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An outstanding resource for anyone interested in the effectiveness of competency-based professional development, microcredentialing and the best practices of Hybrid Professional Development. This is a MUST read for ANYONE interested in improving their Professional Development delivery system! This is an outstanding paper on the benefits of competency-based professional development, coupled with effective new tools, such as micro-credentialing and the effectiveness that hybrid professional development provides for adult educators. This has great relevance for adult basic skills professional development. There is great potential for competency-based teacher education and micro-credentials in adult basic education. The personalized learning advocated for teacher education in K-12 and higher education also applies very well to adult education.

The RAND study is based on a meta-analysis of the literature of correctional education.  It establishes a valuable map for what works in adult correctional education. It also examines use of technology and funding issues in the field.  This study is the most current and widely cited analyis of correctional education and a "must know" for those working in correctional education or considering policy related to the field. This study is a foundational work for administrators and faculty in the field of correctional education.  It is also a key citation for policy-makers in considering funding and resource allocation to the field. The resource addresses the effectiveness of correctional education programming in institutions and facilities for juveniles and adults in the areas of adult basic education, basic skills instruction, English language learners, high school equivalency/GED completion, vocational education or career technical education, training in general employment skills, and college level/postsecondary instruction. Information regarding literacy levels and rates resulting from the study are part of the underpinnings. This Meta-analysis is well-done, easy-to-read, and has strong recommendations attached.  The fact that it is current (2014) is a true bonus.  

This resource explains Webb’s Depth of Knowledge very well. The videos included enhance the learning of the learner and allow them to feel like they are participating in live professional development. There are several suggested activities that practitioners can immediately take back into the classroom to use. The classroom activities are particularly strong. This resource was developed specifically for ABE/ASE teachers, and most of the videos involve two teachers sharing activities from their classrooms. The two teachers present compelling units that are comprehensive in scope and show the range of the depth of knowledge levels being addressed at each classroom/student level, which is an important focus of the resource. The teachers also address the realities of the “typical” ABE/ASE classroom and how they worked with these realities in designing their thematic or project-based units. The overall orientation in the materials toward critical thinking as a stance, as a culture to be fostered in the classroom rather than as something to be easily “taught” was refreshing. This resource has much potential but only highly motivated learners might make it through. After the first few videos, most of the remaining 17 involve a lecture style. Very little reading material is provided, other than notetaking handouts and the classroom handouts used by the teachers, so users must watch the videos to obtain the information. If users make it through the 2.5 hours of videos, the user will come away with a good, practical knowledge base of Webb’s Depth of Knowledge and how to enhance critical thinking.

The resource is intended for an adult educator audience. The resource contains instructional tasks that can be implemented in the adult education classroom. These instructional tasks are focused on three goals directly related to adult education students: (1) meeting life skills; (2) promoting college readiness; and (3) promoting career readiness. Educators might use this resource to support CCR standards-aligned teaching that integrates life and workplace skills development. It is a good ‘beginner’ resource that shows educators how to think about the CCR standards for ELA/Literacy in relation to classroom activities with which they may be familiar. While the resource lacks details about the three key advances inherent in the CCR ELA/Literacy standards, it shows adult educators how to re-conceptualize their teaching and classrooms in light of the CCR standards. It provides ideas for integrating Essential Competencies and the CCR standards at various bands of learning. It could be useful for showing educators how to start the process of bringing the key advances in instructional practice into their classrooms and lesson planning and employ transitional activities in their classrooms. To supplement and further enhance the resource, it would be beneficial for users to pair examples of level-appropriate complex texts with text-dependent tasks that support building coherent bodies of knowledge The tables of Tier One Tasks (pp. 13-17) and Tier Two Tasks (pp. 18-20). Tier One Tasks “require that students apply several CCR standards to achieve a focused, short-term outcome, such as writing a set of notes or a one-paragraph summary of an at-level text. Some of these tasks might also require real-world applications, such as actually entering work places or college campuses to observe classes, conduct interviews, or shadow jobs.” (Tier One Tasks relate to 0-8 GLE; NRS low-high ABE; and CCR A-D.) Tier Two Tasks are “project-based and designed to culminate in sophisticated products such as argumentative essays, reports, and/or slide presentations.”  A cross-reference is not explicitly made to CCR standards in the Tier Two Tasks. (The document states that nearly all standards will come into play.) (Tier Two Tasks relate to 9-12 GLE; NRS ASE; and CCR D-E.) These tables and examples provide teachers with a set of guides and ideas that serve as an excellent starting point for standards and life skills integration. The text resources required to complete the indicated tasks are not suggested. Thus, teachers would also need to find and apply learning-level appropriate texts to each of the tasks. This extra step, however, would help move the resource from a focus on skills development to a focus on literacy development. The sample units provided on pages 23 and 29 are also useful tools for educators. The two sample tasks, both centering on the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, show how complex text can be used with students at different levels.

