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:
August 18, 2015
RE:
What's in this Mailing?
The monthly mailing for August will be posted to our website shortly. Please review the information and share with
your staff.

Happenings in ACLS:
 Welcome to ACLS!
Toby Maguire started Monday, August 17th as the Assistant Director for Adult and Community Learning
Services. In 1994, he began his career in adult education teaching English to newly arrived refugees at
VACA in Dorchester. He also taught ESOL, ABE, pre-GED, and workplace ESOL at the Brockton Adult
Learning Center. He coordinated adult education and employment services programming at VACA from
1998 to 2007. For the past eight years, he worked at Cape Cod Community College, first as program
coordinator and then as director. He participated in the 2008 Adult Education Task Force and has been a
member of the ABE Assessment Work Group since 2011.
Toby earned his BA from Boston College and his M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
 ACLS Says Goodbye to Two Key Staff
ACLS extends best wishes to Meg Murphy and Arlene Dale who recently retired. We are grateful for their
hard work and commitment to the field of ABE and to the ACLS unit at ESE.
 ACCUPLACER
Tom Mechem has replaced the retired Mary Rauh as Administrator of ACLS’s ACCUPLACER account. In
addition to overseeing the distribution of ACCUPLACER units to interested programs, he will be monitoring
the progress of our ACCUPLACER-MyFoundationsLabs pilot projects as well as working with programs to
develop HiSET/ACCUPLACER curricula aligned with the College and Career Readiness Standards for
Adult Education and designed to enable students to both pass the HiSET and avoid developmental
education courses in college. Please contact Tom with any questions.
Tom Mechem
State Chief Examiner, High School Equivalency
75 Pleasant Street, 3rd Floor
Malden MA 02148
781-338-6621
tmechem@doe.mass.edu

ABE College and Career Readiness Student Video – Bunker Hill Community College:
The Office of College and Career Readiness (CCR) has created a career preparation video, which includes
segments on Connecting Activities, Career Vocational Technical Education, and ACLS. It includes an
interview with a Bunker Hill Community College student who is embracing CCR. The video has been
posted to ESE’s YouTube page and to the Connecting Activities section of the ESE website. Thank you to
Bunker Hill’s ABE Director Toni Borge; Barry O’Brien who teaches ABE classes at the college; and
Kathleen Johnson, a student at the program, for their participation in this wonderful video!
YouTube account: https://www.youtube.com/user/MassachusettsESE/videos
Connecting Activities: http://www.doe.mass.edu/connect/cde/

Adult Career Pathways Kick-Off Meeting:
ACLS has scheduled a Kick-Off Meeting of the Adult Career Pathways Programs for Wednesday,
September 16th from 10 AM to 3 PM at Devens Common Center. The Center is located at 31 Andrews
Parkway, Devens, MA.
Register here for the meeting. The deadline to register is Friday, September 11th.
If you have any questions, please contact Derek Kalchbrenner at 781-338-3812 or
dkalchbrenner@doe.mass.edu.

Curriculum Update:
-Math Scope and Sequence Template Available on ACLS Curriculum Webpage
-FAQ Regarding August 31 Submission of Scope and Sequence
-Differentiated Instruction and Lesson Planning Self-Paced Online Course

The Departments of Labor and Education have released a proposed Information Collection Request
(ICR) related to the WIOA Performance Accountability Measures. Comments are now being accepted
through September 21st. To access this important information which provides proposals related to how
data will be collected by states for the reporting that will take place with regards to the these measures,
please go to the following website:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=ETA-2015-0007
A copy of the proposed ICR with applicable supporting documentation may be accessed at
http://www.regulations.gov by selecting Docket ID number ETA-2015-0007. Any comments not received
through the processes outlined in the Federal Register will not be considered by the departments.

Educator Evaluation Pilot:
Beginning in October, ESOL teachers and program directors will be piloting the proposed ABE educator
evaluation system. ACLS is seeking four additional ESOL programs to participate. A team consisting of 13 teachers and the program director is required. This is an opportunity for programs to provide feedback
that will help shape the final iteration of this system. Contact Patricia Hembrough by August 28, 2015 at
phembrough@doe.mass.edu to request more information and an application.

