Section 2.1 Governance and Decision Making Process |
Describe the governance and decision-making processes in place between the consortium fiscal agent and its members. Address the following:
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Members of Metro North ABE Consortium: |
Anoka-Hennepin ISD #11
Elk River ISD #728 Brooklyn Center ISD # 286 Fridley ISD #14 |
Centennial ISD #12
Spring Lake Park ISD #16 Columbia Heights ISD #13 St. Francis ISD #15 |
Fiscal Agent: |
Members that are ABE Providers: |
Anoka-Hennepin School ISD #11 |
Anoka-Hennepin ISD #11 Centennial ISD #12 Elk River ISD #728 St. Francis ISD #15 |
Consortium Meetings: |
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Typical Agenda Items: |
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ABE Basic Presentation Samples: |
The following items are samples of presentations that have been made to help educate CE Directors on ABE basics. The topics were requested in a survey of the directors and the content was mostly drawn from ABE Foundation materials. These were presented one per quarterly meeting. |
Consortium Agreement |
The Consortium Fiscal agent reviews and updates the agreement form annually. It is distributed at a meeting (usually in June) for input by the members and any changes may be made. The signed forms are due to the Consortium Fiscal Agent by July 1 and should be kept on file by the members as well. See Document D for complete copy of the agreement. |
Section 2.2 Program Quality and Accountability Plans and Procedures |
Describe the program quality and accountability plans and procedures for consortium fiscal agent and all members. Address the following:
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Section 2.3 Processes Used to Help Students Develop Realistic Goals and Timelines for Educational Progress |
Describe the process(es) used in the consortium to help students develop realistic goals and timelines for educational progress, secondary credential attainment, enrolling in college and/or gaining or improving employment. Refer to Document A as appropriate. Address the following:
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Adult Education Center- Columbia Heights/Fridley |
ESL/ELL program Pre-COVID-19: All learners attend an intake/registration/testing session when enrolling in the program. During this session, students are informed of class schedules/levels and the testing process. At this point, most students enrolling in ESL classes register their goal as “improve reading, writing, listening, speaking skills in English”. They may also identify a need to study for the Citizenship exam or enroll in a career pathway pre-bridge class. Once enrolled into their assigned class level, the teacher will get to know the student. Goals are discussed during lessons/units on goals and during (newly incorporated) 1:1 student conferences held three times a year. COVID-19 Adaptations: The same process is followed but with an online intake process (less individual contact about goals during this online placement process for ESL). However, once placed into a class, the teacher will get to know the student. Goals are discussed during lessons/units on goals and during (newly incorporated) online 1:1 student conferences held three times a year. GED/Brush up/College prep Pre-COVID-19: All learners attend an intake/registration/testing/orientation session when enrolling in the program. They receive information on the GED and adult diploma options (at other sites). They also receive information on any career pathway program offerings. Students enrolling in levels 4, 5, or 6 specify their long-term goal at enrollment (GED, college, or career-related). Once enrolled in their assigned class level, the teacher meets 1:1 for a new student meeting. In this meeting they are oriented to the class, review their placement test results, and discuss their goals. Goals are also discussed during lessons/units on goals and during (newly incorporated) 1:1 student conferences held three times a year. COVID-19 Adaptations: The same process is followed, however the orientation is limited due to the online form processing. While being placed, intake staff will support the student by sharing any additional relevant information about programming. Otherwise, most discussions bout goals occur in the new student meetings. Goals are then also discussed during lessons/units on goals and during (newly incorporated) 1:1 student conferences held three times a year. |
Anoka Technical College |
Pre-COVID-19 We have an informal goal-setting conversation at the time of intake testing for all students. Then, on the first day they meet with their teachers, and they have a more direct conversation about the student's goals and expected timeline. GED/Brush up/College prep In the study lab, the conferencing is essentially ongoing since the student meets with the instructor as they complete each assignment. This provides the opportunity to work together to guide the student's learning path and adjust expectations accordingly. As the student approaches readiness for GED testing, the planning becomes more firm to address final deficiencies and encourage the student to complete the goal while the learning is still fresh. ESL/ELL Program Conferencing occurs when the students take their formal measures of progress. At that time, the instructor and student make decisions about proper placement within the levels of our program and set timelines for when to expect a level change if one hasn’t happened at the time of the conference. We had been discussing a better, more consistent system (prior to the switch to distance learning) where we would hold structured "assessment and goal setting conferences" as a program, addressing every eligible student at monthly intervals. This was paused during COVID-19 changes but will be revisited in future. COVID-19 Adaptations With the change to a centralized intake process performed remotely, the initial goal-setting process with students has moved entirely to ‘original contact’ conversations with the students to determine their long-term goals. Placement assessments and the establishment of short-term goals is performed through a series of initial assignments and interactions between the teacher and the student to get a more organic feel for the students’ preparation from both a skill-level and a learner readiness perspective. We are currently measuring achievement and assessing student placement based on student progression through the curriculum and what we see in interactions with teachers rather than through progress and placement tests which we have not been conducting remotely during the COVID-19 distance learning period due to logistical challenges. This is true for ABE/Basic Skills and ELL learners alike. |
