Contemporary/McGraw-Hill Work Skills Going for GOLD! Career Readiness Preparation for Adult Learners Month #### Contemporary/McGraw-Hill

What Are We Talking About? Identify the New Workforce: Why are we ill-prepared? - Current dropout rates - Adults beyond the reach of the K–12 system - Causes and impacts of this situation Research calls for a shift in ABE with a focus on career readiness and contextualized learning Identify how career pathways provide a model Explore how the Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) provides a framework for skills that should be contextualized Model how contextualized instruction can be implemented to help learners develop applied ABE/ASE skills while building workplace competencies within a contextualized setting

Reality Check: Current and Future Realities Going for CRC Gold! Reality Check: Current and Future Realities

Current and Future Realities Guide to Adult Education for Work: From the National Commission on Adult Literacy, presents powerful evidence of our failure to address America’s adult education and workforce skills needs and how this is putting our country in great jeopardy and threatening our nation’s standard of living and economic viability. Reach Higher, America: From the One Step Forward Advisory group, National Center on Education and the Economy, in partnership with analyzes and makes recommendations for the education and training low-skilled adults need to become prepared for post-secondary or training, and for family-sustaining employment and career advancement. Noting the National Commission on Adult Literacy’s conclusion that the adult ed system is “ill-equipped to meet 21st Century needs,” this report focuses on the need for a transformation to an “Adult Education and workforce skills system,” part of a broader effort to build a career pathways system. Getting Ahead, Staying Ahead: A report commissioned by the Business Roundtable as part of its Springboard Project initiative, a commission of 26 of the nation’s best thinkers and doers from different sectors. This report summarizes the commission's recommended strategies for closing the gap between workers’ current skills and those that employers need now and will need in the future.

Workforce Needs vs. Realities Current and Future Realities Workforce Needs vs. Realities Workforce needs have changed and will continue to change on a global basis There are both worker shortages as well as skills gaps that must be addressed in the U.S. and internationally Over 61% of U.S. employers say it is difficult to find qualified workers to fill their vacancies The economic impacts are severe and a fundamental issue that must be addressed at several levels Regardless of the report, the consensus is nearly unanimous—the needs of the workforce have changed, and we are not preparing our students secondary and adult students to meet these workforce needs

Job Demands Are Shifting Current and Future Realities Job Demands Are Shifting 85% Skilled Jobs 80% 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 In 1950, 80% of US jobs were unskilled. Today, just 6 decades later -- 85% of US jobs are SKILLED. Unskilled Jobs 6

Trends in U.S. Job Task Content Current and Future Realities Trends in U.S. Job Task Content Key Shifts Underway Boomers are retiring, leaving manager gaps Service jobs now dominate (60% today up from 36% in 1960) and make up 85% of income So, as we hear about increasing unemployment rates, why is it that over 61% of U.S. employers say it is difficult to find qualified workers? The issue is, as the U.S. moves from a production-oriented to a service-oriented, knowledge-based economy, the skills that are needed become both higher level and more abstract. Yet…. Source: The Conference Board: The Ill Prepared U.S. Workforce (2009)

1 Million High School Dropouts Each Year… Current and Future Realities 1 Million High School Dropouts Each Year… Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students Every year, more than a million young adults drop out of high school. The United States is the only free market country with a young adult population that’s LESS educated than their parents 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students 7,000 students Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007 8

Current and Future Realities The U.S. is the only highly developed democracy where young adults are less educated than the previous generation. less educated 9

Current and Future Realities …at the same time as the skills required for careers is increasing, the United States is becoming less educated. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. ranks 11th in percentage of adults with a high school diploma and is the ONLY OECD country where younger adults are actually less educated than the previous generation.

= WORKER SUPPLY EMPLOYER DEMAND What does this mean? Current and Future Realities What does this mean? WORKER SUPPLY EMPLOYER DEMAND = The current US labor force is not meeting the demands of employers for highly skilled, highly trainable workers. More than 18 million adults without a high school credential are in the labor force today. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007

Alabama College Graduation Rates Current and Future Realities Alabama College Graduation Rates State-Specific Slide To get this data: Go to http://www.all4ed.org/about_the_crisis/schools/map and use the interactive map to select the state for which you are presenting. Select “[your state] State Card.” You can also use this URL (http://www.all4ed.org/files/Alabama.pdf) and substitute the “Alabama” with your state (no spaces) to link directly to your state-specific page. Zoom in (the state card is a PDF), take a screen capture of the table entitled “[Your State] College Graduation Rates (in left-hand column), and paste into this slide. Source: National Center for Education Statistics (2007)

