Section 4: Educational Quality

4.1 Provide an explanation of how high-quality educational services are developed by the consortium.

First and foremost, instructional quality within the consortium is ensured by high standards in hiring practices and ongoing professional development. In addition, SPCLC members align all curriculum to three sets of research-based standards: CCRS, ACES-TIF, and Northstar Digital Literacy. Instructional quality is enhanced through embedded professional development for teachers, provided in part by an Instructional Support Consultant, who is contracted on an ongoing basis by SPCLC. This consultant provides tailored professional development, including teacher observation and feedback, trainings in teaching methods/best practices, and curriculum consultation. Her work has transformed teacher training within SPCLC from one-time, group-driven events to individualized,  embedded, long-term PD that is tailored to the site and the unique needs of each teacher. This is especially helpful at smaller sites, which may not have their own infrastructure or capacity to support teachers at this level. 

Explain how decisions are made about what kinds of courses and instruction to offer.

Decisions about course and instructional offerings are made with several considerations in mind, including local workforce needs, student and program needs, and the changing landscape of ABE in the Twin Cities (addressed below). Ultimately, each individual program makes decisions about what they can offer based on the above factors and their unique situation.

Collaboration with SPCLC Partners and Workforce Needs: 

We strive for our programming to be responsive to the needs of the workforce and avoid duplication of services, especially in the area of specialty classes and career pathway programming. Below are some examples of how SPCLC programs coordinate with each other on these offerings.

Hmong Cultural Center (HCC): HCC has a proven history of providing quality Citizenship Preparation classes. We encourage nearby SPCLC programs to work in partnership with HCC rather than duplicating these services.

Change, Inc. and International Institute of MN: Change, Inc.’s health care career pathway serves an important role in helping lay the groundwork for students at low ELL levels to begin their journey towards a successful career in the field. This program does not, however, lead to a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credential. Change, Inc. students who complete the program and want to continue along the health care pathway are referred to the International Institute of MN’s (IIMN) Nursing Assistant Training program, where they can earn their CNA credential while also receiving financial coaching and job placement services. By working together, these programs have each found their niche and support each other with their referrals. 

St. Paul Public Schools with SPCLC’s CBO programs: Many of SPCLC’s community based organization (CBO) members, such as Vietnamese Social Services, are not able to offer high intermediate and advanced ELL classes because of their small size and limited staffing.  However, these small programs often provide a comfortable place for many students to start their English-learning journey. As students progress, they are referred to larger programs that have a wider range of services, such as the Hubbs Center. 

Additional examples of adapting to student needs are listed below.

SPCLC programs were forced to quickly adapt in late 2025 and early 2026 during “Operation Metro Surge,” when many students, regardless of their immigration status, were afraid to leave their homes because of the possibility of being detained or deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). During this time, every SPCLC member shifted at least some of their programming online and some added HyFlex options. Because programs had experience with these alternative modes of instruction from the Covid-19 pandemic, this sudden pivot was not as difficult as it could have been, but there were still challenges. Some staff who were hired after the pandemic did not have online teaching experience and had to quickly learn; many students needed to gain digital literacy skills and technology so they could participate in online classes. Many students returned to in-person classes this spring, but the skills gained during this time will help us continue to successfully adapt to circumstances beyond our control.  

Explain how courses and instruction are evaluated to determine whether they are high quality. 

SPCLC supports each program's efforts to evaluate its courses and instruction by highlighting SID data related to student gains throughout the year at its Governance Committee meetings. SPCLC’s Instructional Support Consultant provides regular observations of and feedback to SPCLC instructors, as well as curriculum consultation/course review, and training in best practices. 

SPCLC seeks to provide high quality courses by starting with high quality, vetted curricular resources, well-trained teachers and staff, and an accessible and welcoming environment. We know that there is a direct correlation between high quality courses and student attendance, persistence, and outcomes. By looking at trends in these areas we can evaluate the quality of our  course offerings from a big picture perspective. During annual site visits, each program looks at MSG data broken down into NRS levels. Lower-performing levels are a red flag that there may be a disconnect between instruction and assessment and are further evaluated. 

That said, each SPCLC program is ultimately responsible for providing high quality services and instruction. The following are several examples of how SPCLC programs evaluate their courses and instruction to determine quality:

Explain how the consortium ensures that all students have access to sufficient intensity of instruction in order to make learning gains. 

SPCLC members continuously monitor and adjust class schedules and program intensity to accommodate student needs and availability, and to ensure that students are offered enough class time to reach their goals. We offer classes 12 hours a day Monday-Thursday, and 3-4 hours a day on Fridays and Saturdays. Some classes meet once or twice a week and others meet up to five days a week.  Most classes offer at least eight hours of instruction weekly, with some classes meeting up to twenty hours each week. Offerings vary by site, but within the consortium, there are classes that work for nearly any prospective student.  

Classes are offered at more than 14 locations and online, so students are able to overcome access barriers like transportation. Some locations offer free childcare and others have paid childcare on site. Vietnamese Social Services and Hmong Cultural Center provide free transportation for those who do not live on an easy public transportation route. 

