Initiatives
Adult Basic Education has an active role in all of these college system efforts
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges System Direction http://www.sbctc.edu/general/a_systemdirection.aspx
Vision: Build strong communities, individuals and families, and achieve greater global competitiveness and prosperity for the state and its economy by raising the knowledge and skills of the state’s residents.
Ten Goals:
- Economic Demand – Strengthening state and local economies by meeting the demands for a well-educated and skilled workforce.
- Student Success – Achieving increased educational attainment for all residents across the state.
- Innovation – Using technology, collaboration and innovation to meet the demands of the economy and improve student success.
Mission Study - http://www.sbctc.edu/general/a_missionstudy.aspx
The overarching goal of this Mission Study is to find more and better ways to reduce barriers and expand opportunities so more Washingtonians can reach higher levels of education. This study provides a long-term outlook at how community and technical college education will need to change and grow to meet the needs and expectations of future learners.
Student Achievement Initiative http://www.sbctc.edu/college/e_studentachievement.aspx
The Student Achievement Initiative is a new performance funding system for community and technical colleges. Its purposes are to both improve public accountability by more accurately describing what students achieve from enrolling in our colleges each year, and to provide incentives through financial rewards to colleges for increasing the levels of achievement attained by their students. It represents a shift from funding entirely for enrollment inputs to also funding meaningful outcomes
There are four categories of Achievement measures:
- Building towards college-level skills (basic skills gains, passing precollege writing or math)
- First year retention (earning 15 then 30 college level credits)
- Completing college-level math (passing math courses required for either technical or academic associate degrees)
- Completions (degrees, certificates, apprenticeship training)
Strategic Technology Plan http://www.sbctc.edu/docs/strategicplan/strategic_technology_plan.pdf
The Strategic Technology Plan is the product of an 18-month analysis conducted by the Technology Transformation Task Force of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges for the purpose of creating a roadmap for how our system needs to leverage 21st Century technologies to support student achievement.
ADULT BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
Adult Basic Education (ABE operations information) http://www.sbctc.edu/college/e_abe.aspx
More than 1 million adults in Washington State lack the basic education skills they need to succeed in an increasingly complicated world. For these citizens, Adult Basic Education (ABE) opens doors to self-sufficiency, stronger families, and improved citizenship. But adult basic education does more than help individuals. It lays the foundation for our state’s success in building a strong workforce, a vital economy, and healthy communities. When one person learns, everyone benefits. We hope you will find on this site information and connections that will help you as an adult learner, provider, or partner and discover opportunities to influence ABE in our state. (Note links on left side-bar to resources including the ABE Handbook and Grant RFP.)
Creating Opportunities for Washington’s Emerging Workforce http://www.sbctc.edu/college/_e-abe_creatingopportunities.aspx
Washington state’s workforce is on the verge of crisis. Just as companies need workers with higher and higher levels of skills, knowledge and creativity, well-educated baby boomers are retiring. More people entering the workforce lack high school diplomas and English language and literacy skills. That leaves the state’s employers without the workers they need to compete in the global marketplace.
At the same time, the fastest growing populations in Washington state also face crisis. One in six adults needs additional education and training, but only about 5% are able to be served each year. Under-prepared adults struggle to find and keep jobs that pay a living wage. The knowledge and skills demands of the economy increasingly divide the haves and have nots. Workers, employers, families and communities pay a high price for the widening gap.
The adult basic education system has the ability to help divert this crisis. In order to better serve adult learners and Washington state, the adult basic education system will:
1. Increasing access by serving more students, providing instruction in flexible location and times, and using multiple methods for teaching. Strategies include:
- Working with other agencies/programs to serve more students (TANF, Workforce development councils, community based organizations)
- Working with other agencies/programs to serve students in a variety of places and times (TANF, Workforce development councils, community based organizations, employers, churches, etc.)
- Expanding access to electronic learning media, and support for ABE faculty to learning how to use it.
2. Increase student outcomes, prioritizing those that help student and the state meet its economic and workforce goals. Strategies include:
- Participating in the Student Achievement Initiative to measure continuous improvement in student progress and outcomes, and to identify best practices supported by data
- Working with other agencies/programs to build career pathways for students from ABE through degree completion and employment (TANF, Workforce development councils)
- Implementing Adult Learning Standards (aka content standards) to frame learning objectives and standardize indicators of progress throughout ABE and into further education and training.
- Participate in the development of I-BEST and other integrated and coordinated strategies to move students further and faster in acquiring the knowledge and skills to attain their employment goals.
3. Increase public awareness and understanding about adult basic education and the way it assists Washington state to meet its economic and workforce goals. Strategies include:
- Working with providers to hone their messages and strategies for communicating within their schools, communities and with state and federal policy makers.
- Provide training and practice opportunities to program leaders to improve their ability to present and discuss data concerning their ABE services with the above groups.
WorkFirst is Washington State's welfare reform program that helps people in low-income families find jobs, keep their jobs, find better jobs, and become self-sufficient. About 2/3 of WorkFirst participants who are referred to SBCTC grantees for Education and Training begin with or are co-enrolled in Adult Basic Education.