Narrative: c.

Missouri’s adult correctional education program for institutionalized individuals has operated successfully for over 20 years. Programs serving justice involved individuals must submit an application through Missouri’s multiyear competitive bid process using the same announcement, IFB (including 13 considerations), application, evaluation and scoring process as for all eligible providers as outlined in Section III (b)(5)(B) for Title II of the Missouri WIOA State Plan. DESE AEL publishes a notice of program and funds available in at least two major newspapers that have state-wide circulation. DESE AEL publishes the Grant and Invitation for Bid Applications at AEL.MO.GOV. Missouri DESE AEL uses the 13 considerations specified in section 231(e) of WIOA to determine funding for eligible service providers. Applicants must provide a detailed narrative addressing how they will meet each consideration. DESE AEL evaluates all applications using the same rubric and scoring criteria. DESE AEL uses no more than 20 percent of the 82.5 percent of the state grant under Section 225 to provide educational programs through eligible providers to incarcerated adults.

The IFB explains that the following services must be accessible to justice involved individuals based on need and situational feasibility:

• adult education and literacy activities;
• special education as determined by the eligible agency;
• Integrated Education and Training (IET);
• career pathways;
• co-enrollment with partner agencies;
• peer tutoring; and
• transition to re-entry initiatives and other post-release services with the goal of reducing recidivism.

Eligible service providers applying for DESE AEL funded corrections education programs must demonstrate effectiveness in their grant application. Before scoring the full grant application, the grant review team determines if the provider has demonstrated effectiveness adequately for eligibility. The determination considers a program’s record of improving the skills of eligible individuals who have low levels of literacy, in the content domains of reading, writing, mathematics, English language acquisition, and other subject areas relevant to the services contained in the State's application for funds. An eligible provider must also provide information regarding its outcomes for participants related to employment, attainment of secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and transition to postsecondary education and training. The grant process also reviews programs serving justice-involved individuals recidivism rates. The evaluation committee reviews grants for all providers deemed eligible using a standardized rubric.

After eligible service providers are determined, DESE AEL distributes grant applications to the appropriate LWDB for review. Board members give feedback on the requirements of one-stop partnership and LWDB involvement as described by eligible service providers in their funding application. In addition, recommendations are obtained from LWDBs as the grant applications relate to alignment with the local plan, regional workforce needs, and priority of service including justice involved individuals who will be released within 5 years.

DESE AEL funded corrections educational programs give priority of service to individuals who are likely to leave the correctional institution within 5 years. Missouri state law requires all offenders without a high school diploma or high school equivalency to earn HSE or exhibit a continuous, honest, good faith of academic success for parole eligibility. Missouri Department of Corrections (DOC) deploys methodology for offender educational services that increase educational levels and provide skills for self-sufficiency to reduce the recidivism rate. This rate for justice involved individuals involved in adult education is consistently lower than the overall prison population.

DOC offers adult education and literacy activities that focus on increasing literacy, improving language skills, preparing for the HSE test, and offering offenders the opportunity to reenter society as productive citizens. Corrections programs provide IET through the Employability Skills program which delivers workforce training skills and life skills that help offenders reenter society as productive citizens. This program offers a curriculum that covers job preparation (resume building, interview preparation, etc.), workforce skills, and family life skills. Students cover these topics concurrently with adult education curriculum that includes instruction in reading, writing, speaking, mathematics and English language acquisition. Curriculum and materials provide real life context and align with CCRS. Where situationally feasible, instruction may include peer tutoring.

Special education instructional strategies used within DOC link to the student’s learning style and learning disabilities/difficulties. DOC provides accommodations for students with learning disabilities/differences than can include signers or interpreters, tutors for one-on-one instruction, adaptations such as color overlays and large key calculators. DOC provides accommodations to students in accordance with official TABE and HSE guidelines.

Missouri DOC offers career pathways for incarcerated students by integrating adult education and literacy with workforce preparation activities priming students for the workforce upon their release. Additionally, DOC offers options for post-secondary educational opportunities including self-pay or free options to study with an accredited college. Some institutions offer vocational training and education for those who qualify based on DOC criteria. These vocational options provide a pathway for students to build skills through workforce training and education that will assist with obtaining and retaining employment to reduce recidivism.

DOC policy does not allow for direct connection with the public school sector, one-stop centers, and/or social services agencies during students’ incarceration; however, DOC does provide Title II funded students with information/resources to help them transition into society through the Missouri Reentry Process (MRP) including information about connecting to MJCs, AEL programs, one-stop centers, post-secondary opportunities and more. Through MRP, offenders prepare for release throughout their incarceration addressing educational opportunities, job placement, and local support systems.