Fall 2008

Welcome to the sixth issue of NEDP News, an informational newsletter for NEDP directors, coordinators, assessors, and advisors. For a printable version of this newsletter, click here.

In This Issue

• NEDPC Conference Well Attended
• Train-the-Trainer Workshop in October
• NEDP Serves over 4,500 Students in 2006-2007
• NEDP Students Have High Learner Retention Outcomes for ASE
• Connecticut NEDP Expansion
• NEDP Graduate Recognized for Exceptional Initiative
• NEDP Council Award Winners
• Holiday Greetings from CASAS
• Contact Us

NEDPC Conference Well Attended

The NEDPC Conference, held October 22 – 24, 2008 in Linthicum Heights, Maryland was well attended by 146 NEDP practitioners from California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, New York, Maryland, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington. The energy and enthusiasm were high all week as people networked with other professionals.

Roni Nudelman, NEDPC president opened the conference and Patricia Rickard, CASAS President, gave a presentation outlining the major accomplishments to date and discussing future development plans for the program.

Participant comments indicated that they enjoyed the sixteen different breakout sessions which provided helpful hints for program implementation.
"It was a wonderful opportunity for practitioners. I learned a lot."
"The learning resources workshop provided a wealth of information."
"The portfolio review workshop eased my concerns."
"I learned ways to cut down on my reviewing time."

The NEDP team at CASAS presented a number of topics at the conference. Mary Fox highlighted the national marketing efforts for NEDP. Jim Harrison reported on current efforts in designing and validating performance indicators for the new competencies and plans for task redesign. Andrew Evans shared the current status of data collected on NEDP participant characteristics and skill levels and demonstrated a new tool being developed to make participant-level data collection more accurate, less paper-intensive, and uniform across all NEDP programs.

The CASAS presentations from the conference are available to view at www.nedp.org. The next opportunity for NEDP professionals to network will be the CASAS summer institute June 23-25, 2009 in San Diego, California. We hope to see you there!

Train-the-Trainer Workshop in October

On October 25, 2008, in response to requests from the field, CASAS held a Train-the-Trainer Workshop for NEDP professionals to become certified NEDP new staff trainers. The purpose of the workshop was to familiarize new trainers with the training materials and provide an opportunity to practice and receive feedback on presenting the materials.

CASAS hasrestructured the Train-the-Trainer training toinclude four modules; three online training sessions and one on-site training session. The required on-site training session was held at the end of the NEDPC Conference on Saturday, October 25, in Linthicum, Maryland, at the Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport. Ten new advisors/ assessors were trained. The attendees are shown here.

Listed from left to right - Front row: Mary Fox (CASAS), Sister Betsy Hartson.
Second row: Roni Nudelman (MSDE), Merle Gold (Trainer), Mary Gutowski, Carol Oster, and Valerie Knight Third row: Teresa West, Robin Kujan, Bonnie Gooley (Trainer), Kathy Mulvey, Pat Katz, Kathleen Burchett, and John Kovak

Another train-the-trainer workshop is being scheduled for next fiscal year. Experience from the field has proven that having an on-site NEDP trainer, over the long term, is both fiscally and programmatically advantageous. If your agency has a need for this training, please contact Mary Fox at mfox@casas.org.

NEDP Serves over 4,500 Students in 2006-2007

Upon acquiring the rights to NEDP in late spring 2006, CASAS reinstituted the practice of collecting demographic and enrollment data from NEDP agencies. Although the NEDP Yearly Statistical Report had been consistently submitted by some agencies in prior years, others reported solely to a state agency or other funding entity. The importance of renewing this reporting requirement is underscored by our need for data at a national level to help us understand this population better and to document more effectively the impact that NEDP has on the lives of its graduates. Such information is essential for program improvement and for marketing the effectiveness of NEDP.

At present, agencies collect data using a variety of tools, from spreadsheets to state- management information systems (MIS); however, the NEDP must report information using common data classifications. Consequently, for 2006-07 CASAS implemented a simplified report design that requires agencies to report data to CASAS in a uniform, summarized format. The 2006-07 statistical report has provided a fresh look at the NEDP enrollment population, from both the state and national perspectives, indicating that NEDP sites served 4,546 adults.