In addition, students who are unable to attend consistently or who wish to increase their intensity of instruction are able to access lessons through distance learning (DL). During the last program year, 4,200 SPCLC students received instruction through distance learning platforms for a total of 80,143.5 hours of DL instruction. Distance learning is offered in some capacity by all SPCLC programs. Student use of DL across the consortium has increased significantly since 2020; currently there are more than twice the number of students enrolled in DL and those students are completing almost double the number of DL hours as compared to 2020.

Options for students to attend in-person classes, online classes, and to practice their skills in distance learning platforms was especially important in early 2026 when many students did not feel safe leaving their homes because of "Operation Metro Surge."  Collaboration across SPCLC, along with the  existing diversity of instructional intensity and delivery models among member agencies, helped provide continuity for students during this time. 

Explain how instruction incorporates the essential components of reading instruction (alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension). 

Classes are aligned to the CCRS, which includes standards focused on a variety of reading components. For example, the Foundational Skills cover phonological awareness, word recognition, and fluency.  Other parts of the CCRS reading standards focus on using a variety of tools to develop better reading comprehension. Having the CCRS as the biggest focus of most classes ensures that learners are taught all of the essential components of reading. 

In addition to alignment with CCRS, instruction at some levels is also aligned to the Student Achievement in Reading (STAR) program which was created by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) with the goal of assisting “states and local programs in making systemic and instructional changes required to improve the reading achievement of intermediate-level adult learners.” In addition, STAR provides teachers and administrators with tools that help to translate reading research into practice and supports programs in making reading a priority. STAR emphasizes Evidence-Based Reading Instruction (EBRI) centered around four components: alphabetics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. At least three member agencies have completed professional development to help implement STAR programming at their sites. While Hubbs no longer offers a STAR-specific class, elements of the training are still present in reading-focused classes, especially at the advanced EL, pre-GED, and college readiness levels. 

In the last few years, many teachers have started to use the website abcEnglish. This site offers instructional materials focused on building phonics skills but within a context that also improves fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This resource has been a game-changer for our lower-level EL classes. abcEnglish is being integrated into many EL classrooms and is also the basis for some stand-alone classes aimed specifically at struggling readers. 

Additionally, staff at many SPCLC member sites have participated in an ACES PLC within the last 5 years and all teachers continue to align curriculum with ACES TIF. The ACES TIF addresses reading instruction in its Learning Strategies category, focusing on strategies such as reading for context, identifying a text’s main idea, and making inferences and predictions from text.

 Kratos Learning (n.d.) STudent Achievement in Reading (STAR) fact sheet. Retrieved from www.startoolkit.org

4.2 Describe how the consortium’s distance/hybrid learning programming has expanded. Address the lessons learned and best practices adopted in recent years, as well as intentions and plans for continued improvement of distance and hybrid learning. 

Every SPCLC provider offers some distance learning opportunities and most programs offer synchronous online class options. This served SPCLC students well during "Operation Metro Surge" this past winter. Programs that had strong existing online classes and distance learning offerings weathered the disruptions much better than those that did not. 

In 2024-2025, 4,200 SPCLC students completed distance learning hours, earning a total of 80,143 hours. This was an increase from the year before, when SPCLC served about 3,900 students for 78,000 hours. The top ten platforms used were Read Theory, Burlington English, MobyMax, MyMathLab, teacher-created courses, MyEnglishLab, Khan Academy, ReadWorks, Edmentum, and Common Lit. In all, SPCLC programs utilized 26 different distance learning platforms and courses.

Hubbs Center served the most students with DL (2,530) of any single ABE program statewide in 2024 and 2025 and had the second highest student DL hours (42,725) in the state. Literacy Minnesota served 566 students with DL during that time, the 9th highest statewide. 

The amount of distance, online and hybrid learning and technology varied by program. For example, while all classes at CLUES are currently only offered online, their physical classrooms have been equipped with built-in OWL capabilities, making it possible for them to consider offering HyFlex classes to accommodate students who want to return in-person. 

SPCLC programs offered a variety of supports to increase student access to and use of online and distance learning. For example, digital navigators at Literacy Minnesota provided one-to-one technology onboarding for students. These navigators helped students access, login and begin using DL platforms on their phones or laptops, which made DL accessible to many beginning-level students who may not have been able to do it on their own. Literacy Minnesota also had staff provide push-in digital literacy instruction in classes. Hubbs Center offered drop-in tech support hours throughout the week during which students could get help accessing Google Meet or Google Classroom, logging in and navigating DL platforms, and resolving computer hardware and software issues. A number of programs offered contests or small incentives to students for completing DL hours, especially during break times like spring break or winter vacation. 

SPCLC’s experience in distance and hybrid instruction over the past few years has taught us a number of lessons that have helped us improve. These learnings include: (1) Teacher buy-in is very important. The teachers who are most invested in onboarding and integrating DL options into their classes have the highest levels of student usage; (2) digital literacy skills, including specific skills such as screen navigation and more general skills like remembering passwords and basic trouble-shooting, make distance learning so much easier for students; (3) ongoing orientation and technical support for students is critical and should be part of a distance learning plan; (4) hybrid classes, in which instruction is offered online some days and in-person other days, are problematic because many students choose to attend only one modality (the in-person or online days) and end up missing important parts of the curriculum; and (5) having one central person who manages all DL reporting has been most effective for programs. 

