Narrative: f.

The VDOE’s system for assessing the quality of providers of adult education and literacy activities is based on five major activities, which can occur both consecutively and concurrently throughout the program year:

1. a program self-assessment survey completed by each provider
2. the distribution and review of an annual risk rubric for each program
3. quarterly data monitoring of information entered by each program in the state Management Information System (MIS) and Online Management of Education Grant Awards (OMEGA) fiscal system
4. technical assistance calls, the content of which is based on 1-3 above, between the VDOE and each funded program
5. the identification of programs for on-site monitoring reviews, based on information collected in activities 1-3 above

Program Self-Assessment Survey: The program self-assessment survey supports providers’ full understanding of the requirements, expectations, and priorities of WIOA. The Survey is designed to help programs document leadership and management processes and assist the VALRC and state office staff to plan technical assistance. The survey includes questions concerning program quality and compliance, workforce integration, IET, program operations, and fiscal management. The VDOE and VALRC staff analyze all responses and use this information to inform decisions about technical assistance needs for the current and coming year.

Risk Rubrics: The VDOE conducts an annual risk assessment to evaluate each provider’s risk of noncompliance with federal statutes, regulations, and terms and conditions of the AEFLA subaward. The risk analysis is based on indicators that reflect programs’ enrollments, attainment of specified performance measures, post-test rates, post-exit indicators, percentage of federal and state-awarded funds expended, the accurate and timely submission of required reports, the program’s last participation in a VDOE on-site review, and the number of new or substantially changed key personnel or systems. The indicators, with their assigned point values, are applied to each program, a total score is obtained, and a risk rubric is created. The identification of programs to receive an on-site monitoring review is determined from the scores generated by this risk analysis.

Technical Assistance Calls: Direct conversations with program staff from all funded providers allow the VDOE to combine the quantitative analysis provided by the risk rubrics with the more qualitative nature of the responses provided on the program self-assessment survey. These calls allow for deeper exploration of technical assistance needs submitted and comments provided by the programs on the survey and a conversation on the results of the quarterly monitoring of data, performance, and financial expenditures. In addition, programs can verify the appropriateness of documentation to verify or demonstrate compliance with many of the questions on the survey.

Site Visits: The purposes of monitoring site visits to programs are to:

1. Ensure that programs meet federal and state requirements
2. Improve the quality of federally funded adult education activities
3. Provide assistance in identifying and resolving accountability issues
4. Ensure the accuracy, validity, reliability, and security of data collection and data reporting and the adherence to required policies and procedures for program accountability

The VDOE uses a Site-Visit Protocol instrument to guide the process and reviews the program’s application for funding and other relevant documents in preparation for a site visit as well as during the visit. Other regional program managers are recruited and oriented to serve as peer reviewers on the monitoring team. While on site, the monitoring team observes classroom practices and conducts interviews with the local LWDB Director, program administrators, program staff, teachers, and students. Site visits are also an important opportunity for state staff to see promising practices, local solutions to common barriers, and challenges that differ among regions and variations in successful approaches to addressing the challenges. Official site-visit reports may contain corrective action items. If so, programs are required to address these items by established deadline(s), which vary depending on the nature of the action required. While the VDOE will work with programs to address corrective action items, the burden of effecting change rests with the program. A site-visit evaluation file is considered closed when the program no longer has any open corrective actions items.