Integrated Basic Education Skills and Training (I-BEST) Intervention Report

Rising employer demand for skilled workers has driven efforts to better align occupational training programs to industry needs. Yet, even as the demand for skilled workers increases, less than half of students who enter occupational training programs receive a credential within six years. Community colleges are working to find faster and more effective ways to train those in need of basic skills instruction in math, reading, or job skills. Traditionally, basic skills courses are offered in a sequence that must be completed before students can begin college-level occupational training. However, most students referred to basic skills training never enroll in college-level courses. As its name implies, Washington State's "Integrated Basic Education Skills and Training (I-BEST)" provides integrated basic skills and occupational training that allows students to complete their training program faster, and provides supports designed to ensure students stay engaged in training. Washington State's "I-BEST" program was developed by the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and was first implemented in the 2006-2007 school year. Since its creation, "I-BEST" has been replicated in other locations, sometimes under different names. "Accelerating Opportunity" was launched in four states in 2011 with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. With support from the U.S. Department of Labor's Workforce Innovation Fund (WIF), the "Accelerating Connections to Employment (ACE)" program was implemented in four states in 2013. Both "Accelerating Opportunity" and "ACE" programs note that they are based on the "I-BEST" model, with the same core commitment to integrated basic skills and occupational training. Supports provided by these programs differ slightly, and these differences are described in this report. This What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) report, part of the WWC's Postsecondary Career and Technical Education topic area, explores the effects of "I-BEST" on education and labor market outcomes. The WWC identified 12 studies of "I-BEST." Three of these studies meet WWC standards. The evidence presented in this report is from studies of the impact of "I-BEST" on students in career and technical education programs--including African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Native Hawaiian, and White students--in a variety of school settings, including urban, suburban, and rural community colleges.