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Integrated Education and Training (IET) has become a useful strategy to help adult education students and others improve their basic and occupational skills while meeting local workforce development requirements and needs. The resource provides templates, guidance, and tools that will help practitioners plan, design, and implement the basic skills component of an IET curriculum. The resource is designed to enable Title II providers and their training partners to adapt existing curriculum and/or develop new basic skills curriculum to help adult education students successfully complete occupational skills training and move forward on a career path. The focus of this guide is on basic skills rather than occupational skills training curriculum.

This report examines the role of technology in the 21^st century classroom and how to best provide teachers with the time, support, and space to learn how to use technological tools and resources effectively to support deeper learning. Although coaching and mentoring are sometimes used interchangeable, they involve slightly different relationships between the two parties involved. Coaching suggests a partnership-type relationship in which the coach encourages growth by sharing their expertise through a sustained professional dialogue aimed at developing instructional skills. Mentorship implies a hierarchical relationship in which the mentor serves as a role model. Just as there isn’t one way to teach, there isn’t one way to coach. There is still much to be explored and studied when it comes to creating and implementing impactful coaching programs. Existing literature suggests that:

• Coaching is most meaningful to teachers when it is content-specific and stimulates collaboration between coaches and teachers in a coaching relationship.
• Long-term coaching is more impactful than one-shot professional development opportunities because it allows for more responsive coaching and relationship-building between the coach and teacher, in turn having the most impact on the teacher’s practice.
• Coaching for technology integration should be based in the understanding that technology is in service of specific content and supports developing higher order skills as well as effective teaching practices.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was enacted on July 22, 2014. WIOA calls for cross-system alignment; education and training that is focused on the needs of high-demand industry sectors and occupations; regional collaboration focused on the skill needs of regional economies; and the establishment of career pathways systems that make it easier for all Americans to attain the skills and credentials needed for family-supporting jobs and careers. Within these systems, career pathways programs offer a clear sequence, or pathway, of education coursework and/or training credentials aligned with employer-validated work readiness standards and competencies. This checklist is designed as a work aid to help determine the extent to which a newly developed or existing program meets the requirements for career pathways in section (3)(7) of WIOA.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) and The City University of New York (CUNY) co-developed the NYSED/CUNY CareerKit. It is a comprehensive career preparation resource for teachers and counselors to equip students with the skills necessary to make informed choices about their career paths in ten industry sectors. CareerKit activities are written at the high school equivalency (HSE)/Upper English as a second language (ESL) level, with adaptations possible for Pre-HSE and intermediate ESL levels, and integrates reading, writing, research and math skills. The sectors are Healthcare, Technology, Community & Social Services, Education & Childcare, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Recreation, & the Arts, Food Production, Retail, Construction, and Transportation & Warehousing. There is also a foundational, multisector CareerKit, Career Fundamentals, which introduces students to key questions related to career decision-making.

There is evidence suggesting that blended learning has some advantages over traditional classroom instruction. This presentation includes information further explored in the report, Blended Learning for the Adult Education Classroom. For example, the presentation shares data from the report indicating that Texas adult learners who received up to 50% of their instruction online outperformed those who attended traditional classes and those who received more than half of their learning online. A 2010 meta-analysis published by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development found that K-12 and higher education students learning online performed modestly better than counterparts learning the same subject matter through traditional face-to-face instruction. Examples of how adult education teachers are using blended learning are provided as well as strategies for ensuring that students have access to technology and free blended learning tools.

This planning guide is designed as an interactive tool for initiating or expanding the alignment between existing CTE and apprenticeship programs. It provides a blueprint for state, regional, and local administrators leading efforts to transform CTE and apprenticeship linkages across a state or community. The blueprint begins with defining the potential impact that CTE and apprenticeship alignment will have for students, employers, and communities. The process then moves to developing a plan of action tailored to the needs and readiness of state or local programs. Once a plan is in place, partnerships are developed with institutions, employers, and agencies who then help in defining and designing the program. Customizable tools and templates are provided that allow users to adjust each resource to fit their unique needs. While the steps, tools, and resources in this guide are valuable to anyone interested in strengthening the potential intersection between CTE and apprenticeship programs, this resource is targeted at two distinct groups of users. The first includes state leaders of education and workforce training systems seeking to improve the alignment of secondary CTE and apprenticeship programs. The second includes education and training providers who are interested in working with regional or local employers or industry groups to expand the role of CTE in preparing high school students for apprenticeships.

In the absence of state policies providing structures and funding for work-based learning programs, there can be disparities in program access from one district to another. Fewer than one-third of states have adopted policies regarding secondary student work-based learning, according to the National Skills Coalition. As of April 2017, 14 states had policies governing pre-apprenticeships and youth apprenticeship programs for high school students, and 11 states had policies governing other secondary student work-based learning. To ensure wide and equitable access to high-quality work-based learning experiences designed to prepare participants for postsecondary and workforce success in high-demand occupations in their region or state, a comprehensive policy approach should include the following components:

• Single, clear and statewide definition of various work-based learning experiences.
• High-quality career awareness and exploration beginning in the elementary and middle grades.
• Funds to support deployment of all activities at the state, regional, and local levels.
• Development and dissemination of a state framework for work-based learning.
• Non-elective graduation credit for approved work-based learning experiences.

Because all five policy areas are interrelated, these components should be viewed as a comprehensive package of policies for state adoption rather than a menu from which states may choose without compromising program availability or quality.