Dear Colleagues:

 

Join the Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
February 16 - 23, 2009, to discuss Washington State's Integrated Basic
Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) model. Challenging the
traditional notion of "transitions" (whereby students must first
complete ABE or ESL before moving to college level course work),
Washington State's I-BEST integrates basic education and job skills
training concurrently by pairing ABE or ESL instructors with vocational
or content area instructors to prepare low-skilled adults for
high-demand jobs. 

 

To participate, subscribe (free):
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Professionaldevelopment  

 

(For a Web-based version of this announcement, visit:
http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/professionaldevelopment/09ibest.ht
ml )

 

* If you have trouble with the links, please copy/paste the URLs into
the Address line of your Internet browser. *

 

Guests

 

*	Dr. Lennox McLendon, Special Advisor, National Council of State
Directors of Adult Education (Joining us Monday only, February 16, 2009)

 

*	Shash Woods, Regional Professional Development Coordinator,
Adult Basic Education, Washington State Board for Community and
Technical Colleges

 

*	Susan Kidd, Regional Professional Development Coordinator, Adult
Basic Education, Washington State Board for Community and Technical
Colleges

 

*	Tina Bloomer, Policy Associate, Workforce Education, Washington
State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

 

*	Kim Ward, Associate Dean for Adult Basic Skills, Tacoma
Community College 

 

*	Dr. Leslie Heizer-Newquist, previous Director of the Center of
Excellence at Green River Community College 

 

About I-BEST

 

Washington State's Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training
(I-BEST) began as a pilot program at 10 community and technical colleges
and has since been implemented in all 34 colleges in the Washington
State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) system. The
program was developed in response to studies performed by the Washington
State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) that indicated
that students were unlikely to complete a long-term basic skills class
and then successfully transition to college level vocational programs.
The I-BEST model challenges the traditional notion that students must
first complete adult basic education or ESL before moving to college
level course work. The I-BEST model pairs ESL or ABE instructors with
vocational or content area instructors to co-teach college level
vocational courses.  

 

Early professional development focused on how to plan and develop an
I-BEST program and the necessary elements to bring about a cultural
shift bringing together Basic Skills and Professional/Technical
education. Subsequent professional development included learning
outcomes training for teachers and administrators.

 

I-BEST has historically been tied to economic development, with I-BEST
courses at individual colleges aligning with high-wage, high-demand jobs
within their communities. There will be a just-in-time response to the
economic stimulus package addressing, for example, green jobs.

 

Additional Resources

 

Transition Team Recommendations: Factors for Successful Integrated
Education and Training:

 

http://www.ncsdae.org/Washington%20Views/2009/Factors%20for%20successful
%20integrated%20education%20and%20training.doc  

-State Directors' response to the Transition Team's Questions: What
would make integrated education and training (Adult Basic
Education/GED/ESL and occupational training) work in the context of
economic recovery?  What factors are important? 

 

I-BEST:

 

*	I-BEST Program Guidelines 

http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/docs/education/workforce/ibest_guidelines.pdf 

-Provides background on the I-BEST and program criteria

 

*	Student Success page from SBCTC Web Page:

http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/college/e_studentsuccess.aspx 

-Provides additional information about I-BEST 

 

Research Behind I-BEST:

 

*	Building Pathways to Success for Low-Skill Adult Students:
Lessons for Community College Policy and Practice from a Longitudinal
Student Tracking Study (The "Tipping Point" Research):
http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/docs/data/research_reports/resh_06-2_tipping_po
int.pdf 

-Presents the research base for I-BEST programs

 

*	Increasing Student Achievement for Basic Skills Students,
Research Report 08-1

http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/college/education/resh_rpt_08_1_student_achieve
_basic_skills_003.pdf    

 

*	Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) Pilot
Programs, Research Report 05-2
http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/college/assessment/i_best_research_report_05-2.
doc  

 

 

For questions, contact Jackie Taylor at: jackie at jataylor.net  

 

Looking forward ~ Jackie

 

Jackie Taylor, Professional Development List Facilitator,
jackie at jataylor.net 

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