CARRERAS EN SALUD MODEL
A GUIDE FOR REPLICABILITY
MANUAL
BY
Dr. Ricardo A. Estrada, Vice President for Education and Programs
Tom Dubois, Director of New Initiatives
June 30, 2009
This manual was written as a deliverable of the Shifting Gears grant funded by The Illinois Department of
Commenrce and Economic Opporunity (DCEO) and The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB)
1
TABLE OF CONTENT
Overview and introduction………………………………………………………………………………………
Page 5
Target Population……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Page 7
Partnerships
Building on any existing successful partnership ………………………………
Page 9
Reaching out for potential partners………………………………………………..
Page 9
The Program Management Team …………………………………………………..
Page 12
Adding new partners………………………………………………………………………
Page 13
Partnership Agreement (MOU) ……………………………………………………..
Page 13
Fiscal Agency …………………………………………………………………………………
Page 13
Developing a Career Pathway
Defining Career Pathway ………………………………………………………………
Page 14
Elements of a career pathway ……………………………………………………..
Page 14
The Healthcare career ladder ………………………………………………………
Page 14
The Healthcare academic ladder …………………………………………………
Page 14
The Healthcare social ladder ……………………………………………………….
Page 15
Career Bridges Definition ……………………………………………………………
Page 16
Fundamental Elements of a Career Bridge ………………………………..
Page 17
Create a map of the Pathway and its bridges ……………………………..
Page 20
How Bridges articulate to other post secondary bridges ……………
Page 21
Career Bridges
Contextualization
Contextualizing a bridge curricula ………………………………………………
Page 23
Type of Basic Skills ………………………………………………………………………
Page 23
Definition of Technical Skills ……………………………………………………….
Page 26
Definition of Transferable Skills …………………………………………………..
Page 27
General Context ………………………………………………………………………….
Page 28
Macro Context …………………………………………………………………………….
Page 28
Micro Context ……………………………………………………………………………..
Page 29
Vocationalization ………………………………………………………………………..
Page 30
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Teaching Paradigm
Context Based Learning/Teaching…………………………………………………
Page 30
Standard assessments Vs. Project based assessment …………………..
Page 31
Use of Technology in context based learning ……………………………….
Page 32
Contextualizing a curriculum …………………………………………………………
Page 33
Training Instructors
Characteristics of a non-traditional Instructor ……………………………….
Page 34
Instructional Meetings …………………………………………………………………..
Page 38
Bridge Evaluation ………………………………………………………………………….
Page 38
Development sessions ………………………………………………………………….
Page 39
Scheduling classes for a non-traditional learners
Number of Contact hours ……………………………………………………………….
Page 39
Class frequency ………………………………………………………………………………
Page 40
Out of Class Activities …………………………………………………………………….
Page 40
Clinicals and Internships ………………………………………………………………..
Page 41
Recruitment of Students
Internal Recruitment ……………………………………………………………………..
Page 41
External Recruitment ……………………………………………………………………...
Page 42
Information Sessions
Background of the program …………………………………………………………….. Page 43
Carreras En Salud Pathway ……………………………………………………………..
Page 43
Program Requirements ……………………………………………………………………
Page 43
Retention of Students
Program Orientation ……………………………………………………………………….
Page 44
Academic Support services ……………………………………………………………..
Page 44
Non-Academic Support services ……………………………………………………...
Page 44
Program Sustainability
Positioning for funding …………………………………………………………………..
Page 45
Marketing and Promotion ………………………………………………………………
Page 46
Collaborative Proposal Writing ………………………………………………………
Page 47
Program approval for public funding ……………………………………………...
Page 47
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Searching for Multi-year funding …………………………………………………….
Page 47
Creating a multi cost center budget ……………………………………………….
Page 48
Accounting for partners’ In-kind contributions ……………………………..
Page 49
Budgeting
Model Expansion
Vertical Expansion ………………………………………………………………………….
Page 49
Horizontal Expansion ……………………………………………………………………..
Page 50
Replicability ……………………………………………………………………………………
Page 50
TABLES AND GRAPHS
Role of Employers ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Page 11
Role of Educational Partners ……………………………………………………………………………………
Page 11
Other Partners …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Page 12
Carreras en Salud Pre-C.N.A. Bridge Flow Chart ……………………………………………………….
Page 21
Carreras en Salud Pre-LPN Bridge Chart …………………………………………………………………..
Page 22
Carreras En Salud Career Pathway Model ………………………………………………………………..
Page 23
Adult Education Curriculum Contextualizing Model …………………………………………………
Page 33
Pre-LPN Contextualized Lesson Plan (language) ……………………………………………………….
Page 36
Multi-Cost Center budget sample ……………………………………………………………………………
Page 48
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OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION
Demand occupations increasingly require higher level skills acquired through post-secondary education
and training, yet there are thousands of adult Illinois residents who lack the basic English and Math skills
needed to acquire these higher level skills. This population represents a huge potential reservoir of
talent to meet the workforce needs of Illinois employers. How can this potential become reality?
“Bridge” programs have been developed as one possible solution. They provide low basic skill residents
a realistic pathway into post-secondary education and into family sustaining levels of employment.
The “Shifting Gears Initiative” was formed to facilitate the further development of these programs. The
determination to do this was fueled in part by the success of some bridge programs nationally and one,
in particular, that was home grown. These programs have demonstrated that the Bridge/Pathway model
is a particularly effective strategy to reach low-skilled adults.
One of the successes of the State’s Critical Skills Shortage Initiative (CSSI) several years ago was to
provide the initial “seed” funding of Carreras en Salud (translated Careers in Health). This program has
proven to be an early proto-type that has achieved significant outcomes and this manual explores the
development of this program by drawing lessons that may be useful for current or future bridge
programs.
Anyone interested in the challenge of tapping into the reservoir of talent represented by low-skilled
adults will find this manual to be required reading. This can range from administrators of adult and
vocational programs to instructors, employers, and others. The purpose of this manual, thus, is to
summarize the key elements behind the success of the Carreras en Salud in order to assist others in the
State of Illinois (or elsewhere) to adopt similar initiatives. Every situation is unique and different,
however, the analysis and learning from prior experience is always essential for future success. Reinventing the wheel is generally an expensive exercise that not many can afford.
IDENTIFYING THE SECTOR
Focus, focus, focus… by the beginning of this decade, it had been well established that the focus of
economic and educational energy on a carefully selected set of industries and communities could be a
valuable strategy. Sectors chosen for focus would demonstrate strong projected growth in the region
based on labor market analysis and employer focus groups, would have good quality jobs (i.e. a family
5
sustaining income and good benefits), and would be a “good fit” with the community’s available
workforce. With strong participation by employers, education and training could be “demand-driven”
incorporating specific competencies for positions that fit employer requirements. With a sector focus,
staff could build an in-depth knowledge of the industry that is a critical asset to link employers with
community organizations, community colleges and local government.
Instituto Del Progreso Latino (Instituto) began one of the first of these sector initiatives in 1997 with a
focus on the identified demand for skilled positions in manufacturing and concentrated participation of
the Latino population in lower skilled manufacturing positions. Dr. Davis Jenkins, then based at the
Great Cities Institute of the University of Illinois at Chicago, brought the technical assistance needed to
facilitate the development of a program that would “bridge” limited English speaking immigrants into
higher levels of both employment and education. The model was based on the “tech prep” experience
of linking 2 years of high school to 2 years of community college, with a seamless pathway focused on
careers in a particular industry. This model included contextualized learning in applied academic
courses taught simultaneously with technical specialty courses (see Dan Hull, Adult Career Pathways,
2007).
In 2001, the Workforce Strategies Initiative (WSI) of the Aspen Institute published a review and analysis
of “sector-based” programs finding strong outcomes in terms of earnings of program graduates and
entry into positions with higher than normal job quality, as measured in terms of available benefits like
health insurance, vacation, and career ladders. The National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP) was
conducting “Sector 101” training sessions across the country, including Chicago, and in December of
2002 the Workforce Boards of Metropolitan Chicago, based on an extensive industry analysis, sponsored
the “Healthcare Workforce Summit.” Dr. Jenkins presented “Creating Pathway Maps for Healthcare:
Models and Templates,” which drew on the experience of several programs across the country including
Instituto’s Manufacturing Bridge program. Among several templates was the Nursing Services Career
Pathway Map that illustrated the possible progression from Certified Nursing Assistant to Patient Care
Technician to Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse. The State of Illinois was also in the process
of conducting a labor market analysis, and drawing on the experience of workforce boards and
community colleges across the State launched the Critical Skills Shortage Initiative (CSSI).
The partnerships for Carreras en Salud grew out of a sector analysis and program design project initiated
by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) to involve two of its Chicago affiliates (Instituto del Progreso
6
Latino and Association House of Chicago) in the process of discovering local training gaps for Latinos in
high-growth sectors. A consultant was retained and conducted the labor market data analysis drawing
on multiple sources. Initially three sectors (healthcare, transportation, and construction) that had
positive growth projections, good paying career path opportunities, and did not require advanced
degrees were selected. Construction showed strong growth and high earnings, but much of the
employment was seasonal and had “high barriers” of entry into the skilled trades. Transportation had
strong projections over the 10 year period, but showed a consistent decrease in the number of
employees over the previous couple of years. Healthcare presented the following characteristics:
1.
Employment growth projections were stronger and more consistent than any other growing
sector in the local economy. This was driven not only by overall population growth, but also
by the “aging” of the population.
2.
Possible career paths existed with entry for lower skilled employees and opportunities to
advance. Not only would hospitals need growing numbers of new employees (as driven also
by the aging of their workforce), but there was a projected increase in long-term healthcare
facilities and home-based healthcare – both requiring increasing numbers of Certified Nursing
Assistants (CNAs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).
3.
A significant demand for bilingual healthcare professionals existed with the large and
growing Spanish-speaking population to be served in the metropolitan Chicago area.
4.
High quality healthcare training was available at the local community college but it was not
meeting the industry need for higher numbers of graduates, nor the higher numbers of
bilingual healthcare professional graduates. Moreover, it wasn’t meeting the community
need for residents to be able to enter the higher level skills training programs. The most
significant finding of the sector analysis was the training gap between the Humboldt Park
Vocational Education Center’s CNA training program and Wright College’s approved
advanced certificate LPN program. While Latino residents entered, completed, and were
hired from the CNA Program, virtually no Latinos made it to, or were retained in Wright
College’s highly respected and very successful LPN program.
IDENTIFYING THE TARGET POPULATION
The identification of the target population may seem simple and straight forward since it would seem to
be driven by where you are, i.e. the community area represented by your college or organization. For
7
Instituto and Association House, it was the Latino community in general given the nature and mission of
our organizations. But it was necessary for us to dig deeper with questions such as “what were the
trends within our community?” Just as we needed to examine the trends of the employers within
particular demand-side sectors, it was also necessary for us to examine the trends within the Latino
community labor force and population in general (the supply-side).
We found that in Chicago, according to the Census’ Current Population Survey, Latinos made up a full
25% of the low-paying health aides, 20% in healthcare support occupations, yet there were no reported
Latino LPNs. Further, the Illinois Board of Higher Education reported that Latinos only made up 8.6% of
the state-wide number of people who gain less than a four-year healthcare certificate, 6.4% of
Associates degrees and 4.9% of Bachelor’s degrees – the lowest overall percentages of any minority save
Native Americans. According to the Metropolitan Chicago Initiative, this pronounced training gap exists
with the 6 county region experiencing a 60% growth in Latino population (from 836,905 in 1990 to
1,405,116 in 2000). “All six Chicago land counties experienced substantial growth in their Latino
populations.” Thus, Latinos represent an enormous untapped labor pool that is already involved in
healthcare occupations in significant numbers, but is not able to take advantage of post-secondary or
higher skilled occupational opportunities.
The characteristics of our student population go beyond those of the non-traditional student. In
Carreras en Salud, lower bridge students have several of the following characteristics:

