Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148-4906
Telephone: (781) 338-3000
TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370
Adult and Community Learning Services
TO:
ABE Directors, SABES Coordinators, WIA Administrators, Career Centers, LWIB,
Teacher/All Staff
FROM:
Jolanta Conway, ABE State Director
DATE:
November 18, 2015
RE:
What's in this Mailing?
The monthly mailing for November will be posted to our website shortly. Please review the information and share
with your staff.
ACLS is pleased to welcome two new Program Specialists, Wyvonne Stevens-Carter, and Russell Fenton.
Wyvonne most recently served as the ABE Director at Saint Mary’s Center for Women and Children, Boston. In
addition to program specialist duties, Wyvonne will provide ABE programs with policy guidance in the area of digital
literacy including distance learning and technology. Her background includes work as a program advisor, a
coordinator of a large volunteer program, designing literacy and education initiatives for employment and training
programs. Wyvonne holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science and a Masters of Social Work.
Beginning as a K-12 public schoolteacher in California, Russell Fenton has spent most of his professional career in
the field of education. Since moving to the East Coast in 2005, he has worked primarily in the field of adult
education, first as a teacher, then as a coordinator, and most recently as the Director of Education and Workforce
Initiatives for Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center. Russell holds a Master of Arts in Education. He is excited
to continue serving the field in the role of ACLS program specialist and liaison to the field coordinating
SMARTT/SchoolBrains and Cognos communication.

Assessment Update:
-Reminders to Programs Regarding MAPT Testing
-Formative Assessment Resources
-BEST Plus and TABE CLAS-E Writing Scoring Recertification
-NELRC – Formative Assessment of Standards Project (FASt)

HiSET® Updates:
-Career Builder
-Khan Academy Math Videos
-Test Preparation Providers

Massachusetts Family Literacy Month:
Governor Baker has proclaimed November to be Family Literacy Month, marking the 19th consecutive year
Massachusetts is celebrating the role families play in supporting children’s developing literacy skills.
Communities across the state are encouraged to be part of the celebration by providing organized family
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literacy activities. One option is to hold a fun, educational activity called a StoryWalk ® by placing a
children’s story - a book taken apart - along a popular walking route. While getting children outdoors for
physical activity with their families, a StoryWalk ® also builds their interest in reading.
Download Governor Baker’s Family Literacy Month Proclamation at
http://www.doe.mass.edu/familylit/month/proclamation.pdf.
Download Commissioner Chester’s Family Literacy Month announcement and resources at
http://www.doe.mass.edu/familylit/month/announcement.html.
Download the Take a Hike! Building Literacy Skills Through StoryWalk ® guide on the Boston Children’s
Museum StoryWalk® page at http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/storywalk.

New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC) Presents a webinar for Instructional Leaders:
Program-wide CCR Implementation: Program Leaders Share Strategies and Approaches
Date:
Thursday, December 3
Time:
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Presenters:
John Galli, Community Learning Center, Cambridge, MA
Michelle Folger, Vermont Adult Learning, Rutland, VT
Kelly Domenico and Keri Marion, PSDRI, Pawtucket, RI
Registration Link: To register for this webinar, please go HERE.
Description:
In this webinar, program leaders from three New England states share the strategies they’ve used to
implement the College and Career Readiness Standards throughout their programs. Each has taken an
approach specific to its state and local context. There will be time for Q&A and discussion of challenges.

SMARTT Update:
-Data Lock Out and First Automatic Exit in FY16 – December 1st
-NRS Cohort Follow Up – Entry into Postsecondary Education or Training

Workplace Education Request for Proposals:
ACLS will release a new Workplace Education Request for Proposals in December 2015.
Workplace Education addresses the ongoing demand from businesses, union organizations, and
employees for on-site contextualized educational services for employees committed to improving their
basic education skills.
Phase 1 involves four months of planning that must include a Workplace Needs Analysis. Planning grants
allow resources for a Workplace Education partnership to establish a foundation for instructional services.
Phase 2 requires the delivery of Workplace Education services consistent with the recommendations of the
Phase 1 planning process and an on-site Planning and Evaluation Team to oversee program
implementation.
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Assessment Update
I. Reminders to Programs Regarding MAPT Testing
1. Avoid creating duplicate SMARTT IDs for students.
Learners need a SMARTT ID in order to login to the MAPT. If learners are currently enrolled in your ABE program,
they already have a SMARTT ID. If learners are new to the program, program staff must enter a learner’s intake
information into SMARTT to obtain a SMARTT ID for that learner or check to see if they already have a SMARTT
ID from a another program.

