5-Year Narrative

The mission of Adult Basic Education in Minnesota is to provide adults with educational opportunities to acquire and improve their literacy skills necessary to be self-sufficient and to participate effectively as productive workers, family members, and citizens.

Southwest ABE also prioritizes the goal of assisting students in gaining skills to obtain meaningful employment. Southwest ABE sees the priority of employment training as the most effective means of assisting our students in all areas of their lives.

Section 1: Overview

This section will provide an overview of our consortium including geographic area, target population, information on staff, overview of programming sites, and data for ABE students.

Section 2: Accountability

This section is about the consortium’s accountability and is broken up into four segments. The segments include student orientation and intake policy; assessment procedures; contact hour tracking policy; and consortium annual agreement between all stakeholders.

A) Intake and Orientation

B) Assessment Procedure

C) Contact Hour Tracking

D) SW ABE Consortium Agreement

Section 3: Professional Development & Training

This section is about Professional Development and Training. This includes hiring, orientation, and professional development of staff.

E) Consortium Professional Development

F) Administration Staff Professional Development

G) Support Staff Professional Development Plan

H) Teacher Professional Development Plan

Section 4: Educational Quality

This section addresses the educational quality of the consortium. Areas that are included in this section are what high-quality educational services offered, distance/hybrid learning programming, content standards, secondary credential/adult diploma programming, adults with disabilities, and volunteers.

J) Content Standards Implementation Plan

I) Instructional Program Description

Section 5: Integration & Collaboration

This section identifies integration and collaboration with the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and its entities, K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions, social service agencies, private entities, other Adult Basic Education programs and any other organizations that have aligned goals.

K) Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act Memorandum of Understanding

L.1) Southwest Minnesota Workforce Development Board Membership List

L.2) Workforce Development Board Members

M) Regional Transition Plan

N.1) Region 5 WIOA/Southwest Minnesota Local Plan

N.2) Region 5 WIOA Plan/Workforce Development Southwest Minnesota Plan

Section 6: Program Resources

This section describes the use of technology including distance learning and resources used to support Adult Basic Education programming including financial resources.

O) Technology Plan

Section 7: Successes & Challenges

This section highlights successes and challenges Southwest Adult Basic Education experiences. Also included are the consortium’s response to the pandemic, innovations that addressed the challenges, how the consortium addressed equity.

Section 8: Annual Consortium Grant Application

This section includes the annual consortium grant application.

P.1) Grant Application

P.2) Tables A, A1, 7, 13 & B

Q) Southwest Adult Basic Education Level Gains

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