ADULT EDUCATION NEWSLETTER Volume 2/Issue 3

ADULT EDUCATION

Newsletter

October 2018

The Crawford County Adult Education Center IN THIS ISSUE

The Adult Education Center in 2017 took on the task of using its work education programs as a form of alternative sentencing for misdemeanor offenders in Crawford County. Since July 1, graduates from the alternative sentencing programs at the center had a 16 percent recidivism rate, according to records. As of June 30, the Education Center had 415 total enrolled students in its alternative sentencing programs and had graduated 130 students. Since July 1, 61.5 percent of students who graduated from the program got a job, according to records. “It’s the most valuable thing we’ve implemented in the District Court since I’ve been here,” said county District Court Judge Chuck Baker. Alternative sentencing at the Adult Education Center begins in the District Court if Baker sentences an offender to community service, said Education Center staff member Brian Moppin. Moppin said a staff member will sit in the back of the courtroom and go over options with them at the end of the sentencing. The Adult Education Center offers alternative sentencing in the form of classes like workforce pathways, business technology and introduction to craft skills. Some offenders have to take multiple classes to fulfill their sentencing requirements, Moppin said.

Adult Education Center Director Debbie Faubus-Kendrick said she has presented the alternative sentencing program to state legislators in Little Rock. She said state representatives of communities that don’t have such a program wanted to meet with their local officials about getting it implemented in their regions.

Faubus-Kendrick herself has met with local officials in Little Rock, Hot Springs, Mountain Home and Fort Smith.

“I had a judge from North Little Rock in our court looking at (the program) last week,” Baker said.

“It’s going to look different in every community ... (Fort Smith’s) is going to look bigger than ours looks, because it’s bigger,” she said.

Faubus-Kendrick said Adult Education Center staff over the next year will go back and see how many re-offenders they have. But in the meantime, Baker is grateful for the program.

“More people are affected by it than anything else we’ve done, and I think the lasting effect of this program is better than anything else we can do with somebody,” Baker said.

“There’s a big need for this type of program,” Moppin said. “You can’t just send everybody to community service to pick up trash.”

Upcoming Events

Nov 7-9 AACAE Pre-conference & Conference (Hot Springs)

The Arkansas Adult Learning Resource

Center (AALRC) has published the 2018-19 Catalog of scheduled professional

development and training. For a full list of upcoming professional development

opportunities, please visit http://aalrc.org/adminteachers/workshops

/PDCatalog18-19.pdf

Crawford County Adult Education Finds Success with

Alternative Sentencing Crawford County Alternative Sentencing Page 1 Carl D. Perkins Act Page 2 Around the State Page 3 Adult Education & The Justice System Page 4 National CDF Month Page 5 GED Quick Facts Page 5 Helpful Resources Page 6

They have a choice to take those classes,” he said. “If they decide not to, then the only other option is traditional community service, pay the fine or go to jail.”

ADULT EDUCATION NEWSLETTER | Volume 2/Issue 3 2

Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act State Plan

AGENCY: Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing a revision of an existing information

collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before December 24, 2018.

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2018-ICCD-0108. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. Please note that comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the:

Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 550 12th Street SW, PCP, Room 9088, Washington, DC 20202-0023.ted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act State Plan. OMB Control Number: 1830-0029.

Type of Review: A revision of an existing information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 54.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 2,322.

Abstract: This information collection is used by the U.S. Department of Education to gather State plans from eligible agencies under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education Act for the 21st Century Act (Pub. L. 115-224) (Perkins V or the Act). State plans consist of narrative information, budgets, and performance levels pursuant to the Act and applicable Federal regulations pursuant to the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and Education Department General Administrative Regulations (2 CFR 76). Eligible agencies are the State boards, or sole State agencies, responsible for career and technical education in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the outlying areas of the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

Perkins V authorizes appropriations from Fiscal Year

(FY) 2019 through FY 2024. Section 122(a) of Perkins V requires each eligible agency desiring assistance for any fiscal year under the Act to prepare and submit to the Secretary a State plan for a 4-year period, together with such annual revisions as the Act specifies or the eligible agency deems necessary. Eligible agencies may submit a 4-year State plan or, for FY 2019 only, a one-year transition plan followed by a 4-year plan. An eligible agency also may submit its State plan as part of a Combined State Plan under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act of 2014 (WIOA). Dated: October 18, 2018.

