Narrative: f.

DCAE uses various means of assessment in its annual and ongoing evaluation process, including site monitoring visits, desk monitoring, program improvement processes, and performance and financial audits. The results of these processes determine program improvement actions.

Professional Development Quality Assessment

Participants are surveyed after all workshops, conference presentations and webinars to evaluate and provide feedback on the activity or event. In regional workshops changes are made to future workshops based on input from participants. Programs review student data to determine if the training impacted student outcomes and also to determine areas that additional training may be needed. The annual training plan includes state priorities, input from surveys about training needs, and advice from a statewide professional development advisory committee. Survey results are reviewed with the professional development advisory committee to decide how the training would best be delivered, face to face or online webinars. Workshops conducted on college and career readiness have been formatted for online courses which include a post–test to determine if the learning objectives were met. Best practices are identified in the advisory committees and this may result in a webinar delivered through IPDAE or presented at one of the annual conferences conducted by the state leadership professional development providers. Data from GED® test results is reviewed to determine areas that students may need additional instruction. Math instruction for GED® preparation and Adult Basic Education courses will continue to be a priority for regional trainings and webinars.

Monitoring

DCAE will implement a Quality Assurance System that will assure student performance improvement, financial accountability, program quality, and regulatory compliance of local providers in accordance with federal laws and regulations, state statutes and rules, and the provisions of an approved grant award. The monitoring component of the Quality Assurance System is risk–based. Risk assessment is a process used to evaluate variables associated with workforce education grants and assign a rating for the level of risk to the FDOE and DCAE associated with each provider. In order to complete a risk assessment, certain risk factors have been identified which may affect the level of risk for each agency. A risk matrix is completed for each provider. The annual risk assessment is conducted by the quality assurance team to determine the monitoring strategy appropriate for each provider. A range of monitoring strategies includes conference calls, improvement plans, desktop self–assessment, grant reviews, etc., with the more comprehensive strategy such as an onsite visit, designated for providers deemed to be at higher risk.

Actions taken to improve quality

If non–compliance finding(s) are identified, a corrective action plan will be implemented. The corrective action plan must identify the findings and specific strategies the provider will implement to ensure finding(s) have been resolved. Program Improvement Plan

DCAE conducts annual performance evaluations. The evaluations process is a data–driven accountability system for adult education programs. In a competition year, all awarded agencies are expected to meet at least 90 percent of the State Performance Target or demonstrate improvement for each educational functioning level. In continuing years, an Adult Education Program Improvement Plan (AEPIP) will be required if the DCAE determines that an eligible recipient failed to meet at least 90 percent of the state performance target or demonstrate improvement for each functioning level from the agency’s previous year completion rates.

An AEPIP will be required for each educational functioning level that fails to meet the required standards and will be implemented starting in the second year of funding. In addition to program improvement plans and other actions taken to improve quality, the following activities are available:

New Director Training

Provides new directors with information such as federal and state guidelines, data collection and NRS reporting, and resources needed to administer their programs.

TABE and CASAS Training/Trainers

Through ongoing training, a network of trained professionals ensures the uniform administration and reporting of assessments used for determining federal level gains.

Data Reporting and Program Improvement Training

Provides training on the fundamentals of the NRS. Topics include monitoring, data analysis and collection, types of data and measures, assessments, data quality, and related information.

Technical Assistance

Adult education Bi–monthly calls to inform adult educators of program changes, reporting announcements, and opportunities to ask questions of the DCAE staff. In addition, technical assistance papers are posted on the FDOE website.

Teacher Training

Provides information and resources to support instruction in the areas of GED® preparation, college and career readiness, career awareness and planning, career pathways, reading and math instructional strategies.