COABE 2013: Program Management and Related Sessions

A Conversation with a Funder:  Straight from a representative from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation--what a funder looks for in a successful grant proposal. Get some helpful grant writing tips and learn how to develop and maintain relationships with funders.

Developing Teacher Confidence in Integrating 21^st Century Skills into Instruction: 

To meet 21st Century demands, classes need to incorporate digital literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, self-management and more. A statewide professional development initiative called ACES (Academic, Career & Employability Skills) to encourage ABE instructors to integrate 21st Century skills at all levels of ABE instruction is presented. The professional development includes a Transitions Integration Framework, workshops, mentoring, peer observations, and online discussions. Participants will practice using the framework, experience elements of the professional development program, and reflect on how they might adopt portions of the project for their state.

Aligning Adult Education with the Common Core State Standards: 

Participants will become familiar with the Common Core State Standards and their implications for adult education. The presenters will give a brief history of the process that Illinois went through to align its ABE/ASE content standards to the Common Core State Standards. The presenters will guide participants through an NRS Leveling Activity which incorporates Bloom's Revised Taxonomy and provides insight into the rigor necessary for success in the 21st century. Participants will also gain experience into the process of bringing standards-based instruction into the adult education classroom.

Raising the Stakes: Making Adult Education Relevant in Indiana: 

Indiana has developed a comprehensive, performance-based approach to delivering adult education and workforce training. Adult education is seen as an integral component to workforce and economic development regionally, statewide, and nationally. This session will use the College to Completion Toolkit as a way to frame the many significant changes Indiana has made to their adult education delivery system and will include an interactive activity where participants can do some action planning for their own programs.

1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Georgia’s Essential Knowledge Project for Adult Educators: Professional Development: 

Essential Knowledge project, which was undertaken by the Georgia Office of Adult Education at the request of regional program directors, sought to develop a learning process that would ensure that all teachers in the state operate from a shared knowledge base and that new teachers have a ready resource to acquire the knowledge they need to succeed in their classroom. This presentation addresses the following five major steps of the project: 1) conceptualizing and defining essential knowledge; 2) designing a system for delivering essential knowledge; 3) developing the materials needed for learning and testing; 4) installing and managing the system; and 5) testing outcomes and further considerations.

LINCS: An Overview of National Projects, Resources, and Communities of Practice: 

The Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) provides a variety of resources and services through its Resource Collection, Communities of Practice, and Regional Professional Development Centers. Participants will be introduced to each of these components as well as current and upcoming OVAE initiatives, resources, and opportunities. Discover new resources and tools and hear the latest information for initiatives such as Learning to Achieve (L2A), the Adult Numeracy Initiative (ANI), and Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy (TEAL).

Open Educational Resources to Support Adult STEM Teaching and Learning: 

As the national economy expands in areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the teaching of this content has become vital for adults to succeed in the workplace. In this presentation, we will share information about the OVAE-funded project titled, Open Educational Resources (OERs) to Support Adult STEM Teaching and Learning, including our work to engage educators in using STEM resources for adult learners, a tool to evaluate OERs, and professional development to enhance the use of OERs to teach math and science. We will discuss with the audience how educators use OERs, where they find high quality online math and science resources, and how they communicate about them.

3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

The Federal Budget Process and Implications for Adult Education (and What You Can Do About It!)

The federal budget process (both in theory and practice) is growing in importance as Congress and the Administration place all eyes on addressing the federal debt. This session will provide an easy-to-understand overview of the federal budget process, an update on the current status of debt reduction negotiations and budget decisions, the likely implications of these decisions for adult education and advocacy strategies that you can use to provide your input on budget decisions and help communicate the value of adult education to our country’s economic recovery.

