Our mission is to inspire educators so adults succeed and communities thrive.
In This Issue
Social Media/App Coordinator Position
Professional Development Webinar
Upcoming Conferences
Administrator Survey
National Award Winners

Quick Links

  
   
COABE is seeking a
Social Media/App Coordinator
to draft and execute a social media/app campaign that includes COABE's Capitol Hill Day, supports COABE's public affairs/awareness campaign, and provides an increased presence in all facets of COABE's social media. The successful candidate will have experience commensurate with the tasks outlined and will be a demonstrated team leader.

Pay: $10,000 annually.

Reports to Executive Director

Deadline for receipt of applications is 3/7/16. Please send your resume and references to sharonbonney@coabe.org.   
 
  
Professional Development Webinars (FREE)
"Thank you for the workshop. Your speaker was terrific, giving very specific examples which I could understand and use in my classroom."

Title: WIOA at the Local Level: What's Next?
 
It's been almost two years since the passage of WIOA July 22, 2014. With the July 1 implementation looming, how have your programs prepared? Education services are key activities outlined in WIOA to enable youth and adults to obtain essential skills for employment and further education. With an emphasis on collaboration with postsecondary education entities and the real engagement of  employers, adult education practitioners are feeling the pressure to be ready to meet the expanded demands of the law, employers, and learners. Engage with your peers to learn more about assessing your program's next moves.

 
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Upcoming State Conferences

GAEA (GA)
March 6 - March 8
www.gaea.org

CAACE (CT)
March 31 - April 1
www.caace.net

OAACE (OH)
April 18 - April 20
www.oaace.org

Welcome new large group member associations!

Utah Association for Adult, Community and Continuing Education

Nevada Adult Education

South Carolina Adult Community and Continuing Education

High School Equivalency Program and College Assistance Migrant Program

CCA Corrections Association


Calling All Administrators!

The University of Arkansas is conducting research on administrators' perceptions of necessary leadership skills in adult education. They are looking for participants who are willing to complete an online survey that contains questions about how administrators perceive their role as a leader and the tasks they believe are important for guiding their organization.  For more information and to access the survey, please click here.

 
There were many outstanding candidates for our national level COABE Awards. Congratulations to this year's award, incentive grant, and scholarship winners, representing the best in our field!

Adult Learner of the Year
Margo Hudson, Seeds of Literacy, OH

Teacher of the Year
Ronda Blakley, Moberly Area Community College
Adult Education Program, MO

Administrator of the Year
Karen Kirchler, West Georgia Technical College, GA

Incentive Grant Winner 
Kelsey Roth from Fayetteville, AR

Scholarship Winner 
Susanna Lee from Denison, IA
National Institute for Literacy Scholarship Winner
Lily Beth Branzones, AZ 
 
 
Special thanks to the Awards, Incentive Grants, and Scholarship Committee for their work reviewing the many applications! The committee was led by Julie Kornahrens, a long time board member who hales from the state of South Carolina!

Generously sponsored by  
 

The COABE national conference continues to grow each year! This year we expect nearly 2,000 attendees to gather for state-of-the-art professional development, in Dallas, TX, from April 10-13, 2016. There are a number of exciting preconferences, networking, and special-one-of-a-kind off-site activities planned! If you have not registered yet or would like to add an event to your registration, there is still time. You will not want to delay, as onsite registration is more expensive.  

 

Join us for the following FREE conference-related webinars!

Using the FREE COABE App Webinar
March 11 at 2EST
Register here

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All You Need to Know About Presenting at COABE
March 18 at 2EST
Register here

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Giving Input on WIOA State Plans - State Submission Deadline Extended to April 1st
 
Most states have completed their work on creating Unified or Combined State Plans and have held follow-up hearings on the draft plans. Plans were due to the Secretary of Labor by March 1, 2016. However, due to the volume of feedback received in response to draft regulations released in April 2015 and the state plan information collection request (ICR) in August, the Department of Labor has extended the deadline for states to submit unified or combined plans to April 1st.
 
Have you reviewed your state's draft plan? If not, there may still be time to give input.
 
Contact your state adult education office or state workforce development board. Request a copy of the draft plan. Find out whether there is still time to give input into the plan. If there is still time, then consider what may be needed in order for adult learners to be successful under implementation of the new law. Review the Title II appendix. Consider questions, like:
 
  • Is the plan inclusive of key partnerships and strategies needed for the new law to be successful?
  • Does the plan adequately support career pathways strategies?
  • Does the plan include cross-sector collaborations, such as with career and technical education under the Perkins Act, adult education programs under WIOA Title II, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education & Training (SNAP E&T)?
  • Are there places within the plan that are too vague and need clarity, such as the requirements for Integrated Education and Training (IET), support for out-of-school youth programs (OSY), or clarity around basic skills deficiency?
  • Do the outcome requirements adequately support adult education programs in providing high-quality services to adult learners?
 
If you have given feedback on your state's plan, please share your thoughts about the plan and review process with us, by emailing COABE at advocacy@coabe.org. What areas did you see as strong points? What could be improved? We look forward to hearing from you.
 

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