South Carolina Adult Education Program Guidelines Focus on the Future South Carolina Department of Education Office of Adult Education

Transcription

1 South Carolina Adult Education Program Guidelines Focus on the Future South Carolina Department of Education Office of Adult Education Dr. David Stout, Director Office of Adult Education 3 rd Edition Revised August 27, 2014

2 Adult Education The South Carolina Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability in admission to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies should be made to the director of the Office of Human Resources, 1429 Senate Street, Columbia SC, 29201, I

3 Table of Contents Overview of Adult Education... page 1 Section 100 Federal Guidelines... page South Carolina State Plan... page Mission Statement... page Vision... page Purpose... page Position Statement... page 4 Section 200 Adult Education Program Statutory Requirements... page SC Board Regulations... page Performance Measures... page Program Intensity and Duration... page Program Hours of Participation... page Recruitment and Retention... page 9 Section 300 Adult Education Program Administration &Management... page Program Participants... page A Eligible Students... page B Fundable Students... page C Enrolled Students... page D Student Sign In and Out Procedures...page E Young Adult Population... page Program Staff... page A Adult Education Director... page B Director in Training... page C Center Supervisor or Program Coordinator page D LACES Entry Specialist... page EAdministrative Assistant... page F Instructional Staff... page G ESL Instructor... page H Family Literacy Designee... page I Family Literacy Instructional Staff... page J Transition Specialist... page 16 II

4 302K Virtual Learning Coordinator... page L Instructional Assistant... page M Tutors and Volunteers... page N WorkKeys Test Administrators... page Staff Orientation... page A New Director Orientation... page B New Teacher Orientation... page 18 Section 400 Adult Education Program Components... page Adult Basic Education (ABE)... page High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED)... page High School Diploma (HSD)... page A High School Diploma Hours... page B Units of Credit Earned in a Proficiency-Based System... page C Units of Credit Earned in Content (Credit) Recovery... page Career Readiness Certificate (CRC)... page English as a Second Language (ESL)... page Family Literacy (FL)... page A Parent Education (PE)... page District Requested Services... page Community Education Courses... page 24 Section 500 Program Monitoring... page Local Program Review (LPR)... page A Adult Education Focus Areas... page 26 Section 600 Adult Education Assessment Policy... page 27 Section 700 Adult Education Special Initiatives and Partnerships... page English Literacy-Civics (EL-Civics)... page Adult Ed. & Family Lit./Engagement Collaborative (AEFLEC)... page Career Readiness Certificate (CRC)... page A Career Readiness Certificate Goals... page SC Vocational Rehabilitation Department (SCVRD)... page County Jail-Local Detention Centers... page Certified Work Ready Communities (CWRC)... page Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 2 Work... page32 III

5 Section 800 Program Funding, Data, and Reporting... page Funding... page A Federal Funding... page B State Funding... page C Alternative Funding.....page D Budgets and Expenditure Procedures Effective July 2014 page Data-Literacy Adult Community Education System (LACES)... page Reporting... page A Desktop Monitoring Tool (DMT)... page B Transition Specialist Accountability Report (TSAR)... page C Special Initiatives Desk Audit... page D SC Voc. Rehab. Dept. Certified Expenditure Summary Report... page E Local Program Staff Development Plan... page F Local Program Staff Roster... page G Local Program Master Schedule... page H Local Program Income Report... page I Maintenance of Effort... page 42 Section 900 Resources, Staff Training & Professional Development.... page Regional Adult Education Technical Assistance Center (RAETAC)... page A Training Specialist... page Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE)... page SC Association for Adult & Continuing Education (SCAACE)... page South Carolina Association of Adult Education Directors (SCAAED)... page National Adult Education Professional Development (NAEPDC)... page Section 1000 Miscellaneous... page Students with Disabilities... page Provisos... page Records... page Forms... page 52 IV

