Purpose Of The Project & Relationship To The Adult Education Quality Indicators:

Total Budget $ 38,500

(formerly: Adult and Community Quality Indicator Training Manual)

Agency: Santa Rosa County School Board; 1994-1995

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Contact: Sandra Hayes (904) 983-5710

Goal: The goals of this program are to field test and refine the Educational Quality Indicator Program (EQuIP), to complete a resources directory, to coordinate with Florida IDEAL's Diagnostic and Prescriptive Instrument (DPI) and the Adult and Community Quality Indicator project, and to disseminate the manual and train adult education providers.

Background: The Western Panhandle Coalition in Phase II of the project completed the training manual and initial resources based upon the quality indicators of adult education. The manual consists of nine focus areas that address each of the nine quality indicators. Modules have been developed which define each of the indicators and their descriptors. These modules provide direction to adult educators on implementation procedures that address the criteria for quality performance. Input on parts of the manual has been incorporated into the draft manual. Results indicated acceptance to the value of the manual and the need for additional development of resources as well as manual refinement. The Florida IDEAL 353 Project, "Diagnostic and Prescriptive Instrument of Quality Indicators" correlates with this project by providing diagnostic and prescriptive components. The ACQU provides components of training for the quality indicators. These two models can be combined to create one comprehensive training manual.

AGENCY: Florida Atlantic University: Florida IDEAL: 1997,1998,1999

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In 1986, leaders in Adult and Community Education in the State of Florida, under the direction of what is now the Division of Workforce Development, created a service that would enable educators to share information about programs and processes that were particularly noteworthy or that deserved both recognition and adoption statewide. This became known as the Florida Adult and Community Education Network (ACENET). The Institute for the Development and Enhancement of Adult Learning (IDEAL) which houses Florida ACENET is committed to finding solutions for the new learning environments through advances in technology and the dissemination of best educational practices and exemplary programs. Since 1994, Florida ACENET @ IDEAL has rapidly taken advantage of the advances that technology has to offer to further expand our service area and our ability to meet diverse and wide ranging needs.

Administrators and instructors alike in literacy education, in family literacy as well as in GED, ESOL and adult high school, adults with disabilities and senior adults can be placed at a decided advantage if they can arm themselves with curriculum materials, tracking systems or innovative software which has been previously developed and proven successful. Florida ACENET @ IDEAL is in the unique position to serve such a diverse target population because of its library of materials and its online resources. This, along with annual publications including the Catalog of Exemplary Programs and the Internet based Section 353 abstracts enable Florida ACENET @ IDEAL to creatively serve the wide ranging needs of workforce educators. This grant proposal also includes the development of a set of 335 thematic maps based on census data to further assist in identifying target areas for enhancement.

The primary goal of Florida's Adult Education program is to reduce illiteracy and under-education among adults in Florida. Through the dissemination of proven best educational practices and exemplary materials, Florida ACENET @ IDEAL can be a major contributor to the educators who are meeting this goal. Additionally, the activities of Florida ACENET @ IDEAL address Blueprint 2000 Goals Seven (Adult Literacy) and Eight (Parental Involvement). Through its online services, Florida ACENET @ IDEAL has and continues to address national priorities both in its use and in its dissemination of innovative methods, systems, value, materials or programs that may have national significance or will be of special value in promoting effective programs under the Adult Education Act.

Specifically, Florida ACENET ~ IDEAL addresses Indicator 6 (Program Planning and Evaluation), Indicator 9 (Staff Development) and Indicator 4 (Recruitment) of the federally mandated quality indicators. At FAU, Florida ACENET ~ IDEAL has a proven track record of success, and is one of the few adult education clearinghouses operating in the nation. As the years have progressed, Florida ACENET @ IDEAL has been able to collect tremendous, cutting edge materials. The continued funding of Florida ACENET @ IDEAL is crucial to making sure that these materials are shared with those who need them most. The budget for this experimental demonstration project is $150,264 which is further explained in the budget narrative and appropriate forms.