HiSET® Update:
-Test at a Glance
-Career Builder
-Test Preparation Materials

Orientation for New ABE Directors
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Date
Friday, September 18, 2015
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Friday, October 23, 2015
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Friday, February 19, 2016
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Snow Date: Friday, February 26, 2016
Location
ESE75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA
ESE75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA
ESE75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA
ABE Directors may register here for these sessions no later than Friday, September 4, 2015.
These sessions build on one another so plan to attend all three sessions in their entirety.

SMARTT Update:
-NRS Cohort Follow-up
-SMARTT System Moves to FY16
-Transition to School Brains Data System
-SMARTT Goal Form

WIOA Performance Measures Task Force:
The Adult and Community Learning Services unit is convening a WIOA Performance Measures Task
Force to be facilitated by Martha Oesch, a consultant who has worked with ACLS in the past on a range of
initiatives.
This is a short-term task force with meetings scheduled from 10:30 to 12:30 on the following dates:
September 3, 10, 17, 24, October 1, and 8, 2015. The first and last meeting will be held in Malden at ESE;
the middle four meetings will be held at 44 Front Street in Worcester.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Martha at 781-438-5593 or at moesch4@comcast.net
by August 24 at 5:00 p.m.

Workplace Education Planning Grants:
ACLS is pleased to award seven workplace education planning grants. Planning grants allow resources for
a workplace education partnership to establish a foundation for instructional services.

2015 Hotline Coordinator Position:
World Education is hiring a .5 Adult Literacy Hotline Coordinator. The Hotline Coordinator will report to the
Hotline Director and be responsible for providing information and promoting the Hotline in English and
Spanish, coordinating efforts with the Call Center, maintaining an up-to-date database, and supporting
callers with sensitive or specific needs. To apply online, go to www.worlded.org and go to the “Work for Us”
tab. Applicants will be required to submit a cover letter, resume, and three references.
Curriculum Update, August 2015
Math Scope and Sequence Template Available on ACLS Curriculum Webpage
The templates programs can use to develop one level of a scope and sequence for Math, English Language Arts or
ESOL are posted on the Curriculum Resources section of the ACLS webpage. The format of the templates may be
adapted to program needs. However, all of the elements in the left-hand column of the respective Math, ELA
or ESOL charts in the template, as well as an introduction to the scope and sequence, are required.
FAQ Regarding August 31 Submission of Scope and Sequence
Program directors received an email from Jola Conway on Friday, July 2, 2015 that addresses questions regarding
the submission of one level of an instructional scope and sequence. The Frequently Asked Questions included in
that email are posted on the ACLS Curriculum web page.
Differentiated Instruction and Lesson Planning Self-Paced Online Course
A course on Differentiated Instruction and Lesson Planning is now available on the LINCS Learning Portal.
Designed to assist teachers in producing rigorous, standards-based lessons while maintaining differentiation,
Differentiated Instruction and Lesson Planning contains interactive activities and examples for use in practice.
The course walks participants through the steps of planning lessons, including how to write effective learning
objectives, choose among approaches to differentiation, and design assessments. After completing the course,
participants will have differentiated lesson plans suited to their unique instructional content and environments.
Many adult education classrooms containing students of varying ages, native languages, educational backgrounds,
and academic skill levels face many new and persistent challenges. Differentiated instruction is one of the most
effective approaches for helping these students learn.
Questions about the Curriculum? Contact Jane Schwerdtfeger at janes@doe.mass.edu
Educator Evaluation Pilot
The Massachusetts ABE Educator Evaluation System
ESOL Pilot
Overview:
In 2011, ACLS established an Educator Policy Team (EPT) charged with developing policy that builds teacher
capacity, strengthens ABE instruction, and informs professional development.
In FY14/FY15, directors and math teachers from seven programs participated in a pilot of the
ABE Educator
Evaluation System, providing critical feedback to the EPT. For FY16, ACLS is seeking ten programs to
participate in a pilot of the educator evaluation system within
the context of ESOL. The goal of the pilot is
to ensure that this system provides effective processes and tools to support quality instruction and student success.
Time Commitment:
This pilot requires a nine month commitment (October 2015 – June 2016) which includes trainings for the program
director and ESOL teachers beginning October 2015 (24 hours); and an implementation period beginning
December 2015 (16 hours).
Eligibility Requirements:
1. Programs in Tiers 1, 2 or 3
2. A minimum of one director and one ESOL teacher from each program. However, a team of three is
preferred (one director and two teachers). Up to three ESOL teachers may apply.
3. Participants attend four trainings, four online webinars and one end-of-year meeting to reflect on the
experience and provide feedback. All trainings will take place on Fridays from 9:00am-3:00pm (central
location to be determined). Webinars will take place online from 10:00am-12:00pm.
4. Participants provide ongoing constructive feedback to ACLS on every aspect of the pilot including the
trainings, the tools, and the implementation of the system.
Schedule of trainings/webinars:
Compen
sation:
Selected
program
s
will
receive
$1,200
for each teacher participating in the pilot. Funds may be used to subsidize the cost of increased PD hours, travel
expenses, and substitutes.
Date
October 2, 2015
October 9, 2015
October 23, 2015
October 30, 2015
November 6, 2015
Content
ESOL training
Educator Evaluation training
Check-in webinar
Educator Evaluation training
ESOL training
Date
Content
December 4, 2015
Implementation
March 4, 2016
webinars
May 13, 2016
June 24, 2016
Wrap-up meeting
Location of trainings to be determined
Application Deadline:
Questions may be submitted in writing to phembrough@doe.mass.edu. Completed applications (hard or electronic
copy) must be submitted by Friday, August 28, 2015 to:
Patricia Hembrough
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Adult and Community Learning Services
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148
Programs will be selected and notified no later than September 4, 2015.
HiSET® Updates
Test at a Glance
Test at a Glance (TAAG) is a document that provides an outline of the Content and Process Categories for each of
the five subject areas on the HiSET ®. It is available on the HiSET® website,
http://hiset.ets.org/states_educators/resources/downloads/
Please note the following upcoming changes and additions to TAAG:

By mid August, the Math section of the 2015 TAAG will have been updated to include:
o descriptions of the topics covered in the basic content categories;
o a list of the High School College and Career Readiness Statements that are included in the
Mathematics test;
o the calculator policy; and
o a list of formulas students should know that are not on formula sheet.
There will be no changes to the HiSET® Math test itself.

By the end of August, the 2016 TAAGs across the five content areas will be available. This document will
cover alignment to the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education across the items on
each subtest.
Career Builder
CareerBuilder provides labor market intelligence, talent management software, and other employment recruitment
solutions, including online career search services. By mid August, interested individuals will be able to launch
CareerBuilder directly from the HiSET® website.
Test Preparation Materials
In September, a complete and final list of materials in alignment with HiSET ® blueprints and the CCR Standards will
be available on the HiSET® website. This resource list will include links to Khan Academy videos.
Announcing an Orientation for New ABE Directors
ABE Directors and Coordinators hired in the last fiscal year (FY15) and more recently (FY16) are required to attend
the New Directors’ Orientation which includes three working sessions. This orientation, organized by Adult and
Community Learning Services (ACLS), provides opportunities for participants to gain an overall awareness of the
Adult Basic Education (ABE) system, including the ACLS Guidelines for Community Adult Learning Centers and
Adult Basic Education Programs in Correctional Institutions. Hands on activities to deepen understanding of key
ACLS priorities and initiatives are key components of these sessions. We also ensure time to network with other
directors.
New Directors’ Orientation will be held on the following dates:
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Date
Friday, September 18, 2015
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Friday, October 23, 2015
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Friday, February 19, 2016
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Snow Date: Friday, February 26, 2016
Location
ESE75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA
ESE75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA
ESE75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA
ABE Directors may register here for these sessions no later than Friday, September 4, 2015. These sessions
build on one another so plan to attend all three sessions in their entirety.
If Directors are unable to make a session after registration, please email bpope@doe.mass.edu and copy the
Program Specialist. Participants that miss a session may be required to attend the series the following fiscal
year.
Please click here to complete the attached survey no later than Friday, September 4th. Based on the information
received in the survey, the trainings are customized to meet the needs of the participants.
We look forward to meeting all new ABE Directors!
SMARTT Update, August 2015
1. NRS Cohort Follow-up
Be sure to follow-up with students who are listed on the NRS Cohort screen as requiring follow-up. NOTE: Data
matching only applies to students who signed the confidentiality agreement and provided a social
security number.
Here are some reminders about when to contact students for the employment measures:
Entered Employment
If the student’s last date of attendance was during the months of April, May, or June, follow-up should
occur on or after October 1. During the follow-up call, ask the student if he/she was employed at anytime
during the months of July - September. If the student says yes but is unsure of the exact date, enter into
SMARTT any date within the month he/she entered employment.
Exit Occurs
During
These
Months
April,
May,
or June
Employment
Period
Follow-up period
Contact Students
Information to Collect
Anytime during
July - September
Anytime on or
after October 1
Yes/No – if student was
working during the employment
period
Retained Employment
If the student’s last date of attendance was between October and December 2014, the follow-up should
occur with the student as soon as possible following the end of the third quarter (i.e., third quarter ends
9/30; follow up can start on 10/1). NOTE: Only ask the student about his/her employment status for
the months of July – September 2015.
Exit Occurs
During
These
Months
October,
November, or
December 2014
Employment
Period
Follow up period
Contact Students
Information to Collect
Anytime during
July - September
2015
Anytime on or
after October 1
Yes/No – if student was
working during the employment
period
If the student was working, there is no need to ask for a specific beginning date of employment. For the
purposes of recording the information, any date in July-September can be entered into SMARTT.
2. SMARTT System Moves to FY16
