- Minutes Adult Education Advisory Council Meeting
June 10-11, 2015
Icicle Inn, Leavenworth, WA
Members Present:
Diane Klontz – Chair, Lynn Christofersen – Vice Chair, Michele Cook, Susan
Crane, Anne Goranson, Bryce Humpherys, Eleni Papadakis, Bob Raphael and
Laurie Shannon
Members Absent:
Jeanne Bennett, Patrick Bertucci, Marty Brown, Zola Mumford, Kathi HiyaneBrown, Mike Paris and David Stillman
Guests:
Kathy DiJuilio for Jeanne Bennett, Terri Colbert with Eleni Papadakis, Dan
Story for David Stillman, Jan Yoshiwara for Marty Brown, Kim Ward – CBS
Chair and Nancy Dick – SBCTC
Staff:
Kathy Cooper, ABE staff; Jon Kerr, ABE State Director and AEAC Secretary;
and Christy Lowder, ABE staff
Welcome, introductions, and agenda review
Diane Klontz, Chair, welcomed members to the meeting and they introduced themselves, shared a
challenging task or opportunity facing you as change accelerates and identify a personal strength
you bring to the process.
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Lynn Christofersen – Early adopter
Kathy Cooper – Able to change rapidly
Anne Goranson – Likes change…help to evaluate skills of staff, keep focus on customers /
frontline staff
Michele Cook – Outspoken leader
Jan Yoshiwara – Bring large groups together / tolerates process of disagreements;
discussion; find points of unity
Bob Raphael – Builds systems and change minds
Terri Colbert – Keeps eye on outcome for clients / citizens
Eleni Papadakis – Okay in ambiguity – able to maintain the vision - patient
Susan Crane – System spanner – likes creative discomfort
Kathy DiJulio – A fixer
Christy Lowder – Questions everything
Jon Kerr – Work horse
Bryce Humpherys – Strategic thinker with big picture
Kim Ward – Positive outlook – outside the box thinker
Dan Story – Able to collaborate beyond just cooperate
Nancy Dick – Futurist
Laurie Shannon – Sees connections, because of wide work range
The agenda was reviewed and accepted as proposed.
Workforce Board: WIOA & Other Priorities – Eleni Papadakis and Terri Colbert presented
Presentation
Summary of WIOA Policy Recommendations
Timeline
Eleni and Terri walked the council through their website; timeline; summary of policy
recommendations and their new framework for performance accountability.
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This slide best represented the flow of work / information regarding WIOA
Sticky note activity – How can we best affect these performance elements?
What’s working?
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Youth employment & education opportunities
I-BEST
Integrated instruction – I-BEST and similar programs
Support part timework and education
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Set incremental wage targets that go beyond new minimum
Continue supports beyond entry wage jobs
Same Open Doors programs are operating in work source sites
Expand role of one stops in engaging low-skilled workers with employer
Expand time and money for all adults on pathway to tipping point
HS 21+ credential
I-BEST
Co-located services
Leveraging funding from across buckets – BFET, WR and WF
Some Open Doors students are earning credentials through access and support from WIA
ESL and Training for 1st job
Keep focus on low income adults and youth
HS 21+ - competency based education
I-BEST works
Support for basic skills students: gas vouchers and emergencies
College and Career pathways from ABE to college
Stackable certificates
Multiple entry / exit points
CTC system expertise in serving large numbers (in all geographic regions) of people
seeking credentials that lead to employment / earnings outcomes
Expand support and time frame to allow
The right partners are at the table in local areas
Move all to tipping points before work
I-BEST
Incentives to move low-skilled individuals to better skills – can we use the tipping point
incentives more broadly? Not just the community colleges?
Supportive partnerships
Reducing customer drops
Strong, informed referrals
Some One Stops (S. King Co and Seattle) are reconnecting older youth back to K-12
funding educational opportunities
Co-enrollment
Career pathways
What’s should CHANGE?
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Expand engagement with employers and partners
We need training to help our people become team leaders
Treat academic pathways as a career pathway
Greatly expand academic I-BEST
Fund tuition for co-enroll
Co-location of services
Increased collaboration between colleges and job search providers
How do we encourage ( a reward) local WDC’s for partnering with other organizations even
if they are not contractors?
Approved 10/21/15
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Need basic work skills – good setting – measurement – utilizing accountability
Reconnect with customers who drop out or take a break
Closer collaboration to support services
Expand I-BEST
Internship opportunities – job shadow, etc.