Has a GED diploma

Is 25 years of age or older

Is coming back to school after many years of not taking classes

From a disadvantaged group (minority)

Her primary language is Spanish

Family income is at poverty level

Is head of house hold, with dependent children

Has a full time low paying job

Is a public aid recipient

Is a single parent

Is a first generation college student

Is a commuter using public transportation
8
PARTNERSHIPS
Building successful partnerships is an essential element of any bridge/pathway program. Carreras en
Salud was formed by a group of partners and was based on a partnership model (“tech-prep”) that
linked high schools (in our case, adult education through a community organization) with the
community college.
As explained above, the project was initiated by 2 select community-based
organizations (Instituto and Association House), who together worked with a national Latino
organization (NCLR) to conduct the initial research. Based on the bridge program model that had been
developed in manufacturing, once the health-care sector was selected it was determined that the CBOs
should reach out to a local community college site to determine if there were education and training
programs that they offer in this sector, and if there would be an opportunity to partner with them. It
was found that the college site did in fact offer excellent programs and was very interested in increasing
the participation of the surrounding Latino community. The basic structure of the pathway along with
the basic roles of the partners was born out of a brainstorming session with representatives from each
of the partners. Based on the knowledge and experience that they brought to the table the pathway
was literally “mapped” on the black board.
Based on our experience, we recommend the following steps:
1) Build on any existing successful partnerships to take the initial steps of identifying the target sector
and population. In our case, Instituto and Association House were both affiliates of the same
national organization, NCLR, and had worked together on previous projects. It was important that
there was an existing relationship based on trust which had been built over time. We had mutual
respect for each other, for the work that each was doing, and the sense that by working together we
could all benefit. We also understood that it was important that each partner benefit – that the
project needed to work for each of us.
2) Reach out to other potential active partners that can contribute a specific role, or expertise needed
by the project. These roles must be identified and then a partner recruited to fill them. The
attached table lists the types of organizations and potential roles (Table 3 from the Bridge Guide). If
the project is initiated by one part of a community college, e.g. vocational skills, then adult
education should be brought in (and/or other departments as listed in the table) and an
internal(college) team developed.
9
Community-based organizations (CBOs) should be identified for specific roles:
a. Recruiting and initial screening – utilize their usually significant networks within
communities to do recruiting and initial screening. (See the section on recruiting for more
specifics).
b. Offer an easily accessible location (geographically, psychologically, and culturally) for
recruitment, e.g. program orientation sessions, and class-room based training.
c. Counseling/case management services.
d. Job Placement assistance.
e. Fundraising assistance – One of the advantages presented to the community college by the
CBO was their ability to bring funding to the table that could pay college tuition for many of
the students. This included generating Individual Training Account (ITA) vouchers under the
Workforce Investment Act, as well as generating private corporate and foundation funds to
support the project. On its end, the college could access funds that the CBOs could not –
such as course reimbursements, financial aid dollars, and post-secondary Perkins funding.
One-Stop Centers can also be identified for some specific roles similar to a community organization in
terms of the wrap-around services of recruitment, screening and assessment, case management and
placement assistance, as well as generating the ITAs. The space within the center can also be a good
location for orientation sessions and class-room training that is easily accessible.
Employers and Employer Trade Organizations – As mentioned, a demand-side approach is critical to the
sector project. Employers must be involved to set the competencies to be achieved through the training,
to provide internships (or clinicals) during and/or immediately after the training, to hire program
graduates and assist them to continue to learn through incumbent training, tuition re-imbursement
programs, On-the-Job training (OJTs), etc… Carreras en Salud involved employers and the Metropolitan
Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC) to provide feedback on the program and curriculum through both
one-on-one sessions and collectively through employer breakfasts. Employers were regularly involved
on the advisory council for the LPN program, and more recently on an advisory committee for the entire
Carreras en Salud program.
10
Role of Employers

DATA ANALYSIS

CURRICULUM REVIEW

ADVISE ON TECHNOLOGY

WORKPLACE LEARNING

PROJECT BASED ASSESSEMENT

EMPLOYMENT

SUPPORT IN CAREER ADVANCEMENT
8
Employers and MCHC have also been particularly helpful with ideas and letters of support for
funding proposals, and to assist with graduation ceremonies.
Role of Educational
Partners
 Provide curriculums that are customized to the needs of the nontraditional low skill student.
 Provide educational resources and support to students such as
computer labs and programs that help the students improve their basic
skills at their own pace, tutoring and technical assistance, financial aid
and career planning.
 Schedule classes at times convenient to the non-traditional low skill
students; provide assistance to adult educators to contextualized
curriculums based on the adult learner’s basic skills levels.
 Articulate basic skill and contextualized courses with technical
certificates and occupational degree programs with input from
employers and industries in the field.
 Develop advisory council committees for vocational and
occupational certificate and degree offerings in which CBOs and local
employers are included
10
11
3) Reach out to other supporting partners
Other Partners






Industry (sector) organizations
Chambers of Commerce
Commercial Clubs
Local Elected Officials
Faith Based Organizations (FBO)
Local Media
11
4) The Program Management Team – Stability is another important quality for the project. Each of the
partners has had a regular consistent representative on the Management Team over the past 5
years. The commitment was made to the project for the long-term. It wasn’t “let’s get together for
this grant.” It was more “let’s get together to really make a difference.” Regular communication is a
key ingredient to maintain stability. All partners need full information about the status of each
element of the project – from recruitment to placement, staff hiring and training, fundraising and
budgets. With full information the team can discuss (and debate) the key issues to make the
appropriate management decisions. One important decision that Carreras en Salud made early on
was to hire first a part-time administrator, and then, as funds became available through CSSI, to hire
a full-time administrator. This administrator reports both to the Management Team and to the
organization that he is part of. Dual reporting can be the source of some tension, but again, good
communication and good faith can generally resolve any issues.
5) Adding new partners – Flexibility is also an important quality for the project. Responding to new
situations, to problems and issues that arise, and to respond to feed-back that has been received, all
require communication and decisions to make changes. One change might be to add a new partner
to strengthen the partnership in one area, e.g. adding an employer partner, or a community
12
organization. Another change comes if one or more of the partners change the staff person who
represents them. This has happened to Carreras en Salud. It did change the “chemistry” of the team,
but again with good communication, adjustments were made, and the new energy can make
positive contributions to the project.
6) Representing the partnership – One of the biggest challenges faced by Carreras en Salud has been
handling the press. Each partner has had different opportunities to represent Carreras en Salud and
generally, although not entirely, has made a clear effort to represent the project as sponsored and
managed by a set of partners. It is not “Instituto’s project” or a “project of the Humboldt Park
Vocational Education Center of Wright College” or of Association House or NCLR… It is a
PARTNERSHIP.
The partners arrive to an agreement that partners will take the lead in any
promotional or public representation as long as the leading partner of that specific activity highlights
the fact that the program is in partnership with and names the other partners. Therefore it is
important that each of the partners be able to present the Carreras en Salud model the same way.
To ensure that this happened, the Director of Carreras en Salud developed a PowerPoint
presentation that each partner could use in their presentations at conferences or when invited to be
members of educational panels.
Partnership agreement (MOU):
The role of the partners with its benefits and obligations must be spelled in a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU). This MOU should clearly delineate the process to follow when situations arise
and the position each partner is expected to take based on those situations. One important item in the
MOU is how to handle the sharing of data between partners and the student’s right for confidentiality.
The MOU should be signed by the President and CEO from each organization and authorized by their
legal offices.
Fiscal Agency:
Another sensitive issue regarding partnerships is that of the fiscal agency. It is important to be clear that
the fiscal agent can be any of the partners depending on the type of funds requested. Collaborative
proposal writing is common in the Carreras En Salud partnership. Each partner can suggest applying for
the funds they believe they can compete for with good possibilities to be funded. The agency taking the
lead is the fiscal agent for that particular grant; the rest of the partners will support the lead partners
and cooperate in whatever is needed to successfully write the proposal. The fiscal agent will disburse
13
monies as per the budget in the proposal including to other partners in the project for activities done by
the partner.
DEVELOPING THE CAREER PATHWAY AND ITS BRIDGES
Defining a Career Pathway
A clear and structured set of academic bridges, courses, programs and support services that prepare
students to meet the basic and technical skills and/or credentials needed to successfully enter into a
specific level of an industry’s career ladder, as well as advancing in the academic and social ladders.
Elements of a Career Pathway

Partnership / Collaborations
There is not a single organization that can effectively and efficiently satisfy all the needs of our
community, therefore the best way to satisfy those needs is by bringing together organizations
with the capacity and experience to deliver a specific need. Employment services will be
delivered by an organization with experience in employment services; Case management should
be delivered by an organization with the capacity and experience in case management;
Technical training should be delivered by the organization with the best record in effectively
graduating students in that particular sector; and Basic skills education should be delivered by
the organization with the best record in moving students from low basic skills to college levels of
math, language and computers.