Overall Preparation of New Workforce Entrants Current and Future Realities Overall Preparation of New Workforce Entrants The difficulty is that, even though those students that are graduating, the overall preparation of these students for entering the workplace is still merely adequate or less than adequate. Nearly a third of all high school graduates are considered “deficient” in their preparation for entering the workforce. Source: The Conference Board, 2009

High Need “Soft-Skill” Gaps Current and Future Realities High Need “Soft-Skill” Gaps This is partly due to the fact that the skills we are teaching our high schoolers do not match the needs of today’s workplace. Source: The Conference Board, 2009

High Need “Hard-Skill” Gaps Current and Future Realities High Need “Hard-Skill” Gaps The Achievement Gap Is Economically Crippling Only 15% low income students are proficient on NAEP Reading, Math only 17%, Writing only 15% Source: The Conference Board, 2009

21st Century Skills Current and Future Realities Critical Thinking (Problem Solving) Communication Collaboration Creativity The traditional “3 R’s” of reading, writing, and arithmetic have been replaced with the “4 C’s”: creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking (problem solving) Source: Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Current and Future Realities For years, nobody has been counting. Those without high-school degrees could still often find employment. Low skill jobs still exist, however, in a knowledge-based economy, higher education is now required for entering the middle class. In a knowledge-based economy, there is less and less ability for those without at least some higher education to gain access to family-sustaining employment. The impacts of this paradigm are severe.

State-Specific Slide The Impact? Economic Current and Future Realities Alabama spends over $24M each year to provide community college remediation for recent high school graduates who did not acquire the basic skills necessary to succeed in college or at work. Remedial classes cost community colleges an estimated $2 billion a year Developmental education is fastest growing sector in education market. See page 6 of http://www.all4ed.org/files/remediation.pdf for state-specific information in Bullet 1. Use “Annual Remediation Savings” column only. Source: Alliance for Excellent Education

The Impact? Unemployment Current and Future Realities The Impact? Unemployment

The Impact? Earnings Current and Future Realities Job seekers currently outnumber jobs by 6:1 79% of U.S. large companies identify significant skill gaps vs. their strategies Closing the high school dropout rate worth additional $350 billion per year Worth another $540 billion with 2-years of college training Source: The Conference Board, 2009

The Impact? Unemployment & Earnings Current and Future Realities The Impact? Unemployment & Earnings Source: Business Round Table, Springboard Project, 2009

State-Specific Slide The Impact? Health Current and Future Realities The impact of low educational attainment is not simply economic. [NOTE TO PRESENTER: Move circle to the state for which this presentation is being given. If multiple states, copy-paste the circle so that the animation occurs for each state being highlighted.

State-Specific Slide The Impact? Alabama Current and Future Realities More than 25,100 students did not graduate from Alabama’s high schools in 2009; the lost lifetime earnings in Alabama for that class of dropouts alone totals more than $6.5B. Alabama would save more than $245M in health care costs over the course of the lifetimes of each class of dropouts had they earned their diplomas. See page 5 of (http://www.all4ed.org/files/HighCost.pdf) for state-specific information in Bullet 1. See page 5 of (http://www.all4ed.org/files/HandW.pdf) for state-specific information in Bullet 2. Source: Alliance for Excellent Education

State-Specific Slide The Impact? Alabama Current and Future Realities If all of Alabama’s high school graduates and GED recipients were “college-ready,” the state would save $53M a year in community college remediation costs and lost earnings. Alabama’s economy would see a combination of savings and revenue of about $125M in reduced crime spending and increased earnings each year if the male high school graduation rate increased by just 5 percent. See page 6 of http://www.all4ed.org/files/remediation.pdf for state-specific information in Bullet 1. Use “Total Benefit to State Economy” column. See page 4 of (http://www.all4ed.org/files/SavingFutures.pdf) for state-specific information in Bullet 2. Use “Total Benefit to State Economy” column. Source: Alliance for Excellent Education

Jobs of the Future 45% 63% Current and Future Realities Of the 30,000,000 new and replacement jobs between now and 2018… 45% will require a Bachelor’s Degree or higher 63% will require some college 45% During the next 8 years, 63% of the 30 million new and replacement jobs will require some college…45% will require at least an associate’s degree. 63% Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2009 25

Current and Future Realities Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2009

Current and Future Realities 88 of 150 Million Adults in Labor Force with at Least One Educational Barrier High School Diploma No College No High School Diploma 18,229,340 51,365,340 8,226,214 Of 150 million adults in the labor force (the 2006 U.S. population ages 18-64), over half have at least one educational barrier decreasing or preventing their ability to join the knowledge-based economy. (Unduplicated population = 88,003,964). 5,005,943 5,177,127 Speak English “Less Than Very Well” Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Job Obsolescence Compared to 2006, by 2016 there will be: Current and Future Realities Job Obsolescence Compared to 2006, by 2016 there will be: 131,000 fewer store clerks 118,000 fewer cashiers 114,000 fewer handpackers Many jobs that remain will require newer skills that require an increased knowledge and skill base In the meantime, those low-skill jobs that do exist are slowly disappearing. Source: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009

The Need Current and Future Realities More than 93 million adults score at the lower levels of national assessments of functional literacy skills and are unprepared to enroll in postsecondary education or job training. While school reform hopes to curb our nation’s workforce problem, an estimated 65% of our nation’s 2020 workforce is already beyond the reach of our educational system.

