Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

Curriculum Requirement for FY15

To:	Program Directors
From:	Jolanta Conway, Massachusetts ABE State Director
Date:	March 6, 2015

Please share this important information with your teachers.

In the intervening time since the ACLS memo regarding the curriculum development requirement was announced in October 2013, ACLS has understood that programs need additional guidance, support, and time to meet the goal of having a unified ABE and/or ESOL curriculum and its components in place.

In response, ACLS has modified the policy related to the June 30, 2015 deadline. All programs will receive a graduated extension to continue working on their unified curriculum for ABE and/or ESOL, depending on their service type. Programs offering ABE-only or ESOL-only instruction will have one additional year for completion. Programs offering both ABE and ESOL instruction will have an additional 1.5 years for completion. Please see the appendix at the end of this memo for details. These modified dates are also on the Curriculum Policy page of the ACLS website, at FY2014-2017 Curriculum Policy webpage.

We understand that developing a unified curriculum is a time-consuming and iterative process, and breaking this process down into an action plan will make the work more manageable. In order to make progress, we ask that programs submit the following by August 31, 2015 to Jane Schwerdtfeger, ACLS Curriculum Specialist:

A scope and sequence for one content area—Math, or ELA, or ESOL—for one class level.

ACLS has provided additional support as to what is expected of programs regarding curriculum development. Attached to this memo is a checklist for assessing an ABE or ESOL program scope and sequence and materials for developing a curriculum action plan. (Completing the action plan may be helpful to directors as they begin to work on the continuation application for FY16.) These materials will be posted on the ACLS Curriculum Resources webpage. ACLS is working with SABES to provide targeted curriculum development support:

The SABES Office responsible for ELA Support at Quinsigamond Community College will be offering three two-day sessions on Developing a Scope and Sequence for English Language Arts: Big Picture Planning for Quality Instruction in Massachusetts. This training will be offered March 5-6 in Worcester, March 23-24 in Cambridge, and April 16-17 at Bristol Community College;
The SABES Office for Math Support at TERC is running three five-session trainings on Aligning Math Curriculum with the CCRSAE in Boston, New Bedford, and tentatively in Central and/or Western MA (details TBA). The training in New Bedford has just begun, so space may still be available;
The SABES Office for ESOL Support at Holyoke Community College recently offered a full day session on Curriculum and Instructional Design—Standard 4 of the MA Professional Standards for Teachers of Adult ESOL. This session will be offered three more times between now and the end of June: March 28 in Quincy, April 11 at Middlesex Community College, and May 1 at TERC in Boston. All sessions run 9:30-3:30 pm;
Andy Nash of the NELRC is offering a session, Aligning Your ESOL Lessons with the College and Career Readiness Standards on March 13, 9-12 noon at Education Development Center, Waltham, MA.

It is important for teachers to find the time to participate in professional development, because the PD will absolutely help teachers and thus students. SABES is accessing the best PD available in their use of nationally-recognized presenters.

For more information and to register

To receive information about future PD offerings

To contact a specific SABES office

After programs submit a scope and sequence for one level and one content area, the next steps are:

ACLS would like to post exceptional examples of scope and sequence which are submitted; programs are encouraged to give permission to do so if asked.
SABES is ready to support programs in their curriculum work through professional development and/or technical assistance.
With additional guidance regarding the implementation of WIOA anticipated this spring, I will share what I have learned regarding how it may shape curriculum development at the ABE Directors' Conference April 29th–30th.

Programs' and teachers' dedication to their students, a broad array of new and varied high-quality PD opportunities, and additional time and support from ACLS can provide the synergy we need to support Massachusetts learners to be college and career ready. Thank you for all you and your staff do for the adult learners of Massachusetts. Jolanta Conway
Massachusetts ABE State Director

Attachments:

Checklist for Assessing an ABE or ESOL Program Scope and Sequence

Developing a Curriculum Action Plan

Appendix: Graduated Plan for Completing ABE and/or ESOL Curriculum1

Grant recipients are required to document and use a unified curriculum for ABE and/or ESOL, depending on the service type. Programs are responsible for ensuring that all teachers use the program's unified curriculum as the basis of instruction. The curriculum must be reviewed on a regular basis (at least annually) by the program to ensure that curriculum, instruction, and formative assessment are standards-based and are meeting the needs of students. ACLS expects that programs are making progress in the development of curriculum. Programs offering only ABE instruction OR only ESOL instruction will have until June 30, 2016 (one additional year). Programs offering only ABE classes need to complete the following:

A brief program overview and guidance for teachers;
Scope and sequence for each level of Math;
Scope and sequence for each level of ELA, in which instruction in history/social studies and science is integrated;
Units identified in the scope and sequence for each level of Math and ELA. For ELA, units would have history/social studies and science integrated;
Within each unit, at least three sample lesson plans for each level that guide instruction;
If history/social studies and science are taught separately from an ELA class, a scope and sequence for each level, units, and lesson plans must be completed.

Programs' ABE curriculum and its components must:

Be aligned with the standards and level-specific standards of the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRSAE standards) and reflective of the instructional shifts for the program's lowest-level students (e.g., Levels A-C), and extend through Level D/E;
ABE thematic curriculum units must be informed by students' goals, needs, and interests; The level-specific standards of the CCRSAE standards provide the skill sets to be mastered;
Develop students' academic and metacognitive skills.

Programs offering only ESOL classes need to complete the following:

A brief program overview and guidance for teachers;
Scope and sequence for each level of ESOL;
A brief description of how math will be integrated into instruction;
Units identified in the scope and sequence for each level of ESOL;
Within each unit, at least three sample lesson plans for each level that guide instruction.

Programs' ESOL curriculum and its components must:

Be aligned with the standards and benchmarks of the Massachusetts ABE Curriculum Framework for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). The benchmarks in the MA ABE Framework for ESOL provide the skill sets to be mastered;
Incorporate the CCRSAE Standards and level-specific standards where applicable and supportive of English language learners' next steps for college and/or careers;
Reflect current research and theories of second language acquisition including the stages of language development;
ESOL thematic curriculum units must meet students' English language learning needs and interests and develop their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills;
Develop students' academic, metalinguistic, and metacognitive skills.

Programs offering both ESOL and ABE classes have until January 1, 2017 (an additional 1.5 years) to complete the above requirements.

Note:

1 ACLS FY2014-2017 Curriculum Policy

Last Updated: June 26, 2015