August 21, 2017
Community Colleges Resources
Pennsylvania is home to 14 community colleges which combine to offer 83 total instructional sites serving residents from all 67 counties across the Commonwealth. These community colleges play a vital role in the spectrum of educational options available to the adult learners whom we serve.

There are two new resources that can help leaders at community colleges to examine and improve two of their most crucial relationships: students and community/employer partners.

Literacy Information and Communications System (LINCS) has created three videos and accompanying discussion guides for community colleges as they consider factors in the success of their students. The videos are an end result of LINCS's Supporting Student Success project that concluded that contextualization, acceleration, student support, and hybrid models are practices that increase college transition and completion rates for community college students who are lower-skilled. Each video comes with a discussion guide that can be used by individuals or professional development groups to discuss and explore the concepts. 

The Brookings Institute has created a toolkit to help community college leaders to build mutually beneficial relationships with local employers and industry leaders. Based on research and input from those inside both industry and community colleges, the toolkit contains three sections: Creating a Navigator for Industry Partners, Key Characteristics of Productive Partnerships, and Practical Steps for Building Relationships Between Colleges and Industries. This toolkit is both online and interactive, though a PDF version is available.

If you are interested in helping your community college agency to develop stronger relationships with employers or guiding more of your adult students toward success, look over these resources today.
Teaching Tips and Resources
Video: Building Adult Capabilities to Improve Child Outcomes
Vulnerable children need parents and communities that support their needs to become lifelong learners and healthy citizens. The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has shared a video on Youtube titled, Building Adult Capabilities to Improve Child Outcomes: A Theory of Change . This video shares a theory about how we as adult educators can strengthen adults who will, in turn, strengthen children. 
Seven Lessons for Teachers from Dumbledore
The Harry Potter book series was released 20 years ago in July. Over 450,000,000 copies of the books have been sold. Perhaps you have even recommended the Harry Potter books to a student with a growing love for literature. That is why you will be interested in reading Edutopia's recent article Seven Lessons for Teachers from Dumbledore !
Social Media Strategies to Promote Adult Education 
The Educate & Elevate  campaign to raise awareness of adult education among lawmakers continues. This campaign recently shared five social media strategies , including the use of Twitter, graphics and hashtags, and Facebook's Townhall function, as well as time management ideas. Check out these strategies and ideas to raise your ability to raise awareness.
High School Equivalency (HSE) Updates and Resources
Sheetz offers employees the GEDWorks™ program
Employees at all 550 Sheetz locations are now offered the GEDWorks™ program, a program that includes everything needed to prepare for and take the GED® tests for free.  The official press release announcing Sheetz's partnership with GEDWorks™ is available  online.
2017 GED Testing Service® Annual Conference Highlights
Highlights of the national conference hosted by GED Testing Service® July 25-28 in Dallas, Texas, can be found online . 
Professional Development Opportunities
COABE Virtual Conference
Save the date! Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) is holding their 2017 Virtual Conference  October 25-26, 2017. The Division of Adult Education and PAACE are working together to ensure that all Division-funded program staff as well as all PAACE members are able to attend at no cost. Details will be coming soon.
 
COABE is also accepting presentation proposals online .
Webinar: Integrated Education & Training
Burlington English and COABE will present a free webinar on Friday, August 25 at 2:00pm titled Integrated Education & Training: A Service Model for Adult Education Across the Spectrum. This webinar will review WIOA's definition of Integrated Education & Training (IET), discuss the combination of IET and support services, and examine examples of adult education programs who have successfully implemented this combination to serve a variety of learners.
State and National Adult Education News
BEST Plus 3.0 Field Testing - recruiting current users
The Center for Applied Linguistics is developing a BEST Plus 3.0 assessment, to be rolled out in mid-2019, and is recruiting current BEST Plus 2.0 users to help them to develop a strong assessment. As an incentive and thank you, participants will receive free administrations of BEST Plus 2.0. Read on...
Grants and Scholarships
Submitting a U.S. Department of Education Competitive Grant Application
A new article from GetEdFunding.com provides advice for anyone submitting an application for a US Department of Education grant. The process for doing so is very complex, but Hal Portner gives simple tips from the perspective of an experienc ed peer reviewer of US and State Departments of Education competitive grant applications.
Job Postings
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. 
Education Program Associate 3 (Senior Workforce Development Program Specialist)
Research Technologist 2 (Data and Technology Support Specialist)
ABE Advisor 1
Division of Adult Education
The Pennsylvania State Civil Service Commission is going to open the ABE Advisor 1 test soon. If you are interested check the Test Announcements page of the civil service website frequently.


Do not call your advisor or the Division of Adult Education for information. You must contact the Civil Service Commission with any questions.
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  
July 21      July 29      August 4      August 11 August 18

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

Career Pathways Exchange Newsletter,   Career Pathway Exchange
Features resources, events, and information from federal and state agencies and partner organizations focused on developing and implementing career pathways for adult learners

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

Workforce GPS, Workforce3 One,  Features career pathways and workforce development information