2nd Annual 18 Holes on the LINCS

Thanks Chrissie for sharing your expertise on this challenging hole. All of these are amazing suggestions of things that should be on our radar screen (or on your golf card) as we navigate life after incarceration. Well done.

HI. Welcome to the 2nd Hole a short, but testy Par 3. Over the past two years three letters has been on the minds of many working in the correctional and reentry education arena. "IET" The object of this hole is to relay a challenge or success story in applying the Integrated Education & Training Model. 

Here's a bit more about what an IET:

Fundamentals of IET Programs

Overview
WIOA and the final regulations established by the U.S. Department of Education in 2016 outline the definition and requirements of IET programs. 

Section 203 of WIOA defines an IET program as:  “…a service approach that provides adult education and literacy activities concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation activities and workforce training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster for the purpose of educational and career advancement.”  

To meet the requirements, IET programs must integrate the delivery of the three required activities: adult education and literacy activities, workforce preparation activities, and workforce training activities for a specific occupation or occupational cluster. An IET must be part of a career pathway that leads to educational and career advancement and is aligned with the state’s Adult Education Content Standards.  

While IET programs must comply with the WIOA law and regulations, states can add policies that further shape IET design and implementation. The information, processes, and tools presented in this toolkit are designed to work in conjunction with your state’s policy and technical assistance efforts. If you encounter a conflict between the information in the IET Toolkit and your state’s policy, you should defer to state policy.  

Purpose
This section presents additional information about the WIOA requirements for IET programs. 

The Three Required Components of IET Programs

WIOA requires IET programs to integrate adult education and literacy activities, workforce preparation activities, and workforce training activities with appropriate intensity and quality while supporting participant learning and career planning. The IET program uses a single set of learning objectives to facilitate the contextualization of basic skills and workforce preparation into training skills. The three components of integrated education and training must be provided concurrently as well as contextually (integrated). To be considered an IET program, the components cannot be provided sequentially. 

Below is an overview of each of the three required activities, which are described in the WIOA regulations at 39 CFR Part 463 Subpart D. Click on the plus signs below for more information about each activity.

IET Component Integration

WIOA requires that the services of IET be provided concurrently and contextually, meaning that the adult education and literacy activities, workforce preparation activities, and workforce training activities are:

• Each of sufficient intensity and quality 
• Based on the most rigorous research available, particularly with respect to improving reading, writing, mathematics, and English proficiency of eligible individuals 
• Simultaneously occurring within the overall scope of the IET program 
• Using occupationally relevant instructional materials

This integration is organized through a single set of learning objectives that align the IET program’s specific adult education content standards, workforce preparation skills, and workforce training competencies. 

Educational and Career Advancement

The purpose of IET programs is to support learners’ educational and career advancement. An IET program achieves that purpose if:   

1-The adult education component of the program is aligned with the state’s content standards for adult education as described in the State’s WIOA state plan (34 CFR § 463.38); and  

2-The integrated education and training program is part of a career pathway. WIOA defines a career pathways as “a combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training, and other services that—

(A) aligns with the skill needs of industries in the economy of the State or regional economy involved; 

(B) prepares an individual to be successful in any of a full range of secondary or postsecondary education options;

(C) includes counseling to support an individual in achieving the individual’s education and career goals; 

(D) includes, as appropriate, education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation activities and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster; 

(E) organizes education, training, and other services to meet the particular needs of an individual in a manner that accelerates the educational and career advancement of the individual to the extent practicable; 

(F) enables an individual to attain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and at least 1 recognized postsecondary credential; and 

(G) helps an individual enter or advance within a specific occupation or occupational cluster” (29 U.S. Code § 3102 Definitions).

Intentionally building elements of a career pathway’s non-academic supports into your IET program will support learners’ successful participation in education and training that is relevant to the local labor market demand, resulting in their earning occupational credentials valued by employers.  

For more information, refer to OCTAE’s Integrated Education and Training (IET) Guidehttps://lincs.ed.gov/professional-development/resource-collections/profile-8850

Take a shot at the hole and join this discussion with three reasons why an IET model should be implemented in the correctional setting and add any advice you might have for anyone considering launching an IET Program in a correctional and reentry setting.

Hole #3 is a Par 4 because this is a tough, long hole for many to play. As men and women navigate the challenges of incarceration and reentry, survival mode often kicks in and they frequently make the choice to grab the first job that they secure and often fail to consider the job that they might love to do that can lead to a career pathway of success.

Several years ago, Google announced their Career Readiness for Reentry: Curriculum Guide of Partner Organizations. This 16 page guide takes a look at job searching, everyday tasks, job readiness, online safety, and next steps. While far from comprehensive the messaging is clear, Google recognizes the need to do more when it comes to preparing individuals for reentry after incarceration. As in the game of golf, you often need to play the game one stroke at a time. 

