WELCOME TO ABE ADMINISTRATOR 101! We’ll begin at 10:00. Everyone is currently muted to reduce background noise. Please introduce yourself using the chat function (name, site, consortium, role, etc.). If you are having any tech issues, please chat to Karla Vien for assistance.

ABE ADMINISTRATOR 101 ABE MANAGER WEBINAR BRAD HASSKAMP, MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION KARLA VIEN, LITERACY ACTION NETWORK

HOW TO SHARE IDEAS & QUESTIONS Type using the webinar’s chat function Raise your hand and ask over phone or headset during Q & A periods when unmuted Ask Karla if you have any questions or need technical assistance

AGENDA Adult Basic Education is not basic; it is a complex, comprehensive system. Today’s orientation topics include: ABE delivery system Funding Policy & accountability

MINNESOTA ABE The mission of Adult Basic Education in Minnesota is to provide adults with educational opportunities to acquire and improve their literacy skills necessary to become self-sufficient and to participate effectively as productive workers, family members, and citizens.

MINNESOTA’S ADULT BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM

DEFINING “ADULT EDUCATION” Academic instruction and education services below the postsecondary level that increase an individual’s ability to: Read, write, and speak in English and perform mathematics or other activities necessary for the attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent; Transition to postsecondary education and training; AND Obtain employment. Source: Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act, Sec. 203

MINNESOTA’S ABE SYSTEM

MN ABE SYSTEM

MINNESOTA’S ADULT BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM

FUNDING

ABE CONSORTIUM GRANTS Due: June 1 each year Every Year: ABE Performance Report Table A and NRS Tables 1-13 Details: Spring Grant Application Meetings (April)

ABE NARRATIVES Due: June 1 every 5 years for each consortium Takes 6-12 months to complete Review: Year before yours is due (June) Workshop: Every fall (Sept or Oct) Submit: Online or paper Content: 10 sections

FY 2011FY 2012FY 2013FY 2014FY 2015 State ABE Aid $44,864,723$45,628,787$46,495,881$47,433,028$48,047,113 Federal ABE Aid $4,918,864$5,022,396$5,085,523$4,804,353$4,697,800 Grant programs $982,196$1,018,670$1,012,407$913,794$913,791 TOTAL $ $50,765,783$51,669,853$52,593,811$53,151,175$53,658,704 Enrollment 74,84773,32374,73669,623 Student Contact Hours 5,775,9625,986,6525,931,2075,548,927 Average Annual Cost Per Student $678$705$704$763 FUNDING TRENDS

All approved ABE programs in Minnesota receive funding from 2 sources: State ABE AidFederal ABE Aid FUNDING SOURCES

State ABE appropriation segmented into 4 components: 1. Base population aid = $1.73 per resident, $3,844 minimum 2. Contact hour rate = $5.60 per prior year contact hour 3. K-12 Limited English Proficient (LEP) rate = $46.62 per K- 12 LEP Unit 4. Over age 20 no diploma rate = $7.83 per district resident without a high school diploma To view your consortium’s state aid spreadsheet, go to the MDE website. FY 2015 ABE STATE AID

Up to 3% annual increase in State ABE Aid Subject to a corresponding statewide ten year average growth in contact hours ABE base aid will increase every year by 3% if ABE contact hours grow by 3% or more annually on average over the prior ten year period INCREASE IN STATE ABE AID

Federal Distribution Formula: States receive their federal allocation based on census counts of adults without high school diplomas. Minnesota’s Federal Money to Consortia: Local consortia receive federal funding based on the number of prior year contact hours for ABE enrollees who are below the Adult Secondary levels. FY 2015 federal contact hour rate = $0.67 FEDERAL ABE AID

You work with an ABE site. Last year, this site normally had 11 students come per day for a 2-hour ESL class, 9 students come for 3 hours per day for GED instruction, and 6 students typically come for about 90 minutes per day for drop in tutoring. You typically enroll 2 students per day, which takes 1.5 hours per intake. Looking at this year’s contact hour rates: 1. How many contact hours did your site generate on an average day? 2. How much state funding (contact hours portion) did your site generate last program year per class day? (Remember that the FY2015 state contact hour rate is $5.60.) 3. How much federal funding did your class generate last program year per class day? (Remember that the FY2015 federal contact hour rate is $0.67.) 4. How much state and federal contact hour funding would your site lose if all students typically came 30 minutes late to class? WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

61 contact hours/day average State contact hour funding = $ Federal contact hour funding = $40.87 Total contact hour funding = $ Daily funding lost (late students) = -$81.51 WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

The amount a consortium receives in contact hour revenue may not increase over the previous year by more than the greater of 11% or $10,000. CONTACT HOUR GROWTH CAP

A consortium may not receive more than $22 per prior year contact hour in total state aid revenue GROSS REVENUE PER CONTACT HOUR

State & federal grants EL/Civics FastTRAC Other workforce center and collaborative grants Foundation grants Contracts for service Workplace Literacy County Jails Private donations OTHER SOURCES OF ABE FUNDING

Go to the Minnesota ABE Funding Information Web Site at FOR MORE INFORMATION…

2014

POLICY HELPS US ANSWER KEY Q’S 1. Who does ABE serve? 2. What do we need to know about our ABE students? 3. What do we teach? 4. How do we record our efforts? 5. How do we measure success?

