Narrative: b.

Needs Assessment

Literacy in the Workplace: MOE Adult Education Program wishes to comply with the regulations governing the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act and must provide services such as English as a Second Language, basic skills, Adult Secondary Education or family literacy preparation to adults and out-of-school youth without a high school diploma and with little or no English language ability. Although no comprehensive data is available on the number of foreigners and locals who cannot speak English or minimal understanding of English language, it can be safely estimated to be in the thousands. This can create the barrier for them to successfully participate in community affairs. Furthermore, minimal understanding of English is another barrier in attaining high school diploma. Individuals who have left school are not successful in performing their jobs or able to meet employers expectations. Too often they move from job to job or low paying job.

Secondary Education: Data from MOE shows that 5.3% of elementary school students (age 6-13) dropped out and 9.5% of high school students (age 14-18) dropped out of school in the last 5 years.

There is slightly increasing number of drop out students who are in need of adult basic education, work skills and adult secondary education. In the past 5 years, Palau Adult Education program has successfully graduated 112 individuals or 35% of the total enrollment of 323. The program focuses on individuals who were not able to complete the program including new clients.

Year Enrolled Completed Entered Employment Retained Employment Entered Post Secondary Education 2010-2011 56 11 11 7 6 2011-2012 76 33 10 7 12 2012-2013 95 30 2 13 8 2013-2014 55 38 5 10 11 2014-2015* 41 0 0 0 0 *2014 - MOE Adult Education Program transitioned from GED to HiSET Testing. In 2015, HiSet became the official Testing for the program.

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Correctional Institution: The Palau Adult Education program is offering adult secondary education classes and English literacy program at the correctional facility. Individuals who have left the correctional facility continue to be enrolled in the program. Currently there are about 75 inmates at the correctional facility with 26% (16-24 years old age group); 76% (25 and over) including 1 juvenile inmate. About 37% inmates have shown interest in the program. However, MOE is in the process of working with Ministry of Justice is securing an area in the facility to provide adult education services to the inmates. Eligible customers will be offered adult education and literacy activities. Instructions offered may integrate life skills, employability skills, and digital literacy skills to assist the incarcerated young adults and adults to obtain the needed skills to become self-reliant and contributing members of Palauan society upon their release from the correctional facility.

Accessibility

Adult Education will support efforts to increase enrollment and retention by urging programs to offer flexible schedules, support services and year-round programs in an environment that is age-appropriate settings. Technology shall be leveraged to improve teaching and learning of adults and make resources more accessible to our adult learners in rural and outlying communities. In recognition of the work and family demands of adult learners, Palau will work to expand distance education offerings. Adult educators will enrich teaching and learning in traditional classrooms by identifying, using or adapting, and assessing with appropriate and high-quality open education resources. Further recognizing that jobs may require digital literacy, Palau’s Adult Education and Literacy Program (AELP) will encourage and support the integration of digital literacy skills into all adult education and literacy activities. Professional development will explicitly address the teaching and assessment of digital literacy skills integrated appropriately into instruction in all content domains.

Sector Partnership Adult Education will educate students, parents, job seekers, teachers, counselors and administrators about local in-demand careers and prepare students for those careers. Adult Education will also expand awareness of and access to adult learning opportunities to qualify for local in-demand careers.

Career Pathways Adult Education will assist in the transition to postsecondary education and training through the use of career pathways for work-relevant instruction. Career pathways will be developed to provide access to high-demand, significant employment and training services for adult learners. Adult Education will work to create stronger linkages with employers in partnership with other core program in Palau, the Youth, Adult, and Dislocated Worker programs under the WIOA Office. Emphasis shall be made for work-based learning and career opportunities, such as mentoring, internships, as well as on the job training. Work-based learning will move Palau’s workforce system to a more demand-driven system through the development of industry-based partnerships with the Belau Employers and Educators Alliance, the Palau Chamber of Commerce, the National and State Governments, and including other community based organizations and employers.

Page 5 Description of Adult Education and Literacy Activities In response to the population needs previously described, the MOE Adult Education Program will fund adult education programs and activities which target individuals most in need of literacy services and focus on individual self-sufficiency, community growth and workforce productivity.