There are many educational resources out there that help students prepare for a career pathway after prison and for this hole I hope you can share one or two to help us get closer to the hole. 

Your caddie suggests that you check out this resource:
 

Designing and Delivering Career Pathways at Community Colleges (Practice Guide)

This practice guide provides community colleges with five specific recommendations for supporting occupational skills training through career pathways.

Resource URL

https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/27#tab-summary

Looking forward to that next shot. 

Thanks

Jeff A

Hi. Welcome to the PAR 5 (This is a really tough and long hole). We know that those traveling through our justice systems have numerous barriers when returning from prison/jail. There are over 44,000 documented barriers for returning citizens and 70% of those relate to employment. But, how about the barriers to educational achievement and success? What barriers stand in the way for those trying to achieve their GED/HSE or go on to a post-secondary degree? 

This hole requires that you think about the educational barriers for advancement and consider some solutions, resources, or advice for educators and students. I can kick this off with a relatively straight drive onto the fairway when I list digital literacy and digital access as one of those barriers. While we have come a long way over the past several years, every person behind and beyond our prison walls should be given education on how to use a computer and access to a tablet/computer for educational purposes.

If you are not familiar with the digital Equity Act, check it out. There may be funding in your state to help master this tough hole. https://www.digitalequityact.org/

Now that I got you started, jump in and take your best shot at naming some other challenges facing justice impacted students.

Thanks

It's a beautiful day for another hole and this Par 3 is a bit tricky to navigate. The issue presented today is, "Does education behind our prison walls and continuing upon reentry reduce inmate misconduct and recidivism upon release?" 

It has bee recognized that taking just one course inside of our prison walls can reduce the chances of someone returning to prison after incarceration, by as much as 43%!

https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/perspectives/PE300/PE342/RAND_PE342.pdf

However, what are the other effects of offering a robust educational or training program behind the walls and upon release? In 2017 the American Society of Criminology recognized that upon completion of college classes or GED's behind the walls during an inmate's first year of incarceration can produce significant benefits in lowering violent misconduct. 

What do you think? Take your time and with each shot add a thought or resource.

Thanks

Jeff A

Hi and welcome to the really challenging Par 4 so hang on. Picking the right club could be they key.

We have already seen on several prior holes that there are thousands of barriers facing men and women who have been impacted by our justice systems. With the overreliance on incarceration and policing as a response to drug use and mental health in America, many people in our educational classrooms behind and beyond our prison walls face substance and abuse disorders. It is estimated that:

60% of the US Prison population has an active substance use disorder or was incarcerated for a crime involving drug or alcohol abuse;

37% of people in state and federal prisons have been diagnosed with a mental illness;

44% of people in county jails have been diagnosed with mental illness.

On this hole we are taking a shot at what things adult instructors should know about addiction and mental illness and how can we support our students in overcoming these challenges.

Here is my tee shot:

1- Taking some time as an educator to find local resources for your students that can help students with addiction and behavioral health needs and keep them openly available to all that walk into your facility. 

Now it's your turn...

Hi and welcome to Hole #7, a challenging Par 3 which requires that we all keep our eye on the ball.

"It has been said that a person without data is just another person with an opinion" and this is especially true in the field of adult literacy, especially in the correctional and reentry settings. However, with each state setting their data standards and reporting differently, this hole would like to explore what data states should be securing to obtain a clear picture of the state of adult education behind and beyond our prison walls.

Despite the desire of over 70% of all men and women behind our prison walls to receive educational support, nearly 60% of all people who are incarcerated do not complete a single educational program while in prison. Beside things like the Coalition on Adult Basic Education's (COABE) State Fact Sheets, PIAAC Surveys, and data from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, what other reporting is in the field which could be helpful in us bettering understanding adult education in our prisons, jails and beyond?

For this hole you have two choices. 1) Go over the water and suggest a study or two that could help us navigate this hole or 2) Go around the water and give us some data that you are aware of that could help educate the public and others on the value of correctional and reentry education.

I can tee off first:

According to a Rand Study, often cited by adult educators, an individual has a 43% better chance of not returning to prison when they take an educational course behind the walls.

You're up...

This hole will be super easy for many of our LINCS friends and more challenging for those newbies who are still learning about the awesomeness of LINCS. This hole you need to name at least 4 Communities of Practice on the LINCS platform and prioritize them for educators and students that have been justice impacted. I will kick us off with the easy one and you all get to play from the fairway as my tee shot is the "Correctional and Reentry Education Community.

Now it's your turn. (My fellow moderators are welcome to join this hole and share a bit about your community as well.

Good luck.

