers choose an “area” (we have no formal competencies established state wide-but would welcome that approach as a menu for things to choose from) they want to focus on, and choose from a variety of options to do this PD (teacher collaboration, action research, classes, webinars, etc.). The teacher must make a goal which directly or indirectly has a bearing on student outcomes. Throughout the year we share what we’ve learned at staff meetings and on a shared staff Facebook page. We find this process more rewarding than being required to do PD in a “Top-Down” approach, where the topics and competencies are maybe not what we need to work on, or have worked on already.

Something I should mention in this approach is that our organization has been committed to full-time staff as much as possible, as funding allows, for over 10 years. It’s made it possible for staff to commit to PD well, and full time teachers serve as “lead teachers” to guide and mentor part-time or new employees. It makes a huge difference in serving our learners, and creates an engaging environment where teachers love to share ideas with one another. It’s not exactly the I-Best model, but it did influence our collaboration among teachers. For example, We are paid to observe each other, with the goal of finding an aspect of “good practice” we can gain from each other. In fact we have PD hours built into our pay, which obviously is so worthwhile!

Chris,

In talking about the issues in adult ed programs in RI you have touched on the myriad issues facing adult education teachers.  You make an excellent point that it is unfair to ask low wage, part-time teachers to invest in getting credentials, unless they have a way up a career ladder.  I also think that the "ground up" approach to PD is the best way forward.  But the bottom line as you put it, is that additional resources would be very beneficial to moving the field towards greater professionalization.

One way to support teachers focus on their strengths and weaknesses is through peer coaching within the agency (similar to what you are doing at your agency).  We found this model to be helpful at the organization I worked at in Philadelphia.  It provided a way to support new and inexperienced instructors in a classroom setting and helped them focus on areas that needed improvement in a safe environment.  As you say, it does require agency support and funding.

Are there other organizations that are using some form of peer-coaching?

 

Hi,

I like your comment about the teachers driving the agenda for PD and I am wondering if you are familiar with the  Ed Camp Model of Professional Learning. 

It will soon be used in certain conference settings to create the agenda there as well. I love the concept and am eager to try it. Below is a link to an article about it:

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may14/vol71/num08/Edcamp@-Teachers-Take-Back-Professional-Development.aspx

 

Wow Irene, what an interesting idea!

"Edcamps are free, participatory events organized by educators for educators. Attendees collaboratively determine the schedule of sessions on the morning of the event."

The article goes on to describe what a typical EdCamp looks like, including ways to keep the content engaging like "The Law of Two Feet" and ending the day with a "Smackdown". Has anyone else organized and run an EdCamp in adult education? If so, please tell us about it.

I can see how funders of PD would be reluctant to pay for such an event, since it takes away all of their control over the agenda. I wonder then, who bears the cost since the events are free?

I welcome others' thoughts on EdCamps, your experience with them, and whether this is something you'd like to see happen or try in adult education.

Jackie Taylor, Moderator

Evidence-based Professional Development COP

Dear colleagues

During the last few days we have heard from practitioners from many different states across the country.  Some are working at community colleges, others at smaller, community based, adult education organizations. We may all have different perspectives on how best to support quality instruction in our programs, but we all share the same strong desire to achieve excellent outcomes for our students. 

We all acknowledge the importance of building a skilled workforce for the demands of the 21st century and we all understand that to train the under-educated adults who enter our programs, we need to create and sustain an effective and high quality workforce of adult educators, for which the basic requirement is a need for adequate levels of funding.  Despite this, the unfortunate fact remains that “Adult education and training programs traditionally receive less than ten percent of the amount of federal, state, and local funding that goes to K-12, and less than five percent of what is spent to support higher education” (http://www.mcgraw-hillresearchfoundation.org/).  

So perhaps, together with all the innovative ideas outlined in our conversation, which we hope will help to guide future policy decisions, what may best serve the field of adult education would be our ability to, more effectively, advocate for our programs and our profession.  For better working conditions, better support for professional development, a look at more creative models of teaching with appropriate levels of funding to illustrate the true value of this important profession.

I thank you all for sharing, so generously, the different models that you are implementing in your workplace as well as all the challenges you face.  But, we need to continue this discussion in order to bring about meaningful change.  I sincerely hope that this is just the beginning of an important dialogue; so lets keep the conversation going in the coming days.

Please continue to share your ideas on what you feel should be the priorities to help move our field forward.  

Anurag

 

 

Dear Colleagues:

I am cross posting a message originally posted this week to the Program Management Group that is very pertinent to this discussion. Please read on and thank you, Don Block, for sharing!

Jackie Taylor

From Don Bock:

Building a full-time teaching corps in adult education

Good morning, friends.  My agency (Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council) was cited in a U.S. Department of Education report as a good example of an agency that has built a full-time teaching corps.  I've been asked to comment on what it takes to do this and what the benefits are.  I think other writers, like our colleague Stephanie from Durango, CO, has spoken eloquently about what the benefits are.  There is a direct benefit to students from having a full-time teaching staff.  Those staff members have time to do lesson planning on paid time, to attend professional development, and to meet with students outside of class time.  They simply have greater commitment to the field than the part-timers.