Leadership Excellence Academies (LEA)-Professional Development for Adult Education Program Managers:

Already serving over 900 Adult Education Program Managers in 21 states, the Leadership Excellence Academies offers a national credential in program improvement (Certified Manager in Program Improvement-CMPI) that helps managers put into place a research based process and structure for continuous improvement in Adult Education Programs to assist programs in better serving adults. Many of them have had limited or no preparation for the complex tasks of leading, planning, implementing, and evaluating adult education services. That is why the professional development of local program managers is critical to program improvement and the quality of service. And that is why the National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium (NAEPDC) and ProLiteracy have joined forces to develop the Leadership Excellence Academies.

The Entrepreneurial Future of Adult Basic Education: 

Though many Adult Basic Education programs continue to enjoy state and federal government funding streams, there is a growing concern about the sustainability of these monies. More and more administrators are looking outside the traditional streams of funding to sustain and grow programming. In this session we will examine innovative ways to respond to this concern without compromising our mission. Topics will include consulting, fee for service programming, partnerships and much more. Come to this session to get in on the ground floor of the entrepreneurial revolution in our field.

Tuesday, March 26

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

#AdultEd Twitter Town Hall With Assistant Secretary Brenda Dan Messier:

Join Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann Messier in an interactive event following her keynote address. The Assistant Secretary will be joined by Cheryl Keenan, Director of Adult Education and Literacy, to discuss adult education issues facing programs, practitioners, and students. It is not mandatory to use Twitter to participate in the event, but participants are encouraged to bring a personal communication device to actively participate in the session. A personal device makes this a unique opportunity to pose questions shared by your social media followers, respond, increase following, and raise awareness of adult education nationwide. Follow the Twitter conversation via #adulted @NCLAdvocacy or @COABEnews. Or, follow on Facebook at National Coalition for Literacy.

Teaching Students with Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues:  Training Your Faculty:

Participants can replicate and customize this model of a professional development workshop at Everett Community College to help faculty understand symptoms, medications and treatment of mental illness and substance abuse of their ABE/ESL students as well as how to increase those students’ opportunities for success in the classroom. Utilizing your students and collaborating with local professional MI/SA providers, you can adapt this model to your own needs and resources. Two instructors and one counselor offer best practices for reducing stress and increasing success. Participants will add to this tool kit of instructional strategies by sharing their own experiences and resources.

Book Clubs for Everyone: 

This session is going to explore uses of Book Clubs in Ohio ABLE. We have been doing book clubs with our staff as Professional Development. Teachers are sharing how they are doing book clubs in their classes and Administrators are using book clubs as staff development. The book club format has really been around for a long time. There are actually many variations on the same theme—a reader has much to gain by reading the same thing as others (fellow students or the like) and then by talking about what was read with them.

Fail-Safe Success Model for the Varying Needs and Goals of the Adult Student:

Adult Success - what should a learning system built for adults success look like? The adult learner needs to experience success immediately and frequently if they are to remain in our programs. Discover a system approach that allows for personalizing instruction to ensure success. Learn the Principles of Accelerated Learning and how they look in action. Hear from your colleagues how the varying needs of each level of student can be successfully met through this model. Four different instructional programs will be used to illustrate how to guarantee success for low-level and non-readers (NRS Level 1 & 2); students struggling on the 4th and 5th grade level (NRS Level 3); the GED® test prep student (NRS Levels 4-6); and students developing Transition Skills. Discover an approach that enables instructors to ensure success in small steps at all educational levels, for any learning goal.

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Federal Level Public Policy and Advocacy Updates: 

Join us for an interactive feature session on advocating for adult education and family literacy. National presenters will give federal level updates and discuss how policy can be the catalyst for change, what’s needed, and what we can do about it. Issues to explore include federal funding, WIA reauthorization, immigration and integration, jobs and related initiatives, OVAE’s public policy priorities in 2013, and more.

Promising Persistence Strategies: Ideas from Research and Practice: 

Nationwide, 44% of adult education students drop out before completing at least one level or outcome. This session will highlight what the field has been discovering as it grapples with the need to improve learner persistence. We will consider research done in adult education contexts, strategies investigated by the New England Learner Persistence Project, and approaches emerging from community college settings. We’ll also take a look at classroom activities and practices that can build persistence and resilience. Participants will have an opportunity to use a program self-assessment to identify the strategies that would make the most sense in their own program contexts.