The disruption caused by "Operation Metro Surge" this winter was yet another reminder to our consortium of the critical importance of digital literacy instruction and flexible online programming. SPCLC programs will continue to follow student demand, increasing online and distance learning offerings as needed. Many programs have embraced ELLi as a new distance learning platform this year and are excited to see students benefiting from it. Programs plan to continue to invest time, money, and resources into growing options that are relevant and accessible to students and assisting with challenges along the way.

4.3 Give an overview of how the consortium has integrated the state’s content standards for ABE into instruction to date.

Strong standards implementation requires both well-trained instructional staff and strongly aligned curricular resources. The following organizations have completed the year-long CCRS Implementation Cohort: SPPS ABE (Hubbs Center), Literacy Minnesota, and Neighborhood House. In addition to individual program participation, SPCLC’s Instructional Support Consultant and a team of CBO representatives participated in the CCRS Implementation Cohort in 2018-2019 to explore how SPCLC could support CCRS implementation at smaller sites that could not participate in a yearlong cohort. During this time, the team created a plan to ensure full CCRS implementation across all sites. They formed a “CCRS in Action” Professional Learning Community (PLC), led by the Instructional Support Consultant and attended by staff from all of the CBO member organizations. Through the PLC, teachers practiced using the same CCRS implementation tools that were introduced in the CCRS Implementation Cohort. They also developed plans for sharing their learning with other teachers in their program and articulated next steps in their own CCRS implementation journey. Following participation in the cohort, the Instructional Support Consultant did check-ins with each program to ensure that the alignment work continued at the program level in each of these organizations. This process was also an opportunity to reflect on the integration of ACES/TIF and Northstar standards, leading to additional progress in these areas as well.

Because some programs were early adopters of CCRS, staff completed the related professional development quite a few years ago but continue to seek out opportunities for refreshing their skills. For example, Hubbs Center instructional staff received onsite CCRS refresher training in both ELA and Math at the beginning of this school year from statewide trainers Kristine Kelly and Lindsey Cermak. Most organizations regularly send staff to professional development trainings such as Summer Institute, Metro Regionals, and Language and Literacy, where CCRS-related content is available. In recent years, there has been more emphasis put on providing math-specific PD and several staff attend the Math Institute every year, where CCRS-related sessions are included. 

In addition to a strong and ongoing commitment to CCRS training, many programs use curricular resources that are well-aligned to CCRS. Curriculum such as Future and MyEnglishLab, Burlington English, and Edmentum are well-aligned and offer a strong standards base from which to instruct. According to Pearson, the Future textbook and MyEnglishLab combination "develops literacy and language skills identified in the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS)." Future textbooks are the basis for all EL instruction at Hubbs Center.  While it is always possible for a company to over-state their alignment levels, Hubbs Center did a comprehensive review of available curricula when they were looking for options in 2020-2021 that would better fit the online instructional needs at the time. As part of the review, a teacher committee evaluated each option for standards alingment and found that the Future series lived up to their claims. Similarly, Burlington English states that "CCR Standards are incorporated into the Burlington curriculum at every level, to provide a foundation for academic rigor." Multiple programs use Burlington English as both the basis for in-person instruction and for extended distance learning opportunities. 

In addition to CCRS, SPCLC has been committed to integrating digital literacy instruction into the classroom. Disruptions to ABE programming in the pandemic and during "Operation Metro Surge" made it clear that both students and teachers need to be prepared to use technology to minimize learning interruptions. SPCLC has long invested in Northstar memberships for all of its programs and will continue to do so in order to keep digital literacy skills integration a focus in all classes. Between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2025, a total of 1,626 unique learners across SPCLC engaged with the Northstar Digital Literacy online platform. The increase of online instruction has also led to more opportunities for digital literacy practice as students attending remotely need to utilize a number of digital literacy skills to be successful: checking email, navigating a website, opening and accessing multiple tabs, and utilizing tools such as Google Docs. 

ACES/TIF has admittedly not received as much attention in recent years. However, since many programs revamped their curriculum to integrate ACES/TIF when this was a strong PD push, most programs report that their curricula already reflect ACES/TIF standards.  Just like with CCRS and Northstar standards, when new courses are created, curriculum developers and teaching staff work intentionally to align curriculum to ACES/TIF to ensure that students are getting the soft skills needed to thrive.

What content standards training have staff participated in? What percentage of instructional staff have participated in Foundations Training for each of the three sets of content standards: CCRS Foundations, ACES Foundations, and Northstar Foundations?

CCRS: Of current SPCLC teachers, 51 have completed CCRS Foundations in either ELA, Math, or both. This amounts to just under 50% of SPCLC teachers. We estimate that around 75% of full-time teachers have completed CCRS Foundations.  

Additionally, programs offer their own in-house professional development related to CCRS and the other content standards. 

ACES/TIF: Of current SPCLC teachers, 29 have completed ACES Foundations.  This is 28% of SPCLC teachers. We estimate that 40% of full-time teachers have completed ACES Foundations. 

Since many programs revamped their curriculum to integrate ACES/TIF when this was a strong PD push, most programs report that their curricula already reflect ACES/TIF standards.

Northstar: Of current SPCLC teachers, 20 have completed Northstar Foundations. This is 19% of SPCLC teachers.  Many of those who have not completed Northstar Foundations but do teach with Northstar content or digital literacy skills, generally, have taken practice Northstar assessments and the Northstar Proctor Training.