This hole will challenge you as it has challenged our entire country over the past decades. There are between 70-100 million people in our country with a criminal record. Statistically, if you are a black male born in 2001, you will have a 1 in 3 chance of being imprisoned. (1 in 6 for Latino males; and 1-18 for black women). There is little dispute that men and women who are black and brown are disproportionally impacted by our justice systems. In fact, while there was a decrease in our prisons and jails in our white populations of 28%, our black and Latino populations decreased  only 22% and 23% respectively. Thus only widening the racial disparity.

In what ways can we as educators, administrators or students do our part to create a more equitable educational system for all. This is a tough hole, but let's all try to take a shot at making this our best one yet. 

Hi. We made it through half the course and thanks to those who took this stroll around the course with me. For those not yet on the LINCS it's not too late to join us from some of this educational fun.

Now we rounded the turn and are headed to Hole #10. This hole is short Par Three that requires you to will definitely help you as an educator. Check out this amazing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p5286T_kn0

Now, what is it that you can do to help your students see in themselves what we often see as educators?

If your not sure, watch this video...

Good luck.

Jeff A

On this tricky hole there are many options. You can go over the trees, around the water, through the sand, or just hit the ball straight and stay in play. I am reminded of a great book, "Option B" by Sheryl Sandberg. Without giving too much away, all that Sheryl wanted was for  her husband who had passed away to come back. It took a long time for Sheryl to understand that while her first and only real wish was for the return of her husband, that this option was not possible and she needed to make the best of Option B. 

In life we all face challenges and for those traveling through our justice systems turning back the hands of time is just not an option. As educators, administrators, and students, what are the options that are available for those seeking to further themselves in a career opportunity or to advance academically. Option A for many adult learners has long since past in their childhood schooling years. Option B and the choices you make on this hole are tough and require thinking ahead, planning, and pushing forward until you reach your goal.

What are your suggested options for adult learners in the justice and reentry systems? 

High school Equivalency, Post secondary...

Walk us through this hole and add some of your suggestions and thoughts.

Thanks

If you have been keeping score good for you. Albert Einstein once said that "a person without data is just another person with an opinion."

On this hole we will be looking at all the yardage of adult education. The Coalition on Adult Basic Education has recently updated data on each and every state to see how many students are being touched by our adult educational systems and how are we doing as teachers and students. The challenge of this hole is that each and every state is a has its' very own way of collecting data, especially in the prison literacy setting. This link will be helpful for you to see and share the work being done and money being spent (or not being spent) on adult education. 

https://educateandelevate.org/map-locator-tool/

Take a minute and check out the data. In Pennsylvania (my home state) we spent a mere $865 in federal funding per adult learner. 

The challenge on this Par 4 is to identify 4 data facts relating to your region or state regarding adult literacy.

This short Par 3 is the money hole for sure.  In a recent article by British Robinson from the Barbara Bush Foundation she cited the fact that the annual income of an adult with a 0-1 level proficiency is just over $34,000 per year (the equivalent of minimum wage). By just moving up one level to Level 2 proficiency their income increases to $48,000 (still below basic literacy), and at Level 3 proficiency their average income rises to $63,000. 

https://thehill.com/opinion/education/3598408-literacy-is-an-economic-growth-engine-will-we-seize-it/

The impact that adult basic education can have on our society is profound. If all adults maintained a Literacy Level of 3, this would generate an additional $2.2 trillion in annual economic activity (that is equivalent to Italy's entire economy). However, the generational impact could be priceless.

In the correctional and reentry settings we need to recognize that many of the challenges facing our justice impacted populations have their origin in poverty and efforts to find financial stability. For this hole let's consider three shots we can take that can help our learners and the general public understand the economic impact of adult education. 

I can get us started: 

1- Research the projected career pathway of a learner and detail the financial advancements made as they travel to towards their ultimate goal. 

Now it's your turn... 

This could very well be the most important hole on the course. In November 2021, the President signed into law infrastructure legislation that included the "Digital Equity Act". This act will make digital literacy and access a key priority in the coming years and help our country battle the Digital Divide which has plagued our country, and in particular the men and women in our justice systems.

Here are a few definitions you will need to know for this hole:

Digital Equity

Digital equity is a condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy. Digital equity is necessary for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning, and access to essential services.

It is important to note here the use of “equity” vs. “equality.” When we use the word equity, we accurately acknowledge the systemic barriers that must be dismantled before achieving equality for all.

Digital Inclusion

Digital Inclusion refers to the activities necessary to ensure that all individuals and communities, including the most disadvantaged, have access to and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).  This includes five elements:

1. Affordable, robust broadband internet service;

2. Internet-enabled devices that meet the needs of the user;

3. Access to digital literacy training;

4. Quality technical support; and

5. Applications and online content designed to enable and encourage self-sufficiency, participation and collaboration.

Digital Inclusion must evolve as technology advances. Digital Inclusion requires intentional strategies and investments to reduce and eliminate historical, institutional and structural barriers to access and use technology.

