Adult basic Education in OKlahoma Jared Bates, PhD Oklahoma Dept. of Career and Technology Education

Purpose of Education “Public schools exist not only to confer benefits on the individual, but also, just as importantly, to advance civil society, for which they are necessary, indeed essential.” Newton Edwards- The Courts and Public Schools, 1955 Wherever a general knowledge and sensibility have prevailed among the people, arbitrary government and every kind of oppression have lessened and disappeared in proportion John Adams

Adult Basic Education Funding $665,210 in state dollars, $6,294,843 in federal dollars Approximately $6 million distributed to local providers Adult Education and Literacy ($5.22 million) Correction Education ($535,000) Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education ($302,800) Remainder is for State Administration and Leadership

WIA to WIOA Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Reauthorized in July, 2015 Will mandate partnerships between Title I (Workforce Development Activities), Title II (Adult Basic Education), Wagner-Peyser, Rehabilitation Services, and others. Intent is to effectively serve customers better, to be more impactful to those in need

WIA to WIOA For Adult Basic Education: Who is your customer? What is your product?

Improving High School Equivalency in Oklahoma

High School Equivalency in Oklahoma- Current State Workforce Development Area Adult Basic Education Programs Dropout Recovery Programs Other High School Diploma or Equivalency Programs Central Region Oklahoma City Community College Norman Public Schools Shawnee Public Schools Department of Corrections Canadian Valley Technology Center Francis Tuttle Technology Center Metro Technology Center Mid-Del Technology Center Moore Norman Technology Center Goodwill Industries   Opportunities Industrialization Center of Oklahoma County

High School Equivalency in Oklahoma- Current State Educational Attainment, U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates Workforce Development Area Number of Individuals 18 to 24 years of age without High School Diploma or Equivalent Number of Individuals 25+ years of age without High School Diploma or Equivalent Total Population 18+ years of age without a High School Diploma or Equivalent Average and Range of % of Population 18+ years of age without a High School Diploma or Equivalent Oklahoma County 12,607 67,510 80,117 14.27% Total 65,620 328,201 393,461 13.56% (8.67% - 30.09%)

High School Equivalency in Oklahoma- Current State Workforce Development Area Total Population 18+ years of age without a High School Diploma or Equivalent Individuals Served in FY16 in Adult Basic Education Current Capacity Current Capacity (Based on survey with existing providers) Central Region 129,029 5,501 5,638 ?  Department of Corrections (Statewide) Not Known 3,963 4,000  ? Statewide 393,461 18,135 20,300 *Our programs serve 4.86% of this population annually

Improving High School Equivalency in Oklahoma What we need: Connection with Career Pathways for all students (secondary and adult students) We need more dropout recovery programs across the state We need to be able to serve more Adult Basic Education students (probably 5 times as many as we currently serve).

Career Pathways (From WIOA) The term ‘‘career pathway’’ means a combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training, and other services that— aligns with the skill needs of industries in the economy of the State or regional economy involved; prepares an individual to be successful in any of a full range of secondary or postsecondary education options, includes counseling to support an individual in achieving the individual’s education and career goals; Includes education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation activities and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster; organizes education, training, and other services to meet the particular needs of an individual in a manner that accelerates the educational and career advancement of the individual to the extent practicable; enables an individual to attain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and at least 1 recognized postsecondary credential; and helps an individual enter or advance within a specific occupation or occupational cluster.

Career Pathways Individual enters an Adult Basic Education program at OCCC Individual completes their High School Equivalency (GED, HiSET, or TASC) Individual continues on into the Automotive Technology Program at OCCC Once an adult has completed their HSE, they are Pell-eligible Enroll then in Diesel Technology ??? A student can dual enroll in the Automotive Technology Program and be an ABE student How will ABE students pay for it?

Adult Basic Education In oklahoma Need to be able to serve at least 25% of the Oklahoma population without a high school diploma Around 100,000 Oklahomans annually Need to get these adults dually enrolled in career training programs CareerTech, Community Colleges, non-profits, etc. Need to complete a postsecondary certification or associate degree right after completion of their HSE They cannot complete the certification prior to receiving their HSE as it will not count as a postsecondary credential

Adult Basic Education In oklahoma Enrollment in Career Training programs will cost money Need to have some instruction available 24/7 as adults also may work. Adult students sometimes need more one-on-one instruction with instructors Childcare

Adult Basic Education In oklahoma Doing more with less: Distance Education One solution to the problem of getting more adults in need of their HSE to enroll in a program Distance Education has it own issues: Need broadband access across the state to be able to support the load of students enrolling Would there be sufficient one-on-one interaction between instructor and student, including guidance and counseling? Motivation and commitment of students to complete may not be as great as someone who regularly attends class

Adult Basic Education In oklahoma If we target primarily Oklahoma County and Tulsa County, which has sufficient broadband access, what would this look like: Students- Can they afford the wireless internet and a computer? Can they stay focused while working on this from home? This is true for all people, not just Adult Basic Education students

Adult Basic Education In oklahoma Expansion of current providers and inclusion of new providers Need more funding from the state and federal levels to support this, under current structure To serve an additional 80,000 students we would need an additional $28 million ($350 per student) Expand dropout recovery programs and adult basic education programs in CareerTechs, Community Colleges, K-12, and non-profits

Concluding Remarks It is the civic duty of every able person to have a high school diploma or its equivalent. It is the civic duty of our government to provide its citizens with this opportunity. Together this ensures the preservation of the integrity and well-being of society.