Important: Before creating a SMARTT ID for a student, check to make sure one doesn’t already exist in the
SMARTT system. The student may already have a SMARTT ID if he/she was exited from another program or if
he/she moved from an ESOL class to an ABE class.





To check to see if a student already has a SMARTT ID from another program:
Go to the “Add Student” page (e.g., “Student Basic Information Phase 1.”)
Using the “lookup icon,” type in the student’s last name in the box provided and you will see a list of
possible names that may match the new student being added.
If the student’s name is found in the lookup list, click on it and all that student’s data will appear into the
current form and most importantly, the student’s past history will be preserved.
When students have more than one SMARTT ID, their past history is spread out across multiple accounts.
Maintaining a student’s full history is very important. For this reason, students must have only one SMARTT ID.
2. Learners must log in to OWL using their own SMARTT login.
Students must verify their identify after logging in by confirming that the first and last name displayed on the next
screen is theirs, and should be directed to notify test administrators if that is not the case.
II. Formative Assessment Resources:
1. Linking Assessment, Instruction and Learning in Science and Mathematics
See the link below for an article by Page Keeley at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance that explores what
practitioners can do to build the capacity of science and math assessment for learning:
http://www.seenmagazine.us/articles/article-detail/articleid/2561/linking-assessment,-instruction-and-learning-inscience-and-mathematics.aspx
2. My TeachSource-a Resource Webpage from ASCD
A professional development resource from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
with articles, tools, and videos featuring formative assessment in the classroom. Non ASCD members have 2 week
free access to the webpage and ASCD members can access if for free.
http://myteachsource.ascd.org/Default.aspx
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3. Formative Assessment: Deepening Understanding-Online Course from ASCD
A free online course from ASCD where practitioners will explore activities that allow their students to apply what
they have learned, review the variety of formative assessments that enable them to evaluate whether, how much,
and what students are learning, and discover how to put student learning data to work.
Registration and more details here .
4. Improving Teaching Using Technology for Formative Assessment-Webinar from LINCS
Systematic formative assessment makes a difference in how well students learn. In this webinar, practitioners will
learn how they can improve teaching and learning by hearing what formative assessment is and the research upon
which it is based. They will also learn how technology tools can improve learning outcomes by providing learning
progress information to teachers and to students.
Date: Thursday, December 10, 2015, 3:00 pm-4:30 pm
Presenters: Christopher Bourret, Ed Latham, Dr. Susan Finn Miller, Dr. David Rosen
Hosts: Ben Bruno and Steve Quann, LINCS Region 1 Professional Development Center, a project of World
Education
Pre-webinar assignment: TEAL Center Fact Sheet: Formative Assessment
https://teal.ed.gov/sites/default/files/Fact-Sheets/9_TEAL_Formative_Assess.pdf
Register here .
5. Formative Assessment of Standards Project (FASt)
The Formative Assessment of Standards (FASt) Project is a New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC)
professional development offering focused on building the capacity of instructors to create and use performancebased formative assessments to capture student progress on the College and Career Readiness Standards for
English Language Arts (ELA), ESOL, or Math. This is a blended (online and in-person) PD initiative designed for 24
participants across New England.
Please see attached more information on this initiative, eligibility requirements and application instructions.
III. BEST Plus and TABE CLAS-E Writing Scoring Recertification
BEST Plus and TABE CLAS-E Writing Scoring Recertification are coming up early in 2016.
BEST Plus Recertification will run from February 1 to 26 and TABE CLAS-E Writing Scoring Recertification will run
from March 1 to 25.
Look for more information in future monthly mailings.
For any assessment-related questions, please contact: Dana Varzan-Parker, Assessment Specialist at email:
dvarzan-parker@doe.mass.edu, tel: 781-338-3811.
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Formative Assessment of Standards Project (FASt)
An NELRC project to advance the creation and use of CCR-aligned formative
assessments in instruction
What is FASt?
The Formative Assessment of Standards (FASt) Project is a professional development offering
focused on building the capacity of instructors to create and use performance-based formative assessments to
capture student progress on the College and Career Readiness Standards for English Language Arts (ELA), ESOL,
or Math. Participation in FASt offers:
 increased familiarity and comfort using the CCR standards to guide instruction and assessment
 a learning community focused on figuring out what performance of the Standards looks like at various levels
 support for creating tools that capture evidence that students are able to apply CCR skills to real-life activities
This initiative is blended (online and in-person), interactive professional development designed for 24 participants
across New England. The total time estimated for completion of all activities is 18-24 hours.
