New ELA Lines of Inquiry Lesson Plans

The PA Adult Education Resources (PAAER) website has added a new teaching resource – three English Language Arts lines of inquiry focused on economics, natural resources, and extended response. A line of inquiry is a series of lessons focused on a particular topic or question in which learners have opportunities to learn and practice multiple skills from the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) while also building content knowledge. Each English Language Arts line of inquiry includes four to five CCRS-aligned lesson plans, texts, slides, and additional resources for teaching the lessons. Each lesson plan has links to all the materials needed to teach the lesson and is designed with options for differentiation, incorporating digital literacy skills, and extending learning beyond the classroom. If you would like support with implementing a line of inquiry, please contact your program’s Agency Consultant.

What Do You Do When a Lesson Flops?

A recent Edutopia article poses this question. All teachers have had a lesson not go as planned. How can you learn from it? How can it be improved for next time? This article offers some ideas and links to some strategies before asking readers to leave their wisdom in the comments, which have gained over 110 responses.

Professional Learning for Adult Education and Family Literacy Staff

Staff at PDE-funded adult education and family literacy agencies can view a list of upcoming courses now available for enrollment in the PD Portal. For more information about any of these courses, please visit the PD Portal, open the course catalog, and view the syllabus. If you are interested in enrolling in a course, please consult with your in-house professional development specialist (IHPDS) to determine if the course meets your professional learning goals.

Reentry Resources Training

The Reentry Resources training is available for any individual program or group of local providers that may want to complete this virtually or face to face before the end of the 24-25 PY. This course provides adult education practitioners, case managers, prison partner staff, and workforce system partner staff with an overview of evidence-based reentry resources and best practices for working with justice-involved individuals. Through small group activities during the training, and collaboration with community partners after the training, participants will be better equipped to provide services to justice-involved individuals that align to the Local Workforce Development Area Plan initiatives, reduce recidivism, and increase successful transitions to self-sufficient employment. Please contact Chrissie Klinger at cok5111@psu.edu if you would like more information on participating in this course.

Virtual CareerLink 101 Trainings

Would you like to learn more about the PA CareerLink® system and how we can work with our fellow workforce development partners to help our learners find jobs and advance in their careers? If so, the virtual CareerLink 101 course is a great way to learn more about the PA CareerLink® system and the services and programs that are available to support our learners. Read the course description and register for the May 20, 2025 session by April 15. Once you register for the event, you will receive a confirmation email after April 15 with more information.

National COABE Conference App

The 2025 National Conference for the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) has an app! Get the app to access content for the conference from multiple platforms. If you are joining live in Dallas, download the Whova App to your device. If you are joining virtually, access the event and interact with others on a desktop or laptop via the Whova web portal. The app allows you to see session details, personalize your agenda, view speaker and attendee profiles, network with your peers, and get event announcements and notifications. The COABE Conference is March 30-April 2, in Dallas, TX.

COABE Google Scholars Program

COABE is offering its third year of scholarships for adult learners and educators to earn a Google Career Certificate. Scholarships will cover the monthly course fee ($49 per month) for the areas below for up to six months of the recipient receiving their course invitation. Each course takes approximately four to six months to complete. Seats are limited and will be assigned in order of submissions received. Prior to signing up, please review COABE’s FAQ document and then apply online. Topics include:

• Cybersecurity
• Data Analytics
• Digital Marketing and E-commerce
• IT Support
• Project Management
• UX Design
• Google AI Essentials
• Advanced Google Career Certificates

The job postings below are for adult basic education programs funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and, at least in part, by WIOA Title II funds. You can also find the postings on the PAAER website. To post a job, please email the job advertisement to mjmanfred@tiu11.org. 

There are currently no job listings.

Visit PAAER.org for the latest PA adult education news and resources. Recent additions to the site include:

• ELA Lines of Inquiry
• eData Instruction Manual/Glossary 24-25
• ANDE Data Entry in eData Webinar recording (Under "Additional Resources")

• COABE National Conference - March 30-April 2, 2025, Dallas, TX
• PAACE Conference - April 27-29, 2025, State College, PA
• NCFL Families Learning Conference - November 2-5, 2025, Charlotte, NC

State and national organizations' newsletters are listed below and may be of interest to you. To receive the most recent editions by email, please subscribe directly to the newsletter. 

PA Association for Adult Continuing Education

Features information for adult education partners for advocacy, networking, and professional development.

February 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.

Feb. 14 | Jan. 31

COABE Connects, Digital Equity, Coalition on Adult Basic Education

Features national information, resources, and initiatives for adult basic education.

Feb. 21 | Feb. 14 | Feb. 12 | Feb. 7 | Jan. 31 | Jan. 24