In addition to enrollment data, agencies are asked to report participant gender, age, and race/ethnicity, as well as primary reasons for enrollment, employment status, and significant outcomes; all data collection fields correspond to federal reporting under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title II. During 2006-07, there was greater participation by females (66.4%), while African-American/Black (48.1%) and White (40.1%) adults comprised a significant majority among race categories. Most students (67.9%) have ten or more years of education prior to enrolling in NEDP and more than half the participants are age 25-44. Lastly, a majority (64.4%) indicated they are employed, with 27.8 percent unemployed, the remainder not seeking work (6.9%) or in retirement <1%).

The primary advantage of the 2006-07 yearly statistical report format, as well as the current design, is that agencies are able to summarize data from a variety of sources. However, a disadvantage of this approach is that information is not collected at a participant level, making conclusions about goals and goal attainment not presently feasible. For 2007-08 reporting, agencies will again use this format. In the meantime, CASAS is pilot testing a new software program designed to accommodate student-level data collection. CASAS is currently collecting 2007-08 yearly statistical data.

NEDP Students Have High Learner Retention Outcomes for ASE

(Adapted from an article written by Ajit Gopalakrishnan, with Carl Paternostro and Susan Pierson.)

During the 2008 CASAS Summer Institute, Ajit Gopalakrishnan, presented a session titled Learner Retention in Adult Secondary Education (ASE). The presentation summarized the results of a study of persistence data on learners in Connecticut from fiscal year 2003-2004. The study compared learner retention rates of three potential pathways for earning a high school diploma: General Education Development (GED), Adult High School Credit Diploma Program (AHSCDP), and the National External Diploma Program. Persisters are defined in the terminology section below as graduates and non-graduate returnees. The study used 2003-2004 enrollment data from the Connecticut Adult Reporting System (CARS) and reported the following graduation and persistence results.

These results are positive for NEDP. As the chart shows, 80 percent of NEDP learners either attained their high school diploma or returned to adult education for at least one subsequent year.

 

 

The NEDP reflected the best persistence outcomes because it was intended specifically for older learners and designed with many of these key elements that encourage learners to persist:

• Intake assessments
• Adult appropriate challenges
• Authentic and standardized portfolio assessments
• Upfront presentation of program expectations
• One-on-one support
• Interim successes
• Local high school diploma

The study also suggested that there is a large need for diploma completion options for all ages, but especially in older adults age 25 – 64. To meet this need, the authors advocate an expansion of ASE options or partnering with other providers to increase access to these programs. Currently, every town in Connecticut has access to the GED preparation option, 140 towns have access to the AHSCDP, and fewer than half the towns in the state have access to NEDP.

Connecticut NEDP Expansion

Connecticut has already begun to increase access to NEDP by adding eleven new sites and expanding five existing sites for fiscal year 2009. This will help close the gap for adult learners in Connecticut and provide more opportunities to achieve a high school diploma.

To accomplish this expansion, Connecticut conducted two training sessions this fall. Trainers Susan Pierson, Laurie Tishler, and Bette Huckabee, shown here, trained forty-eight new NEDP advisor/assessors in all.

Each session includes interactive sessions to familiarize the new advisor/assessors with the procedures and manuals.

Two training sessions were held in August 2008. Shown below are some of the participants from the second session.

Listed from left to right - First row along the back wall: Mark Gattey, Sue Pierson, Cheryl Chinigo, Barbara Hilli, Gail Bendel, Mauri Shields, Margaret Straub, Janet Murray, Sara Marquis, Molly Drybrough, Tony Spino, Olivia Gombar, Christina MacDonald. Second row in back: Deb Trueax, Dave Scopino, Bette Huckabee. Front row: Julie Rosenblatt, Donna Landry, Georgia Turner, Heather Pelletier, Laurie Tishler, Janelle Marella, Scott Battisto, Megan Kelaher.

 

Good luck to all new Connecticut advisor/assessors as you launch your new NEDP sites and offer more students an opportunity to improve their lives.

