Section 7.1 Student Success Story |
Provide a brief story of student success that illustrates the power of ABE programming to make positive change for the individuals and communities served. (Be sure to obtain student permission for any personal information or work included. |
Sabrie's Story |
“Before I found the Career Pathways and the OATs program, I was switching between being a personal care assistant at a group home and working retail at different chain stores. I got sick of doing the same thing over and over again, and I started to feel like I was really expendable. I wasn’t helping people or living the way I wanted to, but I didn’t want to go to college. I had been out of school for a while and wasn’t sure I could get back into it. I have been couch hopping since I was 17, but I was fortunate to move to Hope Place in January 2019. While there, my CareerForce counselor, Jennilee, told me about Career Pathways. I said I would think about it, but when I saw the OATs program I immediately knew it was something that I wanted to do. I started in March, and I liked it right away. The class was small, so the teacher could work individually with us. I learned a lot from others in the class. It surprised me how well I was doing; I liked it. The teacher, Mary Ketz from Metro North Adult Basic Education (ABE), made the class special. She didn’t talk to you like you were dumb. She pushed us to learn something new every day. The class prepared me to pass the Master’s Certificate in Microsoft Office. I was always good at technology, but I liked having a piece of paper to prove it. It shows people that I can do this, and, with my work experience, I know I can do it in real life. With the certificate, my class experience, and the internship I’m in, I feel like I have a lot to put on my resume. Part of the program is to be placed in a six week internship. Working with my Anoka County CareerForce Navigator, Melissa Bubbers, I really feel prepared for the work world. Melissa looked for a place where I would succeed and an opportunity for me to gain new skills. I was really lucky to be placed at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC). I was nervous at first because a colleague told me that my supervisor was tough, but then, after working for a while, he complimented my work. He said I catch on quickly. He even offered to extend my internship for a little longer. It’s nice to feel needed. I don’t know if it was the OATs program or doing well in my internship, but it opened my eyes to continuing my education. I know a lot about the school; I know people there and I know my way around. Even though I had my doubts before starting Career Pathways, I decided to enroll in ARCC and will begin studying communications in August. I have always liked to talk, meet people, and help out. With the classes offered by Metro North ABE and my future degree, I will have the education I need to succeed. I don’t know where my education and experience will take me, but I’m excited for the opportunities that it will offer. Down the road, I may be the one standing in front giving speeches or in the background helping others, but, either way, I will be living my life in a way that makes a difference." |
Section 7.2 Pandemic Challenges & Lessons Learned |
Describe how the consortium responded to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlight any lessons learned that will serve to enhance programming for the future, even after the pandemic. |
Challenge |
Response |
How to quickly and thoroughly communicate with all learners to inform them of the change to online classes in March 2020. |
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Teachers had to convert all curriculum and instruction to distance education. |
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Sites struggled to find appropriate online tools to serve the lower level ESL classes. |
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Some students, particularly lower level ESL preliterate students, were not accessing online classes due to digital literacy and access issues. |
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Many students did not have access to a device or to internet service in order to participate in online instruction. |
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Students have difficulty remembering how to find their passwords, log into various platforms, and find links to classes. |
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Students who had benefited from time with volunteers for individual needs were left without that support when we had fewer volunteers. |
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Staff had varied levels of technology skills and required training/time to learn new platforms and online resources. |
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Sites had to determine the required amount of synchronous instruction expected from all classes in order to have consistency for staff and provide guidelines. |
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There was a need to focus instruction on specific resources, online platforms, and tools to enable more efficient staff training and eliminate the overwhelming aspect. |
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There was an increased need for distance learning platform use which required determining appropriate platforms and training. |
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Correctional facilities were unable to access online programming. |
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Collaborative teaching partnerships at the colleges needed to agree on distance learning strategies and platforms. |
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Difficulty of placement of new learners and/or internal movement of learners without having access to standardized testing. |
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There was a need to transition the registration process to intake learners remotely and do non-paper based data collection. |
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For programs that were allowed to return on-site at some points (Elk River ABE, St Francis Area Schools ABE, and the Adult Education Center-Columbia Heights/Fridley) it was necessary to work out safety protocols. |