Current and Future Realities The Problem Current adult basic education can’t meet current needs because of Inadequate funding Levels of service Program focus

Problem: Inadequate Funding Current and Future Realities Problem: Inadequate Funding In 2008, total funding for Adult Education and Literacy programs in the U.S. equaled $2.1 billion, with only $540 million of that coming from the federal government. Source: OAVE

Workforce Investment Act Current and Future Realities Workforce Investment Act Authorized in 1998 Reformed federal employment, adult education, and vocational rehabilitation programs to create an integrated “one-stop” system of workforce investment and education activities for adults and youth Five titles Title I: Adult, Dislocated Workers, Youth Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Title III: Workforce Investment-related activities Title IV: Vocational Rehabilitation Title V: Incentive grants, unified plans, etc. Source: www.clasp.org

WIA Title I: Adult, Dislocated Workers, Youth Current and Future Realities WIA Title I: Adult, Dislocated Workers, Youth Grants to states and local areas for employment and training services State and local workforce investment boards—responsible for planning, partnerships, and oversight One-stop career centers—provide access to services provided by WIA and partner programs Source: www.clasp.org

WIA Title II: Adult Education & Family Literacy Act Current and Future Realities WIA Title II: Adult Education & Family Literacy Act Grants provided to states to fund local programs providing adult education and literacy services, including workplace literacy services, family literacy services, English literacy, and GED prep For adults and out-of-school youth age 16 & older Multiple goals for the program, including gaining knowledge and skills necessary for self-sufficiency Source: www.clasp.org

Current and Future Realities Students’ goals are economic, postsecondary credentials key for reaching them WA state survey—86% of adult ed students have employment goals. For low-skilled adults, the largest economic payoffs are in postsecondary. One year of college = 10% increase in earnings (as true for GED grads as for HS grads) Getting a GED alone does increase earnings, but by less than a high school diploma. (Only pays off significantly for dropouts with lowest skills and for immigrants.) Vocational certificates and degrees pay off more than academic ones at the Associate level and below. Up until now, assumption by programs and by adult ed. students has been that GED is the best route to good jobs and postsecondary education. Source: www.clasp.org

Current and Future Realities

Problem: Limited Levels of Service Current and Future Realities Problem: Limited Levels of Service More than 18 million adults lack a high school diploma or credential and 90 million adults scored at the lowest levels on National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). Yet, the federal program serves only 3 million adults a year.

For lower skilled adults, the basic skills disconnect looms largest Current and Future Realities For lower skilled adults, the basic skills disconnect looms largest Adult ed is focused on the GED, but a majority of students don’t earn one, and few GED grads ever complete postsecondary credentials: Most adult ed students stay for 30 to 80 hours of instruction (100-150 = 1 grade level) Only 12% complete >1 year of college in first decade after earning GED. 3% earn at least AA degree. Bottom line: Over several decades, of 100 adult ed. students, about 8 go on to postsecondary and 2 get a BA. Very few ELLs transition.

The Goal? 20 Million by 2020 Current and Future Realities Source: Reach Higher, America

The Goal? Substantial Increase in Outcomes Current and Future Realities The Goal? Substantial Increase in Outcomes Source: Reach Higher, America

State-Specific Slide The Outcomes? Economic Current and Future Realities The Outcomes? Economic State-Specific Slide A 1% increase in graduation rate for associate and bachelor degrees would produce a cumulative increase in national income of $291 billion by the year 2030 Alabama households would have nearly $1.6B more in additional collective wealth if all heads of households had graduated from high school. See page 5 of (http://www.all4ed.org/files/hiddenbenefits.pdf) state-specific information in Bullet 2. Source: Alliance for Excellent Education

How will we achieve this? Career Pathways—A Sensible Solution Current and Future Realities How will we achieve this? Career Pathways—A Sensible Solution Research shows that students who put a career path in place during their high school years are 47% more likely to complete postsecondary education Pathways include developing career goals combined with the education needed to attain those goals