Under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), eligible individuals are those who:

1) has attained 16 years of age; 2) is not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school under State law; and who a) is basic skills deficient; b) does not have a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and has not achieved an equivalent level of education; or c) is an English language learner Adult Basic Education (ABE): ABE is a program of literacy and basic skills learning options below the high school level for adults whose inability to speak, read, write, compute to solve problems, or relate effectively with others impairs their ability to get or retain employment, exercise their rights and responsibilities as community members, and/or support their families pursue self-sufficiency. ABE programs are designed to raise the level of education of such individuals with a view to making them less likely to become dependent on others, improving their ability to benefit from occupational training, increasing their opportunities for more productive and profitable employment, and making them better able to meet their adult responsibilities. Individuals will be placed in the appropriate CASAS level based on test scores.

Adult Secondary Education (ASE): ASE prepares eligible adults to complete a high school equivalency diploma. It may be also a basic skills brush-up program for adults who wish to refresh their high school level math, reading or writing skills to carry out their adult roles as workers, family and community members. Adult will be able to acquire a high school equivalency diploma by passing all five subjects (Science, Social, Math, English Reading, English Writing) through ETS® HiSET® Testing. Learners must consume at least 60 hours of instruction and examination subsequently. In 2014, GED® was replaced by ETS® HiSET® Testing. Learners having attained a CASAS score of 236 and above in Reading and Math will be eligible to take HiSET® Tests.

Family Literacy: Family literacy includes literacy services to families with children to provide educational skills needed by parents to enable them to become full partners in their child’s education. Outcome for family literacy include not only educational attainment and family stability for all participants, but also emphasize self-sufficiency, provide interactive literacy activities between parents and their children and promoting adult’s involvement in children’s education. Palau Adult Education has successfully collaborated with Palau Public Library in planning Family literacy activities such as Family Night and Parent-Child Read Aloud activity. Radio programs and other advertisements will be conducted to bring the activities to the public’s attention.

Page 6 English as a Second Language (ESL): ESL is programs of instruction designed to help limited-English-proficiency adults to achieve full competence in the English Language. Because ESL is best taught and learned within a person’s familiar context, English Language training will be combined with basic skills components in a workplace literacy, citizenship, or family literacy program.

Workplace Literacy: Workplace literacy is a combination of educational services offered for the purpose of improving the productivity of the workforce through the improvement of literacy. Programs integrate job readiness, workplace expectations, skill development in problem-solving, interpersonal communication into basic skills and literacy training. In partnership with Belau Employers and Educators Alliance, the Adult Education program is able to provide trainings for adult learners to acquire marketable skills for both vocational and academic. And to implement programs that promote successful transition of adult learners in the workforce.

The Palau Adult Education program focuses on skills that employers prioritize as prerequisite to employment and those that are highlighted by employer as requirements for job retention and skill/wage progression. Employers, businesses and labor office generally determine expected outcome.

As the years progress, jobs will require more technological skills. Adult who are currently in the workforce are required to learn basic and advance technological skills to improve their skills and be productive in their jobs. For the past few years, the program has successfully conducted Basic and Advance Computer Literacy classes to different members of the community and agencies.

The Palau Adult Education Program currently operates the following activities: • Career development courses for adult learners that include career readiness & career exploration; • Partnership with Palau Community College Vocational Certification Program (VCP) to invest in a skilled Palauan citizen workforce and creating a tax incentives for businesses to hire the said vocationally certified students; • Conferences and other PD specifically for adult learners.

MOE Adult Education Program will continue to offer adult education and family literacy programs to adults, aged 16 years and older, and will place emphasis on revamping its programs to better meet the specific needs of the Adult learners.

