Narrative: e. 1.

Leadership Activities: The primary goal of West Virginia Adult Education’s use of state leadership funds is to support a system of professional development and technical assistance to ensure a high-quality adult basic education system that aligns with the goals of the state, regional and local workforce development plans to meet the needs of workers and employers in the state. The system emphasizes program improvement based on data and high-quality research-based technical assistance and professional development opportunities that promote such program improvement.

West Virginia Adult Education intends to fund one or more activities that provide technical assistance and support to Title II programs to be effective partners in the workforce development system. Such work will focus on the required activities: 1) align adult literacy activities with other core programs and with one-stop partners, as appropriate, to implement strategies in the state plan; 2) participation in the development of career pathways that provide access to employment and training for individuals in adult education programs; 3) understanding and fulfilling Title II’s role as a one-stop partner to provide access to employment, education and training services. These activities will also support permissible activities such as developing content and models for integrated education and training and career pathways; and promoting linkages with employers to promote workplace adult education and literacy activities and integration of adult education and literacy activities into occupational training.

West Virginia Adult Education intends to fund one or more activities to support the use of technology. West Virginia Adult Education will continue to support the use of technology to disseminate information about models and promising practices for instruction, staff development and program improvement; instructional and programmatic practices based on rigorous and scientifically valid research; and other information relevant to high-quality adult education and literacy services. West Virginia Adult Education will also fund a project to provide technical assistance to eligible providers on the use of technology to improve system efficiencies and provide staff training, as well as on the integration of technology into instruction to promote learning and digital literacy.

West Virginia Adult Education intends to fund several activities that, together, comprise a high quality professional development system that identifies and provides training in the following: instruction areas such as reading, writing, speaking, mathematics and English language acquisition; use of data for program monitoring and evaluation for continuous program improvement; contextualized instruction; and development of lesson plans, resources and curricula that align with established Career Pathways/Career Clusters at the CTE and Community College levels.

West Virginia Adult Education will ensure that procurement of both required and permissible state leadership activities is in compliance with state procurement policy. West Virginia Adult Education anticipates using a combination of contractual tools, including both grants and purchase of services.

Examples of specific strategies regarding required leadership activities are outlined in the following sections. This list of examples is not all inclusive.

(A) The alignment of adult education and literacy activities with other core programs and one- stop partners, including eligible providers, to implement the strategy identified in the unified State plan under section 102 or the combined State plan under section 103, including the development of career pathways to provide access to employment and training services for individuals in adult education and literacy activities.

Alignment with Other Core Partners

West Virginia will align Adult Education and Literacy activities with other core programs and one-stop partners, to implement strategies of the Unified Plan, including development of Career Pathways. All funded providers will be required to detail the process that will be used to collaborate with all stakeholders and align Adult Basic Education programming in their 2016-2017 extension plan with all partners named in the unified state plan. Eligible providers will provide services in alignment with local plans detailing how they will promote concurrent enrollment with Title I programs and activities in order to meet the state adjusted levels of performance and collect data to report on performance indicators. In addition, all providers will describe how they will fulfill one-stop responsibilities in their region. As members of local Workforce Development Boards, local providers will participate in ongoing plan development and implementation of WIOA.

Another strategy for alignment will be the coordination of cross-training across core partner programs to enhance opportunities for professional growth and development. This will include topics such as common intake procedures, motivational interviewing, and cross-training and professional development.

Participate in the Development of Career Pathways

The West Virginia Department of Education administers Title II of WIOA as well as activities funded through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.

West Virginia Adult Education's response to the WIOA requirement to increase the number of low-skill adults' transitioning into postsecondary education and training has been to focus on participation in a career pathway system and, within this system of career pathways programs, Bridge programs.

Career pathway programs are a "series of connected education and training programs and support services that enable individuals to secure employment within a specific industry or occupational sector, and to advance over time to successively higher levels of education and employment within that sector" (Jenkins 2006,6). Career pathways often include "stackable" credentials and accelerated courses offered at flexible times that support student entry and exit along the pathway.

Bridge programs, one of the first steps in a career pathway for low-skill adults, support the transistion from adult education to the next step in an occupational pathway. By connecting adult education programs to community college occupational programs, bridge programs seek to increase the rates at which low-skill adults move into college-level occupational programs, persist in these programs, and obtain postsecondary credentials in industries offering family-sustaining wages and career advancement.

