1. ABE Policy & Accountability
ABE Foundations 2017

2. What is accountability?
Accountability requirements exist to ensure ABE providers are responsible and positive stewards of public funds.

3. How is accountability monitored in MN?
Programs enter data in the Student Information Database (SiD)
MN Department of Education aggregates it to report to the feds, and provide results back to the field

4. What data is entered in SID?
Student information
Student attendance (contact hours)
Student assessment results
Other data that varies by program (volunteers, goals, etc.)

5. Contact Hour Policy What’s the Policy?
BROAD DEFINITION: ABE Contact Hours are:
Times spent in intake and assessment
Time spent in ABE classroom
Time spent on distance learning (proxy hours)
Time spent with ABE trained volunteers
Ask a few comprehension check questions:
-Can you count hours for intake & orientation? Yes
-Can you count hours for assessment? Yes
-Can you count hours for homework? No
What’s the Policy?

6. Distance Learning What’s the Policy? Proxy hours:
Time allocated for successful lesson completion for student work outside of class with approved distance learning curricula
What’s the Policy?

7. Contact Hours VS. Proxy Hours Do NOT double count hours!
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!
What’s the Policy?

8. 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
All MN ABE programs are required to use statewide database (MARCS or MABE) to track student data

9. Contact Hours Can you count ABE contact hours for:
Registering a new student?
Testing a new student?
A student’s homework?
Counseling a student?
Clarify: counseling & testing hours, only at beginning.

10. How do we demonstrate accountability?
National Reporting System (NRS)
This defines the accountability requirements defined by the U.S. Department of Education.

11. NRS Defines Student Levels:
ESL 1: Beginning ESL Literacy
ESL 2: Low Beginning ESL
ESL 3: High Beginning ESL
ESL 4: Low Intermediate ESL
ESL 5: High Intermediate ESL
ESL 6: Advanced ESL
ABE 1: Beginning ABE Literacy
ABE 2: Beginning Basic Education
ABE 3: Low Intermediate ABE
ABE 4: High Intermediate ABE
ABE 5: Low Adult Secondary
ABE 6: High Adult Secondary
These are also called EFLs, or Educational Functioning Levels

12. HOW do we measure success with ABE students?
ABE Policy Question
HOW do we measure success with ABE students?

13. = Level Gains Educational Gain in ABE Achieving a score at a higher
How do you determine “educational gain” in ABE? =
Achieving a score
at a higher
NRS Level on
an approved
assessment
Educational
Gain
in ABE
Note: we use them interchangeably

14. CASAS TABE BEST Plus Testing Approved Tests
There are 3 NRS-approved assessments for Minnesota ABE programs:
CASAS
TABE
BEST Plus

15. Testing As soon as possible! Pre-Test When to pre-test ABE students?
(Required to be pre-tested in their first 12 contact hours with the ABE program.)

16. Testing Post-Test ABE programs cannot post-test a student until
they earn 40 contact hours since their
previous test.

17. Enrollee vs. Participant
Enrollees are any adult student with contact hours in the program year.
Participants are enrollees with at least 12 contact hours in the program year.
Different NRS tables. Hours for enrollees, but level gains are only counted for participants. Example: Someone who attends 8 hours counts toward contact hours but not against you in your post-test/level gain rates.

18. WIOA
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: Federal law that governs and funds the workforce development system including adult education.

19. WIOA’s Purpose Works well with others
Improve coordination between the primary federal programs that support employment services, workforce development, adult education and vocational rehabilitation activities
Collaboration and partnerships
Transitions and work
Standards-aligned instruction
Works well with others

20. Break It Down The Structure of WIOA Law Title (Section) Name
Program/Activities
Who oversees in Minnesota
Title I (Subtitle A)
Workforce Development Activities (System Alignment)
All WIOA Programs
DEED and MDE
Title I (Subtitle B)
Workforce Development Activities (Workforce Activities and Providers)
Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Worker Programs
DEED
Title II
Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA)
Adult Basic Education
MDE
Title III
Wagner-Peysar Act
Workforce Centers (One-Stops)
Title IV
Rehabilitation Act
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)
Title V
General Provisions
Don’t worry about memorizing this, just know this is the basic structure that you may hear in various programs.
Break It Down

21. WIOA Accountability Measures
Program participants in unsubsidized employment during second quarter after exit
Program participants in unsubsidized employment during fourth quarter after exit
Median earnings of program participants employed during second quarter after exit
Program participants who obtain a postsecondary credential or high school diploma (and enter employment or postsecondary education or training within 1 year of exit)
Program participants who are achieving measurable skill gains toward a credential or employment
Effectiveness in serving employers
Individual programs are not responsible for reporting on these, but for several grants, you may be asked for it.

22. For More Information… Minnesota Department of Education –ABE Web Site:
National Reporting System (NRS):

23. Questions? Contact: Your program supervisor
For questions regarding state ABE policy and operations, contact Brad Hasskamp at or
For questions regarding assessments and data, contact Todd Wagner at or

24. Discuss in Small Groups
What are the key lessons learned?
How does this impact your work?
What questions do you have?