The ABE program at Sacramento City USD’s Charles A. Jones Education Center was restructured in response to budget cuts, shifting the program’s focus to transitions into Career and Technical Education programs. The new program has proven effective in transitioning students into workforce training programs quickly and successfully.
Agency Awarded: Sacramento City USD, Charles A. Jones Career and Education Center, 2010
Summary Description of Project:
In response to budget cuts, the Charles A. Jones Center restructured its ABE program to focus on giving students a specific pathway from adult education into career and vocational training and the workforce. The restructured ABE program was designed only for students planning to advance into a career or training program. This eliminated students who had been enrolled in classes, in some cases, for years. Students were given a time limit to show improvement in their scores while in ABE classes, and were required to maintain at least a 90% attendance rate. Those who fell below the requirements were replaced with students from a waiting list. With these new requirements, Charles A. Jones has been able to serve the same number of students with two fewer classes, and with only one teacher instead of three.
Using CASAS pretest scores as an entry requirement into the ABE pathways class ensures that students are prepared for the course material. Instructors plan curriculum specifically designed for transitioning into a career training program and the attendance requirements ensure that students are present to receive necessary instruction. With a clear goal in mind and a realistic timeframe to achieve it, students progress through the ABE program in a timely manner. This also allows other students to enter the program and follow the same pathway.
Evaluation Process/Results:
Charles A. Jones monitors the success of the program by studying TOPSpro reports on a monthly basis. School administrators use Federal Table 4 data to evaluate student performance and improve the program. The adult school met the 2008-09 persistence average for the state (58%), and met or exceeded the state performance for all ABE instructional levels. The best results of this promising practice are seen in the fact that, even with less instructors and less classes offered, the agency is still able to serve the same number of students as it did before widespread budget cuts.
For additional information contact:
www.scusd.edu