6 OVERVIEW OF ADULT EDUCATION Adult education programs serve individuals sixteen (16) years of age and older who need to improve their basic skills with an emphasis on literacy, mathematics, and English language proficiency. Instructors work with each student to design an individual learning plan that aligns to the student s goals: to get, retain or advance in a job; get off public assistance and achieve a family-sustaining income; earn a high school diploma (HSD) or obtain a high school equivalency diploma (HSED); advance to a community college or training program; help dependent children be successful in school; manage the family s healthcare; or learn English, understand U.S. culture, and be an informed citizen. Adult Literacy is defined as an individual s ability to use printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one s goals, and to develop one s knowledge and potential. The U.S. Department of Education issued an estimate of the literacy skills of adults in the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Performance is rated on the following scale: Below Basic, Basic, Intermediate and Proficient. Overall, it is estimated that 93 million U.S. adults have Basic and Below Basic literacy skills. This study and others found: Adults living in poverty were more likely to have lower average literacy scores than adults with higher incomes. Half of the adults who did not have a high school diploma performed in the Below Basic levels. Seniors and adults over the age of 65 had the lowest average literacy scores of any age range, with 64 percent performing in the Basic and Below Basic levels. The more than one million incarcerated adults in the nation had lower average literacy scores than adults in households on nearly every comparable scale (age, gender, educational attainment level ethnicity). Foreign-born adults who came to the United States at age 19 or older are more likely to have lower English literacy skills than those who came at age 11 or younger. In 2003, 11 million adults in the United States were non-literate in English and 22 million adults spoke English less than very well. 1

7 South Carolina Office of Adult Education Program Guidelines SECTION 100 FEDERAL GUIDELINES The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) is authorized by the Title II, Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA--P.L ). Signed into Law on August 7, 1998, the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 reformed Federal employment, adult education, and vocational rehabilitation programs to create an integrated, "one-stop" system of workforce investment and education activities for adults and youth. Entities that carry out activities assisted under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act are mandatory partners in this one-stop delivery system. See The purpose of adult education is to create a partnership among the federal government, states and localities, to provide, on a voluntary basis, adult education and literacy services in order to: assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency assist adults who are parents to obtain the educational skills necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children assist adults in the completion of a secondary school education The United States Department of Education allocates AEFLA funds to states in accordance with a statutory formula. Each state is required to use not less than 82.5% of its federal grant to award funds, through a competitive sub granting process, to eligible local providers of workplace literacy, family literacy, basic skills adult education, and English as a second language instruction. South Carolina s last AEFLA grant competition was conducted in 2006 for the school year and two subsequent years. Although the sub grant award was multi-year, continued funding was and is not automatic. Each sub grantee must submit an annual Performance Measures Proposal documenting the program s progress in meeting state performance measures. Informal or Formal Local Program Reviews are conducted to assess each program s progress in meeting the objectives of the program and to evaluate the program based on the indicators of performance. Using these procedures, the Office of Adult Education will determine annually a sub grantee s eligibility for continued funding. 2

8 Currently, South Carolina allocates federal funds to fifty-one (51) adult education programs housed in school districts or community colleges and to five (5) community-based organizations. 101 South Carolina State Plan This plan is an agreement between the state of South Carolina and the federal government to assure that the state s administration of adult education and family literacy programs is consistent with the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, U.S. Public Law enacted Title II, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) of This plan communicates the scope of the state s commitment to and support of adult education and family and workplace literacy in order to meet the educational needs of its adult citizens and to adhere to the federal regulations. The State Plan is not a regulation Mission Statement The mission of adult education in South Carolina is to (1) assist adults in becoming literate and obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency, (2) assist adults who are parents to obtain the educational skills necessary for them to become full partners in the educational development of their children, and (3) assist adults in the completion of a secondary-school education. 103 Vision The vision of adult education is for all South Carolina adults to have a high level of literacy that enables them to access needed information, take independent action, express ideas and opinions, keep up with the changing world, and exercise rights and responsibilities as family members, workers, and community members 104 Purpose The purpose of the Office of Adult Education is to provide leadership, training, technical assistance, monitoring, and evaluation to adult education service providers who assist adults in obtaining the literacy, credentials, knowledge and skills necessary for self-sufficiency, employability, civic awareness and an engaged partnership in the educational development of their children. 3

9 105 Position Statement The Office of Adult Education, based on directives from The U.S. Department of Education s, Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) is officially stating that Student Performance is the priority and focus in South Carolina. To this end, it is imperative that all adult education programs receiving federal funds have a written plan to achieve success as it relates to students completing an educational functioning level. The intensity and duration of the instructional program should be sufficient to ensure student success. Keep in mind that the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 for Adult Education and Family Literacy (AEFLA) places the responsibility on programs to prove that they make a difference. Student gain, measured by post-testing with the TABE or BEST-Plus/BEST Literacy tests, is the primary measure of student performance. It is the Office of Adult Education s position that certain criteria must be standardized and uniform across all programs to assist in achieving the state level of performance set with OCTAE each year. 4