When I first joined this field in the 1980's I observed the rapid turnover of teachers due to their part-time status.  Many of the part-timers were seeking full-time employment, and they left adult education programs quickly.  This rapid churn created a lot of time in interviewing and hiring for administrators, and I could see it was not building a field of employees with expertise.  Do we want people who make adult education their career, and so get a high level of training and expertise?  If so, we need full-time teachers.  The average length of employment of our staff at Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, at the last time we calculated it, was nine years.  That means we have a number of staff, including teachers, who have been with us for fifteen years, and a few less than five years.  This would not be possible if we were staffed completely with part-timers.

Fortunately, in a nonprofit organization, we control the employment practices of the organization.  We are not under a school board or community college.  So, as a leader, I was able to shape the full-time teaching corps according to my beliefs.  I wanted people who, as I said, plan to make adult education their career.  I want to send them to training on learning differences, refugee issues, college and career readiness, use of technology in the classroom, and many other topics.  I don't want them to leave quickly and take all their expertise somewhere else.  I want it to be used to benefit our students.  And so I have built our hiring practices on having full-time teachers (with full benefits) only.  There is a lot of financial pressure that comes with this policy, since government funds have been cut.  Fortunately, we have a development department that raises over $1 million annually in private donations to supplement the government funds that we receive.  Again, I feel blessed to be located in a nonprofit organization that can set its own policies. 

I believe our field will continue to be a stepchild of the educational system until we have more full-time staff and teachers with solid credentials and expertise.

Reply from David Rosen:

Strong Non-profit Adult Education Programs with F-T Teachers

Hello Don,

I have long been inspired by what the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC) does, and the talented teachers and administrators you have hired. Many people view community-based not-for-profit organizations as (what one Massachusetts state senator once referred to as) "educational soup kitchens," or programs who in their service to marginalized people are themselves marginalized. GPLC is an outstanding example that not all community-based organizations must live hand-to-mouth (although sadly many do), that some are strong and successful.

I would like to hear from you and program administrators of other community-based, not-for-profit adult basic education programs that have strong, stable models, that hire full-time teachers, and do not have rapid teacher turnover. In particular, I would like to know both from you Don, and from other program administrators, how have you been able to build private, not-for-profit, community-based programs that are strong and successful?

Thanks.

David J. Rosen

Moderator, Program Management CoP

djrosen123@gmail.com

From Don Block:

Strong non-profit adult education programs

David:  Thanks for your comment and questions.  How have we been able to build a nonprofit adult education agency that is strong and successful?

Here are some thoughts about this:

1.  Pennsylvania is a state which makes its adult education funds available to nonprofits on an equal basis with community colleges and school districts.  We compete for state and federal funds (WIOA Title II and state adult literacy monies) based on our expertise and our outcomes with students, and not based on being an LEA (local education agency in the public sector).

This policy has been in place for over twenty years and has served to unify the field in our state.  Many states don't have this policy, and in those places nonprofits are not eligible for government grants, or they have a special government funding stream just for nonprofits.

2.  We are experts in nonprofit management, and not just adult education.  As an administrator, I spend a great deal of time building a very strong board of directors, which is made up largely of business executives.  They become advocates for adult education in the community, and they help to raise funds. 

3.  From the beginning in the 1980's the organization has had a culture of continuous quality improvement.  This means we use our student data in more ways that most programs use theirs.  We don't just use it for reporting to funding sources.  We examine trends in the data and use it to test ideas that can improve our services.  If you don't have full-time staff and teachers, it's very hard to do this type of data analysis and sharing among staff.  One of our staff used to teach a class called "Using Data for Decision-making" that was offered throughout the state.

4.  We spend a lot of time doing marketing and public relations for our agency and for the issue of adult education.  I estimate that we generate more media articles about the topic than any other adult education agency in Pennsylvania.  This leads to community support and better understanding of adult education issues.  We have a full-time public relations director who is on a first-name basis with education reporters in the media.

5.  We have run AmeriCorps programs in our agency since 1994.  Many AmeriCorps members get exposure to the field of adult education through their year(s) of service, and we get to know them.  A number of them move on to become full-time teachers in the field, since they became "hooked" during their AmeriCorps year.   Instead of coming into our field from elementary or secondary education, they come from a year or more of adult education experience, and they are more likely to stay because of that.

I'm sure there are many other reasons for our success, David, but these are the ones on the top of mind at the moment.  Let's continue the discussion.

 

From David Rosen:

Strong non-profit adult education programs

These are great insights, Don. It would be great to hear reactions from other non-profit education managers, for example about:

  • What has helped their program to grow strong, and possibly to hire (more) full-time teachers
  • What was the most important insight from Don's thoughts about what has enabled GPLC to become a strong program

and, of course, to see other questions for Don.

David J. Rosen

Moderator, Program Management CoP

Thanks for sharing insights from GPLC.  It was terrific to hear from Don Block as to how a community based organization In Pittsburgh has found a way to not only provide excellent education to its students, but at the same time create a vibrant community of adult education teachers and managers.