Other: In addition to the Foundations Training, instructional staff have participated in a wide variety of other training and PD projects related to the three sets of content standards. These include: in-house PLCs; a standards alignment project; a CCRS Refresher course; standards-integration sessions at Summer Institute, Language and Literacy conference, Minnesota English Learner Education  (MELEd) and ATLAS. 

How are the standards used to plan for instruction and course offerings?

As noted above, when new courses are offered by SPCLC, instructional staff articulate the CCRS, ACES/TIF, and Northstar standards with which the course aligns. The consortium 5-year narrative has offered us an opportunity to revisit course offerings within each SPCLC program and identify gaps in standards alignment.  Since many programs offer some similar courses, like Beginning ESL, we are able to see how these courses differ in their implementation of standards and share ideas for improvement. 

In the smaller organizations, most classes have a reading or writing focus, so they are planned with the reading, language or writing standards as their base. Courses that use standards-aligned curriculum can follow the scope and sequence and feel confident they are offering a good progression of standards as well as addressing relevant shifts. For example, using a strong textbook will ensure that learners are receiving regular practice with complex texts and its academic vocabulary as well as building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction. Smaller organizations usually need to offer multilevel class options. The standards are used to help with scaffolding and extension activities. Teachers can look at the standard below and above the primary level to get ideas on how to build up to - or build up from - the central skill. 

Larger organizations are able to offer classes that address smaller subsets of the standards. For example, Hubbs Center has conversation classes that focus on speaking and listening standards, as well as a literacy class that is built on CCR Foundations. In these cases, the standards were used to develop the courses and then materials, such as abcEnglish, were included to build up the instruction. In addition, Hubbs Center changed their course levels and names in 2020 to better align with the CCRS. Rather than having ELL 1, ELL 2, etc. their course names are now ELL A, ELL B, etc. This seems like a small change but it fundamentally changed the way they were implementing standards at the time, making it less a process of fitting standards into current course offerings and instead a process of building aligned courses from the ground up. 

Northstar digital literacy standards are often added to classes in ways that complement reading or writing standards. For example, when focusing on a writing standard, there are opportunities to also develop skills using Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Programs try to layer standards instruction as much as possible. The Northstar standards also helped to form the basis for new Information Technology  courses and students are required to pass Northstar Assessments as part of each course level. 

How does the consortium ensure instructional materials are aligned to content standards?

SPCLC has worked extensively in the past 5-10 years on assessing existing curriculum, updating curriculum, and investing in instructional materials that align with the state content standards.  Much of this started with the PD around ACES/TIF and then the CCRS Implementation Cohort. These opportunities prompted SPCLC to more closely evaluate what we were doing and identify areas of growth.  

Programs that have completed the CCRS cohort are well versed in the Math and Reading CCRS Evaluation and High Value Alignment tools. While these are not applied to every resource, they have been used to make larger curricular decisions. Programs have also accessed completed evaluation tools on common curriculum that is available on the ATLAS website. There are completed evaluations for All Star, Beyond True Stories, the Common Lit website, and Ventures, all of which are used by some SPCLC programs. 

For the Northstar Digital Literacy Standards, many programs utilize the curriculum specifically developed by Northstar, ensuring that it is well aligned.  Programs also utilize the English Learner Digital Essential Skills (ELDES) curriculum, especially with lower-level learners. This curriculum is meant to scaffold up to the Northstar Digitial Literacy curriculum with a focus on building relevant vocabulary and providing activities within real-life contexts. Hubbs Center hosted an on-site training on this curriculum in 2024. 

Larger programs have been able to do more of this work, revamping curriculum to include standards-aligned instructional materials and investing staff time in training and work time to implement shifts and intentional adherence to standards. However, we’ve seen great growth, too, in the smaller programs over the past five years.  The smaller CBO sites including Hmong Cultural Center, Vietnamese Social Services, and MORE have all invested in curricula that align with state content standards, including English Unlocked, abcEnglish, and Burlington English.  In addition, teachers supplement with additional routines to more fully integrate the standards, including digital literacy practice that uses Northstar standards.

4.4 Give an overview of college and/or career-focused programming, including Integrated Education and Training (IET) programming, transitions to postsecondary programming or programming that helps students attain a recognized postsecondary credential.  

The nine consortium members of the Saint Paul Community Literacy Consortium (SPCLC) demonstrate a wide range of college and career-focused programming, with significant variation in depth and breadth depending on each organization's mission and student population. Across all providers, instruction is framed by the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRS) and the Academic, Career, and Employability Skills (ACES) Transitions Integration Framework (TIF), which together serve as the foundational standards for integrating career and college readiness into all ABE coursework.

Two of the programs in SPCLC offer Integrated Education and Training (IET) / Integrated Career and Technical Education

Hubbs Center offers:

• IT Tier 1, Tier 2, and IT Tier 3 — a tiered technology career pathway building toward industry-recognized IT credentials

• Paraeducator — prepares students for employment as educational paraprofessionals

Additionally, Hubbs offers College Readiness and SPC Math (Math 0745), the latter being a for-credit developmental math course offered in partnership with Saint Paul College — a direct example of transition to postsecondary. The College Readiness course specifically prepares students to enter credit-bearing college coursework.