Primary Objectives:
 Strengthened instructor capacity and confidence in creating CCR-aligned formative assessment tools that
capture student ability to apply what they’re learning to real-life activities
 Enhanced ability of students to understand indicators of progress and monitor their own learning
 Strengthened capacity to integrate CCR standards into instruction
Secondary Objectives:
 Expanded collection of sample CCR-aligned formative assessment tasks and tools for practitioner reference
 Enhanced cross-state collaboration
 A replicable PD model and materials that can be shared in states
FASt Activities
This project runs from January through April 2016 and features an online course, a 1-day kick-off training, coaching
to develop CCR-aligned formative assessment tasks and tools, and participation in an online learning community.
Participants will be expected to commit to the following:
 January 2016. Complete one of the LINCS on-line courses on formative assessment (or verify previous
completion):
-
Teachers of reading/writing or math take the LINCS facilitated course, “Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy
(TEAL): Formative Assessment” (Estimated 6 hours)
-
Teachers of ESOL take the LINCS self-paced course, “ELL-U: Formative Assessment to Inform Quality
Adult ESL Instruction” (Estimated 2 hours)
 February 2016. Participate in a 1-day project kick-off and training in Worcester, MA on Feb. 5 (snow date Feb.
19) or Concord, NH on Feb. 12 (snow date Feb 26). This training will prepare participants to apply what was
learned in the courses to assessment of the CCR Standards. (Estimated 6 hours)
 February – March 2016. Participants develop performance-based formative assessment tasks with related
rubric, checklist, or other observation form and get feedback (based on the established criteria) from the
facilitator and peers through the online community of practice space. (Estimated 6 hours)
 March 2016. Partners pilot their own and each other’s assessments and share outcomes online for discussion in
the learning community, with reflection about any revisions they would make. (Estimated 2 hours)
 April 2016. Participants revise and submit assessment tasks and tools for review. (Tasks/tools must meet the
criteria to trigger stipend). (Estimated 2 hours)
 April 2016. Final webinar where participants share (across content areas) their assessment tasks/tools and what
happened when they piloted them. General discussion of what would be helpful for other instructors. (Estimated
1 hour)
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Benefits to participation
 Increased confidence and effectiveness in creating effective formative assessments
 Personalized coaching
 Participation in a learning community comprised of New England instructors
 $100 stipend upon completion
 Certificate of completion
Who can participate?
Anyone who teaches reading/writing, math, or ESOL to adult students could benefit from being part of this initiative.
Priority will be given to distributed participation across the New England states and across the content areas.
To participate in FASt, instructors must:
 Confirm that they have the tech readiness to participate in the LINCS online course and online learning
community
 Confirm that they are familiar with the College and Career Readiness Standards for their content area
 Have approval of a supervisor
 Have or set up an account with LINCS to participate in the online course
 Make a commitment for the entire initiative
 Although not required, participants are encouraged to apply with a partner, as the project includes peer work
For more information
For more information, please contact Andy Nash, NELRC Director, at anash@worlded.org
6
Application to Participate in the Formative Assessment of Standards Project (FASt)
Applications will be accepted until December 4, 2015, and participants will be notified about acceptance on
December 11, 2015.
I. Applicant Information
Name:
Organization:
Address:
Email:
Phone number:
1. Briefly describe your experience and comfort participating in online learning (e.g., courses, discussions).
2. Briefly describe your familiarity with the College and Career Readiness Standards.
3. Briefly describe what motivated you to consider participating in FASt, and what you hope to learn through
your participation.
4. In what class will you be piloting the assessment tools you develop during this project?
5. Participants are encouraged to apply for FASt with a partner with whom they can exchange ideas and
feedback. Do you have a partner in mind? ______ Yes
_______ No
If yes, partner’s name and email:
II. Requirements for Participation
(Mark an “X” in front of each of the 3 requirements and indicate which kick-off you would attend.)
_____ I understand that if accepted to participate in FASt, I will be expected to:
 January 2016. Participate in the LINCS on-line course related to my focus content area (or verify past
completion).
 February 2016. Participate in a 1-day training and project kick-off. I would attend (choose one):
______ Worcester, MA on Feb 5, 2016 (snow date Feb. 19)
______ Concord, NH on Feb. 12, 2016 (snow date Feb. 26)
 February – March 2016. With support, develop a CCR-aligned performance-based formative assessment
task with related rubric, checklist, or other observation form and get feedback through the online learning
community.
 March 2016. Pilot my assessment task/tools and share what happened with the learning community.
 April 2016. Revise and submit assessment task and tools for review.
 April 2016. Participate in the final webinar to share across content areas.
