Accelerating Opportunity/Integrated Career and Academic Prep System (I-CAPS)

Presenters:Jennifer Foster, VP Adult Education and WorkforceBevan Gibson, Director Southern IL Professional Development CenterPeggy Heinrich, Dean of Adult Education, Elgin Community CollegeDiana Glosser, Director of Perkins Programs, Lake Land CollegeValorie Harris, Associate Dean of Adult Education, Lewis and Clark Community CollegeLyn Buerkett, Director of Adult Education and Literacy, Lincoln Land Community College

Accelerating Opportunity

•Gates Foundation Initiative – “A first for the ICCB”•Uses the Washington State’s “IBEST” - Integrated Basic Education Skills Training initiative as a model of implementation in each state. • Illinois is One of Eleven States selected to participate in the

Design Grant•Build on the Strengths of the “Shifting Gears” – Joyce Foundation Initiative•Builds on the Strengths of the Illinois Adult Education Strategic Plan• “Creating Pathways for Adult Learners”

• Brings much needed attention to the Adult Education Population

• Illinois Model – “I-CAPS”• Integrated Career and Academic Prep

System• Selection of 8 colleges to participate:• City College of Chicago – Daley College,

College of Lake County, Danville Area College, Elgin Community College, Lake Land College, Lewis and Clark Community College, Lincoln Land Community College, and McHenry County College

Outcomes and Deliverables:• Produce a total of 3,600 credential (8 colleges)• Transcripted college level professional-technical credit

in the semester in which it is earned• Achievement of marketable, stackable, credit bearing

certificate and degrees.• Demonstrate college readiness, by passing

developmental education.• Comprehensive Academic Social and Student Supports• Acceleration strategies, including contextualized, online,

dual enrollment including paired courses (50% overlap in instruction)

Students:• Mostly transfer-focused

• Likely to enter CTE programs

• Lacking in academic and soft skills • In adult education and English

Language Learners

Successes:• Additional Colleges Added• Transitions Academy• Industry Recognized Credentials

Earned• Connections with Employers• Transition Counselors

Challenges:• Loss of Ability to Benefit

• Tuition Costs

• Support Services

Sustainability:• Policies

• Flexibility

• Expansion

How AO is working at each college

Plus:•Lessons Learned•Successes•Challenges

Elgin Community College

• AO Process relative to Career Pathways and Role of Career Navigator

• Connection to local employers• Linking students to employment• Braided Funding• Student Support Services

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Welding Computer Numerical Control (CNC) OperatorDental Office Assistant Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVACR)

Peggy Heinrich, Dean of Adult Education847-214-6911pheinrich@elgin.edu

Support Services

• Career Navigator/Coordinator• Supplemental Tutoring• Three credit hour tuition waiver (for I-CAPS entry and

completion of GED/ESL program)• Loaner Textbooks• Cohort Design• Additional tuition support for some• Employability skills workshops• Free and mandatory support course

Career Navigator (Program Coordinator)

• One-on-one assistance with job search, resume, linkages with employers

• Articulation of clear career pathway

• Conduct recruitment and student pre-screening

• Personal student case management; registration, college requirements, etc.

• Academic support services• Individual/Group workshops focusing on job-readiness• Coordination with CTE/Adult Ed. faculty

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Initial Signs of Success

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Braided Funding

• ICCB Adult Education & Family Literacy Performance Grant

• WIA Adult & Dislocated Worker Grant• Perkins Grant

(revised guidelines)• TAACCCT (iNAM)

Grant

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Early Signs of Success

Successes•First cohorts to complete one-year program:• 6 of 8 (75%) Dental students (1 additional nearly

completed but elected to change program of study)

• 11 of 11 (100%) CNC students• 6 continuing on to 2nd year CIM program• 3 hired as CNC operators• 1 who had job at entry received promotion • 2 who had job at entry retained employment

• 5 of 6 (83%) Welding students • 4 hired as welders

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Lessons Learned & Challenges

• Achieve faculty buy-in during planning stage• Provision of paired support course essential• Faculty commitment to remain with cohort for one year• Collaborate across divisions• PELL essential to enrollment• Institutional commitment is key (e.g. tuition waivers)• Effective student pre-assessment a must• Explicit soft skills instruction critical to employment• Hire right• Navigator/Coordinator essential• Select viable career pathways• Cohort model most effective