Agency: Florida Atlantic University: 1995-1996

Background: The Institute for the Development and Enhancement of Adult Learning (IDEAL) housed at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is committed to finding solutions for the new learning environments through advances in technology and the dissemination of exemplary and best practices programs. In 1986, leaders in Adult and Community Education in the State of Florida, under the direction of the Bureau of Adult and Community Education, created this service to enable educators to share information about programs and processes that were particularly noteworthy or that deserved both recognition and adoption statewide. This became known as the Florida Adult and Community Education Network Clearinghouse (ACENET).

AGENCY: Pinellas County School District: 1998-1999

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Purpose of the Project: The purpose of this two-year, action-research project is to measure the effectiveness or an innovative approach to increasing literacy. Research will be conducted through a cooperative pilot project in which targeted adults will be taught via the PDQ curriculum/instruction system developed by Educational Testing Service (ETS) of Princeton New Jersey. In the first year, a research design will be developed, and PDQ, a process-oriented approach to teaching prose, document, and quantitative literacy, will be tested at four pilot sites in areas of south St. Petersburg with high unemployment and underemployment. Student gains, as measured both by TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) and TALS (Test of Adult Literacy Skills), in pilot classes will be compared to student gains in traditional classes. In the second year, research will continue with additional pilot and control groups; comparison data on rate and degree of student progress will be collected and analyzed; and a research report will be written and disseminated.

Who Will Benefit (target groups to be served): This project is directed at four targeted groups of adults--at-risk youth, family literacy participants, adults in the workplace, and educationally disadvantaged adults in community-based programs. Each of the four pilot sites involved in the first year of the project will serve one of these populations.

Federal and/or State Goals and Priorities Addressed by the Project: The Project will address Florida's primary' adult education goal--reducing illiteracy and under-education among adults. Through 40 hour, process-focused classes aimed to help students benefit from job training/retraining programs and obtain, retain, or advance in productive employment; the Project will address the national priority of using innovative methods.

Adult Education Quality Indicators: This Project will address Adult Education Quality Indicator 1.0 (Educational Gains) through instruction, assessment, research, and other personnel activities; staff travel and training; hardware, materials, supplies, and printing funded through the project.

How Funds Will Be Used in a Special Demonstration Project: This project product will be a research report on the comparative effectiveness on student gains of the traditional, individualized ABE/GED curriculum and instruction model and PDQ. In the first year, the project will maximize resources through collaboration of Pinellas County Schools, Educational Testing Service, University of South Florida, City of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg Times, community agencies, and Division of Workforce Development. PCS will provide class sites and teachers, materials/supplies, project oversight, ancillary' student services, and program support. ETS will provide software, training, TALS test booklets, and technical assistance. LSF will provide community outreach services, student recruitment and referral, and marketing/promotion. Business/community partners will provide recruitment, class sites/utilities, some hardware, and (employers only) employee release time to attend PDQ classes. Workforce Development will provide, through this 353 project, funds for some personnel (including teacher hours), travel, hardware, materials, and supplies.

What Makes This Project Innovative: This project is innovative in that it will make possible evaluation of the effects on students' educational gains of a research-based, non-traditional, process-oriented curriculum/instruction approach. Positive results will lead to enhancement of adult education programs and development of a new initiative for adults whose lack of basic and functional skills or competencies renders them unemployable or unable to advance in their jobs; prevents their functioning independently in society; and/or reduces their ability to have a positive effect on the literacy of their children.

Total Budget Requested: This project budget requested is $145,766. The funds will be used to supplement district, cooperative partner, and state funding.