Career Ladder (skills needed and compensation)
With input from the industry, a career pathway must describe all the points of employment
from an entry level to a high level job in the industry. Required credentials and compensation
should also be clearly stated.

Academic ladder
A career pathway must also include the academic requirements needed to satisfy the points in
the career ladder, and the knowledge required to acquire the credentials needed to work in a
specific job within the industry.

Social ladder
14
A career pathway should also help in determining the role of the participants in society, as the
participant reaches higher academic levels and position in the career ladder, he/she is seen by
the community as playing different roles.

Career Bridges (literacy, career, technical, degree)
Bridges are the most important element of a career pathway. The goal of a career pathway is to
facilitate the advancement of participants from low levels to high levels of employment and
education specific to a sector or industry. All this methodical advancement from the different
points on the pathway is done within bridges.

Articulations (Credit, Teaching, Resources)

Contextualized Curriculum (Basic Skills)

Project-based Assessments

Academic and Non-academic support services

Financial aid available to participants
Identify and define the healthcare career ladder – the ladder can lead to technical or other healthcare
occupations
The healthcare profession is divided in five pathways – Therapeutic Services, Diagnostic services, Health
informatics, and Biotechnology Research and Development.
This manual will concentrate in the
Therapeutic Services, and more specifically nursing. The progressive points of employment within the
nursing industry are: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Patient Care Technician (PCT), Licensed Practical
Nurse (LPN) and Registered Nurse (RN).
Identify and define the healthcare academic ladder
The academic ladder shows different points in the career pathway in which the presence of knowledge
and competencies are necessary to acquire the credentials required for a job or to advance to the next
level of education. The academic ladder is usually measured by certifications, licensing, registrations and
degrees. The Carreras en Salud academic ladder includes the following levels:

Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)

License Practical Nursing (LPN)

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Bachelor Degree in Nursing (BDN)
15

Master Degree in Nursing (MDN)
Define the social ladder
As the students progress in the career and academic ladder, they also experience a degree of social
integration. As they attain better jobs and academic titles they are seen by members of their family,
friends and community organizations in different ways. In Healthcare, wearing uniforms of different
colors and designs based on the healthcare occupation help in distinguishing the different ranks in the
profession and role in their work which at the same time is seen by others as a social role in society.
Society knows that a person with a Certification as a Nursing Assistant works an entry level position
mostly at long term care facilities and the role in helping others is limited to advice about how to
transport a patient. License Practical Nurses usually wear a light blue uniform indicating a higher level of
education and responsibility. LPNs are more educated about the components and functions of the
human body, and some type of sicknesses and its treatment. LPNs are seen by family and friends as
source of information in possible sicknesses based on symptoms. Registered Nurses usually wear white
uniforms, work more closely with Medical Doctors and have more intense training especially in
medication and its use. Registered Nurses cannot prescribe medicine, but are constantly consulted by
friends and family on the use of over the counter medications.
Define Career Bridges
Bridge programs are different from the conventional approach to educating adults with low skills in that
they seek to help low-skill adults advance both to better jobs and to further education and training.
They are designed to provide a broad foundation to career-long learning on the job and through formal
post-high school education and training (Bridge Program Technical Assistance Guide T. Henle, D. Jenkins
and W. Smith, WE, UIC, CJC).
The Illinois Community College Board defines bridges as follows: Contextualized learning within a career
framework to prepare adult education students to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and
employment. Bridge programs assist students in obtaining the necessary academic, employability, and
technical skills through the following elements:

serve those who meet the definition of adult education, including those who are low skilled, low
income adults unprepared to enter-postsecondary education
16

accelerate advancement through short-term, intensive classroom components

offer training at times and places convenient to the working adult

offer academic and personal support services

partner with other educational institutions, community organizations and workforce institution
Fundamental Elements of a Bridge

Modular curriculum specifically tied to a step in the career ladder and to the next academic
level
Carreras En Salud has two pre-college bridges, the Pre-C.N.A. bridge that transitions students
academically from a grade level 6 in basic skills to a grade level 10. At the same time it
transitions the participant in the career ladder from not working in the healthcare industry to
enter the industry with a Certified Nursing Assistant certification and position. The second
bridge is the Pre-LPN bridge that transitions students academically from a grade level 10 in basic
skills to college level math and language. In the career ladder the participants move from a
Certified Nursing Assistant job to a Patient Care Technician. This is done by adding courses in
EKG and Phlebotomy to the CNA certification.

Academic support (tutoring, advising) incorporated in each lesson’s plan
Given the characteristics of non-traditional Limited English proficient students that need a lot of
academic support, bridges must contain a good and effective academic support plan. Carreras
en Salud offers tutoring to its students in every single module and bridge; in addition students
can consult their instructors before and after classes. In extreme circumstances in which a group
of students is falling in their academic classes, they are invited to spend an extra day a week
until the level of the students improves. Carreras en Salud also piloted a program in which the
students support was given in a blended online format. The students communicate with their
instructors via email and exchange information such as questions regarding academic material.
If needed, they discuss the issues with more details in class.

Non-academic support services available and scheduled as part of the class calendar
Non-traditional students are very sensitive to issues that happen out of the classroom.
Retention and class performance are usually affected by the life of the students outside of
the
classroom, such as work, family situations, and children. A good bridge program will contain a
good and clear set of non-academic support services. Carreras en Salud offers free childcare
17
while the students are in class. Children are helped with their homework, and toddlers learn
from a curriculum designed just for them. Carreras en Salud also teams with other community
based organizations that offer licensed family advice, domestic violence and drug addiction
counseling. Students are referred to these organizations when they are in need of services.
Carreras en Salud also coaches students in three basic family needs: finance, employment, and
income support. In finance, students are coached on how to save, how to maintain a good
credit record, how to maximize their income, and in the process become home owners. In
employment, the students are coached on how to find a good paying job with the skills they
presently have, they also receive advice on how to write a resume, and how to prepare for an
interview. In income support, the students are informed of all the public benefits available for
them and their qualification requirements. Students are also helped in the application process
for these benefits. Students are scheduled to see their coaches and counselors periodically as
part of their school load.

Industry Certification articulated to academic degrees
When bridging students it is very important to have a good sense of what the industry is looking
for in terms of skills and credentials. Effective bridges guarantee that a person with a degree or
certification will have the competencies (skills) needed to perform well in the career ladder
designed by the industry. In Carreras en Salud, the students with a CNA are capable of
performing and often over perform the duties assigned in their jobs with knowledge and
professionalism. This is also the case with our Licensed Practical Nurses. The curricula are
developed in a way that guarantees that students are getting these abilities as they improve
their academic skills.

Contextualized Curricula
Bridge curricula need to be contextualized based on the skill level of the students and the
requirements of the industry (technical skills). The context to be use varies depending on these
two elements. Other elements such as the teaching methodology, the assessment tools, and
others described in the next section are as critical as these two.

Project based assessments
Bridges must guarantee the presence of the technical skills of students being bridged. To ensure
the presence of these competencies the bridges must include in their curriculum a set of project
based activities that will show if the students have the knowledge and the skills needed in the
career ladder. The Carreras en Salud curriculum includes in-class activities in which the students
18
apply the skills learned. Students are introduced to the management of instruments like the
stethoscope and high pressure equipment very early in the pathway and math students are
assessed based on the numerical analysis of vital sign charts. Project based assessments are an
important part of daily lesson plans. These activities are later re-affirmed in the clinical sessions
at the hospital or healthcare provider sites.

Determine bridges in between points in the career ladder
In developing bridges it is important to determine how many modules each bridge will contain.
The number of modules depends on the levels of basic and technical skills needed by the
participants to qualify for a point (job) in the career ladder. A module is the equivalent of a
term. Each module should not have a goal of more than two grade levels of basic skills
improvement and bridges should not have more than three modules. Bridges with more than
three modules may discourage the participant, since the time to reach the next level in the
career pathway (job) is too long. Academically, three modules in a bridge will considerably and
visibly improve the basic skills of a student. Three modules multiplied by two levels per module
means the student will improve their math and language in six grade levels. Students who enter
the bridge with a level six in math and language will be bridged academically to a grade level
twelve.
Carreras en Salud has a Pre-C.N.A bridge with two modules; an ESL for Healthcare module that
academically advances students from grade level 6 to levels 7–8, and a second module that
advances students from levels 7-8 to level 10. In terms of career, this bridge advance students
from not working in the nursing field to become a Certified Nursing Assistant in a hospital or
healthcare provider institution. The second bridge is a Pre-LPN bridge with two modules;
module “A” academically advances participants from level 10 to level 11; and module “B”
advances participants from level 11 to level 12.9 which is a high school level. Participants in
module “B” also take EKG and Phlebotomy and with these courses the participant can find a job
or receive a promotion from CNA to Patient Care Technician (PCT), making a couple of dollars
more per hour.