10 SECTION 200 ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS Funded sub grantees must use the funds to develop, implement, and improve adult education and literacy activities within their service area. Projects must offer flexible schedules and should offer necessary support services (such as child care and transportation) when possible to enable individuals, including individuals with disabilities or other special needs, to participate. Sub grantees must remember that in providing family literacy services under this program they shall attempt to coordinate with programs and services that are not assisted under this subtitle prior to using funds for adult education and literacy activities under this subtitle for activities other than adult education activities. Only programs that incorporate the 12 key statutory requirements included in the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act are considered for funding. The requirements are: the degree to which the eligible provider will establish measurable goals for participant outcomes the past effectiveness of an eligible provider in improving the literacy skills of adults and families, and, after the 1-year period beginning with the adoption of the state s performance measures (Section 212), the success of an eligible provider receiving funding under this subtitle in meeting or exceeding such performance measures, especially with respect to those adults with the lowest levels of literacy the commitment of the eligible provider to serve individuals in the community who are most in need of literacy services including individuals who are low-income or have minimal literacy skills the program is of sufficient intensity and duration for participants to achieve substantial learning gains and uses instructional practices, such as phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension that research has proven to be effective in teaching individuals to read the activities are built on a strong foundation of research and effective educational practice 5

11 the activities effectively employ advances in technology, as appropriate, including the use of computers the activities provide learning in real life contexts to ensure that an individual has the skills needed to compete in the workplace and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship the activities are staffed by well-trained instructors, counselors, and administrators the activities coordinate with other available resources in the community, such as by establishing strong links with elementary schools and secondary schools, postsecondary educational institutions, one-stop centers, job training programs, and social service agencies the activities offer flexible schedules and support services (such as child care and transportation) that are necessary to enable individuals, including individuals with disabilities or other special needs, to attend and complete programs the activities maintain a high-quality information management system that has the capacity to report participant outcomes and to monitor program performance against the state s performance measures and the local communities have a demonstrated need for additional English literacy programs 201 South Carolina Board Regulations Regulation Adult Education Program o Regulation Adult Education o Regulation Defined Program, Grades 9-12 and Graduation Requirements o Regulation Palmetto Unified School District o link Note: and are being reviewed for revision in

12 202 Performance Measures Adult education programs are evaluated on two basic, yet multi-faceted, factors: 1) Is the program serving its community? Have the demographics of the community been studied to determine the areas of need for adult education services and is the outreach needed to recruit, teach and retain those potential students being provided? 2) Is the program performing effectively? Are students attending regularly, making progress and attaining their goals? Is the program meeting state performance measures? Program performance is measured by its effectiveness in moving students through a set of educational functioning levels that have been established by the federal government. A snapshot of a program s effectiveness can be seen in its data, but that data is the aggregate of the effectiveness of a number of daily practices and procedures. 203 Program Intensity and Duration Note: Classes must have the intensity and duration for students to successfully complete their entry educational functioning level. As a result, all students must be enrolled in a class designed to meet the 30/40/60 hour rule, such as Parent Education or WorkKeys/WorkCore classes. For this reason 12 Hour and short classes must have been eliminated, effective December 31, 2012, as directed in the dated with additional clarification on (see Appendix). This includes Money Smart or Health Smart as stand-alone classes. 7

13 204 Program Hours of Participation Instructional Hours: INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS Delivered by: Adult Basic Education (NRS Educational Functioning Levels 1-4) Minimum of forty (40) instructional hours prior to TABE post-testing in alignment with SC Adult Education Assessment Policy Adult Education Adult Secondary Education (NRS Educ. Functioning Levels 5-6) Minimum of thirty (30) instructional hours prior to TABE post-testing (unless exempt) in alignment with SC Adult Education Assessment Policy. Adult Education High school diploma courses require 60 instructional hours* for a full credit and 30 instructional hours for a half-credit unless the course is an SCDE approved proficiencybased course. Note: Instructional hours refer only to those in which the student is engaged in learning course content (does not include intake, pre-assessment, orientation, etc.). English As A Second Language Minimum of sixty( 60) instructional hours prior to BEST-Plus or BEST Literacy posttesting unless pre-tested with TABE in alignment with SC Adult Education Assessment Policy Adult Education Career Readiness Certificate (Work Keys) Minimum of thirty (30) instructional hours prior to TABE post-testing in alignment with SC Adult Education Assessment Policy Family Literacy: Parent Education Minimum of fifteen (15) instructional hours monthly Note: A maximum of five (5) hours may be integrated with adult basic education, English as a Second Language (ESL), and career readiness hours. The remaining ten (10) hours must be devoted specifically to parenting topics and activities that support the primary and secondary parent National Reporting System (NRS) goals: Adult Education Adult Education The ten (10) instructional hours must include instruction that integrates sessions on literacy, (language, reading and math), as well as child growth and development. For example, programs may incorporate sessions on brain development, social/emotional development, effective emerging literacy strategies, selecting age appropriate books, and other topics (some of which should be generated by the participants) that help parents understand the rationale for the NRS parent education primary and secondary goals Early Care and Education (Early Childhood) Thirty-five (35+ )Hours Weekly Note: ECE hours will vary depending on enrollment in public school, Head Start, private child care or home care. Local School District and/or Partner(s) Interactive Literacy Activities Between Parent and Child Five (5 )Hours Monthly Note: It is allowable for Adult Education programs to collaborate with the provider of Interactive Literacy Activities Between Parent and Child (ILA) aka Parent and Child Time Together (PACT) 8