Creating Career Pathways in Colorado: A Step-by-Step Guide will help practitioners understand how to organize jobs by skill sets and levels and understand that each occupation has specific knowledge and skills sets assigned to it. This is a great tool for facilitating meetings with employers to get down to the grassroots level on skills sets and occupational career ladders, which is very much needed in the field. This guide could be used in case studies of adult work-related education, in a study circle in other kinds of professional development for administrators or industry educators. Many useful action steps and substantive examples are provided in the guide. The guide is founded on a partnership concept consisting of multiple components including partners (strategic partners, industry members, and convener), a career pathway system, and an industry cluster. These components all interact with each other to create a partnership for success.

This is a comprehensive and well-written analytical review of literature and resources for educators, administrators and policymakers serving adults who possess the high school equivalency diploma and  wish to enter postsecondary education or training. The Executive Summary of this report provides a brief overview of promising ways to enhance the effectiveness of adult education programming in the US. Chapter 1 introduces the challenges faced by the field for moving adult learners toward their education and career goals and the reform efforts currently underway. Those efforts include (a) college-readiness standards and curriculum reforms, (b) GED-to-college bridge programs, and (c) concurrent enrollment in adult education and college. This chapter identifies structural changes to the field based on what is currently known from research. Chapter 2, “Laying the Foundations: Adult Education’s Move toward College and Career Readiness,” discusses frameworks currently used in adult education and references the changes underway in both high school equivalency testing and curriculum, as per the College and Career Readiness Standards. This section also explores the question of how effective standards-based education is. Chapter 3, “Building the Bridge: Helping Adults Make the Transition from the GED to College Ready,” examines nine GED-to-college bridge programs and initiatives and highlights four common elements: more rigorous curriculum, transition supports, strong connections with postsecondary institutions, and managed enrollment. Box 3.1 on page 31 summarizes the current research findings on GED-to-college bridge programs. Chapter 4, “Spanning the Divide: Concurrent Enrollment in College and Adult Education,” acknowledges that there are no rigorous studies on concurrent enrollment with the exception of Washington state’s I-BEST model. That being said, the report examines16 concurrent enrollment programs and notes that these programs “often occur as part of career pathways models” and “vary in the amount of access they give to non˗high school graduates.” Table 4.1 on page 33 illustrates the tiers of college preparation programs for GED-to-college bridge as well as concurrent enrollment programs and stipulates which offer options to earn college credit and which are part of a career pathways model. The chapter offers descriptions of several concurrent enrollment programs. Box 4.1 on pages 37-38 describes national initiatives that support the development of career pathways programs including Accelerating Opportunities, Shifting Gears, Career Pathways Technical Assistance Initiative, and Alliance for Quality Career Pathways. A summary of the research appears in Box 4.2 on pages 41-42. The final chapter presents a synthesis of the various models, the progress “they have made in overcoming barriers to adult education reform, and suggestions for overcoming continuing challenges in the field.” The report emphasizes two critical issues that are yet to be considered: how to address the needs of the lowest level learners and how to effectively manage the issue of learning disabilities. It is important to note that the report mentions immigrants and refugees only tangentially. Given the significant numbers of English learners in adult education programs and the wide range of needs represented among them (e.g., from refugees with no or limited formal schooling to immigrants with advanced and professional degrees), it will be essential for policymakers, researchers, adult education practitioners and other interested parties to carefully consider the needs of these learners when planning further reforms and future research. The appendix includes descriptions of GED-to-college bridge programs and concurrent enrollment programs and a table of states participating in Career Pathways programs.