Group members:
One reason many adults attend classes in Nonformal programs is the problem of the Minimum Daily Attendance requirement in Formal programs. Many adults work and have families and simply cannot meet the attendance requirements. Classes in community centers, libraries and other nonformal settings have lenient attendance requrements usually and are more suited to working adults and women with children.
It is unfortunate and counter-productive that women cannot bring their children to class, or that an adult center cannot provide child care. A mother going to classes is after all the shining example for her children. In my opinion, if a mother comes to one class, it should count as 5 classes!
But anyway, the solution to this problem is Distance Learning.
The attendance requirement in a Distance Learning program is pro-rated. For example, a student would need to attend only one class a week for the teacher to check on the homework assigned, for example.
Usually Distance Learning included videos produced by an Educational agency.
But things have changed a lot with the advent of technology. There should be no problem with assigning lessons online using any and all websites that serve the purpose of the class. That is to say, it does not really matter how a student learns a certain subject or topic. E-books are abundant and any teacher can also create his or her own website and texts, cds, and dvds. Now, with mobile devices, adult education can in fact be made much more convenient for everybody.
I look forward to hearing from those involved in Nonformal, community based adult education programs so that eventually we may form a network of resource and idea sharing.
Paul
Comments
Paul,
Distance learning and blended learning are an area where there are, to me at least, clear differences between nonformal adult basic skills education and formal adult basic skills education. There is flexibility in nonformal adult basic skills programs. However, for programs that receive federal public funding there are specific regulations about how attendance hours are counted for using online learning units. Last I knew, an adult basic skills program needed to use a state-approved online distance learning product where attendance hour equivalency for online learning units had been determined and approved already or, in cases where states have an articulated (and OCTAE-approved?) policy, new online products could demonstrate that they had followed it in determining the equivalence of completion of units of instruction and attendance hours, and submit their evidence for state approval..
I haven't kept up with those policies, so things may have changed -- or perhaps will change with new WIOA regulations. I would appreciate hearing from Adult Distance Learning colleagues who have kept up with the question of how states determine attendance equivalence for distance learning. Please reply here or, if you prefer, email me.
David J. Rosen
Moderator, Technology and Learning CoP
djrosen123@gmail.com
David, I understand that there are certain state-approved materials that must be used in a formal program.
But, at the same time, providing other online materials as supplements would greatly enhance any program.
In some cases “unapproved” course materials may be superior to that offered by the government offices.
If the materials are only those approved of in an “official” capacity, then by definition these materials become outdated due to the constant innovations in the field of technology and education.
Another point that could be raised is – what are the criteria used to declare something “official”? Or – what steps are necessary for an innovative product to be considered for inclusion?
I think that this issue is very important because it addresses the root cause of the lack of government support for Nonformal programs, where funding is needed so badly. And I think that it is not helpful to the needs of adult education in general.
Paul
Hi, David.
The latest published policy I can find is in the following NRS doc: http://www.nrsweb.org/docs/NRS_Implementation_Guidelines_February2016.pdf. A quick search using "distance" as a search term shows this policy has remained unchanged since the last OVAE published a revision/clarification about assessment timing for DL students in 2008. I also rechecked the WIOA legislation for specific language on Distance and found no new restrictions.
Hours can be counted in three ways, as presented as follows on pags 48-49 of the implementation guidelines:
Note that "approved" curricula are determined at the state level largely because of the effort required to vet quality and determine proxy hours for online content. This is indeed a restriction of content used for formal instruction in programs that want to count hours. I should note that MN is experimenting with developing a process to vet and approve teacher created content for proxy hour award. This step recognizes that importance of tightly integrating online content to in-class instructional content for hybrid instructional models (i.e., a class Moodle course) and simply because there is not adequate or affordable proprietary content developed for highly specialized topics or courses offered in ABE career pathways programs.
If anyone has more current info or other policy docs, I'd love to see them
Jen
Thanks, Jen, your information implies that a DL program can be started up in a Library, community center, etc. and that a certain number of people need to register…and then the Nonformal class can be funded? Then we just need some child-care and the needs of a very important group of people can be met.