NEDP Graduate Recognized for Exceptional Initiative

On August 12, 2008, Fairfax County Public Schools held a joint graduation for the GED, NEDP, and Woodson Adult High School students. Of the 135 graduates recognized, 27 completed the NEDP program.

Each year the Fairfax NEDP program recognizes one of its students with the Exceptional Initiative Award. This year the recipient was Yousef Chashi. Rita O’Connor, an NEDP assessor/advisor presented the award to Yousef with this explanation:

One of Fairfax County’s graduating students, Yousef Chashi, has shown extraordinary initiative. Growing up as a Kurd in Iran, he experienced many hardships. Education was scarce. The government sent one teacher for the whole town. In winter the teacher might not show up for weeks. This student studied at home. He borrowed books. He said, "You know, some people are hungry for food. I am hungry to learn."

Since then he has taken classes and studied at every opportunity. The National External Diploma program was perfect for him. He had the initiative to tackle every task presented to him, not because it was required, but because he would learn something from it.

Even before tonight’s graduation, he has already enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College where he will continue his education. We can think of no other student who has shown so much initiative throughout this program and over his entire lifetime. Fairfax County NEDP is pleased to present the Exceptional Initiative Award to Yousef Chashi.

Congratulations, Yousef, and good luck as you continue to pursue your future goals. Good luck to all the graduates from the NEDP program in the 2007-2008 school year.

Yousef Chashi with Rita O’Connor

If you have a personal interest or success story you would like to share, please send it to mfox@casas.org.

NEDP Council Award Winners

During the NEDPC conference, the NEDPC council presented the 2008 NEDP Outstanding Professionals awards. These awards are given to administrators or advisors/assessors who have contributed above and beyond the normal expectations and have made an impact on individual student success in NEDP. Nominations are accepted from agencies or students.

This year, two advisor/assessors were recognized.: Mary Gutowski and Barbara Cousineau. The award winners are shown here with the NEDPC Council members.

Front row (left to right): Merle Gold, Roni Nudelman, Mary Gutowski, Barbara Cousineau, Bette Huckabee
Back Row (left to right): Bonnie Gooley, Sue Pierson, Sharon Muldowney, and Myra Thistle

Mary Gutowski from Calvert County, Maryland was recognized for her knowledge of the program, her organization, and her positive encouraging attitude with clients. Colleagues stated that “She is always helpful and informative when counseling and giving clients good advice on how to proceed in obtaining their goals. She has the ability to encourage the most discouraged and motivate the most unmotivated… She can take many of the “reluctant learner” clients and produces confident graduates.”

Barbara Cousineau is the backbone of the EDP at Windsor Locks Adult Education in Connecticut. She is described as a “steadfast and loyal advisor/assessor for over 20 years.” She has served as the district’s lead advisor/assessor, and her efforts have increased the visibility of the program throughout her district. Barbara stands out not only for her patience with guiding candidates but also for the high standards she sets.

Congratulations to both recipients. Thank you to all of the NEDP advisors/assessors throughout the country. You all deserve to be recognized for making a difference in the lives of your NEDP candidates! If you are interested in nominating someone for this award, please contact one of the NEDPC Council members.

Holiday Greetings from CASAS

The CASAS NEDP staff would like to thank you for all your support and enthusiasm throughout 2008. We wish you and your families a peaceful and joyful holiday season and we look forward to working with you in the coming year.

Contact Us

We hope you found this newsletter informative. You may also view previous issues of the NEDP News.

We are ready to answer your questions and to assist you with your program needs. Please do not hesitate to contact one of us.

Mary Fox (general assistance)
mfox@casas.org
1-800-255-1036 x 136

Andrew Evans (technical assistance)
aevans@casas.org
1-800-255-1036 x 184

Jim Harrison (policy or assessment assistance)
jharrison@casas.org
1-800-255-1036 x 191

CASAS 5151 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 220, San Diego, CA 92123-4339 FAX 858-292-2910

Editor: Mary Fox Copy Editor: Nancy Taylor Web Delivery: Andrea Dolney
Contributors: CASAS: Andrew Evans, Ardis Breslauer, Jim Harrison, and Mary Fox