_____ I understand that I will receive a $100 stipend only upon completion of these requirements
(online course, kick-off training, participation in the learning community, submission of piloted and
reviewed assessment task/tools)
______ My supervisor is aware that I am applying to participate in the above FASt activities.
To Submit Your Application
Please type right into this document, save it on your computer, and then email it to Andy Nash at
anash@worlded.org. Deadline for applications is Friday, December 4, 2015.
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Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy (TEAL): Formative Assessment
Formative assessment refers to both the formal and informal processes that teachers and students use
collaboratively to gather evidence of student learning for the purpose of improving learning. Formative
assessment occurs while the learning is taking place, as opposed to a summative assessment that typically
occurs at the end of a learning unit or course to determine what a student has learned. Formative assessment is
a process, not a one-time event; it is assessment for learning, rather than assessment of learning, as with
summative assessment. You can expect to complete this course in approximately 6 hours as you explore
strategies for conducting informal and ongoing assessments of your adult education students’ progress and use
that information to adjust your teaching to ensure that all students learn. By the end of the course, you will be able
to:
 Define formative assessment and its benefits for classroom instruction
 Describe strategies for using formative assessment in the adult education classroom
 Identify a goal for using one or more formative assessment strategies
Course Sections
Let’s get started
 Journal: Rate your knowledge: What do
you know about formative assessment?
 Reading: Face-to-face learning vs. online
learning
What is formative assessment?
 Readings: TEAL Formative Assessment
fact sheet and articles Questioning in the
Mathematics Classroom, Illuminating
Understanding, and Fair Assessment
Practices
 Video: Formative Assessment: What Is It?
Why Is It Important?
Formative assessment: Let’s put it in context
 Practicing Feedback: Writing
 Practicing Feedback: Math
 Videos: Teacher Feedback on Student
Writing, and Teacher Feedback in Math
Assignments: Choose one
 Use and reflect on a formative assessment
technique
 Reflect on your feedback practice
 Explore formative assessment in greater
depth
Self-assessment
 Questionnaire: Answer 10 questions
related to feedback in writing or in math
Take time to reflect on your own goals
and progress
 Journal: Set a personal teaching goal
for using formative assessment
techniques in your classes
Course Dates:
January 12–February 9, 2016
Instructors:
Writing: Peggy McGuire; Math: Amy Vickers
Course Format:
Facilitated, asynchronous, online
Estimated Completion Time:
Approximately 2 hours per week; 6 hours total
Expectations of Course Participants:
Participants are expected to read and post at least once
in each of the course discussion forums; submit the required journal
activities; watch recorded presentations; read the background
readings and resource pages of the course; set a goal for their
professional growth; and complete assignments and the final
evaluation. Participants must successfully complete course
requirements to receive a certificate of completion.
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ELL-U: Formative Assessment to Inform Quality Adult ESL Instruction
Upon completing this online course, participants will be able to:
1. define formative assessment and explain its integral role in systematically planning and delivering
adult ESL instruction,
2. select and design a variety of formative assessment activities that engage learners in setting their
own goals and monitoring their own progress in English language development, and
3. use appropriate oral and written feedback techniques that inform learners of their progress toward
meeting their goals in meaningful and comprehensible ways.
This course will take approximately 2 hours to complete.
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HiSET® Updates
The Educational Testing Service has now made available through its HiSET® website additional
information for testers on test preparation and post- HiSET® planning. Teachers and advisors may also
find these offerings valuable when working with their students. Some of these resources are described
below.
Career Builder
CareerBuilder provides labor market intelligence, talent management software, and other employment
recruitment solutions, including online career search services. Interested individuals may now launch
CareerBuilder directly from the HiSET® website, http://afterhiset.ets.org/
Khan Academy Math Videos
In collaboration with Khan Academy, the HiSET® program has identified videos and exercises that can
assist examinees in preparing for the HiSET® math test. These training videos can improve the
procedural skills in Numbers and Operations, Geometry, Data Analysis and Algebra that are needed to be
successful on the HiSET® math test. These videos can be accessed either from the HiSET® website,
http://hiset.ets.org/s/pdf/list_free_videos.pdf, or from the Khan Academy website,
https://www.khanacademy.org/
Test Preparation Providers
The HiSET® website now contains a list of products and publishers of HiSET® test prep materials for
educators and test takers. This list can be accessed at
http://hiset.ets.org/states_educators/about/test_prep/providers/?WT.dcsvid=NjQ0Njg2MjA3NDkS1. These
products were reviewed by third parties for alignment with the HiSET® exam, but are not endorsed or