ABE STUDENT ELIGIBILITY Adult Basic Education means services or instruction below the postsecondary level for individuals: At least 17 years old; AND Not enrolled or required to be enrolled in high school; AND Meet at least one or more of the following: Unable to speak, read, or write in English; Do not have a high school diploma; OR Need basic literacy skills development.

TO INCREASE OUR UNDERSTANDING, LET’S PLAY…

Student: JH A potential learner comes in asking for GED classes. He is 16 years old. Is he ABE eligible?

STUDENT: ARIANA A potential learner is 18 years old. Is she ABE eligible?

Student: Raj A potential learner is a high school graduate. Is he ABE eligible?

WHAT INFORMATION DO WE NEED FROM ABE STUDENTS? Student First Name Student Last Name Student Sex Student Ethnicity Student Date of Birth Student Intake Date Student Pre-test Info Student Entry Level Student’s Last Grade Completed Location of Last Grade Completed Student Labor Force Status Student Contact Hours Student Class Participation Student Post-test Info Current Student Level Student Exit Date

Persons are classified as unemployed if they: Do not have a job, Have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, AND Are currently available for work. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Actively looking for work: Contacting: An employer directly or having a job interview A public or private employment agency Friends or relatives A school or university employment center Sending out resumes or filling out applications Placing or answering advertisements Checking union or professional registers Some other means of active job search From the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Passive methods do not qualify: Attending a job training program or course, Reading about job openings in newspapers or on the Internet.

Now, let’s check your understanding with…

Student: Faduma

Student: David

Student: Omar

Student: Mai

QUESTION What is the NRS?

QUESTION: NRS

QUESTION The NRS defines how many official adult student levels?

QUESTION: STUDENT LEVELS

QUESTION Name the adult student levels defined by the NRS.

QUESTION: STUDENT LEVELS 1.Beginning ESL Literacy 2.Low Beginning ESL 3.High Beginning ESL 4.Low Intermediate ESL 5.High Intermediate ESL 6.Advanced ESL 7.Beginning ABE Literacy 8.Beginning Basic Education 9.Low Intermediate ABE 10.High Intermediate ABE 11.Low Adult Secondary 12.High Adult Secondary These are also called EFL s, or E ducational F unctioning L evels

Academic instruction and education services below the postsecondary level that increase an individual’s ability to: Read, write, and speak in English and perform mathematics or other activities necessary for the attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent; Transition to postsecondary education and training; and Obtain employment. (Source: Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act, Section 203)

ABE ELIGIBLE CONTENT Core Content Areas: Reading Writing Mathematics Speaking Listening ESL/ELL GED/H.S. Diploma

You have a new potential learner come to your ABE class at the correctional facility. She just wants to study budgeting skills. Should she be an ABE student? Student: AB

CONDITIONAL CONTENT Conditional content is supplemental to core content instruction Conditional content areas: Citizenship/civics Basic technology skills Employability skills Study skills Health or financial literacy

You have a potential learner who only wants to learn computer skills so he can get a job. Should you enroll him in ABE? Student: Sheldon

COMPUTER LITERACY Essential, but conditional content: 1) Must be an eligible ABE student; AND 2) The student must be participating (enrolled) in core literacy instruction

What do you need from this learner if he wants to only take a computer skills course? Student: Sheldon

CONDITIONAL WORK REFERRAL The following conditional content can be allowed without student participation in core content areas (and under specific referral conditions): Basic Technology Skills (e.g.- Basic Computer Literacy) Job Seeking Skills (e.g.- Résumé Writing, Interviewing, and Job Searching) Soft Skills Necessary for Work (e.g.- SCANS skills)

CONDITIONAL WORK REFERRAL Eligibility and Referral Requirements –the adult must be: At least 17 years old; and Referred in writing by a state or local governmental agency (Workforce Center, workforce investment board, or MFIP providing agency) specifically for one or more content areas. Note: Referral by a college or other post-secondary educational/training institution does not count.

CONDITIONAL WORK REFERRAL Exemption from NRS: Conditional Work Referral Adults are not required to pre- and post-test. The adult will not be counted in any of the NRS tables but will be counted on Table A for revenue generating (contact hour) purposes.

