Performance Standards for Community Adult Learning Centers Donna Cornellier, MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Performance Measure: Attendance Definition: Total number of rate-based attended student hours divided by the total number of planned student hours Exclusions: Non-rates based classes Standard: Programs ensure that students attend between 66% and 76% of total planned student hours. Purpose: Promotes effective outreach, screening, orientation, assessment, placement procedures Promotes instruction that is relevant to students’ needs

Performance Measure: Attendance Benchmarks Number of points Cut Points for Attendance Advanced377% and above Meets Standard 266%-76% Needs Improvement 155%-65% Remedial Action 054% and below State Averages in Community Adult Learning Centers  FY %  FY %  FY %  FY %  FY %  FY % Find this data at SMARTT Cognos ReportNet Adhoc Reports>> Performance Standards Reports for Community ALC

Performance Measure: Average Attended Hours Definition: Total number of actual attended student hours divided by the total number of students (Attended hours includes rates based, non-rates based, and volunteer match hours.) Standard: Programs ensure that students attend between 117 and 131 average attended hours per year. Purpose: Promotes student persistence and learner gain Measures intensity of students’ instructional time

Performance Measure: Average Attended Hours Benchmarks Number of points Cut Points for Attendance Advanced377% and above Meets Standard266%-76% Needs Improvement 155%-65% Remedial Action 054% and below State Averages in Community Adult Learning Centers  FY  FY  FY  FY  FY  FY Find this data at SMARTT Cognos ReportNet  Adhoc Reports>> Performance Standards Reports for Community ALC

Performance Measure: Pre and Post Test Percentage Definition: Total number of students who are pre and post tested divided by the total number of students enrolled in a program for the year (based on student’s primary assessment) Exclusions: Students with < 12 hours attendance Students with an initial scale score in TABE Language > 584 Students with an initial scale score in MAPT >599 Students with an intake date after 4/1 Standard: Programs ensure that between 66% and 76% of eligible students are pre- and post-tested. Note: If a program post tests less than 50% of eligible students, performance points for the Learner Gains performance standard are reduced by 50%. Purpose: Promotes retention of students so that students remain in programs long enough to achieve learning gains and goals

Performance Measure: Pre and Post Test Percentage Benchmarks Number of points Cut Points for Attendance Advanced377% and above Meets Standard 266%-76% Needs Improvement 155%-65% Remedial Action 054% and below State Averages in Community Adult Learning Centers  FY %  FY % Find this data at SMARTT Cognos ReportNet  Adhoc Reports>> Performance Standards Reports for Community ALC

Performance Measure: Learner Gains Definition: Total percent of students who demonstrate learner gain on TABE, MAPT, REEP, or BEST Plus assessments (based on student’s primary assessment) Significant learner gain for each assessment is defined as: TABE:27 scale score points REEP:.4 scale score points BEST Plus:33 scale score points Other: 1 GLE (grade level equivalent) for Beginning Literacy Notes: Beginning in FY 2007, the TABE for ABE reading and math was replaced by the MAPT. MAPT and TABE Level L (literacy) data will be reviewed by UMass to determine significant learner gain. If a program post tests less than 50% of eligible students, performance points awarded for Learner Gains are reduced by 50% Standard: Programs ensure that between 47% and 56% of students demonstrate significant gain as defined in the table above. Purpose: To capture the learning gains that students achieve

Performance Measure: Learner Gains Benchmarks Number of points Cut Points for Attendance Advanced957% and above Meets Standard 647%-56% Needs Improvement 336%-46% Remedial Action 035% and below State Averages in Community Adult Learning Centers  FY %  FY % Find this data at SMARTT Cognos ReportNet  Adhoc Reports>> Performance Standards Reports for Community ALC

Using Your Performance Standards Data for Program Improvement In this workshop, we will review the data for small, medium, and large programs that have met or exceeded the performance standards for learning gains, pre/post percentage, average attended hours, and attendance. The workshop will focus on ways to analyze current performance standards data and determine ways to use the data for program improvement. Participants will be asked to break into small groups and to focus first on retention (e.g. average attended hours) and look at the programs that have met or exceeded the performance target in that area. Then participants will be asked to review data for the other performance areas for the same programs and fill in the chart provided at the workshop. Each group will be asked to answer the following questions:

Using Your Performance Standards Data for Program Improvement 1) When reviewing all the performance data, what conclusions can be drawn? How do the performance standards data relate to each other ---or not? What differences do you see between small, medium, and large programs? For this exercise, use this definition for small, medium, and large programs. Small Size Programs: 125 or less Students Medium Size Programs: Students Large Size Programs: > 300 Students

Using Your Performance Standards Data for Program Improvement 2) For the programs that met or exceed most of the performance target areas, what might the programs be doing well that can be shared with others? What good practices do you think need to be in place? 3) What recommendations can be given for program improvement in each area: Learning Gains: Pre Post Testing: Average Attended Hours: Attendance: Student Goals:

LET’S LOOK AT RETENTION Large Size Programs: > 300 Students Project Name # Students Average Attended Hours Pre- Post-% Percent Learning Gains Percent Attendance Goal Attainment NRS Level Completion Program Program Program Medium Size Programs: Students Program Program Program Small Size Programs: 125 or less Students Program Program Program

FY06 Performance Standard Report for Program Specialist Implications for FY2007 Continuous Improvement Plans Program NameAttendance % Average Attendance: # hrs/student Pre Post %Learning Gains % Program 180% Advanced Advanced86% Advanced48% Meets Program 283% Advanced Advanced91% Advanced49% Meets Program 3 58% Needs Improvement Advanced67% Meets47% Meets Program 484% Advanced Advanced80% Advanced62% Advanced Program 573% Meets Meets73% Meets 31% REMEDIAL ACTION Program 6 57% Needs Improvement Needs Improvement 36% REMEDIAL ACTION 36% Needs Improvement Program 778% Advanced Advanced75% Meets53% Meets Program 8 52% REMEDIAL ACTION REMEDIAL ACTION 52% REMEDIAL ACTION 41% Needs Improvement Program 970% Meets REMEDIAL ACTION 62% Needs Improvement 58% Advanced Program 1070% Meets Meets78% Advanced57% Advanced Program 1177% Advanced Advanced70% Meets 42% Needs Improvement Program 1269% Meets Needs Improvement 76% Meets60% Advanced