What are Career Pathways? Current and Future Realities What are Career Pathways? Linked education and training services that– “enable students, often while they are working, to advance over time to successively higher levels of education and employment in a given industry or occupational sector. Each step on a career pathway is designed explicitly to prepare students to progress to the next level of employment and education.” ~ Oregon Career Pathways initiative Greater alignment: Ideally career pathways are not a separate program but a framework for weaving together adult education, training, and college programs that are currently siloed and connecting those services to employers’ workforce needs. Source: www.clasp.org

Key Changes: Adult Education for Work Going for CRC Gold! Key Changes: Adult Education for Work

Adult Education for Work Adult Education Today Educators and policy makers have long believed that our Adult Education system for teaching basic skills should serve many goals, including: personal enrichment language and life skills increased civic participation improved parental responsibilities

Adult Education Tomorrow Adult Education for Work Adult Education Tomorrow “…a Career Pathways system that moves low-skilled adults through a continua of workforce oriented AE programs on to postsecondary (degree and non-degree certificate) programs that lead to family sustaining employment and career-advancement.” Source: National Center on Education and the Economy, 2009

Greater Alignment between Titles I and II is on the Horizon Adult Education for Work Greater Alignment between Titles I and II is on the Horizon Administration’s Workforce Investment Act reauthorization recommendations emphasize closer alignment Maintain focus on educational goals in adult ed, yet greater focus on moving all students along a trajectory ending with postsecondary and career success Establish consistent performance measures and definitions Career pathways movement American Graduation Initiative Source: www.clasp.org

American Graduation Initiative Adult Education for Work American Graduation Initiative Introduced by President Obama at Macomb Community College (Detroit, MI), July 14, 2009 Goal: An additional 5 million community college graduates by 2020 (degrees and certificates) Reflects emerging themes of Administration and Congress: Focus on community colleges Emphasis on persistence and completion Integration of education and workforce needs through career pathways including adult education Evidence-based innovation Source: www.clasp.org

The Specifics of Career Pathways Adult Education for Work The Specifics of Career Pathways Learners receive extensive and ongoing career guidance in how to navigate the education and labor systems Curricula is contextualized to include application of job-related skills Instructional methods are designed to teach work readiness skills and skills are taught within vocational contexts

Adult Education for Work Source: National Center on Education and the Economy, 2009

What is the purpose of a career pathway? Adult Education for Work What is the purpose of a career pathway? Transitions between levels clearly articulated ABE/ASE teaches skills required to enter postsecondary certification or degree programs without need for remediation GED prep offered but end goal is readiness for career or postsecondary without remediation

Benefit of a Career Pathway Key Changes: Adult Education for Work Benefit of a Career Pathway Length of stay shortened because of Accelerated advancement High-intensity programming Dual enrollment Integrated curricula Bridge courses

What are career pathway bridge programs? Key Changes: Adult Education for Work What are career pathway bridge programs? Career pathway bridge programs typically cover “soft skills,” pre-college academic skills, and specific job skills, ideally one that is part of a career pathway. Career pathway bridges tailor and contextualize the adult ed/ELL content to general workplace needs and to the knowledge and skills needed in a specific occupation. e.g., bridge programs in manufacturing cover blueprint reading, statistical process control. Those in health care cover intro to human biology, vocabulary and math for health careers. Partners in bridge programs can be employers, unions, community-based organizations, community colleges, and others. Source: www.clasp.org

Types of Partnerships Key Changes: Adult Education for Work Partnerships with One-Stop Center to provide labor market information and career information to adult education providers. Partner with One-Stop to provide adult education services at One-Stop Referral arrangement to One-Stop and from One-Stop to adult ed providers Contextualizing basic skills/literacy content to occupations/sectors Co-enrolling individuals in Title I and II Integrated basic skills/literacy and training. Source: www.clasp.org

Quality Elements of a Career Pathway System Key Changes: Adult Education for Work Quality Elements of a Career Pathway System Program Design Curriculum and Instruction Assessment and Credentialing High-Quality Teaching Support and Follow-up Services Connections to Business Community Monitoring and Accountability Systems

The “New Basics” of Adult Education Key Changes: Adult Education for Work The “New Basics” of Adult Education Current Future Customer Student is the primary customer Students and employers are the customers Goal of curricula Life skills are the primary goal Work readiness skills and preparation for post secondary education are the primary goals Content focus Applying literacy, numeracy, and English language learning to everyday life tasks Literacy and numeracy and English language learning as well as thinking and reasoning skills such as problem solving, teamwork, and following instructions Source: National Center on Education and the Economy, 2009

“New Basics” for Adult Education for Work How work readiness is taught Might include some employment-related tasks like filling out a job application Teaches basic skills in a work context and stresses good work habits such as punctuality, diligence, communication, and appropriate dress and behavior Program focus Driven by students’ personal goals, needs, and interests Driven by students’ employment goals, the skill needs of family-sustaining jobs and the entry requirements for postsecondary education and training End goal Most Adult Education students never achieve a GED, much less a postsecondary education that is the key to success in today’s economy. Most students achieve a high level of basic and workforce readiness skills and are prepared to enter postsecondary education and training and family-sustaining jobs.