In practice, Bridge programs help adult students identify career and education goals and develop the skills, content knowledge, and learning strategies they need to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and employment. They combine basic skill instruction in reading, math, writing, and English language, including preparation for the TASC test, with occupational content, employment skills, and college success strategies. Some Bridge programs also offer college credit and certificates, which may be the first step toward a college degree. State and local labor market information is used to develop Bridge programs focused on occupations or industry sectors with a high demand for employees. These programs are designed to prepare indivisuals for productive futures while programs are designed to prepare individuals for productive futures while meeting the State's need for well-trained and industry-certified technical workers.

West Virginia acknowledges the vital contribution of career and technical education to students and the State through the recognition of industry credentialing in its diploma requirements, and through the use of career pathways as an integral part of the Education and Career Plan (ECP).

Adult Education is partnering very closely with CTE to create Bridge Programs to the CTE adult programs offered in many of the centers. In addition, Adult Education collaborate closely with the Community College System of West Virginia in establishing a clear pathway for adult students.Adult Education is partnering very closely with CTE to create Bridge Programs to the CTE adult programs offerened in many of the CTE Centers. In addition, Adult Education collaborates closly with the Community College System of West Virginia in establishing a clear pathway for adult students.

(B) Establish or operate high quality professional development programs to improve instruction.

The goal of a good professional development program is to support and continuously improve high performing literacy and basic skills adult education programs. WV Adult Education continues to design, implement, and operate a large-scale, statewide professional development project for all AEFLA-funded programs in order to improve program outcomes.

The professional development team will carry out this vision by using state leadership funds to plan, coordinate, and continue implementation of the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for all eligible providers in the state. The professional development team will provide support in the form of in-depth training for the implementation of standards-based instruction both in English language arts and mathematics. State leadership funds will be used to hold conferences and institutes to ensure ongoing professional development in standards-based instruction and other Office of Adult Education priority areas.

The professional development team will improve instruction by using state leadership funds to design, develop, and facilitate, investigate and offer access to online courses in the areas of competency-based reading instruction; writing; numeracy; basic and multilevel ESOL classes; and courses in ABE instruction, ASE instruction, and ESOL instruction via LINCS (Literacy Information and Communication System) and other existing courses.

Other priorities for this funding cycle include facilitating the implementation of models for integrated education and training and continuing to grow the bridge and career pathways program models. Additionally, some funds will be used for the permissible activity of the development and implementation of a system to assist in the transition from adult education to post-secondary education and training, including linkages with postsecondary educational institutions or institutions of higher education, is another priority. The development and piloting of strategies for improving teacher quality and retention are critical to the long-term success of adult education, and best practices in these areas are provided through WV Adult Education Professional Development. The development and implementation of programs and services to meet the needs of adult learners with learning disabilities or English language learners, which may include new and promising assessment tools and strategies based on scientifically valid research, are included in the professional development activities provided to grant recipients.

(C) The provision of technical assistance to eligible providers of adult education and literacy activities receiving funds under this title including (i) the development and dissemination of instructional and programmatic practices based on the most rigorous or scientifically valid research available and appropriate, in reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, English language acquisition programs, distance education, and staff training; (ii) the role of eligible providers as a one-stop partner to provide access to employment, education, and training services; (iii) assistance in the use of technology, including for staff training, to eligible providers, especially the use of technology to improve system efficiencies.

Technical Assistance

West Virginia Adult Education will provide technical assistance to eligible providers by developing a repository of best practices, curricula and research. State leadership funds are used to develop and maintain the WVAdultEd Web site for the purpose of disseminating instructional and programmatic practices to eligible providers and other interested parties in need of adult education resources. The WVAdultEd disseminates resources in the form of publications, CCRS, distance education, digital media, and topical links to career pathways information, program management, high school equivalency, ESOL, numeracy, and learning disabilities. On-site professional development is available to all AEFLA funded programs upon request.

The Office of Adult Education’s vision to align more closely with the core partners and the work force development system is another priority under WIOA. The professional development group will use state leadership funds under this unified state plan to provide training, education, and guidance to eligible providers in its role as a one-stop partner.

West Virginia Adult Education has a cadre of Technology Integration Specialist (TIS) that provides training and support to staff on technology integration, the new West Virginia Learning Skills and Technology Tools Content Standards and Objectives (Policy 2520.14), educator technology standards and various statewide technology resources as well as county/school software applications. These individuals also assist in the implementation of the programmatic technology plans. The major function of the TIS is planning and facilitating teaching and learning. They lead in the programs use of instructional technology to enhance learning; model the integration of technology in all curriculum areas; assess learning and information needs of students and staff; collaborate with teachers and other instructional staff to develop curriculum materials and specific lesson plans that integrate technology; and plan and work collaboratively with teachers and other staff. (D) The monitoring and evaluation of the quality of, and the improvement in, adult education and literacy activities and the dissemination of information about models and proven or promising practices within the State.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The Office of Adult Education plans to use state leadership funding to support monitoring and evaluation activities, which include not only evaluating the quality of and improvement in local adult education activities but also the dissemination of information about models and proven or promising adult education practices within the state.