Clarified training & education roles – who does what & who can do what
More collaboration
Take a look at the homeless, navigation project it’s working and includes a lot of
collaboration
More opportunities to work with DSHS to expand use of TANF funds. Examples – 2 years
instead of 1 for workforce programs of study. OSY in TANF families eligible to get support
to attend college. Support for Dreamers.
Equity for ELA and ABE
Treatment of non-documentation
Basic skills system moving ahead with innovation, integration – don’t slow them down or
divert momentum
Expand work – integrated learning opportunities for adult ed. students by pathway
Buy teeth – does that happen?
Restore Life Skills classes – must be meaningful
Greater utilization of existing facilities to include more populations
More opportunity to serve when re-engaged – shouldn’t matter whether school or WIA
enrollment happens first
Allow students to remain in training to tipping point at least
Identify common group goals
No fault referrals
Ping-pong referrals
We are not reaching key segments of our population – for example, those who don’t want
case management
Treat academic I-BEST as a pathway
Better understanding of opportunities between districts, colleges, WDC and CBO’s
More partnerships K-12 – adult basic education – WIOA
Greatly increase co-enrollment
Reward employers for hirings, etc.
Support basic skills training at employer sites where there are large #s of low-skilled
employees
Continue supports and services beyond 1st employment
Access to job search services
Access for low-skilled adults – able to stay in pathway
What are the ASK’s needed for change?
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Faculty training to integrate employability skills
Clear connection between adult education and workforce services – our student orientation
accessing
How will One stops serve non-documented?
Include workforce under the WIOA umbrella
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Allow cross agency collaboration to serving opportunity youth to flourish as the best
practice for CBO’s, WDC, School districts (K12) and CTC’s
Locals should determine how – more best practice ideas, fewer process requirements
Make sure the customers – end users – help design the One stops (ie: job seekers)
Partner consult before referrals are made
Complete evaluation to identify strengths, issues, barriers and dreams – everyone use the
same evaluation
Make the fewest decisions at state level – leave maximum flexibility
How can programs fund tuition?
Increase state funding for adult education
Remove barriers of enrollment in WIOA to have opportunity youth as they become career &
college ready
Focus on outcomes results we all want, not processes or implementation
How do the WDC boards engage the voice of the job seeker?
Staff and dollar support during first two-years of new employment
Provide the numbers of Title II – students who access One Stop service on a regular basis
Include academic I-BEST as a career pathway & fund in the same way
Clarify roles of partners in an effort to eliminate competition for clients and the pursuit of
organization agendas
Develop scaffolded career pathways
Aligned to job market and including BEdA and secondary education access
Customer focused – they set the goals – we guide the process
Greatly increases the number of Title II students that access One stop services
Access to support services to remove barriers childcare/transportation
Whether through WDCs or others, create a web of navigators to help those who’s journey
to self-sufficiency is longer
Resources, possibly legislation, to support expanding how long students can be in school.
Takes time to get non-college ready students academically and technically prepared for
employment.
Create common means to access people
The workers of today are the workers of tomorrow – systems change that acknowledges
the delivery of education to working adults
The ASK’s summary draft – it was decided this would be reworked into a top 5 list by Jon and Kim
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Professional development
# of Title II students being served
Accurate data
Intentional transitions
Seamless transition it’s JOINT services (not a hand-off
Role clarification:
o Eliminate competition
o Eliminate duplication
Build on our best practices
Allow extended services to get to best outcomes
Co-locations on college campuses & virtual access
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Personal portfolios (plex)
Refine intake to have effective referrals
Shorten time to success
Access to relevant assessment & educational services especially for hardest to serve
Prepare leaders in the workplace
Keep customer focus
“app” for One stop services
Remember the undocumented & the Dreamers
Credit for internships & work experience
Reduce admin burden
Combined plan
Pathways
Credentials relevant to employers (consistent, effective assessment – ie: CASAS)
State of the ABE System – Jon Kerr presented
Presentation
State Plan Goals
Jon thanked the council for their guidance and advice over the last two years as we:
Developed and implemented a new state plan
Launched HS 21+ and our Integrated Digital English Acceleration or I-DEA initiatives
And expanded the I-BEST Comprehensive pathway
Our work over these last 4 years has prepared basic education for adults in Washington to
transition to the new WIOA like no other state. Thanks to you, our state plan builds on a decade of
innovation that includes research-based and data-driven practices that will move more adults,
more quickly through basic education to certificates and degrees resulting in family-wage jobs.