RECORDING STUDENT ATTENDANCE All ABE consortia must be able to verify the accuracy of daily student contact hours reported to the MN Department of Education Program staff are responsible for recording accurate student attendance

Can you count ABE contact hours for: Registering a new student? Testing a new student? A student’s homework? Counseling a student?

CONTACT HOUR POLICY BROAD DEFINITION: ABE Contact Hours are: In-person interaction time ABE student with ABE-funded staff Working on educational skills and goals

DISTANCE LEARNING Proxy hours: Time allocated for successful lesson completion for student work outside of class with approved distance learning curricula

Distance Learning Contact Hours VS. Proxy Hours Do NOT double count hours! Do not count contact hours for time when the student is working in the classroom on a distance learning curriculum if you are also counting proxy hours for that completed work!

QUESTION What are the two names of the state ABE database?

QUESTION: ABE DATABASES

How do you determine “educational gain” in ABE? Educational Gain in ABE = Completing a NRS Level on an approved standardized assessment

QUESTION When do ABE programs give students a pre-test?

QUESTION: PRE-TEST

QUESTION What tests are allowed in Minnesota for official NRS pre- and post-testing?

QUESTION: ALLOWABLE TESTS CASAS TABE BEST Plus

QUESTION When do ABE programs give students a post-test?

QUESTION: POST-TEST

QUESTION NRS has many reports (A, 1-13) Table A displays enrollees while Tables display participants. What is the difference between an enrollee and a participant?

QUESTION: ENROLLEE/PARTICIPANT

QUESTION The ABE databases produce tables A & that programs submit annually. Programs should check them regularly. What are the most important tables for programs to check?

QUESTION: MOST IMPORTANT The most important tables to check are: Table A:A:Shows enrollees & contact hours Table 4:4:Shows participant level completions Table 4B :Shows post-tested participants

A CLOSER LOOK AT TABLE 4 1.What level has the most students? 2.What was the average overall participant level completion rate? 3.Compare data with the state targets. In which levels did the program meet or exceed state targets? 4.In which levels did the program not meet state targets? 5.What can you do with this information in your role?

QUESTION What is the start date of the program year in Minnesota ABE?

QUESTION: PROGRAM YEAR

For all exited participants with a recorded Social Security Number: WHOWHATBY WHOM Marked as “unemployed”Checked for obtaining employmentState Marked as “employed”Checked for retaining employmentState Who took all five test of the GEDChecked for obtaining a GEDState Enrolled in Adult Diploma Classes & are at the High Adult Secondary Level Checked for obtaining a diplomaLocal Programs Who have a diploma, GED OR are in a “transitions” class Checked for entering post-secondaryState

Federal Law Change Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Details coming in April 2015…

Minnesota Department of Education –ABE Web Site: National Reporting System (NRS):

FEDERAL ACCOUNTABILITY MDE-ABE reports MN’s aggregated NRS data annually to the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) – US Department of Education (USED) State NRS results are ranked along side each other Negotiate NRS targets annually Trend = continuous improvement

ACCOUNTABILITY: LOCALLY Consortium NRS data is reviewed regularly (local programs should be monitoring data monthly). How does your program monitor the data?

CONSEQUENCES OF LOW PERFORMANCE Report Card Program Improvement Process For more info, check the ABE Program Improvement Policy

A YEAR IN ABE: FALL PD efforts launch (STAR, MNI, LEA, DL 101, etc.) Fall Managers’ Meeting Fall Regional Events ABE Narrative Writers Workshop Program Improvement Workshop MCEA Conference MLC Volunteer Management Conference MinneTESOL Conference ABE Support Services Conference

A YEAR IN ABE: WINTER/SPRING Spring Regional Events ABE Program Improvement Plans Due (Feb. 1) COABE Conference (March/April) ABE Application RFP released (Due June 1) EL/Civics Grant RFP released Grant Application Meetings (April) Current Program Year ends (April 30) New Program Year starts (May 1) ABE Five-Year Narratives Due (June 1)

A YEAR IN ABE: SUMMER New Fiscal Year starts (July 1) New EL/Civics grant cycle starts New Supplemental Service grants start ABE Summer Institute New FastTRAC Grant Application RFP Released/Applications Due ABE Regional Transitions Aid Plans (Summer and Fall)

COMING SOON! CCRS Intro Webinar Wednesday, Jan. 28 (3:00-4:00pm) For more information Web Chat with MNABE Monday, Feb. 2 (1:00-2:30pm) Registration info: (calendar)

Minnesota ABE Web Site ( Literacy Action Network ( National Reporting System (NRS) (

The Minnesota ABE web site is the best place to check for policy and accountability information. Two section highlights:

Contact: Other local ABE administrators Brad Hasskamp, State ABE Policy & Operations Specialist, at or Todd Wagner, State ABE Director, at or