Academic Skills at the Heart of Career Pathway Success “New Basics” for Adult Education for Work Academic Skills at the Heart of Career Pathway Success To employment in high-demand field Being “career-ready” includes demonstrating: Personal competencies Academic competencies Workplace “soft” skills Career focus From unemployment/underemployment Source: Adult Career Pathways: Providing a Second Chance in Public Education

Going for CRC Gold! Establishing a Standard: Career Readiness and the CRC – A Model Framework

Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC Jobs Come, Jobs Go 700,000 different certificates are awarded each year, but many are not transportable, transferrable, and stackable—that is, able to be combined with others. Between the ages of 18 and 42, today’s worker can expect to hold an average of 11 different jobs. Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2009 In 2009 alone, more than 56 million people were hired, and 59 million people left their jobs. Even though workers seek training, 41% are unsure as to whether that training will actually pay off. The changes in skill requirements for jobs, combined with the shrinking longevity of jobs within career paths, has created a need for employers to focus specifically on worker skills. Source: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2006.

The Need for a Common Language Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC The Need for a Common Language Employers need to know their workers’ levels of trainability for rapidly emerging technologies and careers of today. Career Readiness Certificates are designed to be a portable skills credential, based on a common language, that can be easily understood by employers and educators.

Career Readiness Certification Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC Career Readiness Certification ACT WorkKeys® is a job skills assessment Foundational skills assessments measure cognitive abilities for 18,000 jobs Communication—Business Writing, Listening, Reading for Information, Writing Problem Solving—Applied Technology, Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, Observation Interpersonal—Teamwork Core battery comprised of 3 tests: Reading for Information, Applied Mathematics, Locating Information Core battery scores confirm competency levels for Career Readiness Certificates (CRCs) Includes both applied academic “hard” skills and workplace “soft” skills. Focus is on the application of the skills themselves through problem solving scenarios. Workplace Skills series focuses on the core battery that is used for determining career readiness certification eligibility—Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, and Locating Information. Source: ACT

Top 10 Issuing States Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC South Carolina 113,688 Georgia 100,542 Michigan 74,982 Indiana 66,023 Florida 49,500 North Carolina 40,439 Ohio 37,000 Oklahoma 35,920 Alabama 24,265 Virginia 24,104 Many states also offer state-level certification There are an increasing number of states are requiring CRC Test for graduation (so that graduates can demonstrate they are work-ready as opposed to simply college-ready). More than 1 million state or national CRCs issued to date Source: National Career Readiness Certificate Consortium

Career Readiness Certificate Consortium Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC Career Readiness Certificate Consortium Click 1: Shows blank map Click 2: Shows dark blue states (states where CRCs are deployed statewide) Click 3: Shows light blue states (states where CRC deployment is in progress) Click 4: Shows gray states (states that are interested in deploying the CRC) 2010, CRC deployed in 23 states, 15 states are in process, and 12 are interested In many states where high school performance is lagging, skills credentials are overshadowing GED certificates and high school diplomas. CRCs deployed statewide CRC deployment in progress Interested in deploying CRC Source: National Career Readiness Certificate Consortium

Linking Skills to Occupations Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC Linking Skills to Occupations The CRC provides a common language by linking skill levels within AM, LI, and RI to occupations. By identifying the skill levels needed to be successful within an occupation, learners have a clear sense of what skills they need to attain in order to begin down a career path toward that occupation. Source: ACT

Skill Profiles/Gap Analysis Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC Skill Profiles/Gap Analysis Pre-assessment identifies learner skill levels. Career interest profile assessment identifies potential careers. Competency levels for each occupation help identify target skill attainment levels. Skill gaps help identify where instruction should begin. Applied Mathematics Locating Information Reading for Skill Profile: Nursing Aides 4 4 Click 1 (Bullet 1): Reveals the sample learner skill levels based on his or her pre-assessment scores. Click 2 (Bullet 2): Reveals the Occupational Skill levels required in AM, LI, and RI for Nursing Aides. Click 3 (Bullet 3): Reveals the skill gaps, which identify where this learner’s instruction should begin. Pre-Assessments of skill levels can help indicate skill levels in Applied Mathematics (AM), Reading for Information (RI), and Locating Information (LI) Occupational skill levels identify skills needed for thousands of careers. ACT provides a list of occupational levels that are needed in order to be successful in over 18,000 different occupations. Skill gaps help identify where users should begin with skill development and to what levels they should be working toward based on career goals 3 3 3 3 Occupational Skill Levels 3 2 2 Skill Gaps Learner Skill Levels

