Minnesota Adult Education

Minnesota Adult Education/ABE (Adult Basic Education) is a statewide system that serves approximately 65,000 adults annually. Adult education/ABE students are working towards a high school credential, learning English, improving basic skills such as literacy and math, and/or preparing for post-secondary education or employment.

While the ATLAS website focuses on professional development (PD), the Minnesota ABE website provides in-depth information about a variety of broader adult education topics:

Minnesota ABE overview, statistics and trends
ABE programs and consortia (including maps and manager contact information)
ABE instruction (basic skills, GED, ESL, civics, digital literacy, distance learning, career pathways, etc.)
Program management (including ABE policies, accountability, reporting, funding and grants, etc.)
Diploma – credit completion
Minnesota Adult Education Support Network providers

Visit the Contacts and Directories page for key Minnesota Adult Education contacts.

Minnesota Adult Education Support Network

Three percent (3%) of state ABE (Adult Basic Education) funding is used to fund activities that support adult education programs and staff across Minnesota in key areas. These activities are provided by the members of the Minnesota Adult Education Support Network – organizations that have received ABE Supplemental Service grants from the state to fund their Minnesota Adult Education work.

Support Network providers are guided in their efforts by the Minnesota Adult Education PD Standards.

Professional Development (PD) Catalog

The members of the MN Adult Education Support Network created an online PD Catalog for planning purposes. The Catalog provides an overview of all MN Adult Education PD activities in one convenient, searchable place. Here you will find brief descriptions of all PD offerings currently provided by the MN Adult Ed Support Network.

Support Network Activities

MN Adult Education Support Network providers can help ABE professionals:

Find resources and support for serving students with disabilities – PANDA (pandamn.org)
Learn about upcoming professional development opportunities – ATLAS (atlasABE.org)
Find out about Minnesota Adult Education’s professional organization – Literacy Action Network (literacyactionnetwork.org)
Get training on the assessments used in ABE – Southwest ABE (mnabeassessment.com)
Learn about how to utilize volunteers in ABE programs – Literacy Minnesota (literacymn.org)
Get support in integrating technology into the ABE classroom – Literacy Minnesota (literacymn.org)
Implement and use distance learning (DL) in ABE programs – Literacy Minnesota (mnabe-distancelearning.org)

Find out more about each provider below!

MN Adult Education Support Network Providers

ATLAS (ABE Teaching & Learning Advancement System)

Through ATLAS, all MN Adult Education practitioners have access to high-quality professional development (PD) opportunities, with options for in-person events as well as online offerings. Key activities include regional events throughout Minnesota; ABE Foundations; STAR (Student Achievement in Reading) and EBRI (Evidence-Based Reading Instruction); language & literacy PD, including adult ESL, reading and writing; math/numeracy PD; Adult Career Pathways support; ACES (Academic, Career, and Employability Skills); one-room schoolhouse PD; and support for implementation of the College & Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for Adult Education.

Literacy Action Network

Literacy Action Network is a statewide professional membership organization supporting Minnesota Adult Basic Education (ABE). LAN works to improve professionalism in the ABE field through high-quality professional development opportunities such as hosting the Summer Institute conference; to be a proactive organization whose presence is instrumental at statewide meetings and discussions concerning ABE; and to advocate for adult literacy programs.

Literacy Minnesota

Literacy Minnesota promotes and supports the use of volunteers in adult education programs, specifically through volunteer recruitment, training, and placement. In addition, Literacy Minnesota provides technology support for ABE professionals and volunteers, and supports managers and instructors in building quality distance learning (DL) opportunities based on established best practices. DL experts also vet DL platforms for statewide use, coordinate DL policy and procedures, and communicate DL information to the ABE field via newsletter articles and more.

Minnesota Association of Workforce Boards

The Minnesota Association of Workforce Boards (MAWB) provides linkages for ABE programs to the MN workforce education and training systems, such as Workforce Centers and post-secondary institutions. MAWB represents the cooperative efforts of 16 area workforce councils across the state, and their website is the go-to online source for regional and local workforce development board (LWDB) plans, WIOA resources, the Governor’s workforce development council, and more.

PANDA: Minnesota ABE Physical And Nonapparent Disability Assistance

PANDA equips Minnesota ABE teachers, program managers, and volunteers with training, disability awareness, and resources to positively impact students with disabilities. PANDA provides a comprehensive disabilities website; workshops at state and regional events; an Adult Learner Intervention program; phone and email consultations; an assistive technology/loan program; and connections to community resources.

Southwest Adult Basic Education

Southwest ABE provides training to MN ABE staff on ABE assessment tools (including CASAS and TABE), supports innovative GED activities, and provides reimbursements for learning disability assessments for ABE students seeking GED accommodations. They host the annual ABE Support Services Conference for ABE support staff. In addition, Southwest ABE manages the Racial Equity in Adult Education grant, which seeks to identify and alleviate current inequities within MN Adult Education, to benefit ALL students that we serve. You can learn more about Southwest ABE at https://www.southwestabe.org/

NEW: Find resources for online meetings/presentations/classes/events!