14 205 Recruitment and Retention Programs must include intensive and special efforts to recruit, retain and give priority to serving under educated and under employed adults and parents or guardians of children, ages birth through five years, who are considered at-risk for school failure. Local programs must maintain on-site documentation of their recruitment and retention plans, and supporting activities to demonstrate a commitment to serve adults who need a HSD / HSED and/or Career Readiness Certificate. 9

15 SECTION 300 ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT 301 Program Participants Regulation requires that the local school board assign students under the age of eighteen who have left school to adult education. In order to help expedite the process, the local school board may allow the district superintendent to review and approve the assignment of students under the age of eighteen. In larger districts, an assistant or deputy superintendent will be allowed to sign the form approving the assignment of underage students to adult education. Under no circumstances are high school principals or other administrators allowed to approve the assignment. It is suggested that each district develop an official form and process for assigning underage students to the local adult education program. Adult education programs must maintain a copy of the assignment form in the student s permanent record. 301A Eligible Students Adult education students shall be at least eighteen (18) years of age (see 301 for exception to age) not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school under State law and who: Lack sufficient mastery of basic educational skills to function effectively in society Do not have a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and have not achieved an equivalent level of education; or Are unable to speak, read, or write the English language 301B Fundable Students A student is considered fundable after the student has completed an approved pre-test (TABE, BEST Plus or BEST Literacy), and received a minimum of twelve (12) hours of instruction. 301C Enrolled Students A student can only be counted in enrollment once during a school year. There are no exceptions to this rule. For instance, if a student starts the school year in a basic class and advances to a high school class during the school year, or if a diploma student takes a math and a language arts course during the school year, he/she can only be counted in enrollment once. 10

16 301D Student Sign In and Out Procedure Student participation must be authenticated, therefore programs must have a systematic method for students to sign in and out of adult education classes. Class participation must be validated by one of the following: Daily student signature Weekly student signature with daily student initial Computer Assisted Sign In If a program is using a computer assisted sign in system, (Open Time Clock, etc.), then the program must be able to access and make available a system-generated report of each student s individual sign in and sign out history. In the event the computer assisted method fails, programs should have a backup method in place. Each program using a computer assisted sign in/out system must get approval from State Office of Adult Education to eliminate the use of hard copy sign in sheets. This approval will be granted on a case by case basis. Programs are required to have written policy on program sign in and sign out procedures that is followed by all staff (Local Program Review Instrument, Data Collection and Analysis, 1.1: Written policy that describes or shows: a process/plan for maintaining and documenting daily classroom attendance). Note: Alternate methods and/or procedures for sign in and out must be submitted to the regional education associate for approval. 301E Young Adult Population (YAP) Previously, the South Carolina General Assembly provided a special allocation to school district adult education programs to serve year old students. That special allocation is no longer available. The General Assembly now mandates by proviso that 30% of all state adult education funds be spent serving year old students. In addition to more full-time teachers, each program has a transition specialist who focuses on preparing the student to move from adult education to post-secondary education, the armed forces or the work world. 11