approved by either ETS or ACLS.
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SMARTT Update, November 2015
1) Data Lock Out and First Automatic Exit in FY16 – December 1st
New student intakes as well as all class, match, and distance learning curricula attendance data must
be entered by November 30. The first late data entry close out requires that July, August, and
September data be entered by November 30,
The first automatic exit in FY16 occurs on December 1, 2015. SMARTT will automatically exit a
student from the site when both of the following conditions occur:
 No attendance (class, match, and distance learning curricula attendance) was recorded for that
student during the months of July, August and September.
No attendance has yet been entered for that student during the months of October and November.
Automatic Exit
Schedule
December 1
January 15
February 15
March 15
April 15
May 15
June 15
July 15
August 15
Month of Last
Attendance
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
No Attendance in
These Months
July – November
August – December
September – January
October – February
November – March
December – April
January – May
February – June
March - June
System Assigned
Exit Date
June 30
July 31
August 31
September 30
October 31
November 30
December 31
June 30
June 30
September 15
March
April – June
June 30
2) NRS Cohort Follow Up - Entry into Postsecondary Education or Training
Because Massachusetts is required to report student outcomes to the federal government each year,
we ask programs to follow-up with any student belonging to the "Entry into postsecondary education
or training" NRS cohort by November 30th and to note your attempts in SMARTT. Your completion of
the follow-up by the deadlines noted above will help Massachusetts look better as a state in the
upcoming annual federal report. Your efforts will also increase our ability to provide a more accurate
performance report this year since we know that your follow-up will uncover outcomes that
Massachusetts would not otherwise be able to report.
Please review the instructions below related to following-up with your students and entering the
information in SMARTT for the cohort. The first attachment contains the instructions for following-up
with students in the “postsecondary education/occupational training” cohort and the second one
describes additional follow-up procedures for the “employment” cohort since many of the students will
belong to both.
To view a listing of students for whom you should contact to inquire about their success in meeting
the next steps goals of entering into postsecondary education (i.e., enrolled in courses within a higher
education program) or an occupational training program (e.g., apprenticeship, internship, or other
program that is structured for the purpose of enabling the acquisition of skills that can be used in an
employment setting), go to the “NRS Cohort” section within the main menu of your program’s
SMARTT screen.
11
You will be directed to a new page where you will need to specify the cohort. Using the dropdown list,
select “Entry into postsecondary education or training.” Make sure “Requires Follow-up” is selected
for “Status” and then click on “Search.” Follow-up with anyone who appears within the resulting list.
To follow up with a student, click on their name which will have a blue link.
You will be directed to a new screen which has three sections: Basic Information, Contacts, and
Cohorts.
The information needed for contacting is in Basic Information. When making the contact, it is important
to refer to the exit date that is also provided there.
12
Fill out the Contacts section with the date, type of contact, whether successful or not, and any comments
that you may wish to include. In order to do this, you must first click on the “Edit” tab and then click on the
“Add” button. Many users find it useful to write comments that indicate the time of day an attempted
contact was made because it helps in guide future attempts at follow-up.
If your contact is successful, you will need to ask your students questions for each of their cohort(s). For
the “Enter into postsecondary education or training” cohort, ask the student whether he/she had attended
any college courses or attended any occupational or job-related training at any point following his/her exit
date.
If the student answered yes, you will need to put an entry into the “Date Met” field within the Cohorts
section. Click on the “Edit” tab. Unless it already appears checked, you will need to check off the cohort
name. Although an entry of the form MM/DD/YYYY into the “Date Met” field is required, you will not need
to find out anything this specific from the student. If the student confirmed with you that he/she had some
attendance in college courses or training following his/her ABE exit, enter any date occurring after that
exit date. Use the dropdown list under “Date Contacted” to find the appropriate date by which you
contacted the student.
If the Cohorts section shows additional cohorts related to employment outcomes for the student, find out
his/her outcomes for those as well.
Once you have completed your data entries for the student, click “Save.”
1) NRS Cohort Follow Up – Enter and Retain Employment
Follow up with students who are listed on the NRS Cohort screen who are exited and require follow
up. Here are some tips to use when contacting students. When following up on the employment
cohorts, ask the student when he/she became employed after leaving the program. Note that data
matching uses the middle date of the middle quarter month so we don't expect the dates to be exact.