CRC Levels Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC Bronze Score at least Level 3 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 35% of jobs in the ACT database Used by employers for skills screening, hiring and promotion, and targeting employee training and development Credential levels indicate percent of jobs qualified for in the ACT occupational database Provides a common measure for employers to determine workers’ skill levels based on standardized assessments Skills outlined on back of CRC Silver Score at least Level 4 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 65% of jobs in the ACT database Gold Score at least Level 5 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 90% of jobs in the ACT database Clicks: Each click reveals one of the skill levels, starting with Bronze. Level of CRC earned dependent on score on LI, AM, and RI. Examples of employers who require CRC for hiring—Tyson, Bosch, Boeing, Carnival Cruiselines Minimum score of 3 = Bronze, 4 = Silver, 5 = Gold. Have added a platinum level—6—which is the highest it will be, b/c LI only goes to Level 6. Platinum Score at least Level 6 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 99% of jobs in the ACT database Source: ACT

Clear Pathways, Benchmarks, and Goals Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC Clear Pathways, Benchmarks, and Goals Click: Reveals all slide text and images. The Department of Labor’s Education and Training Administration (ETA) has developed a framework for competency models that many industries are now using to show the building blocks of skills and associated certifications needed in order to be “work-ready” within that industry. The competency model shown on the slide, developed by The Manufacturing Institute for the National Association of Manufacturing, shows the certifications needed within manufacturing on the left side and the competencies that must be evident in order to gain each certification. The “blocks” from the bottom up to red (Personal Effectiveness, Academic, and Workplace Competencies) comprise the skills that are needed in order to be what NAM considers “work-ready.” The aligned certification is the National Career Readiness Certificate. Source: NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System. The Manufacturing Institute.

TEACH TO THE TASK! So, do I teach to the test? Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC So, do I teach to the test? Core CRC skills align to ABE skills Key difference is teaching the skills while applying the skills to workplace situations— TEACH TO THE TASK! Teaching to the task promotes relevance and provides the ability to combine ABE/core competencies with technical training Clicks: Each click reveals a new bullet. Since CRC skills align strongly to TABE, you can easily cover TABE skills through applied, contextualized instruction of CRC skills. Regardless of whether students within a program are planning to take a CRC test, teaching skills within applied workplace scenarios is sound practice for establishing relevance and developing students’ higher-level ability to apply skills.

Teaching to the Task: Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Going for CRC Gold! Teaching to the Task: Strategies for Contextualized Instruction

Reading for Information—Goals Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Reading for Information—Goals To measure the skills people use when they read and use written text in order to do a job. Written texts include memos, direction, signs, notices, bulletins, policies, and regulations. Sometimes these written communications are not necessarily well-written or targeted to the appropriate audience.

Reading for Information  TABE Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Reading for Information  TABE Reading for Information Skills TABE Skills Identify main idea and details Choose the correct meaning of everyday and workplace words Apply technical terms & jargon Understand & apply instructions Identify implied details Identify & explain principles of workplace policies Words in Context—Same & opposite meaning, correct word Recall Information—Details, sequence, stated concepts Construct Meaning—Main idea, summary, conclusion Evaluate/Extend Meaning—Apply elements, generalization, author intention

Contextualized Reading Instruction Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Contextualized Reading Instruction If you are required to enter a confined space, your supervisor is required to instruct you as to: What kinds of hazards you may run into and why those hazards are dangerous. The necessary precautions to take for each type of hazard. The use of any protective and/or emergency equipment and instruments required. Although construction people are not required to follow the permit-required confined space entry program that those working in general industry are, many of the requirements of the construction regulations fit nicely into the program. And, it is a way to maximize your safety. Your participation in the development and implementation of a permit-required confined space entry program is encouraged. This example uses information from the OSHA Construction Handbook. There are numerous skills being practiced here Identify main idea: What is the main idea? Identify important details: What information is your supervisor required to provide you when your job requires you to work in a confined space? Explain the Rationale Behind Workplace Communications: What is the purpose of this passage? The TABE skills that this aligns to are Construct Meaning: Main Idea; Recall Information: Details; and Evaluate/Extend Meaning: Author Purpose Source: Keller’s Official OSHA Construction Handbook

Contextualized Vocabulary Instruction Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Contextualized Vocabulary Instruction To: All medical assistants Re: New software In an effort to quickly transfer patient records into the new software system, please review the following important features: How to complete personal information for every patient How diagnoses are added to a patient’s chart via the software What medications the patient is taking and how these are correlated, or matched, to the diagnoses by the software How to recognize software alerts warning of actual or potential danger from medications that should not be combined How to recognize software alerts warning that a drug is not recommended due to a condition that makes the medication unsuitable or dangerous for a particular patient This example uses a workplace memo. The skill being practiced here is identifying the meaning of a word that is clearly defined in the reading. The TABE skill that this aligns to is defining words in context. CLICK: What is the meaning of the underlined word? What words in context provide the meaning of this word. (Click underlines “correlated” within the passage.) How does this contextualized passage help someone in a health science career pathway better understand the skills needed and situations that arise on the job? How does in create relevance for learning how to define words in context?

