A – Z: DESIGNING A WORKPLACE TRANSITION COURSE FOR THE ABE CLASSROOMStephen Hunt & Kevin Avise – District 191: Burnsville - Eagan - Savage School for Adults

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.

Questions expected & encouraged!

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)

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

Who were the students?

18 total completed

17 Female/1 male

13 nationalities Somali/Hispanic

largest background

Prerequisites: 225 CASAS

reading Math pretest (new)

Cohort One

Cohort Two

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.

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

Curriculum & Course Design Resources

Adult Career Pathways www.acp-sc.org Funded by U.S. Dept. of Education

Minnesota FastTRAC Career Pathways http://www.mnfasttrac.org/about.html

Hubb Center – St. Paul www.hubbs.spps.org

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

State & National Paraprofessional Competencies

Ethics

Instructional Skills

Classroom Management

Historical Foundations of Education

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

Read Aloud Practice

Read Aloud

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

QUESTIONS

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.