ADULT EDUCATION NEWSLETTER | Volume 2/Issue 3 3

Lakeisha Hopkins was referred to the SNAP E&T program by DHS in mid-July. Lakeisha brought a great smile and an even greater attitude to the program. With consistent attendance and focused effort, she earned a Gold CRC in her first month of participation. With that Gold CRC in hand, she is ready to move into a self-sustaining job but she’s not stopping there. While she looks for a job that fits her skills and abilities, she is working quickly through all of the WAGE certificates.

When asked for her feedback about SNAP Employment and Training, Lakeisha said “Going into the program, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know that I would encounter a very different learning experience from the traditional one I knew. I am grateful for all of the staff that helped me through this process. The feedback is amazing and they really care. The program does a great job in not focusing on where you came from, but instead on where you’re going.

Lakeisha has a great work ethic and will be a tremendous asset to any organization lucky enough to hire her.

The Adult Education Program focuses on meeting needs of the adult learner by assisting and preparing them with employability training, life skills, financial literacy and postsecondary education opportunities. LaKeisha Hopkins was referred to the University of Arkansas Community College –Morrilton at the Conway site by DHS to the Faulkner County SNAP E&T Program.

Lakeisha Hopkins earned a Gold Star on the UACCM Adult Education Wall of Fame at our Conway site for

earning her Gold Level Career Readiness Certificate.

Congratulations to LaKeisha Hopkins! Thank you to DHS for the referral and for the SNAP Employment. Employment and Training Program. Together, we are improving the quality of life of Arkansans.

Have news, success stories or a best practice to share from your adult education

program?

Let us know! Submit your information to

AdultEd@Arkansas.gov.

Around the State

ADULT EDUCATION NEWSLETTER | Volume 2/Issue 3 4

Adult Education Plays Key Role in Justice System, Says Judge

An education is one thing that can never be taken away from an individual, a philosophy that Meredith Switzer, Garland County Division 1 District Court judge, holds dear for those who appear in her courtroom.

“One of the beautiful things about National Park College is that it provides our community, our students growing up in this community, an opportunity to continue their education here and grow, develop and build roots here,” Switzer told the National Park College Board of Trustees Wednesday during its regular monthly meeting.

According to a college official, in recent years, NPC’s Adult Education Division has developed a partnership with the Garland County District Court — Smarter Sentencing — to provide “justice-involved” individuals with opportunities to obtain their GED. “This college is a linchpin, it’s a landmark in this community,” Switzer said. “Without it, we would not thrive. So I use you as a tool to accomplish some of the goals I have set in court, and one of those I want to brag on today is our relationship with Bill Ritter’s team and what they’re doing in adult education.

“My philosophy is that there are certain things an individual needs to fully rehabilitate or restore. … When people come to me in court, I meet them where they are. They don’t often have the skills, the training, the education, the support system, etc., to be successful, and that is part of the problem that’s led them to criminal behavior and being a justice-involved individual.”

Switzer said they are always finding alternatives to incarceration and sentencing, and she believes in order to reduce recidivism, needs such as education, housing, employment, transportation, their justice issues, mental health, and dental and medical must be addressed.

“Unless or until all of those issues are addressed, we’re not going to have productive successful people,” she said. “They’re going to continue in the same cycle that they’ve been in. One of the things that we’ve implemented in large part in our probation program is requiring that justice-involved individuals obtain their GED. If they don’t already have a high school diploma, they must obtain the GED. The work that Bill and his team have done with the jail and individuals who are incarcerated, but also individuals who are simply just on probation, has been phenomenal.” In the 2017-18 program year, Switzer said 382 students at the Garland County Detention Center, as well as 115 students that were just on probation, were served through the Adult Education Division.

“Of that total combined group, 60 percent of them made at least one measurable increase in either reading, math or language skills,” she said. “We had 60 students obtain their GED and my philosophy on education and on obtaining your high school diploma or GED is very simple — there are very few things in life that I can’t take from you. I can take your liberty, I can take your children, I can take your driver’s license, I can take your money. No one can ever take your education from you. That is a rare thing.”

Switzer said when an individual comes to her after obtaining their GED or high school diploma, she gives them a break on their fines and costs.

“People who have racked up debt, who have been through the system, who know nothing else than the world of criminalistic behavior, have now accomplished something,” she said. “They’re a member of this club … for that effort, I reward them.

“I thank Bill and I thank you all for trusting him to work with the courts and build up this relationship, and let us serve a different faction of the community that you may not otherwise interact with. These are not individuals who have the blessing of graduating from high school and going down the road to National Park and getting a twoyear degree. We’re not talking about those individuals.”

Switzer said she shares in these students’ pride at having accomplished obtaining their GED, taking a personal vested interest in them.