Additional career programs include:

• Customer Service and Workplace Health and Safety — workforce readiness courses

• Driver's Education Permit — supporting basic employment access

• Commercial Driver's License (CDL) — prepares students to obtain a CDL credential

• Introduction to Nursing Assistant / Introduction to Patient Care — introduces healthcare career foundations and pathways to the Nursing Assistant certification

• Personal Care Assistant (PCA) Certificate — leads directly to a recognized credential

International Institute of Minnesota (IIMN) offers perhaps the most comprehensive suite of career pathways in the consortium, with the following dedicated courses:

• Entrepreneurship (in-person and online) — leads to a U.S. Entrepreneurship Certification Exam and covers business planning, financial literacy, marketing, and business structure

• Retail Customer Service Training (6 weeks/75 hours) — includes mock interviews and a student store practical

• Dietary Aide Training (6 weeks/75 hours) — includes ServSafe food handler assessment and practical dining experience

• Housekeeping Training (6 weeks/75 hours) — includes practical experience in a hotel setting

• Nursing Assistant Training (both 7-week and 11-week options) — leads to state-required CNA credentials

All of IIMN's career pathway courses integrate ACES/TIF skills (particularly Developing a Future Pathway, Navigating Systems, and Self-Management) alongside occupational content, reflecting an IET model where ABE and career training occur concurrently.

Additional College and career classes are delivered through International Institute's College Readiness Academy . A program that explicitly prepares non-native English speakers with TABE scores of 500+ to enter U.S. colleges; goals include understanding college structure, academic writing, critical thinking, and developing a personal academic plan

Additional career options include;

• Office Specialist Training (6 weeks/75 hours) — targets CASAS 220–235 students and includes Google Docs, email, and computer skills assessed via Northstar Digital Literacy

• Professional Leadership Training (in-person and online) — focuses on workplace advancement, leadership, resume and cover letter writing, networking, and career search skills

Healthcare Career Pathways

Healthcare is the most common career pathway sector across the consortium.

Change Inc. offers a Health Care Pathway designed for adult ELL students ages 18–24 with CASAS scores of 200–239+. This 1–2 year program provides nursing assistant training using state-required equipment and curriculum (Mosby's Textbook for Nursing Assistants, Minnesota State Department of Health Nurse Assistant Curriculum, and Hartman's Nursing Assistant Care). Goals include developing healthcare and vocational vocabulary, workforce readiness, and exposure to a wide variety of healthcare careers. Students develop individualized workforce/education plans.

Literacy Minnesota (Open Door) offers an Introduction to Medical Careers course (8–12 weeks, online via Zoom) targeting ELLs scoring 207–227 on CASAS STEPS. This is explicitly structured as a pre-CNA pipeline: students who attend 75% of classes and score 75%+ on the final test are referred to an official CNA program. Content includes Activities of Daily Living, vital signs, nursing assistant responsibilities, home health aide duties, and medical interpreter roles. This course is a clear example of an IET pre-training bridge.

Construction Pathway

Change Inc. offers a Construction Pathway for adult ELL students, designed to take 12–24 months and targeting completion of the NCCER Core Curriculum: Introductory Craft Skills. Students complete all nine NCCER modules (Basic Safety, Construction Math, Hand Tools, Power Tools, Construction Drawings, Basic Rigging, Basic Communication, Basic Employability Skills, and Material Handling), as well as OSHA 10 Training (a recognized industry credential). Students also contribute to a real new home construction project — applying roofing, drywall, siding, flooring, painting, and window installation — and earn an MC3 curriculum certificate. This represents one of the most structured IET models in the consortium, with recognized postsecondary/industry credentials embedded in the program design.

Entrepreneurship Programming

Both IIMN and Change Inc. offer entrepreneurship courses. Change Inc.'s Entrepreneurship course serves adult ELL students ages 18–24 and is an academic course integrating advanced reading and writing standards with business content. IIMN's Entrepreneurship program (in-person and online) leads to a U.S. Entrepreneurship Certification Exam — a recognized credential — and covers business planning, SWOT analysis, funding, accounting tools (QuickBooks, Square), marketing, and pitch presentations.

GED/High School Equivalency as a Postsecondary Credential

Several programs explicitly frame GED or HiSET attainment as a postsecondary credential and transition point:

• CLUES offers GED Preparation targeting students at CASAS 229+, using Khan Academy, GED.com, Steck-Vaughn, and Edmentum.

• Neighborhood House (NH) offers GED Preparation for both native English speakers and advanced ELLs (ESL Level 6+). Course goals include helping students sign up for GED tests and supporting goal-setting beyond the GED, including employment and college preparation.

• Literacy Minnesota offers Pre-GED Reading & Writing, Pre-GED Math (with volunteer tutors), and Pre-GED Science, all designed to funnel students toward a GED prep program or independent GED test-taking. Pre-GED completion criteria include entry into a partner GED program (Summit OIC) or measurable skill gain.

• Hubbs Center offers a GED Fast Track course within its ABE programming.

College Transition Programming

IIMN is recognized across the state for its outstanding postsecondary transition programming through its College Readiness Academy (offered in-person and online). This 12-week, 156-hour program requires a TABE 500+ entry score and a completion benchmark of TABE 536+. Goals explicitly include understanding U.S. college structure, navigating Google Classroom and Zoom, developing an academic plan for college entry, and using effective study strategies.