Also, at the same time, a teacher can recommend additional online programs or lessons from sources that are not on the “authorized” list….as long as the authorized material is used. Right?
Very interesting, we may change the usual way of doing things yet!
Paul
I guess I'm confused about what you mean by "informal". If the DL program is administered by an approved ABE provider in the state and it complies with the State's DL policy it is likely a "formal" ABE program. Educational opportunities outside of this context will have a hard time getting federal/state ABE money for "informal" online learning.
Jen and group members, so the question is - what is the definition of 'approved'.
To recap: Nonformal refers to adult education programs that are non-credit and not funded by the government, and usually do not meet the attendance requirements as stated in the Minimum Daily Attendance rule for “live” classes, in a classroom. These nonformal classes are held in libraries, community centers, and other CBOs/NGOs – non-profit agencies.
Distance Learning programs do not use the same attendance requirements. And – although the curriculum must follow the government regulations, there is no rule that says that supplemental materials cannot be used.
So the issue is – can non-credit Distance Learning programs in nonformal agencies qualify for government funding?
Or – if not, how can they qualify - or get approval?
Paul
Hi Paul,
You have referred in several of your posts to a "Minimum Daily Attendance" requirement. I am not sure, but this may only be required in some states. We need clarification on that. Anyone, what are the attendance requirements for formal adult basic skills programs in your state?
There are both formal and nonformal distance learning programs. Formal adult basic skills distance learning programs in most states, perhaps all, do need to use state adult basic skills agency approved curricula if they want public funding. Some that offer high school diploma programs may need to have these approved by a different state agency. However, as you know, there are nonformal distance learning programs, some accessed by computer through the use of web-based courses or curricula, some accessed by cell phone, smartphone or other portable digital devices
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
Thanks Jen for this quick and very useful reply.
For the benefit of those who may not be familiar with formal (publicly funded and regulated) adult basic skills programs, they receive federal funding through Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and often also state funding. I believe that these funds can only be accessed through succeeding in a state-held grants competition. In many states this is highly competitive, and programs that succeed must demonstrate that they have complied with the requirements laid out in the RFP in order to continue to get public funding. In a few states, where there is multi-year funding, these requests for proposals (RFPs) are not issued every year.
Jen, It looks like the relevant part of the NRS document you pointed out to us, http://www.nrsweb.org/docs/NRS_Implementation_Guidelines_February2016.pdf is on page 48. I have copied it below. I wonder if anyone has questions about what these regulations mean.
Measuring Contact Hours for Learners in Distance Education
Students in distance education (defined below under Student Participation Measure #2) must have at least 12 hours of contact with the program before they can be counted for federal reporting purposes. Contact hours for distance learners can be a combination of actual contact and contact through telephone, video, teleconference or online communication, where student and program staff can interact and through which learner identity is verifiable.
Optional Reporting of Proxy Contact Hours
States may, but are not required, to report proxy hours of time students spent on distance learning activities. States providing distance education that want to measure and report proxy contact hours for these students must develop a state distance education policy that describes the following.
States must develop proxy contact hours using one of the following models. *
O Clock Time Model, which assigns contact hours based on the elapsed time that a learner is connected to, or engaged in an online or stand alone software program that tracks time.
O Teacher Verification Model, which assigns a fixed number of hours of credit for each assignment based on teacher determination of the extent to which a learner engaged in, or completed, the assignment.
O Learner Mastery Model, which assigns a fixed number of hours of credit based on the learner passing a test on the content of each lesson. Learners work with the curriculum and materials and when they feel they have mastered the material, take a test. A high percentage of correct answers (typically 70%-80%) earns the credit hours attached to the material.
______________________
* See Project Ideal (2005), Working Paper No. 2 Measuring Contact Hours and Learner Progress in Distance Education Programs, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, for further information on the use and development of these models.
David J. Rosen
Moderator, Technology and Learning Community of Practice
Djrosen123@gmail.com
Government support for Nonformal DL programs
David and group members, if I read this correctly, then…a library, community center, church, or any agency sponsoring classes for adults via a DL program that meets the stated requirements can be eligible for funds.
