How accessible is Maine Adult Education?

1. Maine College Transitions “Lessons Learned”National College Transitions Network ConferenceNovember 15/16, 2010

2. How accessible is Maine Adult Education? Maine Adult Education is comprised of 100+ programs serving over 85% of Maine’s municipalities

3. Adult Education: First Step Educating Maine’s Workforce • By 2020, Maine will need 40,000 more workers with college degrees to catch up with the rest of New England. • 10,000 of these degrees will need to come from existing workers – 85% of whom are currently working and have been out of school for many years.

4. Our Goal: Positive Impact on Maine’s Workforce! • Create a more unified statewide system • Expand awareness that Adult Education is an effective pathway to higher education • Build partnerships to support Maine’s economic development Adult Education is a great value for Maine people and its communities!

5. Background/History • 1987: UMaine ITV system for delivering courses managed at Adult Education sites. • 2001:Nellie Mae Education Foundation funded NELRC Demonstration projects • 2003: Maine Compact for Higher Education: Goal 3 • 2006/07: Legislatively approved one year State funded pilot program

6. Background/History continued • 2006: MELMAC Education Foundation “Connecting Aspirations to a Plan” grants for Adult Education 2005 • 2007/08: Legislative action resulting in state funding • 2007/08: Legislative rule changes that allow local programs to access state subsidy for locally funded programs • Currently, 22 programs delivered in over 40 communities

7. Maine Program Model • Offered through Adult Education Programs • College Preparation and Advising • Comprehensive Program • 2 Distinct Scheduling Designs • Must enroll in college in 12-18 months • Reference: NCSALL Occasional paper, 2006 “Transitioning Adults to College: Adult Basic Education Program Models”

8. Required Program Components • Career planning & assessment • College experience • Tracking and follow up • Instruction in college preparation coursework • Accuplacer testing • Technology

9. Delivery schedule There are two (2) schedules: • Students take set classes as a group scheduled in one day, evening, or over a few hours over several days. Academic and career counseling, college life skills, and other classes are included in the curriculum • Students select the classes, based on assessment scores, that meet their academic and career goals, with college life skills classes and academic and career counseling mandatory supports • Programs are offering both models to attract and accommodate student schedules

10. Who are we serving: Trends over the last three years • Around 1,300 students each year • Most students (62-67%) are over the age of 25 • Around half are employed, half unemployed or are not in the workforce • 67% are female • 66% are first generation college candidates • Most are referred through the adult education system

11. Persistence trends postsecondary • Almost half of students are changing their enrollment status (full or part time) to stay in college • A growing number of students are enrolling in more than one school, and may increase as online courses are more the norm • Those enrolling in more than one school are more often at satellite centers of the University of Maine system or Community College system, or at adult education programs that offer community college or college courses on site

12. Curriculum/TeachingPromising Practices • Academics aligned with post secondary partner • Academic rigor: Classes based on developmental courses and run like college class • Accuplacer pre and post testing • Use standards based curriculum: College Ready standards • Comprehensive programming including self management skills

13. Curriculum/TeachingPromising Practices Continued • Integrated technology into all classes, and some programs utilized Moodle, Blackboard, Ning, Goggle Docs or other web sites • Classes mesh with student needs, aligned with assessments • Research and research papers assigned. All written assignments submitted using technology (no handwritten papers accepted) Writing prompts often focus on career awareness

14. Curriculum/TeachingPromising Practices • College Application completed; College visits preceded by information and introduction to campus enabling students to ask informed questions • College Financial Aid forms submitted • Partner agencies provide core services such as financial aid, college readiness, time management, self esteem, etc. • Advising, Advising and advising some more

15. Statewide Administration • Statewide Program Coordinator, technical assistance, focus • Data Collection system • Data reports used for program improvement process • National Student Clearinghouse data reports • Consistent messaging and outreach

16. Local Program Administration • Mirrors statewide administration • Comprehensive intake process important • Assessment • Advising • Follow up

17. Relationship with Post Secondary • Co-location allows students to access campus services such as advising, library, food services • Co-location allows participants to mingle with and meet enrolled students • Strong, positive partnership beneficial for staff and results in increased collaboration and coordination: computer labs, library resources, shared staff • Agreements with higher education for placement, scholarships, credits

18. Relationship with Post Secondary Continued • MOU statewide and local • Culture changes in how Adult Education programs look at college ready and other programming • Scholarships, admissions • Analysis of clearinghouse data—looks like relationship between AE/CT and Post Secondary Institution the most important

19. Professional Development • Initial and ongoing professional development is critical to success of MCT • PD topics covered administration, data collection, promising practices, resilience research, CT research, program implementation and curriculum development • Delivery of PD in various formats • Include partners from secondary education and other partners

20. Professional Development Formats PD was delivered through statewide meetings, workshops, and conferences and in partnership with other agencies Examples: • MELMAC Education Foundation peer learning sessions • Maine Adult Education Association pre-conference • Maine Adult Education Association conference strand • Topic at all Adult Education Director’s meetings • Use of National College Transitions Network Tool kit • Request for more professional development that includes partners from secondary education and other partners

21. Collaborations/Partnerships Community partnerships strengthen local and state programming Examples: • Maine Education Opportunity Center • Post-Secondary Institutions • Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community • Maine Department of Labor CareerCenters • Others

22. Outreach • Partnered with Maine Adult Education Association and Maine Department of Education • Consistent message and visuals • Templates so local programs could be consistent

23. Evaluation • Needed at all levels • Purpose for local program improvement • Technical Assistance program improvement process • Third party evaluator for statewide analysis and feedback

24. Evaluation Design/Methodology Based on Logic Model The Evaluation Questions: • Based on data collected from local programs, what is the demographic picture of Maine College Transitions Program? What are the common characteristics across the state? What are the unique characteristics? • What elements of established best practices are in place? What new ones have emerged?

25. Evaluation Data • Maine Adult Education Management Information System (MAEMIS) Data • National Student Clearinghouse Data • Program Qualitative Reports • Student Surveys • Professional Development/Conference Evaluations • Advisory Board minutes • Coordinator updates

26. MCT Student Survey • Mirrors Persistence Research • Completers have confidence in college and career success • Counseling key to building self esteem • Goal setting and incremental achievement helps build confidence and is a retention factor • Student relationships with family and friends important factors for success • Student relationships with other students key factor in student motivation, retention and success • Relationships with teachers and counselors important factors in building self-efficacy

27. Lessons Learned Conclusions • For those going on in their education, the model of their CT program seems to slightly impact the rates of post secondary enrollment, with the set entry/exit schedule having a higher %, on average, of those matriculated and counted in this database. • Alignment with and/or co-location with a post secondary school does influence enrollment rates and where students enroll

28. Lessons Learned Continued • Program staff (including teachers and program directors) have shifted their thinking about adult education as a result of providing CT programming, attending CT professional development, and observing student progress

29. Resources • www. Maineadulted.org • www.collegetransition.org • www.collegeforme.com • www.maine.gov/education/aded/dev/transitions.htm

30. Contact Information Jeffrey A. Fantine, Director Adult and Family Literacy Maine Department of Education SHS 23 Augusta, Maine 04333 207-624-6755 Jeff.Fantine@maine.gov Larinda Meade, Coordinator Maine College Transitions 32 Willow Lane Portland, Maine 04102 207-756-8560 MaineCollegeTransititons@gmail.com