Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

Curriculum Policy Letter, March 7, 2016

March 7, 2016 Dear ABE and ESOL Program Directors and Teachers: In order to support both adult learners in achieving their education and career goals and ABE programs in meeting WIOA performance expectations, ACLS requires that all grant recipients document and use unified, standards-aligned curricula for all levels of ABE and/or ESOL. ACLS has updated the FY2014-2017 curriculum policy (last updated in March 2015) in response to questions and feedback from ABE educators, program specialists, and curriculum experts from SABES. By June 30, 2019, programs must be using a standards-aligned curriculum for ELA, Math, and/or ESOL that is deemed of high quality by ACLS and SABES. The document included in this email, Pathways for Program Curriculum Development, reflects ACLS's updated curriculum policy for meeting the minimum requirements through June 30, 2019. The charts in the Pathways document provide options for the three content areas. For ESOL and ELA submissions, there are four options each; programs must commit to one of the options through 2019. For Math submissions there are two options; programs must commit to one through 2019. ACLS will issue guidance each year regarding the required submission of specific curriculum materials; for FY17, submission details will be announced no later than September 1, 2016. The curriculum materials submitted serve as an annual checkpoint and are a subset of the more extensive materials that the program completes and uses daily. SABES, with input from ACLS, will review these submissions each year and provide feedback and PD accordingly. I strongly recommend programs take advantage of the PD and technical assistance. Program teams that have been working diligently to complete curriculum materials by June 30, 2016 have not wasted their time and I encourage these teams to continue at their accelerated pace. Programs with quality, standards-aligned curriculum and instruction in place will be in a better position to meet learners' college and career needs. They will also be able to benefit their learners that much sooner thanks to their head start on curriculum development. However, these programs will still be required to provide to ACLS the requested submission each year. By March 31, 2016, program teams must select a path (i.e., one of the tracks on which they will continue through June 30, 2019, as described in the Pathways document) and inform ACLS of their selection via this link for Survey Gizmo. SABES will use this information to prepare for providing both PD offerings and program feedback. If you have any questions, please contact Jane Schwerdtfeger, ACLS Curriculum Specialist at janes@doe.mass.edu. Curriculum development is a major endeavor but one that is vital to prepare increased numbers of learners for college or further education and careers. Jolanta Conway
Massachusetts ABE State Director

Encl:

Curriculum Policy, March 2016

Pathways for Program Curriculum Development

Last Updated: March 9, 2016