Hubbs Center similarly offers a College Readiness course along with SPC Math (Math 0745), a developmental math course offered through Saint Paul College. This constitutes a formal co-enrollment or partnership model, providing a recognized postsecondary pathway with a college course credit structure.

Neighborhood House notes in its Advanced ELL course goals that the course "prepares students for higher education" and that the reading and academic skills taught "prepare students for post-secondary education." Students scoring above ESL Level 6 are referred to GED or job training classes.

A unique example of career work is through MORE Empowerment's Workplace-Contextualized Programming

MORE offers a distinctive workplace learning model through its BIX Produce Company Workplace Classes, where instruction is delivered on-site at the employer's location. Three integrated courses are offered there:

• Workplace Speaking/Listening (Monday, 2 hrs/week) — targets pre-literate through high beginning ELLs; focuses on job skills such as reporting safety incidents, calling in sick, understanding paystubs, and communicating with managers

• Workplace Reading/Writing (Tuesday, 2 hrs/week) — intermediate to advanced learners; covers safety report filing, email writing, understanding benefits (401K, insurance plans), and the BIX Safe Quality Food (SQF) standards

• Workplace Digital Literacy (Wednesday, 2 hrs/week) — for high intermediate to advanced students; focuses on Microsoft applications, file management, and the BIX company intranet

MORE also delivers a Keytronic Workplace Class at the Keytronic manufacturing facility, providing contextualized ESL instruction in ITAR regulations and circuit board components for employees at ESL levels 3–6.

4.5 Give an overview of secondary credential/adult diploma programming, which supports ABE students in completing a high school and/or equivalency diploma:

Learners in SPCLC have an option of working towards either their GED or their HiSET, and some can also access diploma programming depending on their age. There is a GED/HiSET testing center located at Hubbs Center where learners and community members can take their official tests. 

Hubbs Center, CLUES, Neighborhood House, and Literacy Minnesota all offer classes to help prepare students for their High School Equivalency (HSE). While these classes are primarily aimed at GED since that is where the demand has been, students preparing for the HiSET would also benefit from these preparation classes. Class content includes the four GED test subjects: English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Math. Exact offerings vary depending on site, but students generally have an option to study in-person or online, and both morning and evening. Students who want to can access more than 15 hours a week of GED programming at some sites. Programs also utilize a variety of distance learning platforms including Khan Academy, ReadTheory, and Edmentum. 

Change Inc., accredited by the Minnesota Nonpublic Schools Accrediting Association (MNSAA), provides students ages 18-24 with educational and career pathway training leading to a High School Diploma. The Change Inc. diploma program includes: standards- and competency-based requirements that earn students credits in academic subjects; literacy skills development for English Language Learners; career pathways classes leading to industry-recognized certificates (Construction, Health, IT); and assistance from a Transition Coordinator to move into employment or post-secondary education/training after graduation.

Which secondary credential/diploma options are offered? High School Equivalency assessment preparation, including GED®/HiSET®;  Credit completion or credit recovery; and/or  Standard Adult High School Diploma programming. 

Students are able to take tests toward either their GED or HiSET. Preparation classes are primarily aimed at preparing students for their GED, though these classes are also helpful in preparing for HiSET. Students who qualify to attend GAP are able to earn a credit-based diploma. 

Both Hubbs Center and Change, Inc. have been trained to offer the Standard Adult High School Diploma (ADP). Hubbs Center offered ADP until 2020; Change, Inc. has never offered it. Neither program plans to bring ADP back in the near future. While Hubbs did see some students complete their ADP, completion levels were quite low and the program required intensive amounts of staff time. The program was costly to run and the outcomes did not justify the expenses. Students who would like to pursue an ADP, and those who would like a credit-based diploma but aren’t eligible to attend Change, Inc., are referred to other programs in the area. 

How are students advised in selecting the option that works best for them?

Advisors guide students based on the specifics of their situation, i.e. credits earned in high school and current reading and math test scores. Students who already have a lot of high school credits are typically referred to programs outside of SPCLC, such as Roseville, to do a credit-based diploma option. Younger students who are eligible for GAP are referred there. Students who are still young enough to qualify for K-12 services are encouraged to stay in high school until graduation or until they age out of services; even if graduation is out of reach, students can earn additional credits and continue receiving K-12 services that are not available in ABE, like  special education and free lunches. Only when none of these options make sense are students encouraged to pursue their GED. Students who don’t wish to continue with K-12 and require an age waiver before enrolling are able to complete that with the GED advisor at Hubbs. 

Programs often hear from students who believe they need a GED even though they already completed a diploma in another country. In those cases, students meet with a GED advisor to evaluate their prior schooling and review or request documentation of their foreign diploma. In most cases, these students are encouraged to increase their reading and math skills in preparation for college or the workforce rather than focus on passing the GED. Students who still need a GED, or simply wish to have one despite not needing it, are of course enrolled in GED programming. 

4.6 Give an overview of the consortium’s process to effectively serve eligible adults with disabilities, including learning disabilities (this could include a referral process when needed). 