Sites have until August 31 to enter basic student information and attendance data for the month of June. The
SMARTT system will officially be moved to FY16 on September 3 at 6:30 PM. At that time, all sites with an
approved program plan that also submitted a site rollover request will be moved to FY16. NOTE: Sites will
only be moved to FY16 when the site rollover request is submitted and the FY16 program plan has been
approved.
IMPORTANT: Once your site is moved to FY16, please complete all fields in the Post-Planning Class
Completion Report in SMARTT for any summer classes. You will also need to complete teacher assignments,
non-MAPT test data entry (with July/August dates), and enrollment and attendance data.
3. Transition to School Brains Data System
ACLS will begin to transition SMARTT to School Brains in FY17. To prepare for a smooth transition, we hope to
identify a few programs to pilot the new system. If you are interested in doing so, please let your program
specialist know.
4. SMARTT Goal Form
Revisions have been made to the SMARTT Goal Form for FY16 form for the purposes of streamlining the
information related to the required documentation for certain goals. It has been reposted
at: http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls/smartt/.
Questions? Please contact Brian Newquist at mailto:bnewquist@doe.mass.edu
WIOA Performance Measures Task Force
Dear Program ABE Directors:
The Adult and Community Learning Services unit is convening a WIOA Performance Measures Task Force to be
facilitated by Martha Oesch, a consultant who has worked with ACLS in the past on a range of initiatives.
The tasks of the group are to
1.
review the six WIOA performance measures;
2.
decide whether those measures should be carried forward as state performance measures;
3.
decide which performance standards from the current state standards should be carried over if any;
4.
decide if any additional measures should be added; and
5.
weight the measures.
The group will review data at most of the meetings, and there will be some work to do between
meetings. Participants must be familiar with the WIOA legislation and especially the six federal performance
measures. Stipends are available for participants. We hope to recruit five participants from diverse program types
across the state serving various student populations.
The recommendations from this group will be finalized by November and will inform the work of ESE staff in the
creation of a state performance standards system by which program past performance will be measured in the
years ahead.
This is a short-term task force with meetings scheduled from 10:30 to 12:30 on the following dates: September 3,
10, 17, 24, October 1, and 8, 2015. The first and last meeting will be held in Malden at ESE; the middle four
meetings will be held at 44 Front Street in Worcester.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Martha at 781-438-5593 or at moesch4@comcast.net by
August 24 at 5:00 p.m.
Thank you.
Jolanta Conway
ABE State Director
Workplace Education Planning Grants
Dear Colleagues:
ACLS is pleased to award seven workplace education planning grants. Planning grants allow resources for a
workplace education partnership to establish a foundation for instructional services. To this end, a representative
from the education provider leads a multi-stakeholder Workplace Needs Analysis team charged with identifying
needs and assets within the business for an onsite contextualized education program. Where the workforce is
unionized, labor is represented on the team.
A key factor in the planning process is identifying effective methodologies to collect input from a representative
sampling of supervisors, managers, and other key staff, including potential students. Analyzing the program’s
potential from a range of perspectives is essential to build communication, trust, and respect at all levels of the
workforce. Finding appropriate classroom space is also an important part of the planning process.
ACLS will award multi-year instructional grants based on evidence of a successful planning process.
Grants are awarded to the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
JVS and The Boston Home (a skilled nursing facility)
JVS and Sweetgreen Restaurants
Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital, and AFSCME Local 137
World Education, Inc. and the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center
Bristol Community College and Blount Fine Foods, Comfort Inn & Suites, Klear Vu Corp, John Matouk &
Co, and Raw Seafoods
6. Asian American Civic Association and Piantedosi Baking Company
7. Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. and the JP Fuji Group Restaurants
See the link below for an excellent workplace education resource, Collaborative Needs Assessment: A
Handbook for Workplace Development Planners. 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
See the link below for funding amounts awarded to each workplace education partnership.
http://www.doe.mass.edu/grants/2016/awards/494.html