I think that it is quite possible for a Nonformal program to organize classes through DL that would actually be met with a lot of enthusiasm in the communities it serves.
This is very good news!
Paul
Hi Paul,
Getting public funds for an adult basic skills program is not just a question of eligibility; these grants are often highly competitive, proposals are rated, and programs compete for limited funds. Also, not every state funds distance learning, and those that do may have additional requirements or special distance learning initiatives. The best advice I can give for nonformal education programs that seek public funding is to get a copy of the state adult basic skills RFP for the currently-funded cycle and look at it well before a new RFP is issued. Plan ahead carefully. Attend the "bidders conference" for the RFP once it is announced. In some states, as you have suggested, programs can collaborate and seek funding together; this may be required, or extra points may be awarded for programs that do this. The first time I applied for a state grant for a small not-for-profit program, many years ago, I didn't fully understand the regulations and did not get funded, but applying opened the door for discussion with the funding source and for me to better learn what was required, and the next year I applied and succeeded.
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
David – Instead of competition we should focus on cooperation so that a Formal Adult Ed center could work with Nonformal agencies to write joint grant applications for funding from the government and also from private foundations under the auspices of a County Literacy Council.
One way to look at it is – imagine that someone wants to donate one million dollars to a community college but only under the condition that it share the funds with the library, community centers, and churches that offer classes in ESL in a Distance Learning course.
Hypothetically, the CC would be responsible for the distribution of funds, testing, reporting, etc., while the library would house the hard copies of texts, CDs and DVDs, and the Community Centers would be responsible for outreach and community based fund-raising.
Now we just need to reverse the process. Right now there could be summits in every community of all the organizations that provide adult education classes to begin the process of becoming a council for literacy and applying for grants – and working together.
Distance Learning implies this kind of cooperation, especially if we are trying to reach out to the other 90% of adults who are eligible for classes but cannot or do not attend for various reasons.
The time is very ripe for a cooperative approach, and I hope we can have some fruitful discussions to “get the ball rolling”.
Paul
Hi Paul,
Competition for public funding is a given. States are required to hold an open and competitive bidding process for public adult basic skills funds. However, in some states, during some periods, there has also been collaboration, sometimes even state-required collaboration among agencies in a geographic area where, in order to get these funds, programs have had to show they are working together closely to offer a full range of services to students.
Researching the Rules for Public Funding
An eligible program not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) program that does not receive public funds needs to research what the rules are in its state, to know if collaboration is mandated or encouraged. Here's how. Every state has a designated State Education Agency (SEA) to receive federal adult education funds and this is usually also the agency that administers state adult basic skills funds. In some states this is the agency that administers Elementary and Secondary Education, in Massachusetts for example, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; in others it may be the agency that administers workforce development funds, for example in Texas, the Texas Workforce Commission ; in other states it might be the agency that administers higher education or community college public funds, for example in North Carolina the North Carolina Basic Skills Program of the
North Carolina Community College System.
How can you find out what the state agency is in your state that administers public adult basic skills funds? One way is to go to the U.S. Department of education State Contacts webpage. Find your state, let's say California, then scroll down to the State Adult Education Agency, in this case the California Department of Education's Career and College Transition Division.
[Note, that while this U.S. Department of Education web page often has the correct information, not always. In my state, for example, it lists the agency responsible for the state adult basic skills hotline instead of the state agency responsible for adult basic skills funding. However, if you contacted the hotline agency they would would easily be able to tell you the correct state adult basic skills funding agency.]
The State RFP for adult Basic Skills Funding
Next, go to the website of your state agency that administers adult basic skills. For example, in my state, Massachusetts, the unit in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that administers federal and state funds for adult basic skills is called Adult and Community Learning Services. On that website you could find the adult basic skills RFP for 2013-2017 (Massachusetts is perhaps unique in offering a five-year Request for Proposals.) You can read the current RFP and find out the rules. In some states, mine for example, the RFP is complicated, requires careful studying, and perhaps some assistance from a state official in interpreting the regulations. Don't be shy. Contact a staff member from your state agency, make an appointment after reading the RFP, and come to the meeting with a list of questions.