For me the most striking insight from Don's note is his vision that takes teachers into account as equal partners.  Undoubtedly, this is good for the community as well as the professionals in the organization.

Anurag

Dear Colleagues:

Thank you for the energizing discussions this week and to Dr. Anurag Sagar for facilitating! So far we’ve heard from practitioners in California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Texas.

We are extending the discussion through Monday so that those who need time have it to read and reflect on the thoughtful postings and to consider next steps.

  • In the meantime, what has stood out to you from our conversation this week?
  • What surprised you?
  • What understandings or beliefs were reinforced, or changed, or broadened as a result of our conversations so far?
  • What seems important that we haven’t yet talked about?

Thanks again and have a great weekend,

Jackie

Jackie Taylor, Moderator

Evidence-based Professional Development COP

jackie@jataylor.net

@jataylor10

Dear Colleagues,

With the flurry of activity during our guest discussion last week, you’d suspect it was a robust discussion. Well, after writing this summary I can indeed tell you it was robust!

Here’s a toe-in to the conversations. I’ve divided it into sections for ease-of-scrolling:

  • Kicking off the Conversation
  • Challenges
    • Challenges for Teachers
    • Challenges for Programs
    • Challenges for States
    • Challenges for Professional Development
  • Successes and Promising Practices
    • Program Models
    • Professional Development Models 
  • Next Steps
Summary

Kicking Off the Conversation

The Evidence-based Professional Development (EBPD) and Program Management Groups hosted a guest discussion of Doing It All: Successes and Challenges in Teaching Adult Education with guest facilitator Dr. Anurag Sagar. Participants explored some issues adult educators face in teaching in the 21st century, and promising practices to help them be as successful as possible in their work.

The goal was to come away with some concrete recommendations for improving adult educator career opportunities, ultimately leading to improved student outcomes. This is one of what is hoped to be many conversations at the local, state, and national levels aimed at moving our profession forward.

 EBPD Moderator Jackie Taylor framed the discussion with the following questions:

  • What aspects of the landscape have changed significantly in adult education?
  • What issues do adult educators face today?
  • What * is not* changing but should be?
  • What supports do teachers need in order to be successful in helping their students succeed?
  • What are some promising models and best practices in professional development and program management that provide teachers adequate support?
  • What’s needed to improve teaching and learning in adult education?
  • What can be done, and whose responsibility is it?
  • What are next steps?

Anurag Sagar led by sharing her experiences from the 2015 COABE Conference held in Denver, Colorado. Much has changed over the last 15 years to help students succeed, she wrote. Yet it seems that little has changed in providing teachers the support they need in order to help their students succeed.

The Broader Landscape

Jackie Taylor described a broader landscape within which adult education operates, including the results of the 2013 PIAAC report illustrating the largely poor results for the U.S.; the change to the 2014 GED and resulting competitive landscape;  WIOA reauthorization and its focus on transitions; labor market demands on workers; reducing incarceration and recidivism; and other trends both supported by and not supported by policy.

The Affordable Care Act’s Impact on the Adult Education Workforce

As part of the “broader landscape” Steve writes: Instructors (are) being given less hours due to the dictates of the Affordable Care Act. The ACA mandates that medium and large-sized companies must provide health insurance to employees who work at least 30 hours/week. Thus, adult education programs are capping teacher hours at 29 hours/week, which is generous in some locations. Others are capping it at 12 hours/week, causing many high quality professionals to leave the field.

Challenges

Challenges for Teachers

Stresses of “being everything to everyone”.  Teachers:

  • Help her/his students acquire language skills or pass the GED tests, using creative lesson plans correctly aligned to the recent college and career readiness standards
  • Ensure her/his students’ entry into post-secondary institutions, for which they must be taught critical thinking and higher order reading and writing skills (through rigorous instructional practice)
  • Support  her/his students’ aspiration to enter the workforce, (for which the instructor must not only have a clear understanding of the appropriate job sectors in the region, but then be able to teach the appropriate technical /vocational vocabulary!)
  • Who may be working with low skilled language learners, enrolled in a civics program, who are also expected to teach aspects of American history and government. (Anurag)

PT nature of the teaching workforce:  Educators who are working in a field that is in sore need of improvement (and has been for many years). It is well documented that most teachers in this field are part-time workers (78% of paid adult education teachers and nearly half of program administrators are part time) inadequately compensated for their labors. (Anurag)

Lack of full support for AE as its own entity:  Not as a stepchild or invisible/ignorable component of K-12 or Higher Ed etc. (Stephanie)

An unreliable, inconsistent stable of quality teachers:  AE too often depends on teachers who have the DNA of a dedicated educator regardless of pay and benefits, and that isn't a workable model for sustained growth or success. (Stephanie)

Time:  As budgets are stretched to the max – and on the heels of major budget cuts after the economic downturn -- programs cut are especially limited on time. (Irene)

Stressors of rigid policies:  Unilateral policies applied across the state inhibit successful local innovations. (Edward)

Integrating technology into instruction: EDs need to recognize that tech is here to stay, so to bring along teaching and staff teams and help funders to support tech in the classroom. (Stephanie)

WIOA and conflicting messaging about outcomes: On the one hand, we are now told to focus on credentials – GED/HSE transition to college or careers – and keep the learners for 12 months so that we can count them. On the other hand, the feds still appear to be saying to help "the most in need"– often students who, for whatever reason, are highly unlikely to reach the goal of a GED. (Stephanie)

Lack of system alignment leading to learner and teacher stress:  Edward Latham described a lack of system alignment as causing learner and teacher stress. He writes:

…there is an increasing stress that diagnostics, instructional materials, and mandatory standardized assessments are WAY OUT OF LINE from each other and more importantly have little to no alignment with College and Career Readiness Standards.