Determine criteria to enter and exit the bridges
Clear criteria on the requirements to enter and exit a bridge must be determined when
developing a bridge. These requirements should be in the Academic and Industry areas.
Academically to enter a bridge the students should be at a required basic skills grade level. In
19
Carreras En Salud the students must be at grade level 6 in math and language to be accepted in
the Pre-C.N.A. bridge module one (ESL-Health), and at grade level 8th to be admitted in the PreC.N.A. bridge module two (VESL-C.N.A.). To completely cross the bridge, the student must be
academically at basic skills level of 10. This requirement will also satisfy the second goal of a
bridge which is to enter a point (job) in the career ladder. A student with basic skills level of 10
can take the State certification for nurse assistant review course, and reserve a seat to take the
state exam for certification.
Once passed this will allow the student to work as a Certified
Nursing Assistant in a healthcare providing institution and exit the bridge.
In a career pathway with multiple bridges, exiting one bridge means fulfilling the requirements
to enter another one. This is the case in the Carreras en Salud pathway. When students exits
the pre-C.N.A. bridge by reaching level 10 in basic skills (Academic Ladder) and by entering a job
as a Certified Nursing Assistant (Career Ladder), they also meet the requirements to enter the
Pre-LPN bridge, which advances students to college levels of math and language and at the
same time preparing them to move in the career ladder from CNA to Patient Care Technician
(PCT).
In summary each career bridge should be designed to help students transition from a point in
the academic ladder (basic skills) and the career ladder (technical skill), simultanieously.

Create a graph (map) of the entire career pathway
A flow chart (map) of a career pathway is a visual representation of the career pathway
captured in just one page. It is important for orientations and information sessions, and can also
be very attractive to foundations and other funders of workforce development programs. A flow
chart should show with clarity how many modules are in a bridge and how they are
interconnected, and how many bridges form the pathway and how are they interconnected.
The flowchart should also clearly indicate the points in the career and academic ladder. It shows
pre- and post- test scores indicating entering and exiting requirements of the bridge. The career
ladder should be described by showing points of employment and the technical skills or industry
credentials needed for that particular job plus the compensation (salary/wages) for each job.
20
How bridges articulate to other bridges and to postsecondary education
One important element in a career pathway is that each bridge in the pathway should articulate to the
next one. The articulation between pre-college and college bridges is of special importance to the adult
student. The curriculum should be developed in a way that the basic skills material is proficiently
accepted at the next level or bridge, and that the technical material covered will perfectly articulate with
the requirements of the next bridge or college degree. In Carreras en Salud, the student completing the
CNA bridge will have the basic skills (math, language and PC) needed to enter the pre-LPN bridge, and
will have the technical skills needed to take the EKG and phlebotomy courses needed to qualify for a job
as Patient care Technician (PCT). The CNA certification also articulates with the first semester of the LPN
program by recognizing the value of one credit for the practicum taken at the C.N.A. level. The entire
LPN program articulates with the Associate degree in Nursing (RN) accepting over 40 credit hours
toward the Associate degree. In a traditional non-articulated program, only the general education
courses are accepted toward the Associate degree in Nursing of RN.
Carreras En Salud Pre-C.N.A. Bridge flow chart
VESL
ESL
health
16 weeks
16weeks
CNA
8 weeks
C.N.A
REVIEW
Review
$9 - $12 hour
context
21
Carreras en Salud Pre-LPN Bridge Flow Chart
16 weeks
PRE-LPN
B
PCT
EKGPHLEBOTOMY
PRE-LPN
A
16 weeks
CARRERAS EN SALUD PATHWAY MODEL FLOW CHART
22
$10 - $16 hour
CONTEXTUALIZING THE BRIDGE CURRICULUM
Contextualization is the key to the effectiveness of a career pathway. Teaching the basic skills within a
specific context will not only maintain a high level of retention, but adult students advance in
percentages not seen with other methods. When contextualizing curricula, it is important to determine
the basic skills level of the student. The basic skill level will determine the type of context (General
Context, Macro Context, and Micro Context) to be utilized at each grade level. The basic skills will also
guide the instructor in the type of methodology (pedagogy, andragogy) to be used in the class activities.
Another element influenced by the basic skills grade level is the type of assessment (standard text,
project-based text) used to measure the presence of the desired content knowledge. The level of the
use of technology in the learning process is also determined by the student’s level of basic skills.
Definition and types of Basic Skills: Basic skills are the foundation for learning, without them it is
impossible to completely learn technical and professional material. Traditionally, there are two basic
skills, language (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and mathematics. Now-a-days, however, with
the inclusion of computers in almost every single profession, computer proficiency is also considered
23
necessary in the learning process. In the contextualization model, the basic skills levels are the indicator
for the utilization of several learning strategies directed to the students in an effective and efficient
manner. In adult education, The Illinois Community College Board considers four basic skill levels. The
following are the competences required by each level (Illinois ESL Content Standards, 2007):
Literacy Level

Listening: Identify English alphabet letter names, identify cardinal numbers 0-100, demonstrate
understanding of basic greetings and polite expressions (e.g. good morning, how are you, thank
you), demonstrate understanding of request for basic personal information (e.g. what’s your
name?), follows simple oral classroom instructions (e.g. repeat, copy, listen), demonstrates
understanding of basic life skills vocabulary (e.g. family, days, months, time, currency).

Speaking: Name the letters of the English alphabet, use cardinal numbers 0-100, use basic
greetings and polite expressions, use basic greetings and polite expressions ( e.g. good morning,
how are you?), say money amounts or ask for and give the time, and ask and respond to simple
questions.

Reading: Identify the letters of the English alphabet, identify cardinal numbers in a variety of
contexts (e.g. prices, dates, and personal information), read simple classroom instructions, read
short sentences of previously learned vocabulary, read analog and digital clock times.

Writing: print upper and lower case letters, write cardinal numbers 0-100, write simple personal
information (e.g. names, address, and birthday), copy simple familiar words, phrases and
sentences.

Computers: do not own a computer, does not know the components of a computers
Beginning Level

Listening: Identify cardinal numbers 100 and above, identify ordinal numbers 1st – 31st (e.g. use
of the calendar), demonstrate understanding of simple commands and warnings (e.g. stop, be
careful!), follow simple oral instructions (e.g. open the page, close the door), respond to simple
requests for repetition and clarification.

Speaking: spell personal information orally, use cardinal and ordinal numbers in appropriate
context, participate in familiar social interactions (e.g. greetings, introductions, good-byes), ask
for repetition and clarifications, and describe routine activities.
24

Reading: read a variety of personal information words and phrases, read a variety of signs, read
simple written instructions with familiar vocabulary, read simple sentences on familiar topics,
read a short, simplified paragraph on a single topic with familiar vocabulary.

Writing: complete short forms, write simple familiar words, phrases and sentences, use basic
capitalization and simple punctuation (e.g. question marks, periods), complete simple writing
tasks related to everyday needs (e.g. address an envelope, write a check, make a grocery list).

Computers: Own a computer, able to type short sentences with simple words.
Intermediate Low Level

Listening: respond to statements, questions, and commands in routine face-to-face
conversations related to immediate needs, respond to short phone conversations related to
immediate needs, follow simple oral directions and instructions, identify main idea and some
details in a short conversation or listening activity, distinguish between formal and informal
language in everyday conversations.

Speaking:
Participate in routine face-to-face conversations related to immediate needs,
participate in routine social conversations, participate in short phone conversations, give simple
directions to a location, describe personal events, ask for repetition or clarification.

Reading: read short passages in familiar topics, identify the main idea in a short passage on
familiar topics, read authentic materials related to immediate needs, use alphabetical or
numerical order to locate information, read common abbreviations.

Writing: write short paragraphs in familiar topics, apply capitalization and punctuation rules,
complete authentic forms, write simple directions to a familiar location, and write short notes.

Computers: familiar with Microsoft Word, and with some commands in Microsoft Excel, read
and respond to emails.
Intermediate high level:

Listening: Follow multi-step oral directions and instructions, respond to requests for
elaboration, and respond appropriately to small talks in everyday situations.

Speaking: Participate in face-to-face and phone conversations in familiar contexts, participate in
social conversations, give directions to a location with details, describe a process, use examples
and details to clarify meaning, express opinion giving reasons and examples.
25

Reading: Read passages or articles on familiar and new topics, predict meaning of unfamiliar
vocabulary by using contextual clues in reading materials on familiar and new topics, identify
main idea and supporting details in passages or articles on familiar and new topics, identify
chronological order and sequence markers, read work related memos and emails.

Writing: combine sentences using connectors and conjunctions, write paragraphs with a main
idea and supporting details and conclusion, write simple step-by-step instructions, write a
simple letter, prepare simple resume using a model.

Computers: able to conduct job searches, prepare a resume, and communicate via email,
navigate the internet for simple research.
Advanced Level

Listening: follow complex multi-step oral instructions (e.g. doctor’s directions, supervisor’s
instructions), identify the main idea and key details in a variety of sources (e.g. conversations,
radio, TV broadcast, or presentation), demonstrate understanding of high-frequency idioms,
demonstrate understanding of high frequency reductions (e.g. “gonna”, “gotta”)

Speaking: use paraphrasing and elaboration to clarify meaning, participate in a wide range of
social interaction using formal and informal language as appropriate, use collaborative skills in
group (e.g. agree, disagree compromise), present short speeches or oral reports.

Reading: read a variety of materials, interpret charts, tables, graphs and non-prose information.
Identify a writer’s purpose, summarize the main ideas and supporting details in reading
materials, make inferences, draw conclusions and predict outcomes in reading materials, use
reference materials.

Writing: Add details to simple sentences, use transitions, write multi-paragraph essays
demonstrating clear use of paragraphs to introduce, support and conclude, write multiparagraph comparison/contrast, cause/effect, description, narration essays, prepare resume,
write work related memos and emails, write formal letters, and organize key details in a variety
of contexts.