17 302 Program Staff Staffing is critical for adult education programs. The number of program staff depends on the size of the program, services offered, satellite sites and funding. The following are examples of staff positions found in adult education programs throughout the state. 302A Adult Education Director The responsibility of the adult education director is to coordinate and collaborate with the school community and local agencies to provide an array of education services to meet the educational needs of the uneducated and undereducated population. Each director must either be certified in one of the acceptable areas of certification for an adult education director or hold both an advanced degree in the field of adult education and a South Carolina teaching certificate. It is recommended that a director have at least five (5) years of successful experience in the teaching, administration or supervisory field. Each director is expected to attend at least one course offered by the SCDE, Office of Adult Education through the College of Charleston within the first two (2) years of employment. These courses include Best Practices, Blending Common Core or Foundations of Adult Education. 302B Director in Training This position is reserved for a staff member with an expressed desire to be an adult education director. The person must possess the above qualifications or be currently working toward the listed qualifications. Note: This position is at the discretion of the adult education director. 302C Program Coordinator This is an administrative position with varying functions working under the direction of the adult education director. These individuals are hired and assigned duties at the discretion of the school district. Each center supervisor or program coordinator must either meet the same qualifications 12

18 for certification as an adult education director or have a master's degree or a bachelor s degree and five years of adult education experience. 302D LACES Entry Specialist This position is responsible for entering and verifying data as well as data quality through diagnostic tools embedded in the LACES software program. A thorough knowledge of LACES is required. Attendance at quarterly trainings is required. 302E Administrative Assistant The Administrative Assistant should possess good clerical, technological and interpersonal skills to enhance the adult education program. Directors must follow the guidelines of their local school district/community based organization in filling this position. 302F Instructional Staff All teachers (except ESL) must hold a valid S.C. teaching certificate. This includes WorkKeys teachers and teachers at local jails and detention centers. 302G English as a Second Language (ESL) Instructor Because there is no stand-alone ESL certification available, ESL teachers with a bachelor s degree but without a S.C. teaching certificate are eligible for a waiver exempting them from this requirement (302F). Directors should submit a waiver request to the Director of the Office of Adult Education in order for these teachers to continue employment. Waivers can be requested by following this link: Regardless of hire date, all teachers are expected to attend ESL Academy I within the first two years of employment. All new ESL teachers hired after June 30, 2014 are required to possess a bachelor s degree. 13

19 302H Family Literacy Designee Each Adult Education program must have a designated Family Literacy contact. The designated person will be the point of contact for all matters related to Family Literacy (Parent Education Classes). The contact may be the Adult Education Director, district Family Literacy Coordinator, or a Designee. A primary and secondary contact is preferred. The Adult Education Director must be the primary contact. The designated person must provide leadership and direction for the integration of the four components of Family Literacy (Adult Education, Parent Education, Interactive Literacy Activities Between Parent and Child, and Early Care and Education). Specifically, program leaders must; communicate a clear vision for the Family Literacy program, have sufficient background knowledge and related experience to effectively coordinate the components of Family Literacy, effectively coordinate and partner with the local school district and other agencies to offer comprehensive family literacy (i.e. partnering for Interactive Literacy Activities and Early Care and Education), ensure integration of parent education and adult basic education, attend ongoing professional development to enhance leadership capacity and provide training for program staff and collaborators, partner and collaborate to maximize resources and avoid duplication of efforts, o Potential partners and collaborators; local 4K and 5K Programs, Title I, Part A, First Steps to School Readiness, Head Start, Office of Exceptional Children, Department of Social Services (DSS), and other early childhood and family strengthening programs. manage program budget effectively and actively pursue resources for sustainability, ensure required data is collected, (pre and post surveys, NRS Tables 6, 8 and 11data) ensure coordination of services to assist the adult learner in meeting literacy and employment goals. Note: Family Literacy partnerships should be established through signed agreements, whenever possible, to ensure that the full range of participating students, who are parents, literacy and career ready needs are being met. 14

20 302I Family Literacy Instructional Staff Family Literacy instructional staff must adhere to Adult Education teacher guidelines if employed by the Adult Education program. At a minimum the Parent Education instructor should have training in at least one research based parent education curriculum; however, more than one curriculum may be incorporated into instruction. Suggested Parent Education Curricula Practical Parent Education (PPE) Parents As Teachers (PAT) Teaching Strategies: Creative Curriculum, (i.e. Literacy, Mathematics, Learning Games) High/Scope MotherRead Parent Child Home Program (PCHP) An Office of Adult Education approved curriculum. Programs should ensure that parent education instructional content reflects the students identified goals on the Family Literacy Pre and Post Survey. Other nationally recognized assessments, while they cannot be substituted for the survey, can also be used to guide parent education content. These include assessments such as: Parent Education Profile (PEP) Keys to Interactive Parenting (KIPS) Adult-Child Interactive Reading Inventory (aciri). Note: A request for an alternate parent education curriculum/course should be submitted to the Office of Adult Education. 15