I too would like to suggest we take a closer look at Washington state's
I-BEST initiative.  The devil is definitely in the details, so a model alone
transferreth not!  If I'm not mistaken, Washington has a PD component that
we should look at.  Here in Texas we are fairly convinced that replicating
the I-BEST model would work well for us, with some modifications.  But
before one can modify, one needs to thoroughly understand why things were
planned as they were.  

 

Barbara Tondre

Texas LEARNS

 

  _____  

From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Jackie A.
Taylor
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 2:06 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2701] Economic Stimulus and
ProfessionalDevelopment

 

Dear Professional Development Colleagues:

 

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) recommends that the Transition
Team add $500 million to the economic stimulus package for adult education:
"Funding should be directed at programs that integrate basic skills, English
language and occupational training and focus on transition to postsecondary
education and job training in order to ensure that lower-skilled people are
not left behind in this labor market."
http://www.clasp.org/publications/claspbeyondstimulus.pdf 

 

The National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) and the National Council of State
Directors of Adult Education (NCSDAE) support this request. Congress hopes
to have the stimulus package ready when Obama is sworn in as President on
January 20th.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g-fho3A_PJJqcnUtiO_nsDH_H
d1Q 

 

If $500 million were included in the stimulus for adult education and we had
27 months to spend it, what should be spent on professional development in
order to help lower-skilled adults go to work and experience career success?

 

For example, adult educators will need to help adult learners upgrade their
skills and transition to work without losing sight on those learners that
are hardest to serve. Adults transitioning to work might also follow
different career pathways: 

 

*	Traditional, sequential, linear pathway: Adults enroll first in
adult education then into postsecondary once the adult learner raises his or
her basic skills. For example, earning a GED then enrolling into
postsecondary.

 

*	Dual or concurrent enrollment pathways: Adults dually or
concurrently enroll in basic skills and postsecondary education and
training. For example, taking welding and math courses, learning the welding
trade while improving math skills needed for the profession.

 

In these (and other) situations, adult educators will need to teach in ways
that integrate basic skills and postsecondary education and training content
in the adult education classroom; for example, co-teaching with an
occupational skills trainer. Tom Sticht recently posted two related examples
here: Functional Context Education (FCE) and Microenterprise Training and
Development. See "Learning for Work in Hard Times"
http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/professionaldevelopment/2008/002738.html 

 

So, a few questions:

 

*	What are the considerations for professional development if the $500
million stimulus for adult education became an immediate reality?
*	What additional models already exist that we can learn from?
*	How would we get up and running as quickly as possible?

 

Thanks for your thoughts, and here's to 2009!

 

Best wishes.Jackie

 

 

 

Jackie Taylor, Online Facilitator, jackie at jataylor.net

Adult Literacy Professional Development

 

Adult Literacy and Language Learning Communities of Practice

http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/discussions.html

National Institute for Literacy www.nifl.gov <http://www.nifl.gov/>  

 

 

 

 

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