Computers: familiar with Microsoft Office components and internet features.
Definition of technical skills: Technical skills are work related skills that will qualify a person to perform
a specific duty or activity in a job. Technical skills are detected only on the job, and are not related to
credentials or certificate. Credentials or certificates indicate that the person has the knowledge (theory),
26
but they do not necessarily indicate that the person has the technical skills to perform effectively and
efficiently in a job. Theory and technical skills can be taught simultaneously by incorporating project
based assessment and internships in the curriculum, evaluated by both the educational institution and
by the industry.
In Carreras en Salud each bridge is designed to allow participants to acquire the technical skills to
perform well at the next level in the career ladder. The Pre-C.N.A. bridge prepares student to become a
Certified Nursing Assistant. By the end of the bridge the student will be able to pass the state written
exam, which indicates they have the knowledge, and the industry will certify that they have the
technical skills by giving a pass grade in the practicum or clinical. The technical skills required by the
industry in a C.N.A. are: recognize abnormal vital signs; observe abnormality in patients and report
problems (e.g. bleeding, drainage, machine malfunctions, safety situations); understand and implement
patient care plan; collecting, labeling and transporting specimens to the appropriate area; provide
comfort to patients by positioning, bathing, and straightening linens; regularly prepare patient for meals
and assist in feeding them if necessary; observe established policies and procedures for proper patient
treatment; demonstrate knowledge and safe use of equipment; and appropriately and safely transport
patients to required areas in the hospital or institution. C.N.A. job descriptions vary depending on the
employers.
Definition and types of transferable skills: Transferable skills are those skills that when applied will
enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the technical skills. In Carreras en Salud the industry
recommended the presence of the following transferable skills in each healthcare professional:

Critical Thinking/Common Sense (CT)

Analytical Skills (AS)

Problem Solving (PS)

People Skills (PS)

Communications (CS)

Time Management (TM)

Study Habits (SH)
In the pre-college bridges the technical skills become the context in which the basic skills will be taught.
They are taught at the same time. The type and amount of context to be included in the curriculum
27
depends on the level of the basic skills of the student as describe above. There are three types of
context, general context, macro context and micro context. These types of contexts will be integrated in
the curriculum contextualization as follows:
•
General Context: no content or industry context. Concept used in most traditional ESL classes.
Basic skills are taught in scenarios more related to daily life situations, such as going to school or
going to doctor’s office, or being in the supermarket. Adult educators often refer to this
scenario as survival English. Teaching in a general context can be effective for student at the
literacy level. These students are just learning words and being introduced to cardinal and
ordinal numbers. At this level the goal should be to deposit as much information as possible to
the students so they can build a database of terms that will serve as a foundation for future
learning. Emphasis should be placed on the basic skill (language, math and PC) and very little on
the context. If an industry is selected to be used in the contextualization at this level, the
information to be included in the curriculum activities should be limited to very general aspect
of the industry without details. As students move and progress from literacy levels to beginning,
intermediate and advanced, the general context will be less motivating to them and may cause
students to withdraw from classes for lack of interest in the class activities as per the
curriculum.
•
Macro Context: focus on sectors such as manufacturing, health, transportation, insurance,
hospitality, without concentrating in a particular profession within the sector. The use of macro
context in the curriculum is very effective for students at the beginning levels of basic skills
(math, English and PC). At this level the students understand sentences and paragraphs, can
solve numerical basic operations, and can understand the functions of a computer. With these
skills, students can process data related to a specific sector or industry. Macro context will bring
the opportunity to the student of getting more details about their industry of interest. S/he will
learn about the rules and laws of the industry, the different professions within the industry and
their job descriptions. Students enjoy the fact that they are covering material related to their
industry of interest, and they usually feel like professionals in that sector.
In Carreras en Salud the Macro context is integrated in the curriculum and lesson plans at the
Pre-C.N.A. Bridge. Students improve their basic skills in a macro context by learning the general
28
concepts of the healthcare industry, laws regulations, the different tracks in the healthcare
industry (therapeutics, diagnostics, health informatics, and biomedical), and professions within
each of those tracks. As the students move up in their basic skills level, they will demand more
details on the profession. If the instructor does not switch to a micro context, the student will
lose interest and can even withdraw from the class.
•
Micro Context: focus in a particular profession within an industry or sector. For example, in the
health sector the micro context focus in either, therapeutics, diagnostics, health informatics,
biotechnology research and development, and support services. Micro contextualized curricula
are very effective at the intermediate basic skills level. Students at the intermediate level are
able to process technical materials related to a particular profession. They have the capacity to
do research in computers, and to solve simple mathematical problems. At this level the
students is looking for a more challenging class with more detailed information on a particular
profession and the skills needed to successfully perform the duties required by the position.
In Carreras en Salud students at the intermediate level of basic skills are introduced to specific
technical skills needed by a Licensed Practical Nurse. In the pre-LPN bridge the students improve
their basic skills within the context of anatomy, physiology, health psychology, and are
introduced to EKG and phlebotomy skills. Not switching from macro context to micro context
can cause the student to lose interest in the class by not seeing any relationship between the
class and the skills needed to perform in the desired job.
The most common mistake in contextualizing curricula occur when the wrong context is
incorporated in the basic skill level curriculum and using micro context at the beginning level of
basic skills will confuse and frustrate the student. This can lead to the student dropping the
class for not being able to understand the level of the technical material covered with the little
basic skills he/she possesses. On the other hand, if general context is used in a high level of
basic skills, the student will find him/herself unmotivated and with no interest in the material
covered in class. In this case the outcome will be the same, with the student withdrawing from
the class.
29
VOCATIONALIZATION
Vocationalization refers to a focus on the skills required to improve the quality of workforce,
emphasizing academic and vocational education as well as a higher order of thinking and the
interpersonal skills demanded in a particular duty. The use of project based learning is a very good
example of vocationalization and bringing real life cases to the classroom will help the student in
enhancing his vocation for a particular profession. Vocation includes the use of methods, techniques,
regulations and assessment of a profession. An employee with a good vocation is synonymous of a
productive employee.
Vocationalizing a curriculum is a good practice for student at the advanced levels of basic skills. Students
are ready to choose a profession with all its requirements, skills and demands. The student understands
and feels comfortable with the profession and wants to learn as much as possible about it.
Teaching paradigm in context based learning/teaching
When contextualizing curricula it is very important to take into consideration the teaching paradigm.
The use of pedagogy and the use of andragogy needs to be tactically applied depending on the basic
skills level of the student. Pedagogy is a very effective method at the literacy levels when students are
beginning to learn the first words of a second language in a general context. The pedagogical method
assumes that the student has zero knowledge of the basic skills taught, and that s/he needs to learn the
basic foundations before they can process technical materials. The student basically depends on the
direction of the instructor to learn new materials. The teaching methodology is not different as the one
used in teaching children, but the adult is in a stage in which s/he understands these methods without
feeling offended. The andragogical method clearly shows the basic concepts of this theory designed to
develop the art of helping adults learn. Knowles’ (1970) four andragogical assumptions demonstrate
these basic concepts. The four assumptions are:

It is a normal aspect of the process of maturation for a person to move from dependency to
increasing self-directedness. This occurs at different rates for different people and in different
stages of life. Teachers have a responsibility to encourage and nurture this movement towards
independence. Adults have a deep psychological need for general self-directing, although they
may be dependent on particular temporary situations.
30

As people grow and develop, they accumulate an increasing reservoir of experience that
becomes an increasingly rich resource for learning for themselves and for others. Furthermore,
people attach more meaning to the learning they gain from experience than that which they
acquire passively. As a result the primary technique in education are experiential techniques,
laboratory experiments, discussion, problem solving cases, simulations exercises, and field
experiences.

People become ready to learn something when they experience the need to learn it in order to
cope more effectively with real life tasks or problems. The educator has a responsibility to
create conditions and provide tools and procedures for helping learners discover their
knowledge needs. Learning programs should be organized around life-applications categories
and sequenced according to the learner’s readiness to learn.