Nationally, all adult education programs under WIOA Title II--the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) are to be monitored to ensure compliance with the National Reporting Standards (NRS), as well as state standards. In West Virginia, this is done in two ways: with Data Quality Audits and with On-Site Monitoring Visits. One hundred percent of AEFLA funded WVAdultEd programs will be monitored annually through the use of Desktop Monitoring. Approximately twenty percent of all programs will be monitored annually via on-site visits. All programs will be monitored within a six-year cycle. The programs identified for on- site monitoring are selected using a summative rubric that utilizes and applies performance data across a broad range of performance metrics. Other factors include new instrucational staffing, as well as time since the last on-site monitoring by the WVDE.

The Data Quality Audits ensure that local programs are administering file checks and reviewing program data for the purpose of technical assistance and improved program performance outcomes. The Data Quality Audit (DQA) also ensures the accuracy of data input, the data integrity, and that processes are followed according to NRS and State Policy. It also allows the program an opportunity to analyze data and check their progress. The second method is with On-Site Monitoring Visits. Programs that do not meet AEFLA and/or state performance measures, or that fall in the bottom 20% on the summative rubric are subject to an on-site monitoring visit, utilizing the revised monitoring instrument (also per OCTAE requirements).

These visits are conducted to observe administration of assessments, goal setting, advisement and orientation processes, and to document that the programs are in compliance with NRS and State Policy. A copy of West Virginia’s On-Site Monitoring Review is located at https://wvde.state.wv.us/abe/file-cabinet/AE%20Monitoring%20Instrument%207-9-15.pdf

Scheduling of the on-site monitoring visit will be determined in coordination with the Regional Adult Education Coordinator (RAEC), the State monitoring coordinator, and the local program. Local priorities (e.g. staffing, weather, graduations, etc.) will be considered when scheduling on-site visitations. Prior to the monitoring visits, a monitoring review questionnaire(s) must be answered and submitted to the State monitoring coordinator a minimum of two weeks prior to the date of the visit. Within 45 days of the monitoring visit, the local program will receive a monitoring report. Where indicated by Findings and Required Actions from the monitoring visit, a Corrective Action Plan (Cap), will be compiled by the State monitoring team and responded to within 45 days by thye Grantee. A template for the CAP is posted at https://wvde.state.wv.us/abe/filecabinet/AE%20Monitoring%20Instrument%207-9-15.pdf

Technical assistance will be available for all low-performing programs, but continued failure to meet minimum state performance measures may result in decreased funding or program cancellation. Any Grantee or Regional Adult Ed. Coordinator (RAEC) may request an on-site visitation for purposes of program improvement or technical assistance.

Desk Monitoring findings and results will determine additional course of action, including: 1. For those grantees with no significant findings, no further monitoring will take place in the current year. However, as with all grantees, desk monitoring will occur on an annual basis, regardless of compliance (or non-compliance). 2. For grantees with minor compliance issues based on the desk review, a Data Quality Audit by the Regional Coordinator may be conducted via desk and/or on-site. 3. Targeted on-site monitoring visit to address specific non-compliant areas 4. Full on-site monitoring visit in the current or subsequent program year to address major compliance issues found in the desk review and/or Data Quality Audit.

A typical monitoring visit will include the following: a) Interview the local Administrator/Director, discussing areas of concern, including NRS performance, staffing, budget, and grantee expenditures to date. b) Discuss Desk Monitoring Report, Data Quality Audit, NRS Tables, Class Summary Reports, and other forms previously submitted. c) Interview instructional staff d) Review pertinent student and class files e) Financial Reports f) Closing interviews with all staff to review findings with Administrator and teachers, review additional comments, commendations, and recommendations; answer questions from local staff; and offer technical assistance from a Mentor or content specialist.

Upon receipt of the final report, the Grantee will: 1. Respond in writing to all findings contained within the Final Report. 2. Formulate a Corrective Action Plan utilizing the approved WVDE template 3. Request with a Mentor, or subject specialist (if needed).

Assessment and Accountability Assessment and accountability is a key component for tracking the progress and success of the students as well as the performance of local agencies to determine if they meet the goals and objectives of the WIOA. Adult Education collects and provides accountability data to the state. The electronic data system provides the required elements through the series of student progress assessments, as well as collection of demographic and goal attainment data. Sites participating in the federal data collection efforts receive agency-specific data results and are given technical assistance on analyzing the data for local reporting and program planning purposes.