1. YouthBuild Webinar Series Comprehensive Program Response to New 2014 High School Equivalency Tests
February 4th, 2014
Presented by:
Division of Youth Services – YouthBuild
U.S. Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration

2. Enter your location in the Chat window – lower left of screen
Where are you?
Enter your location in the Chat window – lower left of screen
In the Chat Room, please type the name of the your organization, your location, and how many people are attending with you today. #

3. Moderator Annie Leonetti Workforce Analyst – YouthBuild
U.S. Department of Labor #

4. Here’s what you can expect in this webinar
Participants will receive recommendations on the highest priority programmatic shifts based on data trends.
Participants will be able to network and peer share promising strategies.
Participants will be given considerations to support the implementation of program-wide planning steps and processes. #

5. Content available to participants at registration via webcast
Webinar Format
Content available to participants at registration via webcast
Overview of the content
Discussion #

6. Discussion
Participate in open discussion with facilitators and peers. Phones will be un- muted.
Be courteous. Reduce extraneous noise for the best audio quality by muting your phone, if you are not speaking.
Choose the breakout room based on the number shown on your screen. #

7. Were you able to watch the webcast in preparation for today’s webinar?
Question 1
Were you able to watch the webcast in preparation for today’s webinar?
Yes No
Some of the webcast #

8. Presenter
Scott Emerick
Vice President of Education
YouthBuild USA #

9. Prioritized Responses
Comprehensive Program Shifts and Planning: Today
Proactive Instructional Shifts: YouthBuild USA will be conducting 5 regional trainings for Instructional Leaders
Fluency with New Test Logistics and Administration: Previous webinars archived on the CoP #

10. Trends overview for informing highest priority programmatic shifts
Agenda
Trends overview for informing highest priority programmatic shifts
Program-wide planning steps and processes
Conversation with a leading program: Portland YouthBuilders
Q&A and dialogue on preparation status and next steps #

11. Question 2
How would you describe your program’s readiness for responding to the new high school equivalency exams?
Extremely Ready
Somewhat Ready
Not Ready at All #

12. Trend 1 – Across Disciplines and Roles: We Are All Literacy Teachers#

13. Using Informational Texts
Common Core State Standards and the new HSE tests focus on informational texts
Examples: Newspapers, research reports, vocational guides/manuals, speeches
Consider how you are currently and/or will be using informational texts (which?) across program – enter in chat box (lower left of screen) #

14. Writing From Sources #

15. Building a Culture of Literacy: Program Implications
All staff are leading role models as readers and life-long learners
All staff support students’ literacy growth:
Incorporating informational text across program
Using text-based questions across program
Writing from sources across program
Practicing vocabulary work across program #

16. Trend 2 – Digital Literacy Skills#

17. Computer-Based Testing (CBT)
All GED® testing is computerized in (except when accomodations are needed, with formal approval. Slower phase-in for TASC and HiSET.
NOT Internet-based, computer-based
Many states began piloting CBT GED® tests in #

18. Digital Literacy: Program Implications
Technology investment/infrastructure at program for student exposure and practice
Promote digital and word-processing skills
Computer navigation skills and comfort improve success on the new tests
Word-processing skills important for the timed writing portion of the GED®
Familiarity with on-screen calculator function important for math portion of the GED® #

19. Trend 3 – Program Space Matters: Everything Speaks – Before#

20. Everything Speaks – After#

21. Everything Speaks: Program Implications
Future Focus – Postsecondary and career success reinforced throughout program
Student Work Examples – Celebrate success and display postsecondary/career-ready work
Building, walls, halls, and physical space all scream engagement, support, and success #

22. Trend 4 – Prioritize the “Resource in the Room:” Great Teachers Matter Most#

23. Teaching and Learning Matter Most: Program Implications
Understanding that professional development of educators is an investment, not a cost
Recruiting and retaining talented educators
Signaling that teaching matters through program leadership time, language, presence #