Here's an example: Suppose you are in Pennsylvania. Researching the U.S. Department of Education site shows you that your state adult basic skills agency is the Bureau of Postsecondary and Adult Education Pennsylvania Department of Education and that its web site address is http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/higher_education/8711 Unfortunately that web address only brings you to the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. You will have to type in the search box "adult basic education". This brings you to this webpage http://www.education.pa.gov/Postsecondary-Adult/Adult%20and%20Family%20Literacy%20Education/Pages/default.aspx where you can find Adult Basic and Family Literacy Education Regulations a useful overview. You also see Grant Administration with further information and a link to the e-Grants web-based grant application system. There you may learn that to access this system your program needs to be licensed. And so on....
These regulations differ from state to state. In some states they are more complicated than others. In some cases the state web pages are well designed and finding the information you need may be easy. In others, you may need to contact someone in your state adult basic skills agency for help in navigating their webpages to get the information you need.
I hope this is helpful for adult basic skills nonformal not-for-profit 501(c) organizations, public schools, higher education institutions and other organizations that are eligible to apply for public adult basic skills funds.
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
Hi Jen, Paul and others,
From the comments I have been getting by email it looks like this Distance Learning (DL) policy is the current one. However, states differ greatly in how they administer DL programs, so a nonformal education program needs to: be eligible to apply for public funding, successful in competing for grant funds, understand state policy on DL, and then also know how state policy is currently administered. In one state, for example, contact hours once drove the funding formula, making proxy hours important. Now, however, under a different administration, proxy hours don’t matter. As one practitioner wrote me, "Getting students engaged with tech and DL really does matter and not worrying about proxy hours means my program has greater flexibility in engaging students in the tech/DL space."
My point is that especially with distance learning and blended learning, states have variations in their policies, so a program needs to understand what the policy is for the state it operates in.
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
David and group members, in seeking grants for Distance Learning programs, I am advocating that agencies that offer adult education classes should collaborate and apply for joint grants not only from the government but also from private foundations, such as the Gates Foundation.
I believe that developing area-wide Distance Learning programs involving collaboration between community colleges, libraries, CBOs (community based organizations), churches, etc. would not only be more effective but also more attractive to the funders.
Paul
Paul, David, and Jen, you have provided ample ground for exploring opportunities to services to adult learners to be delivered at a distance. Hopefully, distance ed opportunities will continue to grow, with increasing approval from gov funders.
It is true that federal-government funding has really stressed collaboration in the past few years. Yet, at least in Southwest Colorado, the competition for funds is usually fierce. For example, it would make sense for school districts, community colleges, and non-profitAdult Ed providers to join hands with each other and with correctional institutions and county agencies, each providing a different service to adult learners. Instead, the tendency is to compete. In the past, for example, school districts in the Four Corners region used to share PPOR (Per Pupil Operational Revenue) with the Adult Ed program serving two counties in a vast, multicultural, rural population. Now, districts no longer share funding even though Adult Ed programs provide all services to HS dropouts after the "count date" in October.
Yes, collaboration is ideal and much more successful in urban areas, especially affluent urban areas. I am currently learning toward promoting collaboration between businesses and Adult Ed. That appears to be taking off a bit in this poor region of the US. Any ideas out there on successful practices between businesses and Adult Ed on behalf of adult learners?
Paul,
Such collaboration is happening in rural MN. In one example, several ABE programs close to a central community/technical college pool learners to make sure there is ample opportunity for DL. They even do intake on the college campus.
Such collaboration is possible. I've observed that it happens when key people recognized a shared need and get to know each other at professional meetings, conferences, etc.
Jen
HI, Jen. How does that work? Do students enroll at the college and are then referred to different Adult Ed programs? Is attendance kept or do services come from nonformal groups, other than the college? Thanks for commenting on a successful collaborative project. Leecy