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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. Improving High School Equivalency in Oklahoma

7. 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

8. High School Equivalency in Oklahoma- Current State
Educational Attainment, U.S. Census Bureau, 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% %)

9. 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

10. 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).

11. 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.

12. 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?

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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.