New Teacher Induction in Adult Education: 

New adult education (AE) teachers face many challenges, including limited systematic supports for building their skills and knowledge base. New teacher induction models offer a mechanism to help advance (a) adult education teacher effectiveness, and (b) adult education student success. The Teacher Effectiveness project (funded by OVAE) is developing a new AE teacher induction model. In this interactive session the project team will present the design and main features of the model, and will seek the input and comment of participants into the resources needed to support new teacher induction in AE programs.

Survey Says!  The Power of Asking Questions: 

The power to transform your ABE program is at your fingertips when surveys are conducted and the results are tabulated, interpreted, and implemented. Surveys can help your program drive continuous program improvement measures if you collect the right information from the right audiences.

1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

An Interactive Tour of the LINCS Community:  Online professional learning and sharing for Adult Education Practitioners: 

Join us in an interactive tour of the online LINCS Community, led by members of the community’s leadership team, including the manager and subject matter experts! Current and new members are encouraged to bring their laptops and tablets to join their peers and leaders nationwide in engaging conversations. Participants will learn how the platform allows for professional learning and sharing among adult educators, within discussion groups centered on the 16 LINCS Resource Collection topic areas. The team will also demonstrate how the community supports national and regional professional development efforts. The LINCS Community was launched in 2012 by the U.S. Department of Education.

Mining for AE Gold in Indiana: 

How does a statewide reimbursement formula impacts the adult education system at the local level? Discover how one adult education program has modified recruitment, orientation, attendance, retention, and distance learning in order to develop high performing long term learners in a short term environment.

3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

What Makes Good Adult Education in the 21^st Century?

Based on the belief that every student deserves high quality, effective teaching, what do we mean by teacher effectiveness in adult education? Given the proliferation of technology and other resources now available, how do we define "effective" teaching of adults? What knowledge and skills do instructors need in order to improve student learning? Join us in the interactive discussion session on the 'Twelve Questions to Promote Teacher Effectiveness.'

The Examination of Motivation… An Entertaining View…

"If you want to make things happen, the ability to motivate yourself and others is a crucial skill. At work, home, and everywhere in between, people use motivation to get results." (Pick the Brain) Attendees will explore the "art of motivation" and where their motivation comes from. "Do you have the right stuff to be effective in a 21st Century Adult Education Classroom?? Shared ideas along with trials, errors and successes will be included. Participants will leave with a renewed sense of purpose and a genuine confidence in their ability to motivate not only others but themselves.

Shining the Light on Instructional Practices in the ABE Classroom: A Statewide Initiative

The Ohio Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) Program has undertaken a multi-year and multi-pronged approach to understanding the instructional practices of ABE teachers in the state. We will share findings from the statewide teacher survey, formal classroom observations and teacher focus groups that explored the supports and challenges to implementing best practices in the ABE classroom. We will share protocols for training observers and conducting observations and discuss the process and findings to date.

Adult Education Teacher Competencies: 

The Teacher Effectiveness project (funded by OVAE) joined COABE last year to present information about the goals of the project, the resources under development and to receive participant comment on the Draft Adult Education Instructor Competencies it is developing. This year we will provide participants with an update on the activities of the project and the progress of the competencies revision. Participants will have the opportunity to provide input into the development of the examples in practice that have been drafted to support understanding of the competencies.