Palau is a single state and local area, and as one of the core partners under the Workforce Innovations and Opportunity Act herein WIOA, the Ministry of Education that administers the Adult Education plays an integral role in the workforce development system by providing access to educational services for adult learners through collaborative partnership with WIOA Office that administers youth, adult, and dislocated worker program funds and workforce activities. Adult Education increases opportunity in the educational and workforce development of adults as workers, parents, and citizens. Recognizing that this program plays a critical role in adult attainment of a secondary diploma, it also further assists in the transition to postsecondary education and training the use of career pathways. • Adult Education will provide the following critical services and activities to support adult learners with the goal of improving access to education and training opportunities, as well as to employment: - Assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills for employment and economic self-sufficiency; - Support the educational and skill achievement of parents and family members to participate in the educational development of their children and improve economic opportunities for families; - Assist English learners in improving their English and math proficiency; - Assist incarcerated individuals in strengthening their knowledge and skills to promote successful re-entry into society. Adult Basic Education (ABE): ABE is a program of literacy and basic skills learning options below the high school level for adults whose inability to speak, read, write, compute to solve problems, or relate effectively with others impairs their ability to get or retain employment, exercise their rights and responsibilities as community members, and/or support their families pursue self-sufficiency. ABE programs are designed to raise the level of education of such individuals with a view to making them less likely to become dependent on others, improving their ability to benefit from occupational training, increasing their opportunities for more productive and profitable employment, and making them better able to meet their adult responsibilities. Individuals will be placed in the appropriate CASAS level based on test scores. Adult Secondary Education (ASE): ASE prepares eligible adults to complete a high school equivalency diploma. It may be also a basic skills brush-up program for adults who wish to refresh their high school level math, reading or writing skills to carry out their adult roles as workers, family and community members. Adult will be able to acquire a high school equivalency diploma by passing all five subjects (Science, Social, Math, English Reading, English Writing) through ETS® HiSET® Testing. Learners must consume at least 60 hours of instruction and examination subsequently. In 2014, GED® was replaced by ETS® HiSET® Testing. Learners having attained a CASAS score of 236 and above in Reading and Math will be eligible to take HiSET® Tests. Family Literacy: Family literacy includes literacy services to families with children to provide educational skills needed by parents to enable them to become full partners in their child’s education. Outcome for family literacy include not only educational attainment and family stability for all participants, but also emphasize self-sufficiency, provide interactive literacy activities between parents and their children and promoting adult’s involvement in children’s education. Palau Adult Education has successfully collaborated with Palau Public Library in planning Family literacy activities such as Family Night and Parent-Child Read Aloud activity. Radio programs and other advertisements will be conducted to bring the activities to the public’s attention. English as a Second Language (ESL): ESL is programs of instruction designed to help limited-English-proficiency adults to achieve full competence in the English Language. Because ESL is best taught and learned within a person’s familiar context, English Language training will be combined with basic skills components in a workplace literacy, citizenship, or family literacy program. Workplace Literacy: Workplace literacy is a combination of educational services offered for the purpose of improving the productivity of the workforce through the improvement of literacy. Programs integrate job readiness, workplace expectations, skill development in problem-solving, interpersonal communication into basic skills and literacy training. In partnership with Belau Employers and Educators Alliance, the Adult Education program is able to provide trainings for adult learners to acquire marketable skills for both vocational and academic. And to implement programs that promote successful transition of adult learners in the workforce. The Palau Adult Education program focuses on skills that employers prioritize as prerequisite to employment and those that are highlighted by employer as requirements for job retention and skill/wage progression. Employers, businesses and labor office generally determine expected outcome. As the years progress, jobs will require more technological skills. Adult who are currently in the workforce are required to learn basic and advance technological skills to improve their skills and be productive in their jobs. For the past few years, the program has successfully conducted Basic and Advance Computer Literacy classes to different members of the community and agencies. The Palau Adult Education Program currently operates the following activities: • Career development courses for adult learners that include career readiness & career exploration; • Partnership with Palau Community College Vocational Certification Program (VCP) to invest in a skilled Palauan citizen workforce and creating a tax incentives for businesses to hire the said vocationally certified students; • Conferences and other PD specifically for adult learners. MOE Adult Education Program will continue to offer adult education and family literacy programs to adults, aged 16 years and older, and will place emphasis on revamping its programs to better meet the specific needs of the Adult learners. These activities of the Adult Education program runs on a year-round cycle and depending on the number of applicants who passed the entry testing of at least ten-15 applicants to begin a classroom session.