As part of our transition to a standards-based system and in order to comply with WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) requirements, Minnesota has adopted the College & Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRS), along with the ACES Transitions Integration Framework (TIF) and the Northstar Digital Literacy Standards, as our content standards for ABE. (Visit https://www.digitalliteracyassessment.org/ for more information on Northstar.)
As seen in the visual above, the business of Adult Basic Education is helping students attain basic skills, professional/soft skills, and digital literacy skills in order to transition into whatever is next for them. This is the “what” of instruction in ABE.
All of these skills are taught against a backdrop (here in blue) of content, the subject matter being taught. This backdrop might be life skills, if teachers are working with new arrivals to the US for example, or it may be occupational in nature, or focused on science or social studies if preparing students for GED or a secondary diploma. Content might also include civics, citizenship, or family literacy, depending on the program and context.
CCRS for Adult EducationThe College & Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRS) is the document that lays out the standards for English Language Arts/Literacy, Math, and Foundational Reading Skills. It forms the foundation of the CCRS Implementation Cohort, a year-long MN ABE professional development activity that prepares program teams to align curriculum and instruction to the CCR Standards and develop a long-term standards implementation plan for their program (see more information below).
The CCRS document itself is divided into two sections:
This free online Schoology course provides an introduction to the CCR standards for English Language Arts/Literacy or Mathematics in a self-paced format. Participants can complete the entire course for ELA and/or Mathematics, or access specific topics for a refresher or further practice.
This course meets the prerequisite requirement for several MN ABE professional development activities, including the CCRS Implementation Cohort.
These face-to-face workshops engage participants in a guided exploration of the CCR standards for ELA (English Language Arts/Literacy) or Mathematics.
These workshops meet the prerequisite requirement for several MN ABE professional development activities, including the CCRS Implementation Cohort and Adult Diploma Training.
The CCRS Implementation Cohort is a year-long, intensive professional development activity. It prepares program teams to align curriculum and instruction to the CCR standards, develop a long-term standards implementation plan for their program, and, ultimately, improve learning outcomes for students. Participation in the cohort is done at the program level; individuals do not apply, but rather their programs do.
The Content Standards Integration (CSI) Cohort is a 4-month professional development activity designed to help instructors build confidence and familiarity with integrating all three sets of MN ABE Content Standards into their curriculum and instruction. Unlike the CCRS Implementation Cohort, for which programs apply, individuals may apply to participate in CSI.
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