“When they come back and show it to me, I take them aside in a separate courtroom on a break and I tell them and their family that I appreciate what they’ve done,” she said. “I tell them what I’ve told you (that) nobody can ever take

that from you, so cherish it.”

ADULT EDUCATION NEWSLETTER | Volume 2/Issue 3 5

GED® Quick Facts

For more than 75 years, the GED® has been a path to a better future for millions, the only high school equivalency program with proven outcomes and accepted by virtually all U.S. colleges and employers.

Nationally,

There are over 20 million graduates and counting

45% of GED grads enrolled in a college certificate or degree program within three years

35% do so within one year of earning a GED credential

90% persist by re-enrolling from one semester to the next - compared to 29% before 2014 In Arkansas,

More than 430,000 Arkansas High School Diplomas have been awarded since 1945.

Since the introduction of the computer-based test in 2015, more than 16,000 people have taken one or more of the GED test subject areas.

Since 2014, 12,596 have completed all four sections of the test; 11,858 have passed.

Our state has maintained a 94% pass rate since the introduction of the computer based test. The pass rate for the nation is 84% for the same timeframe.

November : National Career Development Month

Every November, career development professionals are encouraged to celebrate with career related activities.

November 12-16 is National Career Development Week.

November 14 is National Career Development Day.

Here are a few suggestions for your students to engage in in career development activities.

Speak with, or shadow, a professional in your future career field. Enrich your network. Join LinkedIn or update your profile. Reconnect with your previous supervisors.

Staying in touch will help you secure future references, and maintaining those relationships will potentially provide job leads.

Make a quick list of your accomplishments during the past year for your future resume. Write your elevator speech, summarizing your education, experience and career goals. You never know

when you might run into someone who can connect you to your dream job. Read about careers at O*Net or the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Complete a career inventory to identify the top occupations that match your interests. Speak with your

adult education center to learn more about these resources. Browse a college or university catalog and identify three course descriptions that sound engaging. Identify common career paths for your interest and visit with a career coach for information on the

destination of recent graduates. Locate at least three blogs that you can follow to stay informed of best practices and current trends in your

potential field. If you are feeling ambitious, make a comment on one of their posts.

ADULT EDUCATION NEWSLETTER | Volume 2/Issue 3 6

Helpful Resources:

Adult Education Information

Arkansas Department of Career Education

https://arcareereducation.org/about/adult-education (or) aalrc.org/find-a-center/

501-682-1970

ADWS-Arkansas Department of Workforce Services – Arkansas.gov

https://www.workforce.arkansas.gov

GED preparation Classes

https://bestgedclasses.org/little-rock-ar (or) https://www.passged.com/state/arkansas

ADULT EDUCATION

Newsletter

Adult Education Division Arkansas Department of Career

Education Three Capitol Mall, Little Rock, Arkansas

72201

501-682-1970

ARCareerEducation.org

GED PREP CLASSES TAKE THE GED® TEST IN ARKANSAS

ARKANSAS OFFERS THE GED TEST FOR TESTING ITS’ RESIDENTS HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY LEVEL OF SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE. YOU CAN FIND GED CLASSES THAT

MAKE IT EASIER TO OBTAIN YOUR GED CERTIFICATION IN ARKANSAS, BUT WHY GO TO A CLASS WHEN YOU CAN STUDY ONLINE!

BE PREPARED KNOW THE FACTS PASS THE TEST

ARKANSAS STATE GED TEST ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

YOU MUST BE AN ARKANSAS RESIDENT AND NOT ENROLLED IN AN ACCREDITED HIGH SCHOOL OR BE A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE

YOU MUST BE 18 YEARS OR OLDER. IF YOU ARE 16 OR 17, YOU MAY TAKE THE TEST AFTER HAVING MET THE PROVISIONS SPECIFIED IN THE APPROVED ADULT

EDUCATION ATTENDANCE AND ENROLLMENT POLICIES.

COST: $30 (PER SUBJECT); $120 (ALL SUBJECTS)

PASSING SCORE: 145 (MINIMUM) IN EACH SUBJECT

ACCOMMODATIONS: YOU CAN APPLY FOR DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS THROUGH THE GED TESTING SERVICE ACCOMMODATIONS PAGE.

THE STATE OF ARKANSAS WILL AWARD YOU A GED CERTIFICATE THAT WILL SHOW YOU HAVE ACHIEVED THE SAME LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE AS A HIGH SCHOOL

GRADUATE, BUT ONLY AFTER YOU PASS THE TEST. BE SURE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OTHER RULES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GED TEST.