Please contact me for further information about workplace education.
Olivia Steele
osteele@doe.mass.edu
2015 Hotline Coordinator Position
Massachusetts Adult Literacy Hotline Coordinator
World Education, Inc.
(.5 FTE, Part-time, non-benefitted)
World Education is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of the poor through education and
social and economic development programs.
The .5 Hotline Coordinator reports to the Hotline Director and is responsible for providing information and promoting
the Hotline in English and Spanish, coordinating efforts with the Call Center, maintaining an up-to-date database,
and supporting callers with sensitive or specific needs.
Supervision:
Reports to the Hotline Director, U.S. Division, World Education
Description
The Massachusetts Adult Literacy Hotline is a statewide information and referral service that connects adult
learners and volunteers to more than 300 adult education programs that offer one-on-one tutoring, small-group, or
classroom instruction to adult learners. These programs provide basic reading, writing, and math instruction;
preparation for the high school equivalency test (HiSET, formerly the GED®); English classes (ESOL); and
preparation for the U.S. citizenship test. In addition, the Hotline helps adult learners and workers find information
about vocational/job training, transitions to college, MA Career Centers, and state-licensed childcare providers.
(For more information, go to www.mass.gov/edu/literacyhotline.)
The .5 Hotline Coordinator provides information and promotes the Hotline in English and Spanish, coordinates
efforts with the call center, develops and disseminates promotional materials, maintains an up-to-date data base;
and monitors the website for updates as needed.
Responsibilities
Call Center:
 Annually review and revise scripts, FAQs, and protocols with call center vendor
 Monitor call center performance and resolve problems and issues that arise
 Make follow-up calls on “difficult/sensitive” calls referred by call center
 Make follow-up calls on at least 10% of Hotline callers to determine caller status
 Maintain records and analyze and statistics on Hotline call center, website, and follow-up calls
 Prepare monthly and quarterly statistics reports
Database and Website:
 Contact programs annually to update the database; maintain current database on an ongoing basis
 Monitor website for accessibility compliance and update resources as needed
Outreach:
 Conduct promotional and outreach efforts in-person and by mail:
o Initiate calls to schedule and conduct at least 24 presentations each year about the Hotline (radio talk
shows, conference tables, ABE programs, community events, community organizations, etc.)
o Identify contacts for promotional and outreach efforts; mail at least 35 Public Service Announcements
(PSAs) to a range of organizations statewide on a monthly basis
 Coordinate efforts to design, produce, and print promotional and outreach materials; arrange for translation
of materials as necessary
 Maintain log of materials sent to programs upon request, monthly mailings, program visits, presentations,
and conference tables
 Track results of promotion and outreach efforts
Participate in the WEI U.S. Division monthly meetings and other staff development related activities.
Qualifications
 Must be eligible to work in the United States
 Must be bilingual (English/Spanish); multilingual preferred
 High school diploma or equivalent required; college preferred
 Participation in an ABE or ESOL program preferred; experience working with adults from diverse linguistic
and ethnic groups or limited literacy skills and understanding of adult learner needs required
 Must be proficient in MSWord, Excel, and Access. Must have experience working with databases;
experience managing a website strongly preferred
 Experience making presentations to/speaking and working with varied audiences
 Must be able to travel throughout Massachusetts to make presentations to programs and organizations
about the Hotline
 Ability to organize tasks, work independently, and meet deadlines; strong follow-through and attention to
detail skills required.
To apply online, please go to www.worlded.org and go to the “Work for Us” tab. Applicants will be required to
submit a cover letter, resume, and three references.
World Education, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer committed to workplace diversity. We
are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without
regard to age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, gender, disability, marital status, sexual
orientation, sexual preference, genetic information, political affiliation, or military status (special disabled veterans
or veteran status) in any employment decisions. M/F/V/D
If you are an individual with a disability, or a disabled veteran and unable to apply online for an available position,
you may submit your request for reasonable accommodation by calling Human Resources at 617- 482-9485.