24. Structural Shifts: Program Considerations
Providing education in-house (not outsourcing) matters more than ever for education quality
Increasing program duration – longer school days, weeks, years, and more supplemental instruction
50% academic – 40% vocational – 10% leadership and service as organizing structure; However, 100% of time at YouthBuild is preparing for Postsecondary and Career Success #

25. Informing Stakeholders
Students
All program staff
Board members
Community leaders and funding partners
Employers and post-secondary education/training partners #

26. Adjacent Possible: Reframing the Opportunity#

27. Question 3
Of the trends discussed, which area(s), do you think your program is currently best positioned for success?
Understanding that we are all Literacy Teachers
Promoting Digital Literacy
Making Effective Use of Program Space
Prioritizing Great Teachers #

28. Aligning Program Efforts
Teaching Practices and Curriculum
Technology Access and Training
Program Culture and Learning Conditions #

29. Presenter
Elise Huggins
Education Director
Portland YouthBuilders #

30. Portland YouthBuilders: Leading the Way
How and why we started our changes
Priority changes: made and pending
How our program looks different #

31. PYB’s Response to GED 2014
Embedded in ongoing change process driven by our mission and the recognition that we must prepare students for postsecondary education and training (PSET)
PYB’s mission is to support young men and women who are committed to changing their lives to become self-sufficient, contributing members of the workforce and their community
Our mission demands a focus on PSET
GED attainment in service to student goals and PYB mission #

32. Why Change? #

33. GED to College Framework with Jobs for the Future (JFF)
Enriched preparation
Explicit college-going culture
College ready curriculum and instruction
Intentional use of time to maximize instruction and accelerate learning
Personalized guidance and support
Postsecondary bridging
Supported dual enrollment
A focus on college knowledge
Personalized guidance and connection to best bets
First year support
Support for students to earn credits predictive of completion
Just in time support to ensure persistence
Building attachment to college #

34. Enriched Preparation Explicit college-going culture
Build agreement that skills required for success in postsecondary education, training and work are the SAME (academic and soft skills)
Internal alignment
College ready curriculum and instruction
Define the skills – what do students need to know and be able to do?
External and internal alignment
Intentional use of time to maximize instruction and accelerate learning
Map the skills across the program – when and where do we teach the skills
Personalized guidance and support
Create systems and structures for individualized planning and support #

35. Building a Culture – PYB’s Approach
Analysis of the job market – making the case for PSET
Relationship between education and employability
Analysis of the skills required (academic and soft skills)
College, apprenticeship, employment
Ongoing conversation
Within departments
Across the school
With our postsecondary partners
Key decisions
PSE=PSET
Our job is to prepare all students for PSET
Skills required for success in college, apprenticeship and work are the SAME #

36. College-Ready Curriculum
Identified academic standards (local)
PCCs Course Content and Outcome Guides
PCC course syllabi
Apprenticeship requirements
Identified the soft skills required for success
Habits for Success
Aligned academic curriculum & embedded soft skill development
Created new courses to address gaps
Review and REPEAT #

37. Curriculum Reflects Focus on PSET Readiness#

38. Curriculum – What Looks Different
Designed by teachers
Aligned with PSET standards
Literacy-based
Student-centered
Integrated
Test-prep embedded within content-rich curriculum
Non-cognitive skill development
Explicit messaging about postsecondary readiness #

39. PSET-Ready Instruction
Common Instructional Framework (UPCS/JFF)
Collaborative group work
Writing to learn
Literacy groups
Questioning
Scaffolding
Classroom talk
Culture of Collaboration, Reflection and Professional Growth
Rounds - informal classroom observations to improve instruction
Team teaching
Meetings focused on curriculum, instruction and student work
Professional development - investment #

40. Establishing a PSET-going culture is a critical prerequisite
What We Learned
Establishing a PSET-going culture is a critical prerequisite
Transitioning to PSET without adequate preparation (hard and soft skills) is problematic – revisit PSET standards
Increasing academic rigor requires more instructional time
Responding to PSET-readiness demands new program design #

