WA State I-BEST Program Planning and Approval Louisa Erickson Program Administrator – Workforce Education WA State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Fidelity I-BEST Program Planning and Approval What do we mean by Fidelity? Why is it important? How do we ensure Fidelity?

Program Planning: Selection I-BEST Program Planning and Approval Program Planning: Selection Considerations For A.O. – 12 credits? Pathway length, bridging the certificates Enrollment Instructors/Potential Teams Labor Market

Labor Market/Demand Program Planning and Approval Ultimate goal living wage job with opportunities for wage progression Establishing regional criteria Employer needs, interest and buy off Real demand data Adhering to Demand (Fidelity)

SBCTC Program Approval Program Planning and Approval SBCTC Program Approval Must have approved program on file with SBCTC to generate enhanced FTE Approved programs automatically eligible for Opportunity Grant I-BEST specific coding allows us to track I- BEST student outcomes, allows us to recognize colleges coding for I-BEST not on approved list.

Professional-Technical Sign off at college level by both Workforce and ABE administrators Programs must be on the college’s Workforce Inventory Must be on the demand list with local data supporting demand. Local data defined as the actual number of job openings available for completers that are greater than the number produced by program colleges in the area

Basic Skills Students must qualify for federally supported level of basic skills education. Students must be pre-tested using CASAS at the start of the program and must be post-tested upon program completion or the end of an academic year, whichever occurs 1st. CASAS results must be recorded in WABERS A plan for continued gains and reaching English language proficiency must be developed for students who transition into prof-tech programs who have not yet reached proficiency.

Instructional During a quarter, an instructor from basic skills and an instructor from the professional technical program must jointly instruct in the same classroom, the same students with at least 50% overlap of the instructional time.

Labor Market Demand Local and Regional Demand Data Evidence of exiting with ability to earn a living wage: $13.00/hr. unless in King County, then $15.00/hr. (exception: ECE) Evidence that local and regional businesses, labor, WDC, and CBOs are active in supporting the college’s effort to begin or expand this program. Partners must be listed.

Long-term results Allows SBCTC to track and monitor for student impacts Identify high performing (and low performing ) colleges and programs Positive results allow us to use data and information to cultivate stakeholder support Ensures certificates mirror traditional, “real” workforce pathways and certificates. Colleges provide consistent content delivery with different instructional model