Promising Practices for ABS

Student Persistence and

Completion

Judith A. Alamprese

Principal Scientist

Abt Associates

Oregon’s GED® Summit

October 16, 2019

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Today’s Presentation

What are two ABS initiatives aimed at improving student success?

– Oregon Pathways for Adult Basic Skills Transition to Education and Training Initiative (OPABS)

– Oregon’s Transition Planning Process (TPP)

What have we learned from research on these initiatives?

– Funded by US Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences

– Conducted by Abt Associates in collaboration with CCWD & ABS programs

What are implications of research for ABS persistence and student success?

– Organizing instruction

– Facilitating students’ attainment of a GED® credential

– Transitioning to postsecondary education

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Oregon Pathways for Adult Basic

Skills Initiative (OPABS) Goal: Build a pipeline of prepared ABS learners to enter

postsecondary education and training programs that result in placement in high-demand careers.

Key Activities:

─ Create 6 Bridge and Pre-Bridge courses in reading, math, and writing; Career and College Awareness Course

─ Provide professional development

─ Develop intra-college collaboration between Adult Basic Skills (ABS) workforce programs, advising

Timeline & Participants:

─ Began 2004

─ 12 ABS programs in community colleges

─ 5,955 ABS learners enrolled in OPABS courses during 2009-2010 to 2013-2014

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OPABS Key Components

Adult Basic Skills Career

Pathways

Coordination: ABS & College

Departments, Employment

Services

Curriculum Integrating

Basic Skills & Occupational Information

Career & College

Awareness Course, Learner

Supports

Program Management, Professional

Develop., Data Systems

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Approach to OPABS

Recruitment “messages” to encourage learners to think about postsecondary education as an option

Orientation that includes collection of additional learner information about plans for further education, work, prior career ed. experiences

Class placement that targets classes by level; sets expectations for ABS participation that includes College and Career Awareness course

Class structure that accommodates the integration of speakers from CTE, review/updating of pathways plan

Advising/referral activities that facilitate learners’ movement within ABS and from last ABS course to first postsecondary course

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OPABS Courses

Academic Skills

Reading, Math, & Writing

Career & College

Knowledge

Skills Contextualized to CTE Course

Content for High-demand Occupations

Psychosocial Skills,

Self-Direction, Self-Efficacy

OPABS Initiative: Instruction

7

n

Reading

Pre-Bridge

6th -8th GE

Bridge

9th -12th GE

Writing

Pre-Bridge

6th -8th GE

Bridge

9th -12th GE

Math

Pre-Bridge

6th -8th GE

Bridge

9th -12th GE

College & Career Awareness

CCA Course

Modules -Financial Aid -College App -Placement Test

Course Materials Syllabus & Outline Scripted Lesson Plans, Instructor Notes, Learner Materials Courses incorporated applications from high-demand industries

OPABS Courses

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Opportunities for learners to identify and reflect on their interests, skills, and abilities

Career and occupational information related to state and local labor markets

Informational resources related to careers and college and strategies for accessing information and understanding what one finds

Support in organizing information and in developing a Career and College Plan that moves learners forward in pursuing further education or training and careers of their choice

Career and College Awareness

Course

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Identify skills, Interests, &

abilities

Search local labor market for

related jobs

Identify educational requirements for jobs

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Career and College Awareness

Course Architecture

Lesson 1

Welcome

to the

Course

Lesson 2

Getting

to Know

Skills &

Interests

Lessons 3

& 4 Career

Choices,

Consider-

ations

Lesson 5

Exploring

In-Demand

Careers

Lessons 6,7

Educational

Require-

ments

Connecting

Career &

Education

Lesson 8

Goal

Setting &

College

Resources

Lessons 9 &

10 Creating

Plan, Looking

Toward

Future

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Evaluation of Oregon Pathways for

Adult Basic Skills (OPABS) Initiative Study of Effects of Accelerated Basic Skills

Instruction on Adults’ GED® Attainment and

Enrollment in Postsecondary Education

Grantee: Abt Associates, Judith Alamprese,

Principal Investigator; Cristofer Price,

Director of Analysis

State Partner: Oregon’s Higher Education

Coordinating Commission, Community

Colleges & Workforce Development

Funder: US Department of Education, IES

Researcher-Practitioner Partnership Grant

(IES: R305H140108)

Timeline: 2014-2019

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Two-Phase OPABS Study

Part 1: Descriptive Study: Examined OPABS learners’

– Background characteristics

– Outcomes in basic skills development and GED® attainment?

– Postsecondary outcomes

Part 2: Quasi-Experimental Study

– How do the outcomes of OPABS learners compare to the outcomes of similar ABS learners who were not served by the OPABS initiative?

Sample of OPABS learners analyzed: 4,203 learners (2009-2010 to 2013-2014) from 10 ABS programs

15% (614) of learners entered OPABS courses with a GED®, high school diploma, or further education

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Descriptive Study:

Did OPABS Learners Develop Skills?