For enter employment, the dates must be in the quarter after the student exited.
For retained employment, the dates must be in the third quarter after the student exited. You do
not want to follow-up too soon for the retained employment cohort.
See some examples below and review the timeframes for follow up in the chart below.
13
Entered Employment
Student #1 exited on August 20th which is the first Exit Quarter.
Caller contacts the student at the end of the second quarter which is sometime in January - March.
The caller might ask: "Since you exited on August 20th, did you get a paying job anytime during
October - December?" Caller can then enter a date employed of November 15th or a specific date
given by the student.
Exit Quarter
Exit Date in
SMARTT
Collect Entered
Employment by the
End of:
Contact Students
First Quarter
(July 1-September 30)
August 20
Second Quarter
(October 1 - December
31)
January - March
Second Quarter
(October 1-December
31)
December 10
Third Quarter
(January 1 - March 31)
April - June
Third Quarter
(January 1-March 31)
March 30
Fourth Quarter
(April 1 - June 30)
July - September
Fourth Quarter
(April 1-June 30)
June 30
First Quarter
Next Program Year
(July 1 - September 30)
October December
Retained Employment
Student #2 exited on September 20th which is the first Exit Quarter.
Caller contacts the student sometime in July-September and asks: "Since you exited on September
20th, were you still working anytime during the timeframe of April - June?" Caller can then enter a date
employed of May 15th or a specific date given by the student.
Exit Quarter
Exit Date in
SMARTT
Collect Retained
Employment by the
End of:
Contact Students
First Quarter
(July 1-September 30)
September 20
Fourth Quarter
(April 1 - June 30)
July - September
Second Quarter
(October 1-December 31)
December 10
First Quarter
Next Program Year
(July 1 - September 30)
October December
Third Quarter
(January 1-March 31)
March 30
Second Quarter
Next Program Year
(October 1 - December
31)
January - March
Fourth Quarter(April 1-June
30)
June 30
Third Quarter
Next Program Year
(January 1- March 31)
April - June
If you have any questions related to the instructions, please feel free to contact Brian Newquist
(BNewquist@doe.mass.edu) at (781) 338-3804.
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Workplace Education Request for Proposals
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148-4906
Telephone: (781) 338-3000
TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370
Adult and Community Learning Services
November 18, 2015
Dear Colleagues:
ACLS will release a new Workplace Education Request for Proposals in December 2015.
Workplace Education addresses the ongoing demand from businesses, union organizations, and employees for onsite contextualized educational services for employees committed to improving their basic education skills.
The RFP refers to two discrete phases.

Phase 1 involves four months of planning that must include a Workplace Needs Analysis. Planning grants
allow resources for a Workplace Education partnership to establish a foundation for instructional services.

Phase 2 requires the delivery of Workplace Education services consistent with the recommendations of the
Phase 1 planning process and an on-site Planning and Evaluation Team to oversee program
implementation.
See the ACLS Guidelines for Effective Workplace Education partnerships:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls/workplace/Guidelines.pdf
See the link below for an excellent workplace education resource, Collaborative Needs Assessment: A Handbook
for Workplace Development Planners, by Sue Folinsbee and Paul Jurmo. This resource illustrates ways to build
consensus, implement a planning process, and analyze the results.
http://en.copian.ca/library/research/abc/colnee/colnee.pdf
ACLS will award multi-year instructional grants based on evidence of a successful planning process.
Please contact me for further information about Workplace Education.
Olivia Steele
osteele@doe.mass.edu
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