Others agreed and noted in particular CASAS, which is used to assess learning in EL/Civics programs. Teachers who are preparing ESL adults to acquire English and gain the skills needed to integrate into American society need to focus on teaching American history and civics. Yet the CASAS is based on a series of life skills competencies. It also hasn’t been revised since 1978.

Challenges for Programs:

  • How difficult it is to find good teachers in areas like math and writing in K-12, and then not offer them a living wage with benefits in adult education. Programs can’t realistically expect to attract these expert teachers and retain them for any length of time. (Stephanie)
  • Add to that the rigor of the new GED and the need to ensure transition to postsecondary education or careers. And if you are under the outdated rubric of having a single teacher teach all four subjects, with truly rare exceptions, you are not looking at positive outcomes. (Stephanie and Anurag)
  • Losing more inspired and dedicated teachers to either the K-12 system or community colleges, that provide better incentives. (Anurag)
  • Having less control over hiring practices with a district or state funded program. (Don)

Challenges for States: 

  • California’s “Flexible funding relaxed restrictions on over 40 categorical programs (which included adult education) in order to spend the money for any educational purpose. Where there was once a strong, experienced full-time adult education workforce, now many adult educators are working part-time at more than one agency. (Joyce)

Challenges for Professional Development:

  • The amount of time required to participate in professional development is not enough (DeAnn)
  • Staff want guaranteed hours which causes them to sign up for more classes to teach but leave no room for PD. (DeAnn)
  • Not all teachers are paid to participate in PD: A significant number are not. (Steve)
  • More content-based PD:  The need for more content-based and less esoteric/theoretical and academic/college course oriented PD. GED teachers need content support more than anything else. (Stephanie)
  • Lack of consideration of teacher views when designing PD. (Anurag)
  • Some “PD” is spent on filling out paperwork or using data systems. (Steve)

Successes

Program Models

Durango Adult Education Center, Durango, Colorado: Pays a living wage plus benefits; all teachers are certified; 25% of time is teacher prep time; teachers participate in one hour of PD / week and a weekly team meeting; reduced teacher turnover.

From Stephanie Moran:  Our center, the Durango AEC in SW Colorado, was cited as a model re teacher support because we believe that the most critical element in any classroom is the quality and dedication of the teacher. Without those attributes, students lose, goals are not met as consistently or quickly, and our profession suffers.

Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo, Iowa: Restructured their program so that students sign up for courses, much like in a college setting; teachers only teach in their  area of expertise, reducing the stress of being everything to everyone, and create lessons aligned to the CCR standards; started a homeroom class to help boost student retention. Used a “Critical Friends Group” model from Standards in Action.

From DeAnn Nixt:  [A homeroom class] is where an advisor is available to supervise the record keeping process for CASAS scores, practice test scores, and HiSET testing.  Homeroom is also a study hall that includes relationship building to increase retention through class discussion, family literacy courses, digital literacy courses, and transition assistance.

Also from Hawkeye: Educating Decision Makers through Program Visits

From DeAnn Nixt…my director works with the college to invite state legislators to our building.  These visits include tours of classrooms and time arranged for legislators to visit with students.  At Hawkeye we try to make ourselves present in the eyes of the college and the state government.  Without their support our program would not exist.

Maine: Some programs are moving to a learning lab model, better allowing for an individualized, contextualized, CCRS system while reducing stresses on teachers; developing statewide College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) assessment for teachers by implementing digital badges.

From Edward:  This badge system is being designed strictly as a carrot or incentive for teachers to engage in the CCRS transitions our state feels are important to learner success. It may end up that directors look at these badges in different ways within their program, but from the state level, the badges concentrate on levels of implementation and performance that is supported with evidence.

Texas: Career Navigator model

From IreneThe Career Navigator role will relieve the instructor from assessment, intake, registration, academic advising and case management of students because the Career Navigators main purpose is to provide the "wrap around support" needed to ensure student success. Again, funding and time can be issues but we are on the way to really refining this at Alamo Colleges through braided funded options and managed enrollment.

Colorado: Career Navigators ––> “BOOST”

From StephanieOur current program called BOOST Boosting Opportunities and Occupations for Self-Sufficient Transitions takes the best of the career navigator piece and combines it with other services a person needs to persist in college. 

Greater Pittsburg Literacy Council (GPLC): Building a FT Teaching Corps in Adult Education:  Under the leadership of Don Block, GPLC built their hiring practices on having full-time teachers (with full benefits) only.