SPCLC serves many disabled adults (we are purposely using identity-first language rather than person-first language), both those who are diagnosed and those who are not. At a minimum, spaces are chosen that are accessible and classroom activities are designed with Universal Design principles in mind. Students who require testing accommodations are identified and the accommodations are either applied for or documented. Safety plans are developed with specific attention to students with mobility challenges. PANDA is sometimes consulted around specific student needs. Disabled students are sometimes referred to https://disabilityhubmn.org/ for more general needs and https://mylegalaid.org/disability-law-center/ for legal needs. 

Because many students are not officially diagnosed, choose not to identify, or come with complex learning difficulties that require more than one intervention, instruction is constructed using Universal Design principles. Universal Design for Learning is an educational framework that seeks to make learning accessible for all learners by anticipating a variety of learner needs and building flexible entry points into the curriculum. One tenet of Universal Design is offering various ways of acquiring information. Programs do this by using different formats to present information including written, oral, and hands-on opportunities to access new information. 

Programs serve students with learning disabilities as well as those with intellectual disabilities. While most programs require a certain TABE or CASAS Goals score to accept native English-speakers into their programs, there is no lower end for EL learners testing on CASAS STEPS. This means that programs are sometimes serving students who struggle significantly with cognitive tasks. In the past, some students were referred out to programs for disabled adults run through Community Education. In many cases, funding for those programs has been cut and programming is more limited. Programs do their best to serve these learners but it is important to acknowledge that ABE is not always the best place for them, though it may be the best of their current available options. 

Hubbs Center has had a part-time disability specialist for the past three years. This role has been filled by a teacher who is dual-licensed in ABE and Special Education and she has served as an additional resource for both teachers and students. Hubbs also recently began serving two deaf students by utilizing ASL interpreters in the classroom. Both of these students had attended ThinkSelf in the past and were looking for a program that could accommodate their higher-level skills. 

International Institute has been serving several blind students this year. While they have attempted to refer students to Minneapolis ABE, the response has repeatedly been that the program is full and is not accepting new students. 

As mentioned, programs typically refer blind or deaf students to programs that are specially designed to meet their needs. However, when this referral is either not desired or not possible, programs have done their best to accommodate students within their program. Hubbs Center estimates they will spend close to $50,000 on ASL interpreters this year. They have applied for additional low-incidence disability funding and will also request reimbursement through the Department of Education and hope that this will make it sustainable to continue providing ASL interpretation in the future.

Explain how the consortium identifies and utilizes appropriate accommodations for students (and staff) and include data and/or information about how effectively eligible adults with disabilities are being served. 

Programs have different processes for identifying and utilizing appropriate accommodations.All programs ask about disability status on their intake forms. When a student identifies as disabled, the information is entered into SiD.

Identifying accommodations for students will sometimes happen at intake. For example, all students at CLUES receive information about ADA accommodations during the intake process and are encouraged to share any needs that they have. Other times, accommodations are determined on an ongoing basis.GAP school has social work interns on site from Metro State and disabled students are connected to these interns for case management when necessary.Often times students either don’t share their disability status or may not know that they have a learning disability. In these cases, teachers often raise concerns after a student has been attending class and the needs are addressed then. 

It is important to note that many times there are limited actions to take when a student is struggling in class due to a suspected learning disability. Medical diagnosis for adults, especially those with limited English, can be difficult and expensive. Ongoing challenges with things like PTSD and trauma are not easily treated and treatments are often inaccessible due to language and cost. Despite that, programs do their best to meet students where they are at, offer flexible programming in a welcoming environment, and help the students to pursue additional help when possible and desired by the student.

There is not a lot of data to show how well students with disabilities are being served. One positive example is that during the 2024-2025 school year, 25 students were identified for additional learner support from the disability specialist at Hubbs and 40 percent of those made a level gain, which was a higher percentage than the overall program. Another data point is that the Reading 1 class at Hubbs, which is for native English speakers with quite low literacy levels, is serving twice as many students than it has in the past. This is a group that often has learning disabilities and the numbers show that Hubbs is reaching and retaining many students in this category. 

Each program has their own human resources department that can assist staff with reasonable accommodations for staff. Staff who require accommodations at Hubbs Center can work with a district accommodations specialist to learn more about their options.Common accommodations include adapting workspaces, offering additional breaks during the day, and remote work options when feasible.

4.7 Describe how volunteers are utilized and trained in the consortium.

The Saint Paul Community Literacy Consortium (SPCLC) strategically utilizes volunteers to expand instructional capacity, enhance learner support, and improve access to adult literacy services across the consortium. Volunteers serve in a variety of roles, including classroom assistants, small‑group facilitators, one‑to‑one tutors, navigators, and more. Their placement is aligned with program needs and learner goals, ensuring that volunteer support complements instruction delivered by licensed teachers and trained staff.

SPCLC is fully compliant with Minnesota Adult Education (ABE) statutes and the Minnesota Department of Education Volunteer Training Standards. All volunteers receive provider‑specific orientation prior to service, which includes information on program procedures, safety, instructional resources, technology platforms, and role expectations. Volunteers working directly with learners complete required initial training based on their level of responsibility: four hours for classroom assistants and supplemental support roles, or twelve hours for volunteers providing independent or lead instruction. Training content emphasizes understanding adult learners, culturally responsive practices, instructional best practices, and accountability requirements.

In addition, SPCLC ensures that volunteers complete required training within established timelines and participate in ongoing annual in‑service training after their first year. Through structured training, supervision, and continued professional development, volunteers are effectively prepared to support high‑quality adult education services and advance SPCLC’s mission to improve literacy outcomes in St. Paul.