Learners see education as the process of developing increased competence to achieve their full
potential in life. The want to be able to apply whatever knowledge and skill they gain today to
live more effectively tomorrow. Accordingly, learning experiences should be organized around
competency-developing categories. People are performance-centered in their orientation to
learning.
The contextualization model advises instructors to design lesson plans in which the students move from
pedagogical, in-class activities at the low level of basic skills to progressive, in-class andragogical
exercises and applications as they move through the beginning, intermediate, and advances literacy
levels. At the advanced level of basic skills, the teaching paradigm should be an andragogical one.
Use of standard assessment vs. project-based assessment
The contextualizing model also advises curriculum developers about the importance of appropriately
using different assessment tools available. The appropriate use of standard assessment and projectbased or problem based assessments depends on the levels of basic skills of the student. As described
above the contextualized model advises the use of general context, the use of pedagogical activities to
teach students at the low levels of basic skills, to modify contextual use from general to macro to micro
context, and to use andragogical activities as the student improves his/her basic skills level. In terms of
assessment, the model advises the use of standardized testing instruments (e.g. true and false, multiple
choice) to evaluate the knowledge of the students at the lower levels of basic skills, but as the student
improves their basic skills the assessment instruments should be more applicable to real life issues. The
31
use of project based or problem based assessment is advised. Students at the advanced level of basic
skills should be assessed with project based or problem based assessment tools for a better evaluation
of the presence of the expected competences of the student.
Use of technology in context based learning/teaching
The use of technology in teaching basic skills can be a motivating factor, but can also be a factor that
distracts and interferes with the effectiveness of the learning process of the student.
The
contextualizing model advises instructors and curriculum developers to incorporate activities with use of
technology depending on the basic skill level of the student. The lower levels of basic skills will benefit
with the use of traditional teaching tools (e.g. blackboard exercises, use of posters with figures, text
books, and exercise books). The use of technology should be limited to small sessions of materials
covering the general context utilized in the class and also gives the small touch of real life application
needed at the lower levels of basic skills (e.g. very short videos or audio systems). At this level the
students are learning how to work on a computer and if the curriculum considers computer applications
as an important part of it, the student can become intimidated and may drop the class. On the other
hand, for high levels of basic skills the use of technology in a daily lesson plan is very motivating and
important for the student. Technology at the higher levels brings the real life application to the
classroom and students will be able to use technology to enhance what is covered in class. The use of
job related computer simulations will close the gap between what is learned in the classroom and what
is happening in the work place. Students in the advanced levels of basic skills will feel they are already in
the profession they want and clearly see the relation between the skills learned in class and their day to
day life experiences.
32
Adult Education
Curriculum Contextualizing
Model
Levels
Literacy
ENG
MATH
Beginning
PC
ENG
MATH
Developed by Dr. Ricardo
A. Estrada © 2006
Intermediate
PC
ENG
MATH
CTH
PS
PC
Advance
READING WRITING
COMPREH
Context
&
Basic Skills
GENERAL - CONTEXT
SH
Credentials
NONE
TTS
COURSE
TM
TM
CTH
PS
TM
BASIC CERTIFICATE ADVANCED CERTIFICATE
PEDAGOGY
Learning
PEDAGOGY
paradigm
PEDAGOGY
ANDRAGOGY
ANDRAGOGY
Testing
STANDARD
STANDARD
STANDARD
&
Evaluation
PROJECT BASED
PROJECT BASED
20
Hiring a curriculum specialist to develop a contextualized curriculum
Traditional adult education programs limit their curriculum to teach in a general context, ignoring the
industry macro and micro context. They are also limited to teach in a pedagogical teaching paradigm,
ignoring the benefits of using andragogical methods for the benefit of the advanced adult student.
Traditional programs also use standardized tests at all basic skills levels of the student, ignoring the
effectiveness of using project based and problem based assessments and they use technology
independent of the basic skills level of the students creating interferences in their learning process.
Contextualized curricula as described in this manual are difficult to find. The curriculum developer must
be aware of the elements described above and be able to understand how each of those elements play
a specific role in the learning process of the adult student. The curriculum developer must be familiar
with the contextualized model, with the basic skills (language, math and computers), and the different
levels of competence needed at the literacy, beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. The
curriculum developer needs to have access to resources specific to the industry or sector to be
contextualized and be clear as the technical context to be incorporated in the curriculum at each basic
skill level. If the curriculum developer is not an expert in the industry or sector it is recommended that
33
s/he team up with a person who is a practitioner or technician in the sector. It is also important that the
curriculum developer, if not in the sector, is familiar with the tasks involved at each point in the career
ladder, the specific credentials needed to perform those tasks, and the competencies needed to acquire
the credentials and certifications required by the industry. The best scenario in developing
contextualized curricula is one in which a basic skills specialist team up with an industry or sector
practitioner, and both work on the lesson plans and class activities as recommended by the
contextualized model described in this manual. Similarly, the most effective way to teach a
contextualized curriculum is by putting together a team that includes the basic skills teacher and the
sector practitioner, with both coordinating the implementation of the lesson plans, its activities and the
assessment tools, as well as the learning paradigms described in this manual. It is important to note that
at the lower levels of basic skills the contextualized curriculum can be effectively taught by a basic skills
teacher with information regarding the general context of the industry, and the elements described in
the contextualizing model, but as the students advance in the basic skills levels and the need for micro
context, technology, technical materials, and the use of project based assessment also increases, the
need for team teaching is more evident.
Submitting curriculum for feedback to employers partners
An important component of contextualizing curricula is to have the approval of the industry. Regardless
if the curriculum was developed by a sector or industry practitioner, a curriculum should be submitted
to a group of employers in the sector for recommendations and feedback. It is recommended that each
program creates an advisory council from the industry. This Advisory Council is the best vehicle to
submit the curriculum for employer feedback. Employers will be able to provide feedback on the skills
(basic and technical) necessary for the students or graduates of the program to be employed by them,
the credentials needed, and the attitudes and behaviors required by the industry. A contextualized
curriculum cannot be effective without the appropriate feedback and recommendations from the
industry.
TRAINING INSTRUCTORS
Characteristics of a non-traditional instructor
Before describing the characteristics of non-traditional adult educator or facilitator it is important to list
the beliefs of a traditional instructor as per Paulo Freire (1974):
34

The teacher is always educated, the student becomes educated

The teacher has the knowledge, the student does not have any knowledge

The teacher is the thinker, the student is the thinking object

The teacher has the voice, the student listens

The teacher disciplines, the student gets disciplined

The teacher decides and prescribes the options, the student follows the prescription

The teacher is the one who acts, the student has the illusion of acting by seeing the teacher

The teacher selects the content for the curriculum, the student must adapt

The teacher identifies the authority of the knowledge with his functional authority, the student
must adapt to all decisions and determination of the teacher

The teacher is the subject of the process, the student only the object of the process
The non-traditional adult educator assumes that each student owns enough life experience to
contribute in the learning process of the students in the class. S/he is always available for questions and
asks advice from students based on the student’s experiences. S/he prepares classes with everyday
situations, versus the traditional educator who prepares classes by following the text book. S/he uses
real life and work related materials in the class assessments and uses project based and problem based
evaluation methods. S/he is always prepared, is flexible, understanding, adaptable, control sharing,
respectful, a leader, loyal, trustful, disciplined, delegator, serious, and possesses a great sense of humor.
Development of lesson plans
Curricula are made of lesson plans. The lesson plan describes the objectives of the class, the materials
needed to carry out the different activities in the learning process, the assessment, evaluation tools and
methods, the learning inventory which serves as an indicator that the objectives has been achieved, and
finally the connection with the next class. Lesson plans should be developed by day and codified per
week and day (e.g. week 1 day two is coded lesson 1.2). The lesson plan needs to clearly show the
activities related to the learning of the basic skills (math, language, PC) and the use of a context
(technical skills) to learn the basic skills concepts.
35
SAMPLE OF A LESSON PLAN
CARRERAS EN SALUD
Pre-LPN I – Language Arts
WEEK: 2:2
LANGUAGE THEME: Vocabulary Skills; Understanding Sentences
CONTENT: Introduction to Human Body Systems
OBJECTIVES:

Use roots and suffixes to analyze medical terms

Identify subjects and predicates

Differentiate between whole sentences and sentence fragments

Strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving skills
MATERIALS:

Index cards with suffixes from Chapter 3 of The Language of Medicine in a bag or hat

Index cards with root words from Chapter 3 of The Language of Medicine in a bag or hat

List of mixed sentences and sentence fragments from Human Biology, Chapter 4

Blank index cards

Some dictionaries
ACTIVITY A:
Introduce noun and adjective suffixes for word analysis

Review list of root words in Chapter 3 of The Language of Medicine, Section II Combining Forms, p. 76. Write each root and
each definition on the board. Have different students explain each meaning.

Review entire list of suffixes from Chapter 3 of The Language of Medicine with class. Explain the meaning of each suffix
and give examples of how it can be combined with the roots on the board.
36

Have a student pick a root word out of the bag or hat and a suffix from the bag or hat.

Ask the student to combine them and give a definition of the combination based on the meaning of the root and the
meaning of the suffix.

Ask the students if this is a real word – one that actually exists. If they do not know, ask them to look for it in a dictionary.
If the word does exist, ask students to add it to their medical terminology notebook. If the word does not exist, remind the
students that this game is meant to help them that learn roots and suffixes are often the key to understanding complex
medical terminology.

Repeat this until all the roots and suffixes are used.
ACTIVITY B:
Identify subject and predicate

Hand out the list of mixed sentences and sentence fragments; have students mark which sentences are full sentences.

Ask: What a sentence? What is a subject? (the noun the sentence is about) What is a predicate? (the rest of the sentence)
What is always in the predicate? (a verb) What are the two things a sentence has to have in order to be a sentence? (a
noun and a verb)

Go over these questions again and have students repeat the answers loudly together.
ACTIVITY C:
Differentiate between whole sentences and sentence fragments

Ask a student for a full sentence from the list; write the sentence on the board; have students identify the subject, the
predicate, and the verb within the predicate; write the skeleton sentence.

Continue with these procedures to identify all the full sentences on the list.

Give each pair of students a set of six blank index cards; have them write three full sentences and three fragments on the
cards.

Have a representative from a pair choose a card from the pair to their left’s deck and write it on the board.

Ask the student: Is this a sentence? How do you know?

Give a point for each correct answer.

Ask the class to reply in unison: What are the two things a sentence has to have to be a sentence? Does it have a noun for
a subject? Does it have a verb in the predicate?

Repeat these procedures until it is clear that all students can diagram a basic sentence.
Learning Inventory:

Understanding the use of suffixes to analyze word meaning.

The ability to identify the subject and predicate of a sentence.
37

The ability to distinguish between a whole sentence and a sentence fragment.

Use problem solving and critical thinking skills to analyze medical terms and find their roots and suffixes and
to distinguish between whole sentences and sentence fragments.
Homework:

Define 10 more terms from original list. Write definition and pronunciation in medical terminology section of
notebook.

