A – Z: Designing a workplace transition course for the abe classroom

1. A – Z: Designing a workplace transition course for the abe classroom Stephen Hunt & Kevin Avise – District 191: Burnsville - Eagan - Savage School for Adults

2. SWBAT: • Identify general principles and framework for creating pilot ABE course. • Recognize successful and unsuccessful methods in the course design methods and practices. • Utilize principles to design & implement a career transition course for their own ABE programs.

3. Questions expected & encouraged!

4. Presenters Kevin Avise Stephen Hunt • 2003 – 2013 ABE/ESL instructor • 1987 – 2000 Secondary English teacher • B.A. – English/History (1985) • M.A.T. – Education (1991) • MAESL – ESL (2013)

5. Background & Overview • Jan. - July 2012 > Course designed, curriculum written/students recruited • Sept. 2012 > 16 students start cohort 1 • Dec. 2012 > 12 students complete class • Jan. 2013 > 11 students take Parapro Praxis; 6 pass • Jan. - March 2013 > 12 students in cohort 2 • April 2013 > 6 students take praxis; 4 pass • March 2013 > 2 students hired in ISD 191

6. Who were the students? • 18 total completed • 17 Female/1 male • 13 nationalities • Somali/Hispanic largest background • Prerequisites: 225 CASAS reading Math pretest (new)

7. Cohort One

8. Cohort Two

9. Curriculum Design 3 Guiding Principles 1. Parapro Praxis. Three sections – math, reading, writing. 2. State & National Paraprofessional Competencies. 3. Practical & Reflective K-12 Classroom Practices.

10. Contextual Instruction • Creates explicit connections between the teaching of reading, writing, and math AND instruction in a discipline area (i.e. paraprofessional prep.) • Integrates basic reading, math, and language skills AND industry AND occupation knowledge • Source: Adult Career Pathways

11. Curriculum & Course Design Resources • Adult Career Pathways www.acp-sc.org Funded by U.S. Dept. of Education • Minnesota FastTRACCareer Pathways http://www.mnfasttrac.org/about.html • Hubb Center – St. Paul www.hubbs.spps.org

12. PARAPROFESSIONAL PRAXIS • National Exam administered by ETS. ($50.00) • Given 6 times per year. • Three sections 1/3 – math; 1/3 reading; 1/3 writing (90 questions – 2 hours & 30 minutes) • Passing standard differs in each state • 55% of our students have passed

13. State & National Paraprofessional Competencies Ethics Instructional Skills Classroom Management Historical Foundations of Education

14. Practical & reflective K-12 classroom practices. • Journals • K - 8 Classroom Visits • Education Vocabulary • Classroom Management • Read Alouds • Reading & Writing Process • Translation/Interpreting skills • Films • Basic Math Instruction

15. Read Aloud Practice

16. Read Aloud

17. Media Coverage Print: • “Immigrants train to work in Burnsville classrooms as teacher aides” Minneapolis Star-Tribune; April 6, 2013 • “Burnsville-Eagan-Savage: Adult immigrants being trained to help students learn English” St. Paul Pioneer Press; Feb. 10, 2013 Television • “Adult Immigrants Learn to be Teaching Assistants in Burnsville” KSTP News, February 26, 2013 http://kstp.com/news/stories/s2941004.shtml • Education Conversations – Education Commissioner Cassellius & Curriculum Coordinator Kathy Funston discuss classroom assistants program; April 23, 2013 http://www.ctv15.org/index.php/programs/local/education-conversations.html

18. QUESTIONS

19. SWBAT: • Identify general principles and framework for creating pilot ABE course. • Recognize successful and unsuccessful methods in the course design methods and practices. • Utilize principles to design & implement a career transition course for their own ABE programs.