From DonThere is a direct benefit to students from having a full-time teaching staff.  Those staff members have time to do lesson planning on paid time, to attend professional development, and to meet with students outside of class time.  They simply have greater commitment to the field than the part-timers.

… Do we want people who make adult education their career, and so get a high level of training and expertise?  If so, we need full-time teachers.  The average length of employment of our staff at Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, at the last time we calculated it, was nine years.  That means we have a number of staff, including teachers, who have been with us for fifteen years, and a few less than five years.  This would not be possible if we were staffed completely with part-timers.

Read more to see how GPLC has been able to build a strong, successful nonprofit adult education agency.

Professional Development Models

North Carolina’s Teacher Credentialing Model:  Steve Schmidt writes that this model is reaching more PT teachers than ever before in NC. These credentials could be stackable micro-credentials leading to a credential as part of a career pathways system for adult educators, David Rosen notes.

From SteveInstructors can earn a variety of credentials by taking prescribed six hour face to face workshops that are offered at locations across the state.  Instructors can earn a Core Credential, and ESOL credential (Using LINCS courses as an online pre-requisite), a Reading Specialty Credential (based on the six day STAR reading training) and three different Adult Secondary Education credentials.

Making PD Meaningful:  Building relationships; Friday Night Sessions; themed PD; mentoring and follow up; Professional Learning Circles

From IreneBased on the PD surveys from the area I had determined that part time teachers do not like to "give up" their whole Saturday for PD, they can't during a weeknight as they may have full-time day job with AEL as their part-time evening job. So, in the Friday Night sessions I offered themed PD … I averaged about 35 teachers each night. These were teachers that came on their own without being "volun-told" to be there. 

Additional strategies for making learning meaningful, based on brain research can be found here (thanks Irene!).

Peer Mentoring and Coaching:  Bringing teachers initially into the planning process; teachers coach teachers, not a top-down model; blended coaching models being used to fit within budget constraints.

From AnuragAnother key element here was the fact that I was also teaching some classes, and I strongly suspect that really helped the "buy-in" from the coachees.  Which teacher amongst us wants to hear someone telling them that their lesson would work better if they did such and such, from a person who is not a teacher?!

From IreneAfter training when teachers come up to me and ask me questions I offer them my contact number and ask them to stay in touch and let me know how the strategies and skills worked or not in their classroom.  When you make yourself available you increase the network of support. In this manner I become more of a mentor to them and I do it because I genuinely care, not for any pay ... We need to step out of ourselves and create learning networks…

LINCS as an online support network for teachers:

David Rosen asked, how (can) the LINCS Communities of Practice, like this one, become better networks of support for teachers?  Recommendations include:

  • Getting the word out
  • Bridging the technology gap
  • Improving site navigation
  • Motivation to participate

See recommendations from Irene and others here, and add your own.

Co-Teaching:  Co-teaching is the pairing of two instructors in a career pathways setting in order to maximize teacher expertise, increase student outcomes, and improve program quality. IBEST is one model proven to be successful.

From AnuragI see teachers struggling to handle all that is being asked of them (classroom management skills, instructional expertise, contextualized lesson planning, awareness of college- and career-readiness standards, ensuring student outcomes for the program).  The possibility of co-teaching with another teacher who may be more experienced in classroom management or contextualized instruction would be very helpful for the less experienced teacher.

PD from “the Ground Up” in Rhode Island:  RI researched credentialing models 10 years ago and decided against implementing it due to the PT nature of the workforce without any increase in pay. Instead, RI’s Professional Development Center offers informal PD based on teacher PD plans. Teachers choose an area for improvement and select from a menu of options for pursuing it, based on the goal of improving student outcomes.

Chris writes:  … our organization has been committed to full-time staff as much as possible, as funding allows, for over 10 years. It’s made it possible for staff to commit to PD well, and full time teachers serve as “lead teachers” to guide and mentor part-time or new employees. It makes a huge difference in serving our learners, and creates an engaging environment where teachers love to share ideas with one another … it did influence our collaboration among teachers … We are paid to observe each other, with the goal of finding an aspect of “good practice” we can gain from each other. In fact we have PD hours built into our pay, which obviously is so worthwhile!

Next Steps

Moderator Jackie Taylor invited participants to share their vision for the adult education profession and some next steps for policy and practice.

David Rosen offered his vision for the profession, including a shift from a mostly PT to a mostly FT teacher workforce with living wages and benefits, genuine career pathways for adult educators with opportunities for advancement, and stackable microcredentials that could lead to full certification and licensing. Please see David’s post for his full set of recommendations and next steps.

Anurag Sagar, Cynthia Campbell, and Chris Bourret agreed and added that teachers, as the front lines of the field, should be at the decision-making table for their programs and professional development.

From Anurag: My experience as program administrator and coach proved to me (if I had any doubts) how invaluable their ideas were and how much stronger and better our team became by including their vision, thus benefiting everyone in the process.  We saw this in enhanced levels of professional satisfaction and equally importantly, in programmatic outcomes.