Create flashcards for all the vocabulary words that are not familiar to you already.
Instructional meetings
Career bridge curricula changes as the industry changes. What remains constant is the basic skills
standards, therefore it is important that career bridge instructors meet frequently to exchange
information related to new developments of the sector or industry, such as new equipment, new
technical skills, new regulations or new requirements for licensing and certifications. The contextualized
bridge curriculum needs to be flexible enough to facilitate the incorporation of new materials in the
lesson plans. It is also important that instructor meetings discuss the progress of the students and the
need for improvement in the teaching paradigms, materials, and other elements of the class. In Carreras
en Salud instructors have monthly meetings to discuss program issues.
Bridge evaluation
Bridge curriculum needs to be evaluated based on its outcomes and ability to meet the demands of the
industry through career ladder points of employment. Students are evaluated and assess to determine
the presence of the competencies expected on the objectives. This evaluation is a combination of inclass and in the work place activities. The use of project based assessment in the classroom with the
help of technology will determine the level of knowledge of the student, but it is in the work place, via
internships, job shadowing, or practicum, that the industry itself assesses the presence of the technical
skills at the level demanded by the industry. It is hard to foresee a technical program without the
industry participation in the evaluation of the bridge.
Instructor development sessions
38
Instructors’ professional development is a key element in the effectiveness of a career bridge and
pathway. Contextualizing a curriculum the way it is done in Carreras en Salud demands that the
instructor be constantly adding new materials and activities to the lesson plan as a reaction to the
demands of the students. Instructors should be able to implement the contextualizing model as is
described in this manual.
This includes the mastering of the learning paradigms (pedagogy and
andragogy), the different assessment tools, the level of context, and the use of technology. It is also
important that the instructor be familiar with what is happening in the industry and see how new trends
in the industry influence the contextualized curriculum and the way it is taught to the student.
Professional development activities also help instructors understand the requirements of the
certifications and licensing exams, and the competencies needed to pass them.
SCHEDULING CLASSES FOR NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS
Number of Contact hours
In traditional adult education and basic skills courses the students meet four days a week for two hours
a day, and in some organization the numbers of hours are reduced to two days a week two hours a day.
Administrators of adult education programs with that kind of schedules allege that the adult student
does not have time for more than 8 hours of classroom learning per week, and heavily rely on
homework and assignments from the students to cover all the materials required by the curriculum. We
know that the adult learner with the characteristics described in this manual, does not have much time
for homework and extensive assignments, and when the demand for homework increases, the student
can start to feel s/he is getting behind, ultimately leading to a decision to drop the class.
The pre-college bridge Carreras en Salud students meet four days a week for four hours a day for a total
of 16 weeks. The total number of hours per term is of 256. In a local study conducted by the
administrators of Carreras en Salud it was determined that to teach the three basic skills (math,
language and computers) the students need to be in class a minimum of 256 hours per term, this will
allow enough time to maximize in-class activities and rely less on homework and out the class
assignments specially at the lower bridges.
Carreras en Salud students advance a minimum of two grade levels in math, and language per term, and
are computer literate, versus one level of advancement in a traditional adult education program.
39
Class frequency (morning, evening, weekend classes)
Classes should be scheduled at the time of the day the student are available, different than the
traditional class schedules that are prepared thinking in a generalized point of view. Bridge classes
should be offered at a time and location most appropriate to the student. Responding to the availability
of the students and because most of them are working students, Carreras en Salud classes meet from
5:30 to 9:30pm and on weekends for students who are in a variable work schedule. Classes are open as
soon as a group is ready to start regardless of the time of the year. Carreras en Salud does not follow the
traditional semester format and starts classes at any time when there are students ready to begin a
class. As the students advance in the Carreras en Salud pathway and reach the college levels, they take
classes in a more traditional format and the schedule depends on the college class schedule.
Out of class activities
Contextualized career bridge curricula should recognize the limitation that the adult learner has for out
of the classroom activities. The adult learners work schedule and family responsibilities leaves very little
time left to do homework or to participate in out of the class activities. Mandatory out of class
assignments and activities are generally not welcomed by the adult learner. The contextualized
curriculum must find ways to motivate students to by themselves look for additional materials on their
own time, and to voluntarily participate in as many as possible out of class activities. As described in this
manual, the contextualized model indicates when the class will change from a general context to a
macro and micro context allowing the student to feel s/he is learning something that will help in their
work and real life. This contextualization will motivate the student to voluntarily look for out of class
assignments and activities. The switching from traditional assessments tools to project based
assessments will also make the student feel s/he is in their desired profession and will be motivated to
prepare for their exams through real life applications outside of the of classroom. The same results can
be achieved by appropriately switching from pedagogy to andragogy, giving a more active role to the
student in his/her learning process. Under the appropriate conditions and with the appropriate
contextualized curriculum, non-traditional students will participate in out of class activities even with
their little time available.
40
Clinicals/Internships
Career Bridges and pathways curricula must include any source of real work place experience for the
students. Clinicals, internships and job shadowing, will increase the relationship between the employers
(industry) and the program. In addition, the employers will be able to see more closely the skills and
competences of the students and advise the program in adjusting the curriculum if necessary. On the
other hand, the students will be working in a real-world setting, with industry equipment and the
standards mandated by the industry and its clients. It is important that the employer participates in the
evaluation of the internship or clinical, by sending a report of the student’s performance during the
work place learning to the program director. Employers that are also clinical or internship sites are
more active on the program advisory council, adding a great value to the program.
RECRUITMENT OF STUDENTS
The characteristics of the adult non-traditional learner, their time constraints, and family responsibilities
make this population of students very difficult to reach. Career bridges and pathways must go beyond
the traditional marketing tools and plans to promote the programs. A flowchart showing the different
bridges and modules of the career pathway by clearly demonstrating how the bridges connect with each
other and the requirements to enter and exit each bridge, as well as the time required to become an
LPN and RN depending of the level of the student when entering the pathway should be carefully
developed and incorporated in a powerpoint presentation to be used in the information sessions.
Information about employment opportunities, academic requirements and program financial aid were
also important components of the power point presentation. Carreras en Salud has been very effective
promoting its programs within the Immigrant adult community. The following are strategies utilized by
Carreras en Salud staff to promote the program:
Internal recruitment
Instituto del Progreso Latino has an adult education program that offers ESL classes from grade level one
to grade level five. The Carreras en Salud lower bridge requires students to be at the 5- 6 level to enter
the bridge, therefore students at the level 5 of ESL become excellent candidates for the Carreras en
Salud lower bridge. These students are informed in class about the nursing program and are invited at
the end of level 5 to take the test required to enter Carreras en Salud (TABE). Students interested in the
program and that meet the entrance requirement are encouraged to register and continue their ESL
classes within the Healthcare context.
41
The Center for Working Families (CWF) at Instituto is the department responsible for the intake of all
students and participants coming to the institution. The CWF offers coaching services in three main
areas. Financial coaching assists participants in financial issues such as credit problems, savings, or
home foreclosures. CWF also assists participants in applications for income support or public benefits.
The third CWF service is employment. A large percentage of students who are unemployed and are
looking for a job lack the skills needed by employers, adding more difficulties to their job search. For
this reason the employment coach advises the participants to enter the training programs offered at
Instituto and other providers. Those applicants interested in the healthcare field are referred to the
Career Pathways department for information about the career bridges available, including Carreras en
Salud.
External recruitment
The adult learner, especially the immigrant, is hard to reach with traditional channels of communication.
They do not have the means to read newspapers or magazines, and hardly believe in flyers distributed in
their living or working areas. Carreras En Salud uses two main strategies to reach this community:
Religious institutions: We contact the priest or minister of the church and ask them to let us speak for
five minutes at the end of the services. The priest will introduce our academic counselor, lending
credibility to what s/he will say. The announcement should be very general but emphasizing the benefits
of the program and how it is different from any other similar program. The message should end by
inviting the parishioners to a more detailed information session at a specific day, time and location and
to see the advisors standing at the end of the church for one-on-one information about the program.
This strategy is especially important for the quantity of people being informed about the program. In
just one Sunday we can reach over 3,000 people (6 services of 500 parishioners each) and with the
credibility provided by the support of the priest.
Ethnic local festivals: Another event that produces opportunity to inform a larger quantity of people is
the local ethnic festivals. It is easy to get the approval of having a table in the festival for educational
information. Bringing marketing materials and success stories of students who have graduated from the
program and are doing well now, and having them wear their uniform of nurses will attract interested
people to the table. The strategy at these events is to invite the interested people to an information
session in a specific day, time and location.
42
Another channel to communicate the program and to promote the information sessions is the ethnic
television announcements. They will be even more effective if a story is aired about the program and its
success. Local newspapers, flyers distribution, radio announcements and other more traditional
marketing activities.
Information sessions
Information sessions are arranged in Instituto’s multi-purpose room, and consist of three main topics:
Background of the program: Prospective students are informed about how the program was created
and its purpose, with emphasis given to the sustainability and continuity of the program. This provides
assurance to the prospective student that the program is solid. Statistics about the need for nurses and
more specifically the need for bilingual (English/Spanish) nurses, and the opportunity to find a good job
in the healthcare field are also covered.
Carreras en Salud Pathway: A powerpoint presentation with clear flowchart of the Carreras en Salud
pathway model is presented to the prospective students. The pathway flowchart will show the bridges
with their requirements to enter and exit, the academic ladder and the basic skills needed at each level
of the model and the bridge, and the career ladder, with the technical skills and competencies required
to be employed at each point, along with its compensation by function. The flow chart also shows the
different point of entrance to the pathway, depending on the basic skills level of the student. Finally,
the pathway serves to show how the entire program is funded, and the requisites the students should
have to qualify for those funds.
Entrance requirements: Prospect students are informed of the process to apply to the program, the
documents they need to submit to the academic advisor, and the documents needed for financial aid
purposes. Then the students are invited to set up an appointment to take the placement test, and also
to see a counselor in the Center for Working Families department were they can talk with financial
coach, an income support coach, or an employment counselor.
43
RETENTION OF STUDENTS: ORIENTATION AND FIRST DAY OF CLASSES
Program orientation
The first two weeks of classes are utilized for orientation purposes. During these two weeks students are
introduced to their faculty, to the advisors case manager and are scheduled to see the coaches in the
Center for Working Families. Instructors have the opportunity to reassess the students for accuracy in
their placement, to review the career pathway and each of the bridges, and to allow each student to
plan their advancement throughout the pathway. Instructors will also talk about the contextualizing
model and the way the class will be conducted following the contextualization components of the
model.
Academic support services
During the orientation weeks, the students will be introduced to the academic support resources
available at Instituto. They get to meet the tutors and the plan for tutoring. They get to know the
computers resources and how they can improve their skills by themselves. They are also encouraged to