How do I provide this for my students? Strategies for Contextualized Instruction How do I provide this for my students? Provide real workplace documents: E-mails HR forms and documents, such as policies and procedures Guidelines documents Career OneStop/Bureau of Labor Statistics

Strategies for Contextualized Instruction

Strategies for Contextualized Instruction From: Rosin, Mitch Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 To: All Employees Subject: Dress Code Policy With the warmer weather approaching it’s a good time to remind employees about our dress code. All employees and contractors should dress appropriately for a professional work environment, whether they choose to wear traditional business (i.e. suit & tie) or business casual attire (Dockers and golf shirt). Full compliance is expected As a reminder, appropriate dress includes - Slacks or khaki-style pants - Collared or dress shirts - Sport jackets or blazers - Casual Skirts (knee length) - Dress Shoes - Jeans (permitted on Fridays)

Locating Information—Goals Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Locating Information—Goals To measure the skills people use when they work with workplace graphics. Workers must find information and insert information into graphics, as well as compare, analyze, and summarize information found in related graphics. Workplace graphics include charts, graphs, tables, forms, flowcharts, diagrams, floor plans, maps, and instrument gauges.

Locating Information  TABE Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Locating Information  TABE Locating Information Skills TABE Skills Find information in graphics Understand how graphics relate to each other Identify and compare trends Summarize information from graphics Draw conclusions from graphics Use graphics information to make decisions Interpret Graphic Information Signs Maps Dictionary usage Reference Sources Graphics Forms Consumer Materials

Contextualized Summarization of Workplace Graphics Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Contextualized Summarization of Workplace Graphics Find information in graphics Summarize the information from straightforward graphics. This example uses a form. The skills being practiced here are “Find information in graphics” and “summarize information from one or two straightforward graphics.” The TABE skill that this aligns to is interpret graphic information from forms. Using any workplace form, graph, chart, or table, you can help students learn to locate information (How many copies are needed? What size paper should be used?) and to summarize that information (How would you explain this copy request to a coworker?)

Strategies for Contextualized Instruction This example requires the student to use two graphics. The skill being practiced are “find information from one or two graphics,” “understand how graphics relate,” and “apply information from one or more complicated graphics to specific situations.” The TABE skill is to interpret graphic information. As the manager of Lindy’s Sandwich Shop, you are creating the schedule. You have almost completed the schedule for your part-time employees, but still have the Tuesday evening shift to fill. Who is available to work the open shift on Tuesday?

How do I provide this for my students? Strategies for Contextualized Instruction How do I provide this for my students? Provide real workplace graphics: Break rooms and common areas Manuals for office equipment Workplace forms Career exploration sites Break rooms and common areas are typically chock-full of workplace documents and graphics, including safety guidelines, Manuals for equipment

Menu of career information (careeronestop.org) Using the Department of Labor’s “Career OneStop” site, students can search for information on the career of their choice. Occupational profiles provide opportunities to practice locating information skills, while provide students with background on potential careers of interest. CLICK: Where on this page can I learn about employment trends in careers as Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers? (Click reveals a callout box pointing to the menu list/page TOC “Employment Trends.”)

Students learn that by selecting the navigation link, they are brought to the portion of the page that includes that information. Using data statistics from occupational profiles, such as employment and wage trends, students can practice locating and comparing information from charts, lists, and other graphics.

Applied Mathematics—Goals Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Applied Mathematics—Goals Measure the skills people use when they apply mathematical reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving techniques to work-related problems. Applied mathematics skills needed include basic and advanced computation, using percentages, converting and calculating measurements, and finding the best deal.

Applied Mathematics  TABE Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Applied Mathematics  TABE Applied Mathematics Skills TABE Skills Convert simple money and time units Calculate averages, ratios, proportions, and rates Put information in the right order before calculating Calculate using mixed units Find area & volume of shapes Find the best deal Mathematics Computation Number and Number Operations Computation in Context—whole numbers, decimals, fractions, percents Measurement—Calendar, appropriate unit, area, rate, convert measurement units Problem Solving / Reasoning

Contextualized Computation Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Contextualized Computation Based on the diagram, what length will you need to cut the wood for Rail A if this side will contain 4 balusters? This problem involves carpentry, part of the Architecture and Construction career cluster. The skills being practiced are “solve problems with math operations” and “add up to three fractions that share a common denominator.” The TABE skill is addition of fractions and computation in context.

