ACES / Transitions

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The goal of ACES (Academic, Career & Employability Skills) is to support instructors in teaching the hard-to-define, yet make-or-break skills needed to succeed in the workplace, college, and community.

Transitions Integration Framework (TIF)

The Transitions Integration Framework (TIF) is the cornerstone of ACES, and it is one of three documents comprising the state-adopted content standards for Minnesota Adult Education. Visit the CCR Standards page to see how ACES fits into the broader content standards for ABE, including the College & Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRS).

The TIF was designed to provide ABE programs and instructors with guidance on the effective integration of transitions skills (also known as soft skills or professional skills) into instruction at all levels of ABE.

The TIF includes six categories of skills:

  1. Critical Thinking
  2. Developing a Future Pathway
  3. Effective Communication
  4. Learning Strategies
  5. Navigating Systems
  6. Self-Management

Want more information on implementing the TIF in your own practice? Check out the ACES resource library!

Webinars & Workshops

Facilitated by the ACES Coordinator and Minnesota ABE teachers and administrators statewide, webinars are offered throughout the year to keep adult educators up to speed on ACES work and keep these important transitions skills fresh in educators’ minds. To increase their applicability, ACES webinars are often combined with other content areas and initiatives, such as the College & Career Readiness Standards (CCRS), Northstar Digital Literacy, and adult career pathways.

ATLAS also offers ACES-related workshops at Fall and Spring Regionals across Minnesota.

For information on upcoming opportunities, check the Events calendar.

Online Courses

ACES/TIF Foundations

This free online course on the Canvas platform provides a thorough introduction on how to integrate academic, career, and employability skills (ACES) into your instructional context through the use of the Transitions Integration Framework (TIF). Participants can earn 6 CEUs for successful completion of the course.

Study Circles

ACES Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

ACES professional learning communities (PLCs) provide teachers with the opportunity to examine their roles as adult educators in a “transitions” landscape; explore and practice integrating transitions (TIF) skills into their lessons, materials and instructional settings; and work collaboratively with colleagues to reflect on and develop their teaching practice.

New ACES Resources

Social and Emotional Learning for Adult Multilingual Learners Toolkit

The Social and Emotional Learning for Adult Multilingual Learners Toolkit was created to “offer explanations, tips, materials, and links to help ESOL teachers and programs better understand and integrate social-emotional learning [SEL] into the adult English language classroom.” It also helps adult education instructors understand the connections between ABE and SEL. Although this resource was developed to be used with non-native speakers of English, the information and activities could be used with any adult learner.

Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility

Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility is being added to the Featured Resources as part of our effort to look at ACES/TIF through the important lens of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and social emotional learning (SEL). Part of how they fulfill this mission is by sharing a robust collection of classroom resources that focuses on helping people understand current issues, celebrate diversity, and explore intersectionality. The lesson collection is very well-organized and can be searched using key terms and/or by applying various filters.  

TIF 2.0 Lessons

This folder contains new example TIF lesson plans that were updated in 2023 as part of the TIF 2.0 project, using a newly designed lesson plan template. They include ideas for incorporating important topics like DEI (Diversity/Equity/Inclusion) and SEL (Social Emotional Learning), as well as strategies for adapting the lessons to a variety of delivery models.
ACES

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Latest ACES/Transitions Articles

ACES Updates: New Lesson Plans, TIF and Online Course

Check out all the recent updates in the realm of ACES (Academic, Career & Employability Skills)! Eighteen new standards-aligned ACES/TIF lesson plans are now available, along with an updated TIF (Transitions Integration Framework) and a new ACES/TIF Foundations course hosted on the Canvas platform. Read More

Working Hard on Soft Skills: ACES/TIF Foundations Course Available on Canvas

Good news: the ACES/TIF Foundations course is now available on our new online learning platform, Canvas! This course is designed to provide a thorough introduction on how to integrate academic, career, and employability skills (ACES) into your instructional context through the use of the Transitions Integration Framework (TIF). Read More

Upcoming ABE Events

November 29, 2023 2:00 pm–3:00 pm
Minnesota State System Office
Online

Ability to Benefit: An Introductory Overview

Online

Registration Deadline: NONE; please click the Join Webinar link below to join on the day of the webinar: JOIN WEBINAR: https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/99072444305 Meeting ID: 990 7244 4305 This webinar will provide an overview of Ability to Benefit. Ability to Benefit is a… Learn More

Online
November 29, 2023 2:00 pm–3:00 pm
HiSET
Online

Exploring the HiSET

Online

Registration Deadline: WED. 11/29/23 An informative webinar designed for educators, support staff, and program personnel who are interested in learning about the HiSET exam and how to navigate the HiSET website. During the one hour webinar, topics that will be covered will include an introduction, test structure, how… Learn More

Online
November 29, 2023 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Literacy Minnesota
Online

Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices for Adult Learners

Online

Registration Deadline: WED. 11/29/23 Learning new languages and skills as an adult is a challenge for most people, and that challenge grows when trauma and stress are present. Trauma and chronic stress can come in many forms, and impact people’s ability to learn new skills and process information… Learn More

Online