Digital Literacy

NDIA recommends the American Library Association’s definition of Digital Literacy via their Digital Literacy Task Force:

Digital Literacy is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.

A person with digital literacy skills:

• Possesses the variety of skills – technical and cognitive – required to find, understand, evaluate, create, and communicate digital information in a wide variety of formats;
• Is able to use diverse technologies appropriately and effectively to retrieve information, interpret results, and judge the quality of that information;
• Understands the relationship between technology, life-long learning, personal privacy, and stewardship of information;
• Uses these skills and the appropriate technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, colleagues, family, and on occasion, the general public; and
• Uses these skills to actively participate in civic society and contribute to a vibrant, informed, and engaged community.

In relation to this hole, the Digital Literacy Act will attempt to solve the problem of digital literacy in our prison systems by including as stakeholders our incarcerated populations!!! Here what the law says:

Provide a description of how the state plans to collaborate with key stakeholders including: (1) community anchor institutions; (2) municipal governments; (3) local educational agencies; (4) nonprofit organizations; (5) organizations that represent people with disabilities, aging individuals, individuals with language barriers or low levels of literacy; (6) the state’s non-federal incarcerated population; (7) civil rights organizations; (8) workforce development programs; and (9) public housing authorities.

For this hole, what are four things you should be doing to prepare for your state's implementation of this act. I can get you started.

1- READ THE ACT! https://www.digitalequityact.org/

Good luck.

On this long Par 5 you will be educated on the impact that post secondary education has on our men and women who have been justice impacted. Formerly incarcerated people securing post secondary education while behind our prison walls reenter the labor market with competitive skills and qualifications leading to higher rates of employment and increased earnings. 

An analysis conducted by Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality estimated that increasing post secondary education in prison by expanding Pell Grant access to those behind the walls, would result in a $45.3 million increase in the combined earnings of those released during the first year they return home. More importantly, those leaving prison with post secondary education frequently find stability, good paying jobs, and result in a reduction in recidivism, saving states a combined $365.8 million per year.

With the Pell Grant window reopening in 2023 for those in or prisons, nearly 463,000 in state prisons could be eligible for grant support. For this hole let's take a few shots at considering how we can support our students as they consider and engage in taking post secondary courses inside our prisons. I can get us started.

1- Let's educate our students about the benefits of taking a college course and discussing the career pathway which a college degree might lead to upon completion.

2-5 Up to you...

Thanks

We are almost at the end of our LINCS course and I would be remise if I did not include one hole that provided some guidance and support for our community in an area that I am passionate about: READING. For this easy Par 3 hole, recommend three books for our community that you have read which has helped to make you a better educator, administrator, student, or person.

Here are my three:

1- The Second Mountain by David Brooks (a wonderful book about the choices we make along the climb up our first mountain of life and the reality that often we fall down that mountain. The book focuses not on what we did on the first mountain, but the lessons we learned so that we could conquer the second mountain that stands in front if us).

2- Think Again by Adam Grant (You will never use the term "best practices" again, and will think about always striving to make things better).

3- Untapped Talent by Jeff Korzenik (This wonderful book highlights the challenges facing returning citizens in the  labor market and the untapped talent of justice impacted workers that could change our economy).

Good luck sharing and happy reading.

Hi. We are almost at the very last hole on the LINCS Course and wanted to hear from all of the players, educators, and students about what you would really like to see more of in the LINCS Correctional & Reentry Education Community of Practice in the upcoming year. 

On this wide open hole, take a few shots and share some suggestions on topics you would like to see covered, speakers you would like to hear from, resources that you would like to see shared, or ideas that you have that could help build this community of practice.

Here is one that I will be initiating:

We will be having a monthly book club where our community will have an opportunity to share a book they have read that could be helpful to our colleagues and students.

Now it's your turn. 

Thanks

Jeff A 

Hi.

We have reached our last and final hole on the LINCS 2022 Summer Course. Yeah! We will continue to post on the topics we covered over the last 17 holes and hope that you enjoyed the course.

For our last hole it is a very short Par 3 and the only task is to take a shot at three wishes for you, your colleagues and students which you wish would come true as we begin the new school year. Here are my three:

I wish that:

1- Education remains a priority for those working and traveling through our justice and correctional systems;

2- That every prison and jail embraces digital literacy for their residents; and

3- That each day we remember we are all human and that life is not about the choices we have made in our past, but about the lessons that we have learned from those choices.

Thanks and enjoy the rest of your summer.

Jeff A