use peer-to-peer tutoring or academic help, by teaming up with classmates to help each other with
academic issues.
Non-academic support services
Non-academic support services are crucial for the retention of the non-traditional adult student. Based
on the characteristics of our student population, issues related to family and work are common and can
directly affect the learning process of the adult student. Carreras en Salud’s model was developed with
the components to tackle these problems. First, one of the partner’s primary role is to provide case
management services to all the students in the pathway. Association House has over 110 years of being
serving the Latino community in mental health and family counseling issues. In addition to the partner
role, Instituto del Progreso Latino provides other non-academic support services to the students.
Emergency funds: Instituto and its Center for Working Families secured funds from a private foundation
to provide help to students in disparate situations, such as past due rents, past due utilities bills, food
emergency. Student can have up to $300.00 for any emergency that may interfere with their learning
process.
44
Transportation: The Center for Working Families administers a public grant that provides bus passes and
gas incentives to qualified students. These incentives and passes are used for students to come to class.
Job readiness classes: The Center for Working Families provides training to students who are looking for
work, they help them in resume writing, job interviews and professional dressing.
Housing: The financial coach helps students find public subsidized housing and negotiate with the
landlord affordable rents for the student and his/her family.
Domestic violence: Instituto has partnership agreements with professional providers of family
counseling. Students in need of these services are referred to these professional organizations.
PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY
Positioning for funding
Funders are interested in funding successful programs – programs that they feel proud of having their
name attached to and programs that are recognized by the industry as effective providers of training
that produce highly qualified workers for their companies. Positioning the program to be attractive to
public and private funders is as important as the program itself. Having a good program is not enough –
a positioning plan needs to be in place to help in the funding and the sustainability of the program.
Carreras en Salud implemented the following as its positioning process:
Data: It is important to collect all data possible to demonstrate the effectiveness of the program,
retention rates, advancement and student progress, completion rate, graduation rates, licensing and
certification rates, placement rates and job retention. Putting this information together will tell a
success story to funders. Carreras en Salud has been very effective in demonstrating the success of the
program, with retention rates over 85%, advancement rates over 80%, graduation rates over 80%,
licensing rates over 90% and placement rates of 100%.
Community Impact: Funders are especially interested in funding programs that bring benefits to the
community as a whole. The program that impacts the community from an economic, educational and
social standpoint is highly fundable and very attractive to foundations. Carreras en Salud has
contributed to the economic status of our community by providing our graduates with the skills
necessary to move from a low level wage of $9.00 per hour to making over $55,000.00 per year as a
Licensed Practical Nurse, and over $70,000.00 per year as a Register Nurse. Educationally, the program
has contributed to the increase in the educational level of the community, producing more community
residents with college degrees, licenses and certifications. Socially Carreras en Salud has educated the
45
community residents in a way that enables them to give back to the community. Carreras en Salud
students are encouraged during their academic journey to be socially active and responsible by
participating in voting campaigns, immigration activities, as well as taking the leadership on community
issues such as safety and community beautification.
Partnership: Funders support programs that are developed in a collaborative and cooperative way.
Carreras en Salud has been recognized as a model for community colleges and community-based
organization (CC/CBO) partnerships. Programs are more effective when they are run by multiple
partners. Participants of the programs will benefit from the expertise of several partners in delivering
the services they need and capacity to deliver the services demanded by the community increases with
partnerships. Funders are especially interested in the partnership between the private sector (industry)
and the public sector. Incorporating employers in the program will guarantee that the students will be
trained within the industry standards and will find a job at the end of the training.
Participation in local, state, and national conferences: A good strategy to position a successful program
is by presenting it at local, state, or national conferences. People will get familiar with what is new and
the best practices in their industry at these conferences. Creating and developing a good presentation
with representation of successful graduates will help in the recognition of the program. Carreras en
Salud has been presented in several national conferences and received several awards for its
effectiveness. Some of those recognitions include: Family Strengthening Award from the National
Council of La Raza and the Annie E. Casey Foundation; Program of the Year from the National Council for
Continuing Education and Training; Program of the Year from the Illinois Council for Continuing and
Higher Education; Top ten finalist for the Bell Weather National award in Workforce development.; Top
six workforce development programs by The Aspen Institute; Top five career pathway program by the
US Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education; and the Recognition of Excellence
from the US Department of Labor.
Marketing and promotion
Once the program is positioned it is easy to promote, however, it is essential that the program count
with good marketing materials such as a professional brochure, with updated data about the success of
the participants and the satisfaction of the industry. A well positioned program will increase the
possibility to be invited to professional summits and expert panels. These events are a good opportunity
to market the program. Having regular program only graduations and inviting foundations and
representatives of the industry, plus elected officials from the community and the media, will also
46
provide a good opportunity for marketing the program. However, the best marketing tool is a satisfied
student. Satisfied students will talk about the program with family members, friends and coworkers,
and will highly recommend the program and its quality. A good marketing program will help in the
sustainability of the program.
Collaborative proposal writing among partners
Having partners of different status and missions will also contribute to the sustainability of the program.
Collaborative proposal writing is effective and allows for different organizations to apply for grants that
fund their particular mission. One organization will not qualify or meet the requirements for all the
grants available, but multiple organizations writing proposals can target a larger pool of grants. In
Carreras en Salud, the partner who meets the requirements of the grant takes the lead in writing the
proposal and becomes the fiscal agent for that particular grant.
Program approval for public funding
Bridges and pathways should be submitted for approval for public funding. Programs that are authorized
to receive public funding are more sustainable than those who don’t. It is important that each bridge in
the pathway be submitted for approval in a separate application. This way students can request funding
for the portion they want and are eligible for. Carreras En Salud is authorized to receive funds from the
Workforce Investment Act (WIA), The Department of Human Services (DHS), and other city, state and
federal funding agencies.
Searching for multi-year funding
An effective way to become sustainable is to look for foundations that provide multi-year funding. This
type of funding is difficult to obtain, but when a program is well positioned and is highly recognized by
the community and its constituents, foundations will be more willing to invest with a multi-year grant.
Another way to obtain multi-year funding is by applying for national research and demonstrations, if the
program data demonstrate that the program is unique, and that it can be replicated in other states or
sectors, it can be identified as a candidate for a demonstration grant. These grants are mostly multi-year
grants. Carreras en Salud has participated in two national demonstration grants, one from the Aspen
Institute, WSI and funded by the Mott Foundation. The other is from the US Department of Education
and administered by MPR Consultants. The best way to sustain a career pathway is by getting the
program authorized to receive funds from the state and federal educational funds, such as the Adult
47
Education and Family Literacy. These funds paid reimbursable rates to the educational institution based
in the number of credits taken by the students. Career bridges and pathways are getting the attention
of educational policy makers and there are signs that they will be considered as a valid funding program
under the federal and state adult education allocation funds.
BUDGETING
Creating a multi cost center budget
Having a program funded by multiple sources is challenging especially when each funding source comes
with very unique requirements and outcomes. But this is the only way institutions are able to sustain
career bridges and pathways. A multi-cost center budget will provide the flexibility to the institution to
pay expenditures directly related to the career pathway from multiple funding sources and still comply
with the funders conditions as mandated by the grant proposal. Each source of funds, such as grants and
contracts represent a cost center. This cost center must reflect the funds coming in (revenues), and the
expenditures approved by the grantor. The lines in the budget represent portions of the expenditures
allocated to the specific grant based on the direct impact of the expenditures to the program, e.g. the
salary of the director of a program can be allocated to multiple grants based on the percentage of time
the director dedicate to each specific program. See table.
MULTIPLE COST CENTER BUDGET SAMPLE
Item Description
Total Item
Grant “A”
Grant “B”
Grant “C”
Grant “D”
Grant “A”
50,000.00
50,000.00
Grant “B”
30,000.00
Grant “C”
20,000.00
Grant “D”
50,000.00
Total Revenues
150,000.00
50,000.00
30,000.00
Program Director
70,000.00
30,000.00
10,000,00
30,000.00
Fringe benefits
5,355.00
2,295.00
765.00
2,295.00
Instructor PT
25,000.00
5,000.00
15,000.00
5,000.00
Fringe Benefits
1,911.00
382.00
1,147.00
382.00
Educational Materials
2,000.00
Student support services
3,000.00
2,000.00
1,000.00
Student stipend
5,000.00
Revenues
30,000.00
20,000.00
50,000.00
20,000.00
50,000.00
Direct Program Costs
1,000.00
1,000.00
5,000.00
48
Staff development
2,000.00
Local transportation
1,500.00
Out of Town Travel
3,000.00
Office supplies
2,000.00
500.00
500.00
500.00
500.00
120,766.00
39,795.00
19,647.00
18,647
42,677
Administration support
29,234.00
10,205.00
10,353.00
1,353.00
7,323.00
Total Direct and Indirect
150,000.00
50,000.00
30,000.00
20,000.00
50,000.00
0
0
0
0
0
Total
Direct
Program
2,000.00
1,000.00
500.00
3,000.00
Cost
In direct Costs
Costs
Balance
Accounting for partners’ in-kind contributions
Operational budgets do not reflect costs contributed by partners that are paid by individual
organizations. Cost such as time spend by management in meetings, office supplies utilized in programs
activities, office space given by partners to program staff, reproduction of program documents related
to the program at partners premises. These costs and others can be reflected in a Comprehensive
Program Budget. This budget will show the real cost of the program and the real cost per unit if needed.
MODEL EXPANSION
Career pathways are subject to three types of expansion: vertical expansion, horizontal expansion and
total program replicability.
Vertical expansion
A vertical expansion indicates a vertical addition at the top or bottom of the pathway. This addition can
be a module or a complete bridge and represent additional opportunities for students to register in the
pathway program. Carreras en Salud initially required students to be at grade level 6 to get into the first
bridge, it was later decided to expand the options to student with levels 4 and 5, expanding the program
and creating opportunities to larger number of applicants to enter the program. The Carreras en Salud
pathway was initially developed to bridge students from lower levels of basic skills to college levels and
to complete. This year the pathway was expanded in a vertical way by adding the Registered Nursing
module. With this expansion the students completing the LPN will have the opportunity to get a job as a
License Practical Nurse, and come back to the pathway to complete the Registered Nursing program or
Associate Degree in Nursing in just one year. A future vertical expansion will be when the program
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articulates with a four year educational institution to provide the opportunity to the RN graduates to
pursue a Bachelor Degree in Nursing.
Horizontal expansion
A horizontal expansion consists of adding new tracks to the existing pathway, in workforce development
this is known as lattice. The healthcare sector has several tracks such as therapeutics, diagnostics, health
informatics, support services. Carreras En Salud concentrates in the Diagnostic/Therapeutics track
bridging students from CNA to PCT to LPN to RN. This year The Carreras model was horizontally
expanded by adding a new track to the original pathways. Once the students complete the pre-C.N.A.
bridge, they can choose between the nursing track or health informatics track by obtaining a Certified
Medical Assistant (CMA) certification.
Replicability
Replicating the entire model is another type of expansion. Replicating the model implies getting all the
components of the model including type of partners, agreements between partners, procedures and
policies, budget formats, programmatic elements, instruments and curricula, are implemented in a
different region, or location. For a replication to be successful, it is important to have the technical
assistance of the staff from the original model, to ensure that the replication really reflects the original
pathway with its successful characteristics and best practices. This manual is an important tool for the
replicability process and contains information on the basic elements necessary in the process of
developing a career pathway.
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