Community Education program brochures Metro North ABE - Consortium newsletter, Jan. 2015

ACES 101 What is ACES? ACES stands for Academic, Career & Employability Skills initiative. According to the ATLAS homepage for ACES, “The goal of ACES is to ensure that ABE programs are able to provide effective contextualized instruction integrating post-secondary education and training readiness, employability skills, and career readiness at all levels.” ACES provides professional development and tools/resources to assist teachers in integrating these skills across all levels. For more information: http://atlasabe.org/professional/transitions How is Metro North ABE involved? Metro North ABE had several staff participate early in the development process for ACES, as pilot teachers. In addition, Kara Rotramel, Forest Lake’s site coordinator, was on the state project team. Once the plan for ACES and TIF (Transitions Integration Framework) were in place, study circle facilitators were trained to offer three sessions for teachers. Kara Rotramel and Melody Chalmers were trained as facilitators. Melody trained in three teachers during the pilot in FY14. This year, with funding through our West Metro Regional Transitions grants, Metro North ABE is training all teachers through a three-part study circle. The sessions are offered during the full staff development events. Part one took place on Sept. 24, 2014, part two will take place on Jan. 27, 2015, and part three on May 5, 2015. As part of the study circle, teachers will be implementing integration of the first three TIF categories: effective communication, self-management, and critical thinking. Acing It How often during your work day do you do any of the following: Engage positively and actively with individuals in both one-on-one, as well as team settings to accomplish goals; manage time effectively to complete tasks; solve problems; use information to draw conclusions and make decisions; and navigate a system? You’re using soft skills on a daily basis! The ability to use these “soft skills” or “transition skills” effectively is often what makes a positive difference for an individual in school or work. ACES (Academic, Career, and Employability Skills Initiative) is a state-led project that provides professional development for ABE teachers on how to integrate soft skills and transitions skills into instruction at all levels. A Transitions Integration Framework (TIF) was created as a tool for teachers to assess how they are currently addressing transitions skills in their classes, and how they can enhance their incorpora tion of these skills into their lessons. Two of the TIF categories, Academic Language and Skills & Numeracy, are aligned with the new College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for adult basic education. There are also several skills within other TIF categories that also align with these standards. Academic, career, and employability skill development doesn’t wait until learners are in a GED or college prep class. ACES supports instruction at all levels, starting with beginning ESL Metro North Adult Basic Education staff Kara Rotramel and Melody Chalmers facilitate study circles as the professional development offering for ACES. During the study circle sessions, staff are becoming familiar with how to use the TIF. This year, the focus is on the first three TIF categories: Effective Communication, Critical Thinking, and Self-Management. Teachers will learn how to “TIF their lesson plans” through the following steps outlined by ATLAS ACES training: Assess how their lesson plan already meets transition skills, look for ways to complement what they already have in place to meet additional skills and sub-skills, evaluate the lesson for evidence of student learning, and study and reflect on what was effective and what needs to be adjusted. Actively involved since the beginning of the ACES initiative, Kara Rotramel, Forest Lake site coordinator, has found the professional development and tools provided very beneficial. According to Kara, “The TIF gave me permission to discuss and work on things that we don't see in many of our books (like soft skills or navigating systems). It was really enlightening (and a little discouraging) to see the statistics on how often our learners struggle after they leave us. I think using the TIF, and teaching from the categories listed there, really help our learners transition more successfully after they leave us.” JANUARY 2015 3

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