1. 2016 Summer Institute MDE ABE Office Update
“Leading for educational excellence and equity. Every day for every one.”
education.state.mn.us

2. Thank You Summer Institute Planning Co-sponsoring organizations
Chairs Susan and Traci
Planning and Sub-Committee Members
Presenters, Poster Presenters, Vendors
Volunteers
Co-sponsoring organizations
Literacy Action Network
Minnesota Community Education Association
Everyone participating
education.state.mn.us

3. We are here to support you!
State Level Supports
We are here to support you!
education.state.mn.us

4. State ABE Office Staff Astrid Liden – Professional Development
Alice Smith – GED Records
Brad Hasskamp – Secondary Credentials/Policy
Cherie Eichinger – Office Support
Jodi Versaw – Program Quality
Julie Dincau – Transitions
Laurie Rheault - Grants
Todd Wagner – State Director
education.state.mn.us

5. Supplemental Services
Minnesota Literacy Council
Technology integration & distance learning, volunteer training
ATLAS
professional development
Literacy Action Network
program quality, administrator support
SW ABE
assessment training
PANDA
disability resources & assistance
MWCA
transitions
education.state.mn.us

6. Supplemental Services
ABE Supplemental Service Activities
Provider for
Professional development (PD) services:
Regional PD activities
PD and resources on:
writing, evidence-based reading instruction (EBRI), including STAR
adult numeracy instruction (MNI – MN Numeracy Initiative), including language and math
integrating transitions skills into ABE instruction (ACES)
career-focused contextualized basic skills instruction and programming
ESL instruction, including ESL Study Circles (low-literacy, pronunciation)
implementation of College & Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for Adult Education
Coordination of MN ABE Calendar of Events and MN ABE Connect e-newsletter
ATLAS
Patsy Egan Vinogradov, Director
(ESL, Contextualized Instruction, Transitions)
 Kristine Kelly
(ELA, CCRS)
 Marn Frank
(literacy, EBRI, STAR)
 Amber Delliger
(Numeracy)
Liz Andress
(career pathway programming)
 Marisa Geisler
(Communications & Finances)
education.state.mn.us

7. Supplemental Services
ABE Supplemental Service Activities
Provider for
Volunteer and outreach services:
Adult Literacy Hotline
Volunteer training, outreach and recruitment
Volunteer management support
Minnesota Literacy Council (
 Rob Podlasek
(Volunteer training)
 Ellie Purdy
(Volunteer management)
Technology integration services:
PD on educational technology
Online orientation to distance learning
PD on distance learning best practices
Administration and training for state-supported distance learning platforms
Facilitation of assessment of curricula for inclusion under distance learning policy
Communication of distance learning information and resources to the ABE field
Training on integrating digital literacy skills into instruction
Online course development and delivery
Online learning resources, including OERs
Susan Wetenkamp-Brandt
(Distance learning platforms, digital literacy, educational technology, online resources)
 Renada Rutmanis
(Distance learning PD)
Tom Cytron-Hysom
(Distance learning policy)
education.state.mn.us

8. Supplemental Services
ABE Supplemental Service Activities
Provider for
Disability training and support services:
ABE disabilities website (
Training on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and best practices in serving students with disabilities
Lending library of resources and adaptive technology
Self-service online adult learner intervention system and disability screening and referrals process on PANDA’s website
Consultation on serving students with disabilities
ABE consortia reimbursement for ABE student assessment for Specific Learning Disabilities for GED accommodations
Facilitation of disabilities outreach and advisory committee
PANDA – MN ABE Disability Specialists
Wendy Sweeney
education.state.mn.us