Lake Land College

• AO process relative to college-wide integration

• Integration throughout the college

• How integrations helped with implementation

• Changes in College Academic Policies

• Student Support Services

Lake Land College

Diana Glosser, Director of Perkins Programs & AO Project Coordinator dglosser@lakeland.cc.il.us217.234.5372

• College and region-wide implementation • Administration, student services, adult education, CTE,

business and industry

• Integration assisted with implementation . . . • Implementation, recruitment, partnerships

• Lessons learned• People, facilities, policies/procedures

• Sustainability

Lewis and Clark Community College

• AO process relative to importance of administrative support and integration of CTE with adult education

• Team Teaching• Curriculum Planning

Lewis and Clark Community College

Valorie HarrisAssociate Dean, Adult Education

vharris@lc.edu

Lewis and Clark Community College

Administrative Support KEY

• Adult Education reports to Vice President of Academic Affairs

• VPAA is Project Lead

• Student Success Team

Integration of CTE and AE

• Faculty/Staff make it work

• Flexibility required

• Team teaching looks like…

Lewis and Clark Community College … Successes

• 27 of 31 students completed ICAPS Auto, 2 completed 8 weeks

• 10 of 11 students completed ICAPS Weld

• 10 of 14 students completed ICAPS EMT

• 49 of 56 (88%) students earned college credit

Challenges and Lessons Learned• Understanding Financial Assistance• How to pay for books/tools

• Maintaining student interest and attendance

• Recruitment and selection• Not enough time• Not enough $$$

• Learning Communities

• Student Supports

• Team …Teaching and Planning

• Administrative support

• Culture…adult education students CAN do this!

• Value of college credit affirmed by students

• Build on what you have!

How will we sustain this???

• Multiple ways!• Replace ATB with GED• Plus one more funding source– Foundation scholarships?– Self-pay– AE funds?

• Reduce team teaching overlap over time• Use full-time staff• Blending populations • Continue to take advantage of not “purging”• Why bother????

Successes!

Lincoln Land Community College

• AO process relative to Early Childhood Education Pathway

• Career Pathway and ECE Students• Job Opportunities• Recruitment• Student Support Services

Lincoln Land Community College

Lyn BuerkettDirector, Adult Educationlyn.buerkett@llcc.edu

Adult Career Pathway to Early Childhood Education• ECE is offered as both an Associate in Applied Science

(CTE) and as an Associate Degree

• LLCC offers a Level 2 Certificate of Completion which is 12 credit hours, and transitions to the AAS or AS degrees

• A Level 3 Certificate of Completion adds another 18 credit hours of ECE courses, and 9 credits of general education courses

ACP to Early Childhood EducationCharacteristics of ECE students at LLCC:

• Low reading levels

• Typically test in to developmental reading and writing

• Often drop due to multiple dev ed courses and/or difficult textbook content

• Benefit from college success skills (note taking, using the learning lab, test prep, etc.)

• While level-entry positions are not a high-paid profession, these students are entering this field with that full knowledge, and employment is available

ACP to Early Childhood Education• The Adult Career Pathway provides team-

teaching and support for the 4 courses in the Level 2 certificate• Students who earn the Level 2 certificate are

allowed to be teachers’ aids in DCFS childcare centers• Level 2 courses are required in the AAS and

AS degrees• Students can gain employment with a Level 2

and continue their education

ACP to Early Childhood EducationRecruitment

•College advisors refer students interested in ECE, based on their Accuplacer test scores

•Transition Coordinator visits the high school district vocational center

•Students have referred other students!

ACP to Early Childhood EducationSuccesses / Challenges

Successes• 11 students initially enrolled – 10 will complete level 2• All 10 students are continuing in the ECE pathway• Content instructor and basic skills instructor make a

great team• Student support / coordinator • Cohort worked well – new cohort planned for Fall ‘13Challenges• Students resist extra time needed for support• Most enrolled students would benefit, but don’t sign up

(time, pride, not committed)

ACP to Early Childhood Education

Sustainability

• Funding is required to sustain this type of program• Support for the basic skills instructor • Support for the transition coordinator

• Buy-in of the department is key – we have achieved this!

AO Contact Information

Jennifer Foster, VP of Adult Education and Workforce, ICCB jennifer.foster@illinois.gov

Kathy Pampe, ICCB AO Project Manager, kathleenpampe@gmail.com

Bevan Gibson, Director SIPDC, bgibson@siue.edu

Questions/Comments