Blueprint for Creating Successful
Statewide Partnerships
NCWE Conference
Beth Brinly, Jay Box & Reecie Stagnolia
October 17, 2013
Why Accelerating Opportunity?
National Statistics:
Kentucky Statistics:
 By 2018, over 60% of available jobs
will require postsecondary education
 54% of all jobs in Kentucky
(1.1 million jobs) will require
some postsecondary training
beyond high school in 2018
 Over 26 million adults lack a high
school degree
 93 million lack the basic literacy
skills necessary to succeed and
advance in college and the
workplace
 There are more than 400,000
working age adults without a
high school diploma/GED
 71% of students entering
KCTCS need developmental
education in one or more areas
National Initiative
 Managing Partner: Jobs For the Future
 Funders: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Joyce Foundation,
Kresge Foundation & Open Society Foundations
 Supported by: National College Transitions Network, National Council for Workforce
Education & Washington State Board for Community & Technical Education
 Four year initiative: Oct 2010-Oct 2014
 7 states are currently testing the integrated basic skills (I-BEST) model:
 Round 1: Illinois, Kansas & Kentucky
 Round 2: Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana & Mississippi
National Vision
 The initiative is all about jobs, the
economy and improving opportunity
for low skilled students
 It will help drive economic recovery
by helping adults get the credentials
and skills they need to get and
succeed in family-sustaining jobs
 Reform how education is delivered
to low skilled adults
Goals
 Replicate Washington’s I-BEST team teaching model
 Identify & remove barriers that prevent adults from entering &
completing their education
 Help drive economic recovery by helping adults get the credentials and
skills they need to get and succeed in family-sustaining jobs
 Allow adults to earn cumulative credentials that bear academic credit
 Work with business community to ensure students are getting the
skills they need
 Reform how education is delivered to low skilled adults
 Evidence to showcase if integration works
Kentucky Partners
Kentucky’s Vision
 To implement a collaborative career pathways model that
prepares students to be college and career ready.
Core Values
 Changed economy by putting more educated people to work
 In-demand workforce credentials
 Cohesive policy framework shared by all partners
 Meaningful state and local partnerships
 Collaborative academic model that includes:
o A student-first approach
o A model grounded in differing learning styles with recognition of
learning disabilities
o 21st century skills
o Blended learning approach that uses state-of-the-art technology
o Good formative assessment
o Relevant instruction with purpose
 Comprehensive support services to prevent “drop-off” points
 Holistic advising services
Kentucky’s Commitment
Accelerating Opportunity Kentucky is engaging a number of state and local
partnerships to ensure more workers have the skills they need for today's good jobs
through innovative educational opportunities for adults that provides a valuable
credential.
 Kentucky Cabinet for Education & Workforce Development*
 Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
 Kentucky Community & Technical College System*
 Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education/Kentucky Adult Education*
 Kentucky Department of Workforce Investment
 Kentucky Workforce Investment Boards
 Business and Industry Partners
* core state partners
Implications for Kentucky
“As the economy improves, manufacturers are finding that it is
increasingly difficult to find qualified workers. The
Accelerating Opportunity initiative will help ensure more
prospective employees have the skills manufacturers need for
today’s good jobs through innovative adult education
opportunities.”
-Greg Higdon, Kentucky Association of Manufacturers
President & CEO
The Plan
 Focus on adult education student population - build on Kentucky’s
career pathways investments and capacity-building efforts to
increase credential attainment for lower-skilled adults.
 Use institutional transformation and state policy analysis to better
align programs and “braid” funding sources.
 Strengthen instructional delivery - integration, acceleration and
co-enrollment, to improve the overall adult education instruction and
sequencing.
 Link adult education curriculum to labor market - include employer
input.
Stakeholder Engagement
State Level
Local Level
• State Executive Team
• Local Executive Team
• State Lead
• Local Team Lead
• State Project Team
• Local Project Team
- State Work Teams
• State Coordinator
- Local Work Teams
• Local Coordinator
Aligning AO to Each Partner
 The state team developed an initiative alignment matrix to show each partner agency how the
various components of AO align with other initiatives, strategies and programs.
 The goal is to demonstrate how many of these initiatives are connected with other work to
identify how resources can be leveraged to support AO.