Wednesday, March 27

9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Developing an Academic Coaching Program: 

Extra! Extra! Learn all about developing an Academic Coaching Program! What is Academic Coaching? How do I organize a program and training? Is there an organization that certifies Academic Coaches? Don’t miss this fun, interactive session, marketing tips and giveaways! • Learn about Academic Coaching • Learn strategies to develop a program and training • Explore an organization that certifies Academic Coaches

How Pennsylvania Used Teacher Coaches to Implement the National Career Awareness Project:

Pennsylvania used the Integrating Career Awareness into the ABE and ESOL Classroom curriculum as the content to implement one example of job embedded professional development with the support of Teacher Coaches. Utilizing.  ProLiteracy and World Education’s online course, they were able to build a broad capacity in the field by incorporating teacher coaches to support the integration of the curriculum at the classroom level.

Utilizing Role Playing in the Adult Learner Classroom and in Program Staff Development:

Explore how to utilize improvisational theater techniques in role playing as tools for problem solving and language development in ABE, ESOL or College Transition classrooms, in a professional development activity or even to heighten organizational or community awareness around important issues. Discover how you can enhance your teaching, facilitating, and presenting skills as you actively participate in theater games and scenario development. Theater experience not required.

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

What did I learn? An Assessment of Reading Professional Development: 

Teachers who provide reading instruction for adults have an understanding of instructional practices but may have some content knowledge gaps. In this session, participants will examine a research-based pre/post assessment instrument that instructors and trainers can use to measure gains from professional development. Presentation will include hands on experimentation with the assessment and practical issues with administration and scoring, plus a discussion about the use of the assessment for professional development.

1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Designing Diverse Events for AEFL Week – Examples from Programs: 

Join this interactive session to hear local program examples of activities designed to raise public awareness, engage policymakers and the press, and raise program funds during National Adult Education & Family Literacy Week. Get case study examples, share your strategies or ideas, and create a plan to participate in AEFL Week 2013.

The Impact of  Earning an Adult Education Credential on Instructional and Student Outcomes:

This session is a follow-up to the 2012 COABE session, Teacher Perceptions: The Value of Earning a Credential. In the 2012 session researchers shared preliminary results from the first two phases of a three phase study designed to examine the outcomes associated with earning a Credential in adult education. Phases I and II focused on teacher reported perceptions regarding the value of earning a Credential. This follow-up session focuses on preliminary findings from the final phase of the study in which researchers examined data from the state accountability system for adult education to confirm the extent to which teacher reported outcomes were present.

Building Benchmarks and Metrics for High Quality Career Pathways: An Adult Education Perspective:

The use of career pathways is growing, but how can we recognize quality? Participants will get a first look at the Alliance for Quality Career Pathways’ framework of benchmarks and metrics for high quality career pathways and get an opportunity to provide feedback from an adult education perspective.

The National External Diploma Program (NEDP) – An Innovative High School Completion Option:

The NEDP - a national performance-based assessment program, awards a traditional high school diploma to adults who have acquired high school level abilities through life experiences. This overview will present the new web-based version (release: Fall2012) and how it prepares students to transition to post-secondary education and careers.

3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Recharge Your Career with COABE’s New “Graduate Studies” Portal: 

Join us to explore the new Adult Education Degree and Credentialing Programs Portal, developed by COABE in partnership with the AAACE, American Institutes for Research, COLLO, NAEPDC, and TESOL International Association. Containing 400+ unique listings, this Portal is an interactive, one-stop online resource connecting you to higher education degree programs in adult education that best meet your professional learning needs.

Purposeful Planning of Professional Development to Facilitate Transitions from GED to Postsecondary:

This session will illuminate the characteristics of high-quality sustained professional development (HQSPD) in order to assist participants in planning for the purposeful selection of professional development that is most likely to assist teachers in helping students to transition from GED to postsecondary education. Participants will discuss the features representative of professional development that has the capacity to allow teachers to move from learning to transformation. Finally, participants will explore ways to enhance existing professional development in order to increase its quality so that it is elevated to the status of HQSPD.

Shifting a Professional Development System: PA’s Three Pillars of Change: 

This session will describe how Pennsylvania’s Professional Development System’s Consultation and Facilitation project is shifting the responsibility for job-embedded professional development to individual agencies. The presentation will visit the three pillars that are essential to the change of the professional development system.