But as we discussed last summer, while our state plan provides the policy level guidance to meet
the needs of our students and workforce, it is nothing without comprehensive implementation.
Before we launch into WIOA – I want to share some of the successes that are a result of the
council’s work. The creation of HS 21+, as part of our comprehensive career pathway – allows
students 21 and older to attain a competency-based high school diploma.
The HS 21+ program awards credit for prior learning, military training, and work experience.
Because it’s competency-based, students can move quickly as outcomes are met—saving both
time and money. We now have 20 programs running, with 9 more scheduled for implementation
next year.
Integrated Digital English Acceleration or the I-DEA initiative is just finishing Phase II and
beginning its last phase. This new model of delivery for the nation’s low-level non-native English
speakers; provides students with 50% of the instruction online and 24/7 access to learning.
Results from the first two years are promising
 2013 - 9 colleges & CBOs launched
o 408 students enrolled
o 50% made federal level gains (39% traditional ESL students)
o 60% made significant gains (51% for traditional ESL students)
o 2 Student Achievement Points made on average
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2014 - Implement in 19 colleges & CBOs
o 694 students enrolled as of April 2015*
o *46% made federal level gains (37% for traditional ESL students)
o *57% made significant gains (46% for traditional ESL students)
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Under WIOA, Adult Education or Title II is one of 4 Core Program. The Act now defines Adult
Education as:
Academic instruction and education services below the postsecondary level that increases:
 Reading, writing, speaking, listening, mathematics, English acquisition, technology and
employability skills for attainment of a secondary school diploma or its equivalent
 Increases Transitions to postsecondary education and training
 And increases the number of students who Obtain employment
Under WIOA a Basic education eligible person must be:
 16 years of age or older
 Not enrolled or required to enrolled in secondary school
 Is an English language learner
 Basic skills deficient
 Does not have a high school diploma or its equivalent
Some of you will remember that the work this group 2 summers ago finalized our state’s vision,
mission and goals for Basic Education for Adults. And that work is in complete alignment with the
purpose of WIOA and the changes the Act makes to basic skills. Today, we want to take a few
minutes to get input from all of you as to what you see as major points of alignment.
In terms of WIOA purpose and the BEdA Vision
 Both require the implementation of providing high quality education and training to support
students success in obtaining the credentials an training needed to succeed in the labor
market.
 Both the WIOA purpose & BEdA Mission call for career pathways that allow students to
master the skills needed to succeed in the workforce and get to a family sustaining job. But
the implementation of our goals and the changes required by WIOA is where the rubber hits
the road.
 Both require the implementation of college and career pathways. To meet this goal we
have:
Conducted week-long College and Career Pathway Development workshop - 2014
Provided technical assistance in comprehensive I-BEST pathway development
Collaborated to provide Joint technical assistance for Out-of-School Youth pathways
between OSPI-Open Doors & SBCTC-HS 21+
 Both now require rigorous instructional practices based on standards that prepare students
to be college ready.
Adopted federal College and Career Readiness Standards aligned with the K-12
Common Core. Outcomes prepare students to be college ready.
Conduct system-wide professional development for CCR Standards - 2014, 2015, 2016
Implemented competency based - ABE/ESL high school completion programming
Facilitated system-wide implementation of HS 21+; I-DEA; and expansion of I-BEST
into on-ramps, Developmental Education, and Academic Transfer
 Both require the contextualization of basic skills to have meaning to student career and
training goals and the development of employability skills.
Conducted system-wide contextualization professional development trainings across
the state-2014
Conducted week-long workshops for contextualization, HS 21+, I-DEA, and I-BEST
Team-teaching
Conducted extensive system-wide I-BEST team teaching and evaluating team teaching
trainings
Expanded I-BEST Comprehensive pathways to include on-ramps (vocational, HS 21+,
& I-DEA), Developmental Education, and Academic Transfer
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Implemented grading in Adult Basic Education for Adults courses
Facilitated system-wide training on implementation of Math & English Transition
courses for ABE/ESL to accelerate transition into I-BEST
Implemented I-BEST and competency-based ABE/ESL courses to increase
acceleration and decrease time to degree
 Both require math and reading instruction be taught at all levels.