Anoka-Ramsey Community College |
The teachers work with students throughout the class, but they also meet separately with students for whom they recommend using ABE specific classes directly to prepare for their next steps as learners. Otherwise, the college takes the lead on most of the advising for the DevEd math program since the goals and progression are primarily related to their degree path. |
Blaine Learning Lab |
Pre-COVID-19: All incoming ABE learners attended an Intake session that described the classes/programs offered at the Blaine site as well as those offered at other Metro North ABE locations and the Career Force Center. They got a brief overview of the three diploma completion options and class expectations. Once they completed the Intake and assessment process, they met with our Placement Specialist to discuss class options, individual goals, and wraparound services provided in the area. On the first day of class they filled out a learner interview on which they stated their program and career goals. This information was discussed with the teacher. They set a series of short-term goals to help guide them towards their long-term end goal. After two weeks, the Placement Specialist met with the learner to discuss how things were going and goal progression. They discussed attendance and need for resources. Each quarter the teachers held formal conferences with each learner. They discussed progress and goal progression. They also set new short-term goals as needed. COVID-19 Adaptations: Learners indicate on the online interest form the course of study they are interested in. After they have been entered into the SiD database, they briefly meet with the Placement Specialist to login and complete 20 Read Theory (RT) assessments. Upon completion of the required RT component, the Placement Specialist meets online with each learner to discuss placement options, initial goal setting, and wraparound services. In the upper level classes, the learners are sent the Learner Interview electronically by their teacher on or prior to the first day of class. The learners meet individually with the teacher either on or prior to the first day of class (online) to discuss their goals and class expectation. The Placement Specialist conducts a two week follow-up Google Meet to check in with progress and wraparound services. The teachers conduct quarterly, individual conferences with each learner. They discuss progress, needs, and goals for the upcoming quarter. All ESL learners meet on the first day of class with their teacher to discuss goals and needs (both onsite and online). All ESL teachers meet quarterly with their learners (both onsite and online) to discuss progress, needs, and goals for the upcoming quarter. |
Brooklyn Center Adult Education |
GED/Brush up/College prep Pre-COVID-19: All learners attend an intake/registration/testing session when enrolling in the program. During this session, students are informed of class schedules/levels and the testing process. At this point, most students enrolling in ESL classes register their goal as “improve reading, writing, listening, speaking skills in English”. They may also identify a need to study for the Citizenship exam or enroll in a career pathway pre-bridge class. If a student tests at a higher level and identifies GED or College as a goal, they may be enrolled in our evening GED prep/brush up/College prep class. Otherwise, they are referred to other program sites as appropriate. Once enrolled into their assigned class level, the teacher will get to know the student. Goals are discussed during lessons/units on goals and during (newly incorporated) 1:1 student conferences held three times a year. COVID-19 Adaptations: The same process is followed but with an online intake process (less individual contact about goals during this online placement process). However, once placed into a class, the teacher will get to know the student. Goals are discussed during lessons/units on goals and during (newly incorporated) online 1:1 student conferences held three times a year. |
Elk River |
When a student enrolls at Elk River, we have a discussion about goals and how long the students believe that it will take to reach them. This gives instructors the opportunity to talk with students about how realistic that timeframe is. We believe it is important for students to know the time commitment when they begin. If students expect more within the time they have, we may suggest another program (For example, completing the GED rather than doing a credit recovery diploma) or additional things that students can do to reach the goals within that time frame. Some specific items we touch on:
COVID-19 Adaptations: When we note that a distance learning student is not making progress or putting in adequate time, staff will call or email to discuss progress and how time being spent by the student will affect the timeframe that it takes to meet a goal. An online conference might be scheduled to talk to students who need an opportunity to discuss goals, progress, and areas for improvement. |
St. Francis |
The student orientation and goal-setting process is done on an individual basis. The Site Coordinator/Instructor discusses educational/career/life-related goals with each student. Potential obstacles to their goals are discussed and the instructor shares community resources with the student to help address these obstacles. The instructor assists students in setting realistic, measurable goals by being honest with students about where they are now in their education and where they want to be in the future. Placement is determined through formal and informal assessments. Student progress is continually monitored to inform instruction and to re-evaluate goals with students. COVID-19 Adaptations: Informal assessments have been utilized more than formal assessments during the pandemic. These include Steck-Vaughn Pre-tests and GED Ready Practice Tests. Readworks.org and Newsela.com are some of the resources used to assess reading levels and skills. To identify proficiency in the conventions of standard English, students choose a writing prompt from Minnesota Literacy's “365 Days of Writing Prompts'' or a topic of their choice. One of the resources for informal assessments in reading, listening, and writing for EL students is Ventures textbooks and their accompanying website. Speaking assessment is done informally through authentic conversations. |