Chris emphasized a bottom-up collaborative approach to teacher professional development; for state administrators to tie funding to more FT positions in adult education; and for all of us to better educate decision makers about how successful adult education is and a critical partner in helping more learners succeed in their educational and work goals.

Cynthia added that professional development should be seen and practiced as much more than “workshops.” She reminded us that professional development should be more diverse, to allow for the affective domain of teacher learning as well as to address the diverse needs of teachers.

From Cynthia: Other components of teacher development should be part of a holistic professional development plan including mentoring, action research, and study circles…We will not changes teachers' practice by lecturing to them about progressive methods.

Edward Latham emphasized structural changes needed to the adult education system that can help teachers and students become more successful. Edward describes his recommendations for system changes, including meaningful intake processes and tracking success, student evaluation system(s) that rely on student produced evidence of learning, and evidence-based practices authored by teachers and less so by for-profit publishers.

From Edward: …our current system is still locked into a group processing and progression system that is based almost entirely on behavioral compliance and seat time. For adult education teachers and programs to really be able to help adult learners find and maximize the passions every individual has, our structure of education needs to shift.

Jackie Taylor suggested a “no excuses” approach -- that we not wait until we get significant increases in funding to support these changes. She encouraged us to turn roadblocks into road maps to success. This could include a detailed study of model programs, the steps they took, when they took them, and the results along the way.

Please let me know what I've missed or what needs revision. Feel free to email me direct.

Jackie Taylor, Moderator

Evidence-based Professional Development COP

jackie@jataylor.net

@jataylor10

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you to Dr. Anurag Sagar, our guest facilitator, for facilitating our robust discussions last week of Doing It All: Successes and Challenges in Teaching Adult Education! Thank you to Program Management COP Moderator David Rosen and to all who participated. We would like to conclude this conversation with two very important questions.

Oftentimes when online discussions take place, some individuals jot down one or more ideas that they’d like to implement. But in general, clear action steps for the collective whole are not always articulated, leaving it difficult – at best – to move the issue forward on a broad scale. We’d like for your help to (re)ignite the conversation about policy and practice recommendations that advance adult educator career opportunities, ultimately leading to improved student outcomes.

Please take a few minutes to reply:

1.  What is your vision for the profession of adult education?

2.  What are your recommendations for policy and practice for any one (or more) of the following roles? For:

  • Teachers
  • Local Program Administrators
  • State Administrators and Staff
  • Professional Development Staff
  • Federal Administrators
  • Policy Makers
  • State and/or National Associations

Thank you again for your thoughts and your time. This has been a terrific discussion and we look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie

Jackie Taylor, Moderator

Evidence-based Professional Development COP

Thank you so much Jackie, for summarizing this discussion, which we started last week, so well.  Your summary is incredibly helpful. 

And an enormous thank you to all members of the community, who shared your thoughts on this important issue, giving so generously of your time and ideas.

One of the most important recommendations for administrators and policy makers, from my perspective as an adult literacy teacher, manager and coach, would be to ensure a place for teachers at the decision making table.  As I mentioned previously, but reiterate because I feel this so strongly.  Teachers are at the front lines of this field.  From this vantage point they are best positioned to understand what new idea/policy will be effective and which initiative is just a pie-in-the sky and doomed to failure!  They are an asset which is highly undervalued and under-appreciated; their skills, talents and knowledge are not fully utilized while new concepts are being discussed and implemented.  My experience as program administrator and coach proved to me (if I had any doubts) how invaluable their ideas were and how much stronger and better our team became by including their vision, thus benefiting everyone in the process.  We saw this in enhanced levels of professional satisfaction and equally importantly, in programmatic outcomes.

So very briefly, my recommendation: Ensure that teachers are treated as equal partners to other stakeholders in the decision making process.

Anurag

 

Hi Dr. Sagar,

I agreethat teachers need to be at the table to keep us all real.

Some thoughts for Adult Education as a field:

1. If the field is to thrive in its work and accomplish all we are being asked, we need to be able to support the teachers in compensation, supplies (too often lacking!), and professional development.

2. We need to be serious about the idea that professional development is not just workshops. Some years ago, I enjoyed a study circle, where I did receive a small stipend at the end for my work, action research, and presentation. Unfortunately, such experience is all too rare.  Other components of teacher development should be part of a holistic professional development plan including mentoring, action research, and study circles.

3. Earlier, someone noted that PD should be more content-based with useful things people can apply to their settings. I appreciate that sentiment, but I caution that we also need to account for the affective side of teacher development. Strategies are useful, but a commitment to progressive methods involves affective changes including a new understanding of teaching and a willingness to take risks in instruction. Just as we encourage our adult learners that making mistakes are a part of learning, we need to give our teachers emotional room to try new strategies with the knowledge that it will not go perfectly as first. We will not changes teachers' practice by lecturing to them about progressive methods. Also, the emphasis on testing will continue to deter more progressive methods unless you coach instructors on how to integrate both concerns into their practice. Finally, in professional development, we need to honor that fact that teachers with more experience have different needs that new teachers and plan accordingly.

Just my two cents to this.