9. Supplemental Services
ABE Supplemental Service Activities
Provider for
Assessment training and services:
CASAS and TABE training
ABE assessment website (
ABE Support Services Conference
ABE Support Professional Certificate
Southwest ABE
Marty Olsen
Program quality support services:
ABE Summer Institute and statewide committees and adult diploma implementation
PD for ABE administrators
New ABE staff orientation and support (ABE Foundations)
ABE marketing resources
Practitioner discussions on current ABE issues
Literacy Action Network
Tom Cytron-Hysom , Grants Manager
Kathy Linder, Coordinator
Transition services:
Support for regional transitions coordination and workforce development collaborations
Minnesota Workforce Council Association
Anne Kilzer
education.state.mn.us

10. Ongoing Working Groups
Support Professional Resource Advisory Committee (SPARC)
Distance Education Virtual Task Force
Disabilities Outreach Committee
PD Advisory Committee
Regional Transitions Coordinators
Adult Diploma Working Group
CCRS Implementation Team
education.state.mn.us

11. The Numbers Indicators State and Federal Funding
Enrollees and Participants
Contact Hours
Average Contact Hours
Level Change
GED
education.state.mn.us

12. State Funding
education.state.mn.us

13. Federal Funding
education.state.mn.us

14. Enrollees and Participants
education.state.mn.us

15. Average Hours
education.state.mn.us

16. ABE and ESL Level Change
education.state.mn.us

17. GED thru Summer 2015

18. Numbers Take-away GED numbers are recovering
Declining numbers indicate folks are working, which is good, but they may be missing the opportunity to skill up during strong job market.
The increase in average hours indicates programming is more intensive and that programs have improved retention.
Level changes are still ‘re-setting’ to new testing policy, but hopefully will trend upward for 2017.
education.state.mn.us

19. Updates Secondary Credentials WIOA Career Pathways Standards
Re-Compete
education.state.mn.us

20. Secondary Credentials
Standard Adult Diploma
27 of 43 consortia implementing by July 1, 2017
GED
Free while funds last (October??)
MNGED30
education.state.mn.us

21. WIOA ABE Career Pathways
Partner in providing:
Local/regional workforce development systems that include an array of career pathways that:
are responsive to both worker and employer needs;
are labor market information (LMI) driven;
align as many resources as possible, in a collaborative/coordinated/non-duplicative way, in support of folks traversing the career pathways.
education.state.mn.us

22. Resources Supporting Career Programming
New
Career Pathway Project at ATLAS
content standards on the ATLAS website
Minnesota Career Information System (MCIS)
Piloting during with promotional pricing
Presentation at next break out session and vendor table
Existing
Regional Transitions Coordinators
Pathway to Prosperity Grants
education.state.mn.us

23. WIOA and Content Standards
Provide instruction and education services
below the postsecondary level
that increase individual’s attainment of the knowledge and skills articulated in state content standards.
NRS level descriptors to aligned to the CCRS.  
U.S. Department of Education will require use of pre- and post-tests aligned to the CCRS in Language Arts and Math
ATLAS Website click ‘Resources’ and ‘Standards’
education.state.mn.us

25. WIOA Re-compete Proposed Process Applies to Federal ABE funds only
Applicants:
apply by WIOA Region and align with regional and local WIOA plans
Propose serving one or more school districts or specials populations
Match federal funds at least 1:1 using State ABE or other sources
Only one grant per school district or special population will be selected
Applicants can propose to serve a single or multiple school district areas or special populations
Grants awarded for life of WIOA conditional upon annual compliance
Projected application due date: March 15, 2017
education.state.mn.us

26. Minnesota ABE Miracle 5 Components Strong culture of collaboration
Well funded system
Only a handful of states have similar funding levels
Integration of literacy volunteers
In many states the federally/state funded system and volunteers systems do not collaborate
Consortium and Supplemental Services Models create economies of scale
Making possible better services to our students and the programs that serve them
education.state.mn.us

27. Most Important Component
5. All of us
Minnesota ABE’s highly skilled, dedicated and caring ABE workforce and volunteers: teachers, support professionals, resource professionals and administrators.
education.state.mn.us

28. Thank you
Enjoy and make the most of the learning and networking opportunities provided by this conference.
Questions?
education.state.mn.us