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ADULT BASIC EDUCATION. Meeting the needs of our community. ABE Mission.
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ADULT BASIC EDUCATION Meeting the needs of our community
ABE Mission • Adult Basic Education strengthens community by providing free instruction and support to adults and their families to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for success in secondary and post-secondary education, employment, and self-sufficiency.
ABE Funding Sources • Federal block grant through HED (Workforce Investment Act of 1998) • Federal ESL-Civics Ed block grant through HED • State legislative funding – formula based on headcount and contact hours • State instructional materials through PED • Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe (LVSF) – various grants, e.g., City of SF, SF Community Foundation, NM Coalition for Literacy, United Way, and others • College – In-kind and fiscal support
ABE Program Components • GED and Basic Skills • English as a SecondLanguage (ESL) • Literacy Program – Basic Reading & ESL • Workforce Development integrated in all programs (WorkKeys, KeyTrain, Career Readiness Credential)
GED and Basic Skills • GED preparation classes and individualized instruction • Prescriptive, skill-based program • GED en español • “Brush-up” - for students with high school diplomas but who need skill building • Computer-Assisted Instruction – Lab open 12 hours/day • Partner with Lifelink, YouthWorks, Drug Court, Probation, TANF, others • 687 “fundable” students 2006-2007
English as a Second Language • 7 levels of ESL classes • Computer-assisted instruction • Sites: SFCC, Agua Fria, Cesar Chavez, Turquoise Trail, Salazar • Civics Education integrated in ESL intermediate and above classes • 913 “fundable” students 2006-2007
Literacy Program • Affiliation with Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe provides seamless services • Accredited through ProLiteracy America • Basic literacy and ESL tutoring • One-to-one tutoring - 26 students • Workplace – 13 worksites, 84 students • Neighborhood and Community Groups – 30 groups, 198 students • Family Literacy - 137 children, 55 parents • Sullivan Computer Learning Lab – 93 students • 232 “fundable” students
Student-centered Instruction • Individualized for all levels: basic literacy to 12th grade level; no English to pre-college level English • Specialized screening for learning difficulties • Use PowerPath screening instrument and philosophy • Screen for vision, hearing, visual stress syndrome, and ADD • Intervention for learners who have “slipped through the cracks” • Engage students as partners in their learning • Screen English and Spanish speakers • Improves persistence! • Pre-test all students with standardized tests to determine skill level upon entry. Post-test at intervals to determine learning gain.
Accountability • New Mexico Higher Education Department • Evaluation • Self-assessment • Policies • National Reporting System • Pre- and post-testing • Level gain • Core outcomes
Outcomes 2006-2007 • Total enrollment: 2,445 students of whom 1832 were “fundable” (12 hours +) • Achieved goal of pre-testing 100% of students and post-testing 50% of all students (actual post-test rate is 51.78%) • Graduated 134 students through the GED • 66 of 134 enrolled for credit at SFCC
Program Highlights2006-2007 • ESL student, Margarita Lopez, was awarded the NM Adult Education Association ESL Student of the Year • Transition to College focus • LVSF Awards: Santa Fe Community Foundation’s Silver Anniversary PiñonAward;Santa Fe Future 2006 Award • Data-driven decisions
One Student’s Story - Patrick • Patrick has a high school diploma but could not pass the required test to become a city police officer. He enrolled in ABE, was screened for learning difficulties and placed on a reading improvement plan. After 10 months of study with a teacher, a Literacy Volunteer tutor, and a computer program, he was able to pass the test. He began work with the SF Police Dept. this month.
Challenges • Retention (persistence) of students • Students need more hours of attendance to make learning gains, to obtain the GED, and to continue on to college • Rising costs • Cost per student is increasing • Cost of assessments is increasing • Tracking outcomes • College advisement specific to ESL and GED population
Opportunities • Transition to college - Greater collaboration with college divisions • E.g., Plan for B & T Division to extend dual enrollment in pre-engineering to ABE students • Increase GED graduation rate • Increase employment goals • Use Banner system to improve student tracking in post-secondary education at SFCC