State and Local Coordination and Planning to Strengthen Adult Basic Education Services: AECAP Guide for State Leaders
Summary
The Adult Education Coordination and Planning project (AECAP) tested processes for state and local planning and interagency coordination in six states (Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, and Washington) within 12 local pilot sites. The project aimed at providing state adult education policymakers with skills and knowledge to expand their resources, work collaboratively with other state policymakers whose programs serve undereducated and economically disadvantaged adults, and enhance the capabilities of local adult basic education (ABE) programs and their partner agencies to work together effectively.
Based on the practical experience of AECAP, this guide is designed to assist state adult education staff in forming partnerships at the state level and facilitating coordination at the local level as a lever for expanding and improving the quality of ABE and workforce development services. The lessons from AECAP participants’ activities in developing partnerships, planning and implementing state initiatives, and carrying out local demonstrations are discussed. This guide presents the lessons learned from the AECAP project’s activities in three key areas:
1. Using Processes for Planning and Partnership Development –intends to assist state adult education staff in establishing new or expanding existing state partnerships to address issues of common concern. It presents the steps in the AIDDE© planning process, a planning model developed by the AECAP project’s director which is derived from studies in problem-based learning. The AIDDE planning process includes analyzing, identifying, developing (plan), documenting, developing (activity), and evaluating. This section also highlights key factors that support partnerships including forming partnerships, communicating, developing interpersonal relationships, and accessing resources.
2. Developing and Supporting a State Initiative in Local Coordination -describes the key steps that state adult education staff can use alone or with state partners to develop and support a state initiative. The process includes: select an initiative focus, determine amount and levels of change at local level, select the type of practices for an initiative, determine expertise needed for professional development and technical assistance, select pilot sites, and integrate new practices into the pilot sites. It details the strategies and key factors which will affect the results for each step.
3. Planning Coordinated Local Services - provides steps for planning coordinated local services as part of a state initiative or pilot test. A worksheet is provided in Appendix B for use in the AIDDE© process by ABE state and local staff working together to identify and plan the activities that local staff will carry out as part of the pilot test. Also discussed are examples of three models of the coordinated services that were developed by the AECAP pilot sites. These three models are cross-referral of clients, targeted instructional services, and integrated ABE/ESL and occupational courses. These examples are illustrative of the types of services that ABE state and local program staff may consider to address goals such as increasing the number of ABE clients who transition to postsecondary education, training, and work and promoting the delivery of quality ABE services.
The guide also provides several tools in the appendices to include technical assistance worksheets and partner planning forms.
Citation
Alamprese, J. A., & Gwaltney, M. K. (2010). State and Local Coordination and Planning to Strengthen Adult Basic Education Services: AECAP Guide for State Leaders. Bethesda, MD. Abt Associates, Inc.
Link
http://www.policy2performance.org/wp-content/uploads/AECAP_Guide_for_State_Leaders.pdf