Personnel: Workforce Development funds district and school personnel. The program resource facilitator funded through this project will be totally responsible for the project: training and coordinating instructors managing internal and external communication, and overseeing and integrating services at the four sites. The teacher assistant will help with these duties and provide teacher and program support. Four part-time teachers at ten hours per week per site will be assigned to the school, job, and community based sites to provide direct student instruction. Training supplements and substitute teacher allotments will provide two presence and two staff development days per teacher throughout the year to ensure the quality' of instruction. Establishment and maintenance of collaborative agreements with workplace, community/agency partners will be made possible through the project

Travel: In-county travel dollars allow the program resource facilitator to travel from the project base to the four classes at school, community, and worksite partner locations to provide technical assistance and to meetings crucial to attainment of project objectives. Out-of-county travel dollars will be used to provide on-site visits for the program facilitator and the partnership facilitator to the home office of Educational Testing Services for training and research assistance.

Professional and Technical: Contracted service hours with USF will provide a partnership facilitator to serve as the community liaison between USF, Workforce Development, PCs, City of St. Petersburg and St. Petersburg Times.

Capital Outlay: Funds will be used to provide the computer hardware and large-sized monitors (two sets) for the community-based classrooms. Two additional sets will be provided by the ~" Petersburg Times and the City of SL Petersburg for the job-site classes. One office computer and printer will be provided for the project to maintain student records and research data required to document project objectives.

Miscellaneous: Instructional materials dollars will provide support for classroom teachers and students by providing supplies and printing to enhance the materials and tests provided by ETS. Project materials will provide materials, supplies, and printing for the program facilitator and partnership facilitator in addition to those provided by' PCs and USF to enable them to interagency cooperation, program evaluation, and project coordination. Indirect costs are also provided to the Pinellas County Schools Special Projects Department for program supervision.

Agency: Florida Community College at Jacksonville (1995-1996)

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Contact: Deborah Thomas (904) 632-5049

Dissemination Goal: The goal of this program is to provide Local Education Agencies (LEA) with an innovative and flexible tracking system that will promote program quality through effective planning and evaluation and demonstrate the effectiveness of adult education programs. SSTs dissemination will also result in more reliable and consistent statewide adult student data which will enhance school accountability and enable adult educators to demonstrate the effectiveness of their programs to legislators, businesses, and the public.

Background: Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ) with the collaboration of the ten state educational institutions and agencies that comprise the Student Success Tracking System, seeks to address the need for school improvement and accountability by disseminating its customized computer-based tracking system. SSTs addresses the literacy needs of Florida's undereducated, disadvantaged, and other target adult learners by providing an automated means of capturing and reporting data that can be used to improve student success, program responsiveness, and accountability. It will enable participating LEA's to move toward assessment based on performance and will help meet the need for measures of performance outcomes in adult education.

Agency: Florida Atlantic University

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Contact: ACENET @ FAU.edu

Ph: (561) 297-2346

Goal: The goal of Florida IDEAL is to assist adult, community, and literacy educators by finding solutions for the new learning environments created by today's technology. This will be accomplished by functioning in the following five key ways:

1) as a testing and state-of the-art training site for technological developments and new methodologies which will enhance adult learning;

2) as a developmental site for computer-aided instruction and interactive technologies with distance-education formats;

3) as a dissemination site for low-cost, locally developed training that utilizes the best educational and multimedia practices;

4) as a provider of technical assistance for adult and community educators in areas such as strategic planning, collaborative efforts relative to Florida FOCUS, assessment systems/techniques, mentoring, multicultural communications, and innovative facilitating; and

5) production site for the Adult Education Section 353 Directory, Diagnostic and Prescriptive Instrument of Quality Indicators, Florida Directory of Adult and Community Resource Personnel, and more.

Background: Advances in technology have redefined the concept of literacy for adults. Literacy includes use of technology in everyday life as well as the ability to use the "3-R's". Advances in technology can address problems in adult education such as student recruitment and retention, turnover of staff, lack of instruments to measure program effectiveness and much more. Educational technology is needed to improve adult literacy programs. Delivery and marketing strategies are needed to distribute materials. Training and professional development is required for those who teach and administer programs. Florida IDEAL will address all these issues using technology to re-engineer the learning process and delivery process for learning. Florida IDEAL will use innovative methods, systems, materials, and programs which may have statewide and/or national significance through a variety of means and which will be accomplished in six phases.