2009 ABE SUMMER INSTITUTE Thursday: Opening Address Dr. Barry Shaffer MN State Director of Adult Education

Welcome and Thank You Literacy Minnesota and MCEA Literacy Minnesota and MCEA Planning Committee Planning Committee MDE Coordination – Astrid Liden MDE Coordination – Astrid Liden Presenters Presenters Tech Assistants Tech Assistants Participants and Awardees Participants and Awardees

ABE Overview – FY 09  53 ABE consortia, 500 delivery sites statewide  1200 licensed teachers and 3,000 volunteers served over 73,000 students  1 out of every 11 diplomas issued in MN during 2009 was a GED (6,274) or Adult H.S. Diploma (1,265)  Of the total students served, 45% were ESL, 68% were parents and 19% were unemployed

Number of Students and Contact Hours Number of Students and Contact Hours StudentsHours FY 2008 FY ,656 73,387 74,656 73,387 (-1.7%)  (-1.7%)  5,054,208 5,371,902 (+6.5%)  (+6.5%) 

Students by Program FY 09 ESL32,025 (45%)  ABE25,587 (36%)  GED/Diploma10,548 (14%)  WBPL + Transition to 3,333 (5%)  employment

Eligible Content Policy Contact hours may be counted for students without a basic skills goal IF:  They are referred by a WorkForce Center or MFIP program AND  They receive employment focused content: Basic Computer Literacy Basic Computer Literacy Job Seeking Skills (e.g.- Résumé Writing, Interviewing, and Job Searching) Job Seeking Skills (e.g.- Résumé Writing, Interviewing, and Job Searching) Soft Skills Necessary for Work (e.g.- SCANS skills) Soft Skills Necessary for Work (e.g.- SCANS skills) Work Readiness Certificate Content Work Readiness Certificate Content  Programming must be modular – not a lab experience  Classify as transition to employment student

State and Federal Allocations State State Federal Federal FY 2009 FY 2010 $42.3 M $43.2 M $ 6.7 M$ 6.1 M $49.0 M $49.3 M (+0.6%) Cost/Student = $668 Cost/Hour = $9.18

How did Minnesota do on the Core Performance Indicators?  Level Change  GED/Diploma  Entered Employment  Retained Employment  Post-Secondary Education

Short Answer…

Student Level Completion FY 2006FY 2007FY 2008 FY 2009 ABE 31% 36% 41% 39%  ESL 35% 40% 44% 46% 

Why is level completion success so important? Student Level – Provides students with progress feedback. Student Level – Provides students with progress feedback. Teacher Level – Provides teachers with student and class progress information. Teacher Level – Provides teachers with student and class progress information. Administrator Level – Provides program evaluation information and advocacy information. Administrator Level – Provides program evaluation information and advocacy information. State and National Level – Provides system accountability information and funding advocacy information. State and National Level – Provides system accountability information and funding advocacy information.

Other Core Indicators FY 2008 FY 2009 Other Core Indicators FY 2008 FY 2009 GED Attainment65% 70%  GED Attainment65% 70%  Work Attainment 55% 54%  Work Attainment 55% 54%  Retain Work 73% 74%  Retain Work 73% 74%  Trans. to Post-sec. 70% 61%  Trans. to Post-sec. 70% 61% 

FY 2010 Supplemental Services Minnesota Literacy Council Minnesota Literacy Council ATLAS (ABE Teaching and Learning Advancement System) Hamline University ATLAS (ABE Teaching and Learning Advancement System) Hamline University Learning Disabilities Association Learning Disabilities Association PANDA – Physical and Neurological Disabilities Assistance PANDA – Physical and Neurological Disabilities Assistance Minnesota Workforce Council Assoc. Minnesota Workforce Council Assoc. Minneapolis ABE Minneapolis ABE St. Paul ABE St. Paul ABE SW ABE SW ABE

ABE Solutions Lead the Way

Problem - Solution INDIVIDUAL: INDIVIDUAL:  lack of basic academic skills (reading, writing, speaking, math)  lack of basic technology skills  lack of high school diploma or GED  lack of English ability  can’t help my child in school  don’t have the skills to obtain a job  lack self esteem due to low literacy  can’t pass college or certificate exam  want to become a US citizen SOCIETY: SOCIETY:  needs an educated citizenry  needs a skilled workforce  needs greater participation in preserving democratic ideals  needs less violence  needs less dependence on public assistance  needs more access to good bass lakes

