Register Now for the 2026 Support Services Conference

The Support Professionals Advisory & Resource Committee (SPARC), Southwest ABE, and the Minnesota Adult Basic Education State Staff, are jointly sponsoring this training opportunity for ABE program support staff, and all other interested staff. This annual event will be held virtually over Zoom, and is free of charge to all who register. 

This conference is designed especially for support services staff that work in areas such as student registration and intake, student testing, data entry and management, and any other accountability role. This could also include teachers or managers with multiple roles who also serve as a program’s support staff. 

NOTE: Registration deadline is Monday, November 9.

Support Services Pre-Conference: Thursday, November 12

Virtual implementation trainings for both CASAS and TABE will be offered for all staff involved in assessment. Participants will need to register separately for each Implementation training that they would like to attend (registration links below). A separate registration is also required for the Friday full-day conference. 

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – CASAS Implementation Training for New Staff (Marty Olsen and Jeff Galbavy) 

Register for the CASAS Implementation Training

1:00 – 4:00 PM – TABE  Implementation Training for New Staff (Linda Keller and Dave Haugen) 

Register for the TABE Implementation Training

Support Services Conference: Friday, November 13

Friday’s conference launches with an opening session led by our state leadership.

9:00-9:45 AM – Opening Session featuring MN State ABE Staff
Register for the conference and attend the opening session.

Following the opening session there will be 12 concurrent sessions covering ABE programming and policy, testing and technology, customer service (intake and outreach) and effective work culture.
NOTE: Session times may change once the final agenda has been published. 

10:00-10:45 AM – Session 1 (Choose 1)

• Remote Assessment Hub (Marty Olsen and Linda Keller)
• United Way 211: Connecting Students to Services They Need (Danielle Davis)
• Why GED Learners Persist or Don’t? What GED® Data Reveals About Motivation, Momentum, and Success (Kris Meehan)

11:00-11:45 AM – Session 2 (Choose 1)

• CASAS Recertification (Marty Olsen)
• Efficiency Meet Empathy: Dialectical Approaches to ABE Customer Service (Jessica Ess)
• Updates from GED Testing Service (Mellissa Hultstrand)

12:00-1:00 AM – Lunch Break

1:00-1:45 AM – Session 3 (Choose 1)

• TABE Recertification (Linda Keller)
• SiD Scavenger Hunt (Jenny Schlukebier and Mary Zimmerli)
• Support Staff Training Needs in Corrections (Sarah Wilder and Rachel Stiglitz)

2:00-2:45 AM – Session 4 (Choose 1)

• Distance Learning Data in SiD: What You Should Know (Susan Wetenkamp-Brandt and Jenny Schlukebier)
• Digital Skill Building for Remote Testing Success (Elizabeth Bennett)
• CASAS TOPSpro – Navigating Teacher Portal  (Adrian Boggess and Astrid Robitaille)

Find general information about the conference, along with the schedule and session descriptions. Registered participants will receive a complete agenda with session descriptions and Join Links the week of the conference, received at the email address used for registration.

Please address any event or registration questions to Rachel Stiglitz, Chair of SPARC, at [email protected]. 

NOTE: Registration deadline is Monday, November 9. After registering, participants will receive a link to the Opening Session to be held on Friday, November 13, 9:00 AM. Links to all other sessions will be shared during the Opening Session. If you have connection issues on the day of the conference, contact Rachel Stiglitz ([email protected]) or Marty Olsen ([email protected]). We look forward to having you virtually join us!