May 22, 2018
Summer Slide
small_boy_slide_fun.jpg
To anyone not in education, the term "summer slide" sounds like a lot of fun. But for those in the education field, summer slide is a very scary thing, something that can undo all the hard work our students have put in throughout the school year.

How can you prevent your students from forgetting all they have learned? How can you keep them active? What resources are there that will really work?

Last week, the Professional Learning Opportunities Project held a webinar titled Summer Programming Ideas for Family Literacy Programs to address this issue. One of the main topics was the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP). The CSLP is a grassroots consortium of states working together to provide public libraries with high-quality summer reading program materials for children, teens, and adults at the lowest cost possible. CSLP resources were examined, as well as the benefits to both Family Literacy programs and families. Useful resources included cslpreads.org , camp.wonderopolis.org , PAonebook.org , PAsummerquest.org , and readingrockets.org .

To learn more about summer slide, watch a short video with NBC's Brian Williams which looks at the difference between those who do or do not "slide" backwards in the summer.

You can view the full 33-minute recording of the ProLO webinar online to learn more about these resources and discussion.
Teaching Tips and Resources
Learn about ReadWorks' pilot study
Th e Article-A-Day™ sets of readings through ReadWorks are meant to build student vocabulary, background knowledge, and reading stamina, all in a 10-minute daily activity. You can now see how this strategy has played out in a real world environment by looking over the results of a pilot study that ReadWorks has done. As is often the case, this pilot study was not conducted on adult learners, but the findings can help you to determine the usefulness of the Article-A-Day™ readings. Also, there is a training available online that can help you learn more and only takes 20 minutes.
High School Equivalence (HSE) Updates and Resources
GED.com gets a new look
The GED.com website of the GED Testing Service® will soon have a new look. Along with an overall easier-to-use design, a new section devoted to adult educators will replace GEDtestingservice.com. A demo webinar will be held at 2:00pm on Tuesday, May 22. Register online .
No more name changes
National ly, GED Testing Service® will no longer process name change requests for marriages and divorces after credentialing. Since PA does not change names for for marriages and divorces after credentialing, PA residents will not see a change with this policy.
Professional Development Opportunities
Webinar: Addressing Occupational Licensing Barriers for Immigrants
The IMPRINT Project ("Immigrant Professional Integration") will hold a webinar to address the challenges that foreign-educated job-seekers face in using their education and skills to work in the United States. The webinar will be on Thursday, May 24, at 2:00pm. If this is a topic that interests you, IMPRINT has shared several resources and webinar registration information .
Call for proposals for the NCTN Conference
The National College Transition Network is asking for proposals for its 2018 annual conference. Held in Cambridge, MA on November 12-14, 2018, this conference will feature over sixty 90-minute workshops, and you are invited to contribute if you have "an innovative and effective practice, resource, or tool; a partnership and collaboration strategy; or a policy and advocacy approach aimed at strengthening our field’s capacity to ensure that adult learners have access to and success in the education, occupational training, and career needed to earn a family-sustaining wage." Learn more about the conference or how to submit a proposal online.
Webinar: Building Strategic Alliances Between College and Workforce Boards
On Wednesday, June 6, 3:00-4:00PM, Workforce GPS will present a webinar titled Building Strategic Alliances Between College and Workforce Boards . Three workforce development boards will present their experiences developing partnersh ips with their local community college systems. There will also be discussion of the new guide,   Powerhouse Partnerships: Community Colleges and Workforce Boards Working Together . Learn more or register online .
Webinar: Serving Youth in Foster Care
Because young people in the foster care system meet Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program eligibility requirements, many of us across Pennsylvania need to be aware of how our work intersects in their lives. How can social service agencies build partnerships with workforce agencies to best serve these youth? A webinar to discuss this will be held at 2:00-3:30pm, Tuesday, May 22. It will be presented jointly by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Youth Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families' Children's Bureau. Learn more and register online .
State and National Adult Education News
Critiquing Adult Participation in Education: Report 1
Many individuals who could benefit from adult education services do not participate in programs. VALUEUSA and Research Allies have initiated a project to better understand what deters adults from enrolling in programs and what it might take to get them involved. Researchers interviewed 125 adults in five states to learn about the reasons for nonparticipation. The identified deterrents are sorted into three categories: situational, dispositional, and institutional, and can inform adult education programmatic and support service delivery. See the project results .
Early Learning Resource Centers
In late April, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services' (DHS) Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) selected 19 Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs). The aim of these Centers is "to improve the quality of and access to early learning services in the state and help families identify the best child care options that meet the needs of the child(ren) while offering connections to additional services." Learn more in the official DHS announcement .
Career Pathway Student Reports
During the month of May, The Workforce Development Project would like all programs to send as many  Career Pathway Student Reports (CPSR) as possible. During 2017-2018 several programs experienced how useful the information in the CPSR Summary can be in planning for program improvement and working better with workforce partners.  Goal #5 of the PA State Combined Plan states, “Strengthen data sharing across state agencies and workforce development partners to better understand education and employment outcomes , and rely more effectively on data to improve and target our efforts.” It is important to consider what data your program is collecting and how that data being used to strengthen workforce partnerships.
 
Agencies may find the  Data Inventory Sheet  useful. It is in chart format and has columns to record agency-wide data collection activities and purpose of the data collected. Program staff can use the chart to analyze the usefulness of each data piece that is being collected within the agency. The Workforce Development Project is available for technical assistance with utilizing the Career Pathway Student Report and other data sources to improve program performance and strengthen data sharing with workforce partners.
 
If you have questions or need assistance contact Chrissie Klinger at    cok5111@psu.edu  or KayLynn Hamilton at  klh267@psu.edu .
Grants and Scholarships
Grant for attendance to the Families Learning conference
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is offering two Innovation Grants to attend the annual conference of the National Center for Families Learning in Fort Lauderdale, FL, on September 24-26, 2018, which "will explore innovative strategies in family literacy and learning, tools for early childhood and adult educators, and best practices in parent and family engagement." Apply to attend the conference.
Job Posting
The job postings below are for adult basic education programs that are funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and, at least in part, by WIOA Title II funds. They can also be found on the paadultedresources.org website. To post a job, please email the job advertisement to   lbailey@tiu11.org
No jobs are currently posted.
PA Adult Education Resources
Visit  www.paadultedresources.org  for the latest PA adult education news and resources. Recent additions to the site include:
Upcoming State and National Conferences
State and National Newsletters
These are state or national organizations' newsletters that may be of interest to you. To receive the most recent editions by email, please subscribe directly to the newsletter. 
 
Families Learning News of the Week,  National Center for Families Learning
Features information and resources for family literacy, early childhood education, and parent education  

World Education/U.S.
Features resources and information from World Education projects including The Change Agent, College for Adults, E-Learning, LINCS Region 1 Professional Development Center, National College Transitional network, and many others.  

GED® In Session, GED Testing Service®
Features news and information related to the GED® test
May

COABE Journal, Coalition On Adult Basic Education
Features national information, resources, and initiatives for adult basic education