MN Education and Economic Climate 388,074 Minnesotans over ,074 Minnesotans over 18 do not have HS equivalency do not have HS equivalency Only 16% of year olds Only 16% of year olds are in post-secondary education are in post-secondary education One-third of Minnesotans have no post- secondary credential One-third of Minnesotans have no post- secondary credential 61,300 Minnesotans speak little or no English 61,300 Minnesotans speak little or no English Most ABE students are below economic self- sufficiency standards Most ABE students are below economic self- sufficiency standards One million (35%) Minnesota workers earn $10/hr. or less; 1.7 million (62%) earn less than $15/ hr. One million (35%) Minnesota workers earn $10/hr. or less; 1.7 million (62%) earn less than $15/ hr. By 2014, 54% of all jobs will require post- secondary ed By 2014, 54% of all jobs will require post- secondary ed

Minnesota Climate - continued Current workers will make up Current workers will make up 65% of the labor force of % of the labor force of 2025 The high school pipeline for The high school pipeline for workers is shrinking. The # of HS graduates peaked in 2009 with steady decline for next two decades workers is shrinking. The # of HS graduates peaked in 2009 with steady decline for next two decades There is a shortage of replacement workers for those retiring, and a shortage of workers for economic growth or expansion There is a shortage of replacement workers for those retiring, and a shortage of workers for economic growth or expansion THE PERFECT STORM: Globalization + Shifting Demographics + Non-responsive Ed System THE PERFECT STORM: Globalization + Shifting Demographics + Non-responsive Ed System

ABE Solutions Lead the Way What ABE programs are doing:  Understanding that every student is a “student in transition”  Developing partnerships with WorkForce Center staff and local college faculty (and others)  Becoming informed about labor market issues/needs  Contextualizing curricula around student transitions goals  Accessing multiple resource avenues  Seeking quality, targeted professional development opportunities  Evaluating their transitions outcomes

State ABE Office “Front Burner” Activities Co-directing the Minnesota Co-directing the Minnesota FastTRAC initiative FastTRAC initiative Developing sustainable, effective career pathway programming that blends ABE services with post-secondary training for in- demand occupations Developing sustainable, effective career pathway programming that blends ABE services with post-secondary training for in- demand occupations Targeting low-wage, low skilled Minnesotans Targeting low-wage, low skilled Minnesotans Advocating for ABE Recognition with DEED, MnSCU, GWDC, DHS, the Legislature, and others Advocating for ABE Recognition with DEED, MnSCU, GWDC, DHS, the Legislature, and others Promoting Distance Learning – GED-i, Lifetime Learning Library, Skills Tutor Promoting Distance Learning – GED-i, Lifetime Learning Library, Skills Tutor (Steve Sborov, Paulette Black + Jayne Schultz) (Steve Sborov, Paulette Black + Jayne Schultz)

State Office Actions - continued Developing quality professional development opportunities (ATLAS) Developing quality professional development opportunities (ATLAS) Exploring “content standards” (Mpls) Exploring “content standards” (Mpls) Strengthening our disabilities website and services (PANDA) Strengthening our disabilities website and services (PANDA) Supporting “Learner Web” continuing development (St. Paul) Supporting “Learner Web” continuing development (St. Paul) Supporting Literacy Minnesota Supporting Literacy Minnesota Fiscal and contact hour audits Fiscal and contact hour audits

State ABE News… continued STAR – Student Achievement in Reading STAR – Student Achievement in Reading Thank you Year 1 participants! Thank you Year 1 participants! Welcome Year 2 participants! Welcome Year 2 participants! PD Survey: Thank You (680 times)! PD Survey: Thank You (680 times)! PD Coordinators: Thank you! (1/2 new) PD Coordinators: Thank you! (1/2 new) Regional Transitions Coordination Regional Transitions Coordination Transitions Conference – Oct ABE Inventory (of Collaborations) 100% ABE Inventory (of Collaborations) 100%

The Onion – Headlines about the Economy 10 - Actual Parachute Made of Gold Fails to Open 9 – Casinos Announce Plans to Erase National Debt in 3 Months 8 - New York’s financial district to be rezoned as industrial wasteland 7 - U.S. Banks to Stop Storing Money in Traditional Dollar-Sign Bags 6 - Junk Bonds Now Worth Less than Actual Junk 5 - Legislature Wondering: Are Child Labor Laws to Blame for High Child Unemployment? 4 - NASA Comes to Realization that We Don’t Need a Space Program when the Beauty of Earth Was Right Here All Along 3 - Digital-to-Analogue Converter Actually A Way for Government to Watch You Through Your Television 2 - Analyst Reveals that the Entirety of Capitalism is a Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme 1 - Economy Looks Great if You Turn the Graphs Upside-Down

So, in conclusion… (if I have time)

MAINTAIN FOCUS

MAKE FRIENDS IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES

APPRECIATE THE LITTLE THINGS

BE SKEPTICAL OF SCAM ARTISTS

BE FEARLESS

BUT SWEET AND ADORABLE

ENJOY – IN MODERATION

DON’T WORRY

BE HAPPY