Conducted extensive system-wide Reading Apprenticeship professional development
for ABE/ESL-2011-2016
Adopted College and Career Readiness Standards to provide students with the reading
strategies and skills to be college ready
Facilitated state-wide numeracy trainings-2014-2015
Provided system-wide training on the implementation of Math & English Transition
courses for ABE/ESL
ESL funding must now be used for only integrated co-enrolled career pathways.
Contextualized all ESL courses in college and career readiness
Conducted I-BEST train-the-trainer workshops for ESL trainers on delivering team
teaching training
Implemented Integrated Digital English Acceleration curriculum at 19 colleges and
CBOs as on-ramps to I-BEST
 Both require speaking and listening skills be taught for all.
Adopted College and Career Readiness Standards which require providing ABE
students with speaking and strategies and skills at the academic level to be college
ready
 Both require instructional practices that expand a student’s competency at using
technology.
Implemented Integrated Digital English Acceleration (I-DEA) curriculum at 19 colleges
and CBOs. Students complete online modules to learn, practice and develop knowledge
of concepts.
Released $1M in funds for providers to transition from WIA to WIOA – WIOA now
allows funds to be used for technology infrastructure
 Both require increased performance—moving students further—faster
Implemented performance-based funding allocation model for allocation of federal Basic
Education for Adults funds - 2014
Conducted two-year Data for Program Improvement training and research project
development as a grant requirement to develop action plans for increasing progression
and completion
 Both require ELA be a part of a comprehensive pathway to a HSD & postsecondary
certificates and degrees.
Implemented HS 21+ to provide ELA students with a competency-based high school
diploma option
Require math instruction for ELA students at all levels
Conducted contextualized training system-wide for ELA faculty
 Perhaps most importantly, both require coordinated services between all partners.
Partners conducted trainings on WDC and ESD services available to all Basic
Education for Adults participants with BEdA deans and directors
Added BEdA representatives to local boards in several workforce development regions
BEdA representatives participate on all WIOA committees and taskforces
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Ensured comprehensive BEdA participation in local workforce board WIOA planning
sessions
 Both require providing all individuals with the skills and abilities to help themselves.
Implemented BEdA State Plan Goals in tandem with WIOA requirements providing
students with opportunities to access rigorous, meaningful educational experiences that
prove an individual’s abilities and can provide them with the skills and certifications
needed to succeed in the labor market
We’re lucky that we in Basic Education know what success looks like in Washington. Our goal is
to—at a minimum---get all students to the Tipping Point—1 year of college credits plus a credential.
Research by the Ford Foundation found that
 English Language Learners reaching the tipping point have an annual earnings increase of
$7,000—and
 Adult Education Students had an increase of $8,500
Washington has a proven track record of being innovative and I really see WIOA as a chance to do
what we know how do well and that’s help every individual we serve become contributing citizens
to their family and our work force. Thank you for your input during this process.
Legislative Update – Jan Yoshiwara presented
 Operating budget request – the Budget is still caught up in differences in revenue
assumptions in Senate and House. There is active work going on the past week to develop
a compromise budget. We are hoping for conclusion by June 15. We asked for basic skills
funding and legislation to move basic skills funding to case load basis. The Bill received
some attention during session but did not pass bill cut off. Bill provided venue for us to talk
about the value of basic skills and some of our innovations like I-BEST, I-DEA and HS 21+.
We assumed this big a policy change would require several passes to get traction.
 Allocation formula – the State Board will act on a new allocation formula in September.
WACTC has recommended a new formula that is enrollment driven, with weighting for basic
skills and high demand enrollments at 1.3, to backfill lack of tuition revenue in the formula
that allocates state funds to colleges. Positive recognition of value of basic skills to CTC
system mission and commitment to keeping tuition very low for basic skills students. We
are recommending that I-BEST weighting at 1.75 continue.
 Enrollment work group – Due to the emphasis on enrollments and types of enrollments in
the proposed new allocation formula, the presidents have asked the State Board to ensure
that enrollments are being reported similarly across the colleges. They have formed a
system work group that includes representatives from the Council for Basic Skills as well as
instruction, student services, business affairs, institutional research. The work group will
make recommendations to WACTC next spring and WACTC to State Board in June 2016.
Title I, Title II and Title I & III Document Review – Jon Kerr presented
Jon walked the council through the 3 Regulation documents and asked for any additional input. We
let the council know that we would submit these documents tomorrow morning on behalf of the
following groups: the Council for Basic Skills, the SBCTC Basic Education for Adults Unit, the
SBCTC Workforce Education Unit and the Governor’s appointed Adult Education Advisory Council
in Washington State.