Cynthia

Thanks to Jackie for summarizing this discussion so well, and to Dr Sagar, for suggesting that teachers be included as equal stakeholders in decision making. I would say this is especially true when it comes to building professional development. I hope that a PD system can be brought to bear in every state which encourages teacher collaboration, and a bottom-up approach at the program level, building the skills necessary for adult educators to help students succeed,  and of course, compensating teachers and program staff appropriately. A recommendation for state administrations is to somehow tie funding to more full time positions in Adult Ed. programs, and another is for all of us in the field to continue to get the word out to local and federal lawmakers how much Adult Education is successful and needed to help more learners succeed in their educational and work goals. 

Jackie, Anurag and others,

My vision for the profession of adult basic education would include:

  • A significant number of full-time teachers at every program who are able to commit to a career in adult basic education knowing that they can earn family-sustaining salaries, that their work is valued by our society, and that professional growth is part of that work
  • Genuine career paths in adult basic skills that lead to greater responsibility, and increased compensation, for teaching the most difficult students, for curriculum development and program design leadership, and for mentoring other teachers; a teaching career path that that might begin with teaching apprenticeships, or volunteer or internship positions, lead to full-time teaching positions, and, for some, to master teacher and  leadership positions at the program level, as well as to administrative positions at the state level.
  • Professional development expected as part of the work, with compensated professional development time
  • A series of well-designed, stackable micro-credentials (i.e. that can add up to full certification or licensing), built on adult basic education “industry standards”
  • A desirable field of work for talented, creative, committed teachers who continually acquire new knowledge and skills from their work experience, professional development, and systematic reflection and assessment
  • As a result, excellent teaching in all programs provided by knowledgeable, experienced, caring teachers,
  • Programs that have the resources to provide excellent learning
  • Opportunities for teachers at every level to be involved in shaping, evaluating and re-designing the professional development system
  • Classes, tutoring, and other learning opportunities available for students without their having to wait weeks, months or years.

My recommendations for policy and practice

  • Teachers and local program administrators:
    • Every adult basic education teacher and program administrator needs to see as a regular part of her or his job participation in public awareness activities and advocacy for the resources to achieve a vision like the one above.
  • State Administrators and Staff
    • State administrators need to provide incentives that make it attractive – and possible – for adult basic education programs to achieve a vision like the one above. They have the power to craft requests for proposals that reward programs that are moving toward this vision. They may have the power to persuade their state agency administrators of the importance of making adult basic education a full member of their agency, not just an education stepchild.
    • State administrators in many states need to support the development of  a new professional development system model (See Professional Developers role below)
    • In addition to including professional developers in the design of a professional development system, teachers and administrators at all levels need, if they wish, to be able to participate in the system design, to have a say in what's required, how it is required, how teachers are expected to participate, and what the rewards are for attaining certificates and credentials.
  • Professional Developers at the state level
    • Although we see our role now primarily as delivering professional development/training, our role must be enlarged to have responsibility, together with state agency leaders in adult basic education, for creating a professional development system at the state level that has a clear and desirable career path for adult basic education teachers, and one for adult basic skills administrators. For each career, there should be stackable certificates or competency-based micro-credentials that lead to adult basic education certification or licensing, and also to significantly increased compensation for attainment of these credentials.

This vision, however, cannot be achieved, and the most significant of these recommendations cannot be acted on, without significantly increased state level resources for adult basic education.

What can be achieved now at the state level? Program and state leaders, working with professional development leaders, can craft a clear and persuasive vision for improving the quality of adult basic education; with this in hand they can then secure the public (state agencies such as Education, and/or Workforce Development, and/or Community College or Higher Education, and state legislators) and private (leading charitable and corporate foundations in the state, and possibly regional foundations supporting several state efforts like these) support for achieving that vision in their state.

David J. Rosen

djrosen123@gmail.com

 

 

David,

Thank you for articulating your recommendations in such a clear and forthright manner.  I agree with everything you mention here.

 As we all acknowledge, the elephant in the room here is the critical need for higher levels of funding to support adult literacy programs.  I am really glad that this issue is being brought up in our discussions here and sincerely hope will help lead to future progress.

Anurag

I love the suggestions, David, and think I would add one more aspect to this list. Log ago, the system of education established a group-herding model that was very efficient in pushing people through a fixed program to get them prepared to process widgets of all types. Although some practices may have changed a bit since then, our current system is still locked into a group processing and progression system that is based almost entirely on behavioral compliance and seat time. For adult education teachers and programs to really be able to help adult learners find and maximize the passions every individual has, our structure of education needs to shift. This includes the following aspects:

  1. Meaningful intake processes that allow instructors to really design learning experiences that matter to the individual or group and build each experience into real life work skills and preparations. Teachers shift from dissemination of knowledge to educational mentors that help with goals, resources, experiences, and assessments. This should include establishing connections in each program to local experts in the field to facilitate connecting learners with people really doing the work that the individual aspires to do. 
  2. Appropriate and efficient tools that help facilitate the support, nurturing and tracking of successes adult learners experience as they work towards their goals that will often shift based on experiences. This removes much of the dependencies on text-based curriculum to dictate sequence and options in learning. 
  3. A student evaluation system(s) that rely on student produced evidence of learning to determine levels of success attained. This would replace outdated and inefficient practices of subjective grading, and time-based models of progression. As skills or content are demonstrated, the learner can check off progress until an identified list of standards are demonstrated and the learner is off starting their careers.
  4. Most importantly, we need an efficient system to allow real educators, acting upon existing research data, so be the main authors of our curriculum and learning resources instead of a dependency on for-profit organizations that often have profits at a much higher focus than creating educational experiences that are supported by how diverse individuals learn. Pull in just 25% of current text book funding and direct that into supporting our teaching experts in the creation and maintenance of learning resources and we would not have a shortage of funding for this shift! The main challenge is that it would take a few years to establish enough options that blanket all needs well. In medicine, doctors are often controlled by pharmaceutical companies, that model cripples many doctors from doing what needs to be done. This problem is identical to the current curriculum support system available in adult education as evidenced by the complete lack of alignment of diagnostics, learning resources, or assessments to the many research backed standards and practices that have been established for years. We have professionals in the field (and on LINCS here) capable of more efficacy and efficiency, we just need to divert some of those millions of dollars going to for-profit agencies back into our professional field. 

Many of the above options could be slipped into your suggestions (first 6 bullets) about Adult Educators need to be treated, respected and compensated as the talented professionals that they are. 

Hi David, All,

David, thank you for your very articulate description of your vision for the adult education profession and some next steps for policy and practice. I do wonder about what you wrote here:

This vision, however, cannot be achieved, and the most significant of these recommendations cannot be acted on, without significantly increased state level resources for adult basic education.

You then describe that what can be done now is some cross-sector visioning for the adult education profession.

To me, the statement that change cannot happen without significantly more funding feels like a roadblock so overwhelming that it could become a barrier to even trying.

Maybe our field should put a lens up to the model programs, carefully examine the steps they took, when they took them, and what the results were at each point along the way to improving their programs' ABE workforce. Without that level of detail, a road map to achieving the vision, whose to say that some (or many) local program and state administrators won't just throw their hands up. They might say nothing can be done without significantly increased state level resources for ABE and leave it at that. Perhaps that is what has already been happening. I encourage us to overcome roadblocks and create road maps leading to positive change for the profession, and ultimately, for our students.

Thanks again to everyone for such a thoughtful, rich, and enthusiastic discussion.

Jackie Taylor, Moderator

Evidence-based Professional Development COP

Dear colleagues,

This discussion has been incredibly rewarding and a valuable learning experience for me.  Many thanks to you all for this rich and stimulating sharing of ideas.

As Jackie mentioned, we should not let insufficient funding be a "roadblock" to progress in the field of adult education.  There were so many great ideas that were shared during the course of this discussion.  Some that struck a chord were the importance of PD in which teachers feel invested, as mentioned by Irene and Chris.  The value of encouraging teachers to teach to their area of expertise, a practice shared by DeAnn, which is getting good results at Hawkeye Community College, the importance of improved assessments and use of teaching labs that are working well in Maine, mentioned by Ed.  Another innovative model that is worth another look is the co-teaching model known as I-Best, successfully practiced in Washington State, and last, but not least we can learn from outstanding non-profits such as GPLC in Pittsburgh.  We should continue to emulate these (and other) innovative ideas in order to continue to move our field forward.

It is also equally important, as David pointed out, to make adult education a “desirable field of work with genuine career paths as well as opportunities for teachers at every level to be involved in shaping, evaluating and redesigning PD”.   It is imperative that we do this if we are truly serious about creating and maintaining a dedicated and quality workforce. This should be a call to administrators (local as well as at the state level) to create a long-term vision for the field.  Our goal must be to enhance the standing of our profession by ensuring excellent programs, a quality workforce and hand in hand with this, appropriate support for the dedicated staff of this workforce.

I hope you will continue to share your insights.

Anurag

adsagar1@yahoo.com

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for your time, enthusiasm, and rich contributions to last week's guest discussion of "Doing It All": Successes and Challenges in Teaching Adult Education. I'd like to give a special thanks to Dr. Anurag Sagar, our guest discussant, for facilitating and for sharing her passion, expertise, and experiences in adult education.

I have updated the summary to include our "visioning and next steps"  conversation held earlier this week:

Summary of "Doing It All" Guest Discussion


Please reply (by Tuesday, 10/13) by posting a comment or by emailing me direct to one or more of the following questions
(Jackie@jataylor.net). I'll use your feedback to improve future guest discussions:

1. What did you like most about this guest discussion and/or the discussion format?

2. What would you like to see changed about future guest discussions?

3. What was one (or more) of your key take-aways?

4. What would you like to see happen in follow up to this discussion?

5. What are your next steps, if any, to move the issue (of improving the adult education profession) forward?

I always enjoy learning online with you! Please keep the conversations coming so that we can continue to benefit from one another's experiences.

Sincerely,

Jackie Taylor, Moderator

Evidence-based Professional Development COP