Contextualized Measurement Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Contextualized Measurement As a nursing attendant at a nursing home, you must make certain that patients take their medication. One of your patients needs medication every 4 hours. You gave the patient his last does at 10:30 AM. At what time should you give him the next dose? 2:00 AM 2:30 AM 10:34 AM 1:30 PM 2:30 PM The skills being practiced are “solve problems with math operations” and “convert time.” The TABE skill is computation in context and measurement: time.

How do I provide this for my students? Strategies for Contextualized Instruction How do I provide this for my students? Use existing problems and change the subject: Susan buys $47.63 worth of groceries and hands the cashier $60. How much change should Susan get back? You are a cashier at a specialty food store. A customer’s total comes to $47.63, and she hands you $60. How much change should she get back?

How do I provide this for my students? Strategies for Contextualized Instruction How do I provide this for my students? Consider common mathematics concepts that span different careers/clusters —timesheets, budgets, taxes, etc.

Workplace Skills Series Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Workplace Skills Series

Contemporary’s Workplace Skills Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Contemporary’s Workplace Skills Develops core contextualized skills for: Applied Mathematics: Mathematical reasoning and critical thinking skills through realistic workplace scenarios Reading for Information: Effective reading comprehension and synthesis skills through documents such as letters, e-mails, directions, regulations, and policies Locating Information: Retrieve and use information communicated through graphic sources (flow charts, diagrams, forms, and tables) Provides consistent problem-solving approach in testing and workplace scenarios 92

Contextualized Practice Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Contextualized Practice Instruction and skill practice covering CRC Levels 37 in each book Builds core CRC competencies from lowest to highest level Practice and assessment of all skills learners encounter on CRC tests Applied Mathematics: 32 lessons covering all skills needed at levels 3-7 Reading for Information: 25 lessons covering all skills needed at levels 3-7 Locating Information: 14 lessons covering all skills needed at levels 3-6 Full lesson for every skill (every skill = lesson) learners will encounter on a CRC Test 93

Basic Skills Instruction Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Basic Skills Instruction Instruction in TABE aligned basic skills Builds core competencies from lowest to highest level Applied Mathematics: 32 lessons covering all skills needed at levels 3-7 Reading for Information: 25 lessons covering all skills needed at levels 3-7 Locating Information: 14 lessons covering all skills needed at levels 3-6 Full lesson for every skill (every skill = lesson) learners will encounter on a CRC Test 94

Models Skill Application Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Models Skill Application Model skill application and test-taking strategies through the Plan for Successful Solving Learners are better prepared for test-taking situations Consistent modeling builds learner confidence for problem solving in workplace and test-taking situations Plan for Successful Problem Solving is the same across all three books = consistent approach to problem solving in test-taking and real-world situations Also includes a Remember! note for additional skills support in the context of the problem. Problem Solving Tip provides a tip relevant to the problem to help support test-taking approach (i.e., eliminating unreasonable/incorrect answers, etc.) 95

Model Skill Application Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Model Skill Application Consistent problem-solving approach modeled for every skill in all three titles. Model skill application and test-taking strategies through the Plan for Successful Solving. Plan for Successful Problem Solving is the same across all three books = consistent approach to problem solving in test-taking and real-world situations. Learners are better prepared for test-taking situations. Consistent modeling builds learner confidence for problem solving in workplace and test-taking situations. Also includes a Remember! note for additional skills support in the context of the problem. Problem Solving Tip provides a tip relevant to the problem to help support test-taking approach (i.e., eliminating unreasonable/incorrect answers, etc.)

Contextualized Practice Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Contextualized Practice Provide practice applying skill in realistic workplace scenarios Robust content and problem-solving skill development Real-world scenarios link skills with actual jobs Applied scenarios increase learner motivation Extensive practice with CRC Test style problems for every single skill -Applied Math = 16 problems per skill -Reading for Information = 12 per skill -Locating Information = 24 per skill (good b/c identified as most needed practice) 97

Comprehensive Career & Industry Coverage Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Comprehensive Career & Industry Coverage Contextualized problems for over 800 careers across the 16 DOL Career Clusters Provides real-world problem-solving practice across a variety of careers, including green sectors Relevant problem-solving practice establishes a purpose for learning, regardless of career goals DOL uses 16 career clusters to organize U.S. job segments and jobs. Throughout the program, problems include jobs across all clusters, helping motivate the learner. Regardless of the learner’s career goals, the relevance of each skill can be seen across the clusters. 98

Workplace Skills Series Strategies for Contextualized Instruction Workplace Skills Series