No additional comments or concerns were raised and the council agreed to have the BEdA unit
submit these comments on behalf of the AEAC.
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Title I Comments/Recommendations
Title II Comments/Recommendations
Title I and III Comments/Recommendations
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One Stops and One Stop Partners – Kathy DiJulio presented
WWA's presentation
Kathy’s presentation provided an overview of the one stop system – preparing workers with
educations and training needed to obtain family-wage jobs; supplying industry with a skilled,
flexible workforce to move Washington’s economy ahead.
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Two customers: Businesses and Job Seekers
Improve outcomes for both groups
Local WDC, CLEOs and Partners collaborate to design, develop, implement & deliver
services at the local level
Provide integrated program services
o Minimize duplicated services & data entry
o Minimize agencies to contact for services
o Optimize assistance to customers via each contact
Send Kathy areas where there are challenges and she’ll work with Jon to develop a plan to work
on them. Most WDC’s have 4 seats on their boards for education. Be involved in your local
strategic plan at your WDC – get your key values statement into your MOU’s that all partners will
sign; they are due June 30, 2016.
Workforce Board/part 2 – Eleni Papadakis and Terri Colbert revisited and developed
Brainstorming was done and the group asked that Jon Kerr and Kim Ward take the notes and
develop the “Top Five Asks” for the Council…..this is what was developed.
The Adult Education Advisory Council’s (AEAC) Top Five “Asks”
The Request:
In order to guarantee WIOA success, how do we move the needle on the dashboard items
below? What would it look like? What would it take to get there?
The Task:
Identify the 3-5 big performance elements of WIOA that will move the needle on:
 Credential Attainment
 Earnings
 Employment
AEAC Asks*:
1) Ensure a comprehensive commitment to seamless and accelerated access
among relevant services
a. Establish clear roles for each partner
b. Eliminate duplication of services and repetition of paperwork for participants
(intake, application for resources, etc.)
c. Simplify and streamline the intake process. Consider a shared intake
process so that clients provide information once in way that can be used by
multiple providers, or as for a means for clients to evaluate eligibility for
multiple agency benefits in one application.
d. Create and retain student electronic portfolios to ensure portability of student
information, services provided, progression, achievements, and completions
2) Guarantee access to relevant services
a. Utilize an asset-based approach to customized, college/career focused
pathways (prof-tech; academic; apprenticeship; on-the-job training; work
based learning, etc.)
b. Implement relevant assessments to identify each individual’s barriers
c. Require standardized/common assessment tests across the system
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d. Provide strategic educational and life support resources that eliminate
identified barriers (especially for hardest to serve)
3) Expand access to relevant services
a. Develop and implement an application “App” for smart phones that identifies
and locates relevant services, connects all clients to system services, and
provides contacts for entry information
b. Co-locate One-Stop centers on community and technical college campuses
c. Increase targeted, user-friendly virtual One-Stop services
4) Provide access for Basic Education for Adult (BEdA) students to participate in
integrated learning and work experience activities with competencies
counting toward high school completion (e.g., paid and unpaid internships,
job shadowing, employer-led class projects, and employment)
*AEAC in collaboration with SBCTC is also drafting suggested guiding principles to submit
to the Washington State WIOA Steering Committee for consideration to guide WIOA
implementation across the state.
Navigation Project – Susan Crane and Kathy Cooper presented Presentation
Actions:
Life Domain Matrix Tool for Navigators
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Jon will take the tool to Troy Goracke, SBCTC, to work with OSPI / HS 21+ and share with
the One Stop committee
Diane will take back to Dept. of Commerce & get them on board
Terri will take to the WTECB’s intake committees on WIOA
Dan will take to David at DSHS & use this at the OCE (North Seattle), could be a best
practice
Lynn will use at the Community Action of Skagit County
Michele will share at the Community Colleges of Spokane campus
Business Meeting
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Approval of Meeting Minutes - Motion made to approve the Spring 2015 meeting
minutes, with typo corrected on page 3. The motion was seconded – minutes were
unanimously approved with correction made.
AEAC Calendar for 2015-16
 A doodle poll will be sent out for the dates
 It was decided that the 2016 Retreat will be in June at the Icicle Inn, Leavenworth
Meeting was adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
Approved 10/21/15
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