Describe common activities and roles for volunteers.

Volunteers furthered the mission of the consortium in several ways. According to Neighborhood House staff, "The volunteers are wrapped into the programs and the systems that we have to support our learners." In addition to community members, several organizations have had students become volunteers as well. 

When asked to describe their common activities and roles, volunteers painted a picture of meaningful, hands-on engagement across a range of settings. Nineteen volunteers took on the focused work of leading independent one-on-one tutoring sessions, providing personalized support directly to individual learners. A larger group — 58 volunteers — stepped into a more expansive role, leading an independent class of students entirely on their own. The greatest number, 533 volunteers, worked alongside educators by supporting teachers inside ABE classrooms. Beyond direct instruction, 25 volunteers contributed to the consortium's broader operations by assisting outside of the classroom, demonstrating the many ways dedicated individuals showed up to advance the mission.

Some specific examples of volunteer activities:

• Teaching a weekly computer lab class to help build digital literacy skills and support students.

• Leading a  three-week orientation class to help new students understand and get used to daily routines and school processes.

• Working with beginning literacy students in small group or 1:1 settings.

• Helping students transition to online classes during "Operation Metro Surge" earlier this year. 

• Administering the ABLE test.

• Helping with technology troubleshooting for online students and leading breakout groups for online classes.

Describe how volunteers enhance student success in the consortium. 

Across the consortium, SPCLC had 607 volunteers that provided 26,967 hours of instruction WHEN. Volunteers are able to fill a number of roles from helping to prep materials, working with small groups to help deliver differentiated instruction, working 1:1 with students who require direct instruction, and providing additional support to students. Volunteers in the consortium work as teachers, classroom assistants, navigators, office support, tutors, and more, all of which helps programs to deliver instruction and meet student needs.

As student numbers have grown in recent years, class sizes are sometimes quite large. Having a volunteer to help in the classroom, pull out a small group of students, help with materials, and build relationships with learners, helps to ensure that all students are still receiving multiple opportunities for interaction and feedback. We know that learners come to class for both instruction and connection, and volunteers are able to provide another welcoming touchpoint. 

A number of SPCLC volunteers were honored with a Literacy Minnesota volunteer service awards this year:

• Don Doeksen - Hubbs Center, 2,040 hours -Volunteer Service Award

• Ken Gilmore - Open Door Saint Paul, 1,338 hours - Volunteer Service Award

• Janet Urbanowicz - Open Door Saint Paul, 1,041 hours - Volunteer Service Award

• Peter Eisenberg - Open Door Minneapolis, 1,295 hours - Volunteer Service Award

• Deborah Schedemann - Pre-GED Open Door Minneapolis -  Outstanding Volunteer Award

• Marjorie (Margie) Hogan - Pre-GED Open Door Minneapolis - Outstanding Volunteer Award

• Todd Grant - Pre-GED Open Door Minneapolis - Outstanding Volunteer Award

• Mary Henry - Open Door Saint Paul -Outstanding Volunteer Award

• Martha Hoffman - Hubbs Center - Outstanding Volunteer Award

• Signal Nicknames like C3PO, Giraffe, and Slippers - Hubbs Center - Outstanding Volunteer Award

Describe how the consortium’s volunteers are oriented and trained. 

While all SPCLC programs follow the same state policy guidance on training for volunteers, each has a slightly different process for orienting and providing additional training for new volunteers.  The following highlight a few examples from our member programs:

Indicate what training is provided and/or required on an ongoing basis for volunteers, locally and/or through other entities. 

A variety of trainings are provided year-round to adult literacy volunteers statewide through Literacy Minnesota. Trainings include pre-service trainings and Equity, Culture and Teaching Workshops. Pre-service trainings, such as the ESL Tutor or Reading, Writing, Math and GED Tutor trainings, are 12-hour trainings that prepare volunteers to work with adult students who are learning English, math, citizenship, computers or job skills. Pre-service trainings are required for all volunteers who are generating student contact hours. Equity, Culture and Teaching Workshops are additional one-time, two-hour workshops that hone in on more specific tutoring and teaching skills (such as Teaching Citizenship or One on One Tutoring with Adult ESL Learners). The workshops also include topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion and culture and provide volunteers with resources to advocate for important issues that affect literacy and the communities served. Examples include Immigration 101 and Racial Equity 101. Volunteers also receive on-the-job training from their local programs on site-specific policies and curricula. On-going training is also provided through formal and informal guidance and observation.

Documents

Document J - Change Inc: Instructional Program Description

Document J - Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES): Instructional Program Description

Document J - Hmong Cultural Center: Instructional Program Description

Document J - International Institute of Minnesota: Instructional Program Description

Document J - Literacy Minnesota: Instructional Program Description

Document J - MORE: Instructional Program Description

Document J - Neighborhood House: Instructional Program Description

Document J - Ronald M. Hubbs Center for Lifelong Learning, Saint Paul - Saint Paul Public Schools ABE: Instructional Program Description

Document J - Vietnamese Social Services of Minnesota: Instructional Program Description

Document K - Advanced IT

Document K - Dietary Aide

Document K - Housekeeping

Document K - Paraeducator

Document K - Retail Customer Service