Unmasking the Brilliance of Adult Education: Elevating New Mexico from Worst to Best in the Nation

Abstract: New Mexico ranks among the worst in the nation in educational attainment, poverty, violence, substance abuse, and suicide. With the advent of the WIOA legislation, a group of New Mexico adult education (AE) practitioners rallied to the call of building career pathways out of poverty and launched a radically innovative professional development initiative for elevating New Mexico to stand among our nation's top performers. Our C3 Initiative develops AE programs from "the inside out" to build Collaborations, Competency-Based Education, and Career Pathways programming. Design components include a three-year program commitment, a decision maker with two teachers from each program working for integrated change, program accountability with deliverables and increased responsibility, and the creation of a statewide professional learning community with a 33-week research-to-practice online curriculum. Our session shares knowledge and tools for supporting adult educators to unmask our brilliance and become leaders in the national career pathways movement. A pdf of the presentation has been uploaded for sharing. The Google Slides can be viewed by going to the link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ADlPv49Phieh1ZTD67Hkxd1klzJugmccE9raOCYIIl4/edit?usp=sharing.