1. CASAS Summer Institute 2004
Workforce Investment Act: Federal and
State-Level Perspectives During Transition
John Hartwig - Iowa Dept of Education
CASAS Summer Institute 2004

2. 1. What are the most significant changes that have taken place since the implementation of WIA? 

3. Emphasis on increased program accountability at the local program, state and federal levels;
Implementation of the NRS (National Reporting System);

4. Increased emphasis on interagency collaboration and coordination;
Increased emphasis on workplace and family literacy;

5. Emphasis on "seamless" adult literacy program delivery systems.
Priority for states to develop "Continuous Program Improvement" models and strategies.

6. 2. What changes are currently being proposed?
What would the impact be?
What changes would be most critical to
enhance current continuous
improvement efforts ?

7. Development of adult literacy content standards;
Alignment of adult literacy content standards with state NCLB (No Child Left Behind) content standards and postsecondary education content standards to provide a "seamless" educational transition among and between programs;

8. Articulation agreements with Postsecondary education institutions to transition adult literacy program enrollees into postsecondary education and training.

9. Performance based funding
(i.e. "$$ for benchmark attainment");
Public disclosure of local and state program results (i.e. literacy report card).

10. 3. What are your plans for that will support continuous improvement in the youth and adult delivery system, in program and instructional improvement?

11. The extension allows state some "breathing room" to better prepare for initiatives contained in the proposed reauthorization.
The states will be able to focus on the development and pilot testing of content standards.

12. The states will be able to explore and develop strategies for alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessment.
The states will be able to develop/improve articulation agreements and Memoranda of Agreements/Understanding with WIA partners, postsecondary education and business and industry.

13. 4. What additional modifications should be made to  NRS to strengthen the integrity of the adult education system and adult education data aggregation in general? Are there specific changes that could be implemented to demonstrate more accurately adult education successes to funders and policy makers at local, state, and federal levels?

14. Expand outcome measure reporting to include all program enrollees who achieve an outcome measure as reported in NRS Table # 5 instead of only reporting on those enrollees who have indicated one of the four (4) outcome measures as a stated goal. This strategy will provide a clearer picture of program accountability.

15. Include the recognition of a state basic skills certification program as a valid and reliable measure for reporting educational gains;

16. Educational gains should only be reported on enrollees with pre/post assessments as opposed to only pre assessments (i.e. Use NRS Table 4b instead of Table 4 as the basis for reporting educational gains). This approach offers a psychometrically sound rationale for legitimate reporting of educational gains.