Example:
Strategy
KY Adult Education
Utilize
Career
Pathways
with
Stackable
Credentials
•
•
•
SKILL UP
Transition to
Postsecondary
Education
National Career
Readiness
Certificate
KY Career Center
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reemployment Grant
Work Ready Communities
Sector Strategies
Business Services Team Redesign
NCRC Testing
Career Pathways
Integrated Service Delivery/Case
Management/Triage
Provision of LMI
Career Counseling
WIA & WIB Case Management
KY Community & Technical
College System
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Curriculum Review
Job Placement & Career Dev.
Dual Credit
High Wage/High Demand
Workforce Matriculation
Burning Glass
Industry Sectors
Tech Programs
The Value Add Proposition
WorkSmart Kentucky Plan
 Align with education objectives
 Align with economic development objectives
 Simplify the workforce development system
 Achieve customer-centered service delivery
Workforce Role
State
Regional
Leadership Structure
 Leadership
Outreach Strategy
 Recruitment
Policy Alignment
 Career Coaches
 Support Services
Key Strategies
 Sector Strategies
 Work Ready Communities
 Kentucky Career Certification Process
 Unified Business Services
 Branding and Identity
Collaboration in Action
Why Is A Unified Vision Important?
Which Comes First, Educated Workers
or Jobs for Educated Workers?
10/31/12
The Challenge
Producing a U.S.
workforce that is more
productive, creative, and
better problem-solvers
than any other on the
planet.
A Stronger Nation Through Higher Education
In 2009, Lumina
Foundation officially
adopted its Big Goal
that 60 percent of
Americans obtain a
high-quality
postsecondary
degree or credential
by 2025.
A Global War for Good Jobs is Coming
• At the current rate, employers in 2025
will need about 23 million more degree
holders than our nation’s colleges and
universities will have produced.
• Approximately 2/3 of the nation’s
college completion goal will come from
non-traditional students entering and
staying in the pipeline.
Education Pays
By 2018, 60% of all jobs in the
United States will require some
level of postsecondary education.
Center on Education and the Workforce,
Georgetown University, 2010
The Importance of Adult Education
“A preemptive focus on adult education actually saves
governments money by reducing
• societal healthcare,
• public assistance
• and incarceration costs…”
“The Return on Investment from Adult Education and Training,” a policy paper by the
McGraw-Hill Research Foundation, May 2011
Making the Case
As many as 60% of
community college
students must take
development
education courses
– only 25% who do,
earn a degree in 8
years
Estimated that 50-80% students
in AE programs have learning
disabilities/differences
41% of
students in AE
programs are
unemployed
The Chronicle of Higher
Education April 20, 2010
Only 3% of students who start college
in AE programs earn degree
The Chronicle of Higher Education April 11, 2011
Adult Education of the Future
Reach Higher, America
Overcoming Crisis in the U.S. Workforce
“The National Commission on
Adult Literacy calls on Congress
and state governments to make
postsecondary and workforce
readiness the new mission of the
adult education and workforce
skills system.”
Source: Report of the National Commission on Adult Literacy, June 2008
Re-Engineering Adult Education
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO
RE-ENGINEER OR TRANSFORM
THE NATION’S ADULT EDUCATION SYSTEM?
The Leaky Pipeline
The Nation’s Adult Education
Game Changers
1. Teacher Quality and Effectiveness
2. Standards-Based Education
3. Integrated Education and Training
Models – Career Pathways
Kentucky Adult Education
Kentucky Adult Education was
recognized in the U.S. Department
of Education’s “Adult College
Completion Toolkit” as a top state
strategy as a result of
implementing college and career
readiness standards in adult
education.
“Kentucky has far more experience than most states
in strengthening adult access to
postsecondary education.”
“Kentucky is ahead of almost all other states
in building the common core standards into
Its adult education system.”