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Sites bounced back and forth between learning models due to school district programming restrictions (hybrid to distance only to hybrid, etc.). This affected the Elk River and St. Francis sites primarily and made planning and instruction more complicated. |
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GED testing centers couldn’t operate at any of our sites due to building closures, other than brief periods at the jails. |
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Lesson Learned |
How It will Enhance Future Programming |
Online classes worked better for many students (based on comments and strong enrollments and retention)-- providing greater accessibility for many learners who may have childcare and transportation challenges. |
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Importance of meeting students’ varied access needs |
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Online classes work best with shorter time frames and smaller classes. This has had both positive and negative impact: Cons:
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Some students have technology challenges involving both skills and access to computers and hotspots. |
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Distance learning platforms that align with core class instruction have resulted in more individualized instruction and enhanced learning as it matches student needs. |
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Volunteers and paraprofessionals doing break out rooms online worked well and assisted students with learning and helped teachers feel less overwhelmed |
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Some volunteers, like snow birds, love the online option. |
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More time intensive for teachers to develop hand-off material for volunteers. |
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Student/teacher conferences work well online. |
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1:1 meetings with students online allowed for dealing with non academic issues better |
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Online data collection forms used at intake have streamlined the process, enabling learners to enter programming quicker and freeing up intake staff for other duties |
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Staff and students can learn a great deal of new technology skills in one year |
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Online tech training for staff worked well |
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Found some new and better technology for use in classes |
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Cross-site PLCs were now possible and worked well. |
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Site Weebly pages used at the Columbia Heights site worked well to communicate with learners, share links, and share ‘how tos’ for online programs |
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Having consistent class times for synchronous classes has worked well for some and flexible times have worked better for other classes/instructors |
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Having synchronous classes meet 50% of in-person class time worked well |
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Students attended content-area specific short classes that focused learning instead of an ongoing general lab setting that was offered in-person pre-COVID-19 at some sites. |
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More frequent informal supervisor observations happened with online instruction and worked well |
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Including another “focusing” activity like a study session worked well in combination with synchronous and asynchronous classes |
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Students update their address and phone themselves online. Data accuracy concerns when students enter their own data. |
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The lack of social connection in the online world was hard for many |
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Life/Work balance has been very challenging |
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Need to scale up efforts we have done and found successful |
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It was inefficient to do remote online TABE/CASAS testing for groups |
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Online staff meetings work well and take up less staff time |
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Section 7.3 Addressing Issues of Equity |
Explain if, when and how the consortium addresses the issue of equity, including but not limited to racial equity. Consider the following:
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Professional Development/ Activities |
Frequency |
Participation |
Notes |
District Culturally Responsive Teaching trainings (CRT) |
Annually |
All Staff |
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Cultural Competency licensure requirement |
Ongoing |
All Teachers |
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Racial Equity, Social Justice, and Equity trainings offered through ATLAS, other ABE Support Services, and local/regional/state trainings |
Ongoing |
All Staff |
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Central Leadership Team CRT team Activities |
Ongoing |
Leadership Team |
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MidWest and Plains Equity Assistance Center training |
Ongoing |
Equity team members, but open to all staff |
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Site based Equity training |
Site-based, Ongoing |
CHF/BC site staff now, expanding in future |
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Listing of online links to articles, videos, movies, etc. on Racial Equity |
Site-based, Ongoing |
CHF/BC Site Staff |
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Equity Training for New Volunteers |
Before Volunteering |
New Volunteers |
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Equity training for existing Volunteers |
Ongoing |
Volunteers |
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Leading While Female Workshop Series |
One-Time Workshop |
Voluntary Staff Enrollment |
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