41. Now What? Reviewed standards, again
GED2014 assessment targets (GED Assessment Guide for Educators)
PCC Course Content Guides and course syllabi
Met with community college instructors to discuss knowledge and skills required for success in college-level coursework
Considered a new educational approach – competency-based education
Invested in professional development
Literacy and math
Competency-based education
Understanding by Design #

42. Competency-based education
Key Changes
Instructional time
Extended the program from 12 to 16 months
Created a dedicated academic block (3 months)
Competency-based education
Identified competencies for humanities, math and science and mapped alignment with PSET- readiness
Developed new classes and created a clear scope and sequence for the curriculum
Focus on math across the program #

43. Key Changes (cont.) Focus on literacy across the program
Informational texts (academic and worksite)
Text-based questions and discussions
Argumentative writing from texts
Digital literacy
Embedded in coursework (Google, IXL, Khan Academy, APEX)
Computer Skills class - online keyboarding and word processing
Placement and transition department
Improved career development and planning
Increased support and connection to career coach early in the program
Placement test prep workshop (pending) #

44. Identified Key Competencies - Example#

45. What Looks Different
Students in a dedicated academic block for first trimester
Time organized in trimesters instead of quarters
Competency tracking charts on classroom walls
Students working at their own pace, showing mastery of competencies and and tracking their learning
Digital literacy skills class
Increased support connected to career planning #

46. Discussion
Participate in open discussion with facilitators and peers. Phones will be un-muted.
Be courteous. Reduce extraneous noise for the best audio quality by muting your phone, if you are not speaking.
Choose the breakout room based on the number shown on your screen.
It may take a few minutes for the room number to appear on your screen. #

47. #

48. What was discussed during the session?
Report Back
What was discussed during the session?
What questions consistently surfaced? #

49. Presenter Krista Sabados Associate Director of Education
YouthBuild USA #

50. What’s Next for Your Program?#

51. Online TA Resources
YouthBuild Community of Practice (
YouthBuild USA Education Page (
YouthBuild USA GED Resource Site (
Action Planning Documents (available for download in resources section of this webinar)
GED Testing Service (
Free Online Teacher Training Courses for GED ( #

52. In-Person Training Opportunities
YouthBuild Learning Exchange (Washington, DC, April 15-16, 2014)
Regional YouthBuild Peer-to-Peer Trainings
5 YouthBuild USA Regional GED/HSE Trainings
Youth Development Institute
Literacy Assistance Center
Education Development Center
Mockingbird Education
YouthBuild TA Coaches #

53. Develop a “next-steps” action plan Involve all staff members
Create Action Plans
Develop a “next-steps” action plan
Involve all staff members
Empower educators to lead
Address all trends described
Utilize available resources and templates
Revisit and revise the plan
Follow the leaders #

54. Please enter your questions in the Chat Room!#

55. Save the Date! Post-Program Placement
and Retention March 4, 2014 at 2:00 PM (EST)
Data/MIS April 1, 2014 at 2:00 PM (EDT)
Construction May 6, 2014 at 2:00 PM (EDT) #

56. Contact Information
Annie Leonetti
Workforce Analyst
U.S. Department of Labor
Scott Emerick
Vice President of Education
YouthBuild USA
Elise Huggins
Education Director
Portland YouthBuilders
Krista Sabados
Associate Director of Education
YouthBuild USA #

57. Please rate the quality of this webinar.
Feedback Question 1
Please rate the quality of this webinar.
Excellent
Fair
Poor #

58. How could this webinar be improved?
Feedback Question 2
How could this webinar be improved? #

59. Feedback Question 3
If you did not have a chance to watch the webcast prior to the webinar, what prevented you from watching it?
Length of the webcast
Lack of time
Could not access the webcast
Did not know there was a webcast #

60. What other webinar topics might be useful in your work?
Feedback Question 4
What other webinar topics might be useful in your work? #

61. Find resources for workforce system success at:
Thank You!
Find resources for workforce system success at: #