Learners who took OPABS Bridge Reading: Standardized

test test score reading gain in SD units: .37

Learners who took OPABS Pre-Bridge & Bridge Math:

Standardized test score math gain in SD units: .70

68% of OPABS learners who took GED® test earned a GED®

29% of OPABS learners took at least 1 postsecondary

course: 60% Lower Division credit; 30% CTE credit

3% (42) earned a postsecondary certificate

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OPABS Learners: Key Points from

GED® Analyses

OPABS learners with higher math pre-test scores more likely to earn GED®

Over half of OPABS learners earned GED® within 6 months of entry

68% of ABS OPABS learners without GED® at entry did not take GED®

– 20% were at 10th or higher grade equivalent in math at post test

– 46% were at 8-10th grade equivalent in math at post test

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Descriptive Study: OPABS Learners’

Postsecondary Participation

Number of postsecondary courses OPABS learners

took:

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

1 Course

2 to 6 courses

7 or more courses

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OPABS Quasi-Experimental Study

Compared ABS learners in OPABS Courses matched to

ABS learners in non-OPABS Courses

ABS comparison group:

Attended ABS programs during the same year and term

Were enrolled in comparable reading or math course

OPABS learners and comparison group were followed

from year of enrollment in OPABS (09-10 to 13-14)

through 2015-2016

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Findings from Quasi-Experimental

Study

OPABS and comparison students made significant gains

on CASAS reading and math tests; no differences

between groups

OPABS and comparison groups with students who had

2+ math courses are small; larger gains for OPABS

learners

Similar patterns of GED® test participation and

completion similar for OPABS and comparison students

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OPABS Quasi-Experimental Study:

Postsecondary Outcomes

Statistically Significant Outcomes

0 20 40 60

% Took Postsec.Course

% Enrolled inTransfer. Credit

% CompletedTransfer. Credit

% EarnedCert./Degree

Comparison Group

OPABS

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Factors Associated with OPABS

Learners’ Earning of College Credits Learners who were more likely

to earn transferable or occupational

credits:

Had pre-test score at or above

the 8th grade equivalent and

completed Bridge Math (p<.01)

Took a College and Career

Awareness course and did not

have secondary education as a

goal at intake (p<.01)

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OPABS Research Findings Prompting

Next Project

Transition Planning Process

(TPP)

CCA Course Goal Setting

GED® Test- Taking

Patterns

Postsecondary Enrollment

Rate

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Transition Planning Process (TPP)

Effects of Transition Planning Process (TPP) on Adult Basic

Skills Learners’ GED® Attainment and Enrollment in

Postsecondary Education (IES: R305L170012)

Grantee: Abt Associates, Judith Alamprese; Principal

Investigator; Cristofer Price, Director of Analysis

Partner: Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission,

Office of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

Funder: US Department of Education (IES: R305L170012)

Timeline: 2017-2020; 3 terms of texting activities

ABS Programs: Chemeketa CC, Clackamas CC, Lane CC,

PCC, and SWOC

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Transition Planning Process (TPP)

TPP Project

Use of ABS Transition Facilitator to support ABS learners’:

─ GED® test taking and retesting

─ Enrollment in postsecondary education or training

Use of text messages to reinforce work of TPP Facilitator

Study

Experimental study using random assignment: test use of

text messages to prompt ABS learners at critical points in

basic skills participation—GED® attainment and enrollment in

postsecondary education or training

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Transition Planning Process (TPP)

Theory of Change

Target

Population Intervention Mediators

Near-term

Outcomes

Long-term

Outcomes

ABS learners:

1. Enter ABS

with CASAS

reading or

math score at

6th GE of

higher

2. Do not have

a high school

diploma or

equivalency

3. Have cell

phone

TPP involves

Transition

Facilitators’:

1. Advice,

coaching, &

information

about GED®

completion &

postsec.

participation

2. Text

messages to

reinforce

advice and

prompt action

1.Number of

interactions

between TF &

ABS learners

2.Content of

interactions

1. Took one or

more GED®

subject tests

2. Attained

GED®

3. Enrolled in

one or more

post-

secondary

courses

1. Accrued

college credits

in a post-

secondary

program of

study

2. Attained

postsecondary

certificate

3. Attained

Associate

Degree

Moderators

1. CASAS

reading &

math levels

2. Learner

demographics

3. Goals

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TPP Project Features

Customized Text Messages

• Aligned with learners’ progress

• Provide timely feedback

Categories of Text Messages

• Goal review

• Attendance

• GED® testing

• College readiness activities

• College enrollment

TPP Learning Community

• Discuss progress of project and study

• Identify challenges & solutions

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Progress of TPP Project

3 Cohorts Completed

Spring and fall terms, 2018

Winter term 2019

327 learners randomly assigned to texting or no texting

Collecting follow-up outcome data 12 months after cohort begins

Texts have prompted varied forms of communication with facilitators, particularly about administrative issues in attending classes, applying for financial assistance

Texting is efficient means of communication

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Persistence

&

Success

Academic Skills

Reading, Math, & Writing

Career & College

Knowledge

Contextualized Instruction

Psychosocial Skills,

Self-Direction, Self-Efficacy

Implications: Instruction

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Implications: Instruction

Design/approach to lessons

─ Build on learners’ background

─ Check learners’ understanding of concepts, skills being taught

─ Provide feedback so learner is reinforced, can develop self-efficacy

Integrating “real life” applications so learners see relevance of learning

Reinforce short- and long-term goals

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Implications: Facilitating Attainment

of GED® credential Review current ABS data on GED® attainment to

determine how many and which learners (skill

levels, other characteristics) may be “falling through

the cracks”

Examine ABS program practices:

─ Identifying learners ready to begin GED® testing

─ Tracking GED® test participation and success

─ Reinforcing success, retesting

Determine additional that might be taken to

encourage GED® participation and completion

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Implications: Transition to Further

Education or Employment Build career and college knowledge early in ABS

participation

Develop plan for next steps that includes possible

barriers and ways of addressing barriers

Provide support on how to:

─ Address colleges’ administrative requirements

─ Obtain information and apply for financial aid

─ Decide how many postsecondary courses are viable for

learners to take

─ Access information types of courses to enroll in for

desired program of study

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Contact Information

Abt Associates

Judith Alamprese

Principal Investigator

Abt Associates

judy_alamprese@abtassoc.com

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Thank you!