For the first two weeks of January, the Adult Education Transformation Task Force (TTF) made their rounds of Michigan while introducing their recommendations for an adult education delivery system. The stated goals of the system would be to ensure that the state is adequately served and that partnerships are created to provide seamless transitions from adult education into post-secondary education and employment.

The TTF was formed in response to the 2009-10 Section 107 legislation that directed the DELEG Department of Lifelong Learning to create an Adult Learning Planning group. The TTF is comprised of 20 individuals from different communities throughout our state, representing adult education, ESL and adult literacy.

The team, led by Adult Education Advisory Council members and DELEG consultants Kathleen Sullivan and Gary Tweddle, worked to provide recommendations for DELEG that would transform adult education for the 1.7 million adult learners in Michigan who lack the basic skills needed to earn and maintain a family-sustaining wage.

“From the start, our goal was to produce a recommendation that was transformational and strategic while being representative of the views of the entire membership of the TTF,” Tweddle said. “… After initial discussion, the members of the TTF reached consensus on the idea of using the (Council for Labor and Economic Growth) Report recommendations as both a reference and framework for our task.”

In developing this report, the TTF addressed issues such as FTEs, caps, the ability to start new programs, regionalization and curriculum, Tweddle said. The team also studied how other states are addressing adult education, including California, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin.

The eight CLEG Recommendations the TTF used as a framework are:

• Transform Michigan’s adult learning infrastructure to create a unified strategic approach to increasing basic skills and post-secondary credential attainment.
• Engage a range of partners in service delivery to meet the diverse needs of adult learners.
• Build clear connections between learning and the promise of good jobs.
• Use accelerated and connected pathways to help adult learners reach their goals.
• Increase access to adult learning.
• Make basic skills development a priority within every funding source that can legally support it.
• Hold regional partnerships accountable for success and measure outcomes at the partnership level.
• Engage a broad coalition in communicating the urgent need to improve basic skills.

One major recommendation was that the state be divided into 16 regions that would each have an Adult Learning Collaborative Board (ALCB). The ALCBs would complete such tasks as identifying the region’s characteristics and demographics, educational needs, determining what educational services should be offered, approving all contracts and budgets, developing bylaws and identifying barriers to education and employment within their region.

Regarding the creation of partnerships, the draft language states “partnerships shall be multilateral and include, at a minimum, an adult education program (LEA), a post-secondary institution, and the local Michigan Works! agency or other organization with demonstrated workforce development capacity.” These partnerships may include stakeholders, and the partnerships must convene within the state’s 16 ALCBs.

In order to make basic-skills development a priority within funding, the draft recommendations would change the way adult education is funded. Beginning with fiscal year 2010-11, funding to each new region would be based on the 2009-10 allocations of Section 107 LEAs operating within the ALCBs, with the stipulation that the boards first convene no later than Nov. 1, 2010, and for a minimum of four times per year.

However, beginning with fiscal year 2011-12, funding would be provided to a single fiscal agent within each ALCB. Ninety percent of the allocation would be determined as follows:

• Base funding: 25 percent
• Population: 50 percent
• Unemployment rate: 10 percent
• Poverty rate: 5 percent
• Number of non-graduates 25 years and older: 5 percent
• Number of non-English speakers: 5 percent

The remaining 10 percent of the allocation would be based on:

• Program enrollment goal: 50 percent
• Educational gain: 25 percent
• Goal attainment: 25 percent

More than 150 adult education practitioners attended one of the six forums held by TTF, Tweddle said. At the forums, Tweddle and Sullivan presented those in attendance with the recommendations, then walked through each. At the end, there was a question-and-answer section where people could voice their opinions and concerns regarding the recommendations.

“We have received input at each presentation that will be reviewed by the TTF in February,” Tweddle said. “We are hoping to receive input from others via e-mail before February 1, 2010, that will also be reviewed by TTF.”

The TTF has plans to meet at the end of February to review all input received from the forums and e-mails. There, they will adjust or modify their recommendations as they feel needed. The final report will be submitted to the legislature in March, Tweddle said, according to Section 107 language.

If you still wish to share your opinion on the TTF recommendations, please send those comments to either  Kathleen Sullivan or Gary Tweddle, no later than February 1.

MACAE is also working to collect recommendations on the adult education system. In addition, February’s Adult Education Focus Group, held Feb. 11 at 10 a.m., will focus on the TTF’s recommendations and on MACAE’s official response. If you wish to submit a recommendation, please do so as soon as possible to Alexandra Tear.