Kentucky Community & Technical
College System (KCTCS)
The mission of KCTCS is to improve the employability and quality of life of
Kentucky citizens as the primary provider of:
 College and Workforce Readiness
 Transfer Education
 Workforce Education and Training
KCTCS offers:
 More than 600 credit program options
 Associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates
KCTCS Transformation
ACCESS
 Attract more working age adults to college*
 Attract more ethnically diverse students*
 Increase the number of workforce students who return to pursue a KCTCS
credential
RETENTION
 Effectively engage students in positive learning outcomes*
 Focus on helping students stay in school to achieve their goals*
 Assist ethnically diverse students to stay in school to achieve their goals*
KCTCS Transformation
SUCCESS
 Help underprepared students be more successful in college*
 Increase the number of people who are professionally licensed or
certified
 Increase the number of credentials awarded*
 Increase the number of students transferring successfully to 4-year
schools
 Prepare more workers for high wage, high demand jobs*
 Provide students with an education that leads to economic prosperity*
KCTCS Transformation Strategies
CURRICULUM REVIEW: Career Focused & Technology Driven
 Create a technical program development & review process supported by research,
development & analysis
 Create standardized, rapid-response curriculum & program approved development process
DESIRED OUTCOMES
 Leads to high wage, high demand careers
 Increases the number of students in high growth, high wage programs
 Increases partnerships with business and industry
 Better aligns our program offerings with economic needs
 Focuses on new and emerging careers based on market demand and Kentucky’s Workforce &
Economic Development plans.
KCTCS Transformation Strategies
DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION: Flexible & Effective Delivery
 Develop and implement an alternate model for the delivery of developmental/transitions
education in reading, writing, and math, which is modularized, self-paced, competencydriven, and computer-assisted/lab based.
DESIRED OUTCOMES
 Increase the completion and success rates of developmental students in reading, writing & math
 Support Senate Bill 1 mandates and KCTCS goal to transition more college ready high school
graduates into KCTCS colleges with fewer developmental education needs and to improve
student success and completion rates
 Enroll developmental education students in only the course competencies where mastery has not
been demonstrated thought diagnostic assessment.
KCTCS Transformation Strategies
JOB PLACEMENT & CAREER DEVELOPMENT: Comprehensive & Lifelong
 Provide comprehensive career development and job placement services to engage students
in their education pursuit from pre-enrollment to post-graduation.
DESIRED OUTCOMES
 Enhanced services via we-based career exploration tools for college students and adults
 Increased opportunities for students to access cooperative education, internships, practicum
experiences, experiential education, and credit for prior learning
 Enhanced sponsorship and coordination of external partners to promote job fairs and college
career events
 Alignment of career transitions and workplace competencies
KCTCS Transformation Strategies
STUDENT SERVICES: Tailored & On-Demand
 Develop a comprehensive outsourced student services delivery model that provides a seamless,
scalable, virtual 24/7/365 student services call center help desk for all KCTCS students
DESIRED OUTCOMES
 Target support services more accurately
 Provide students with self-service functions to include: admissions, academic advising, financial
aid, registration, recruitment, student financials, tutorial services, retention and technology
support/identity management
 East the workload on the colleges and increase student satisfaction and access by providing
students with on-demand, quality wrap around services 24/7/365
 Measure student services data accurately and consistently
 Attain higher enrollment, student retention, and completion rates
Strengthened Partnerships
Two Years Into the Initiative:
 Deepened partnerships at state and local levels
 Increased trust and credibility
 Culture shift in working with low skilled students
 Partnership with state foster care program
 Breaking down of institutional silos
Lessons Learned
Focus on common vision
Communicate,
Communicate,
Communicate
Celebrate Successes
Early Successes
 30 AO programs at 11 colleges
 Bringing students to the college who
would not otherwise have enrolled
 More than 1,000 students enrolled
 More than 750 credentials earned
 Students making basic skills gains
 Students making Dean’s lists
 Students enrolling in additional
classes after AOKY
 Students becoming employed
Testimonials: aoky.kctcs.edu/Testimonials
Questions
Contact Information
Dr. Jay Box
Chancellor,
Kentucky Community &
Technical College System
jay.box@kctcs.edu
www.kctcs.edu
Harmony Little,
AO State Coordinator,
Kentucky Community &
Technical College System
Harmony.little@kctcs.edu
http://aoky.kctcs.edu
Beth Brinly
Commissioner,
Cabinet for Education &
Workforce Development
Department of Workforce
Investment
beth.brinly@ky.gov
http://workforce.ky.gov
Reecie Stagnolia
Vice President,
Kentucky Adult Education
Council on Postsecondary
Education
reecie.stagnolia@ky.gov
www.kyae.ky.gov