Staff members at the Center on Education and Training for Employment (CETE) are committed to Ohio’s efforts to create seamless transitions for students as they move beyond the Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) system. Informed by national projects and initiatives at the state and local levels, the ABLE Evaluation and Design Project at CETE has initiated a Transitions Task Force. This group is a collaboration of the ABLE community, postsecondary education institutions, Adult Workforce Education programs, and representatives of Ohio Department of Education ABLE and Ohio Board of Regents.

The Transitions Task Force meets regularly to reflect and act on issues related to transitioning adult students from ABLE programs into postsecondary education and workforce roles. The purpose of the task force is to identify gaps between ABLE and postsecondary education and work, evaluate identified gaps, and develop concrete solutions to fill the gaps.

During the first year of its work, the task force identified issues, interventions, and insights related to curriculum, funding, partnership, student, support, system design, and testing themes. Going forward the Transitions Task Force will function in an advisory group capacity to extend discussions of the identified themes and to recommend policy improvements. Additionally, two work groups will be formed within the task force to address issues particular to the postsecondary education or workforce domains. These work groups will analyze transitions models, refine curriculum alignments, and continue the development and implementation of Ohio’s Career Readiness Credential. Also, staff members at CETE, in collaboration with task force partners, are pursuing funding from the U.S. Office of Vocational and Adult Education to investigate transitions for targeted populations. Specifically, the Ready for College project involves describing educational strategies aimed at transitions to postsecondary education for out-of-school youth.

Transitions to postsecondary education and careers are increasingly important for workforce development. And, through partnerships like the Transitions Task Force and the Ready for College project collaborations across systems are strengthened—ensuring a continuum of lifelong learning opportunities in Ohio.

In September 2007, CETE hosted 10 senior trainers from the Malaysian Department of Skills Development to enhance their curriculum development and assessment skills and knowledge. During the first 2 weeks, Dr. Robert E. Norton and staff prepared them to be Certified Facilitators of the DACUM (Developing A Curriculum) occupational analysis process and as implementers of SCID (Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) system. As part of the training program, each of the Malaysians participated in conducting an actual DACUM Workshop and individually participated in the hands-on development of one or more competency-based learning packages.

In the third week, Dr. James Austin, Stephanie Tischendorf, and Bob Mahlman involved the participants for three days in an intensive assessment skills development workshop. The focus of this workshop was on techniques for the valid and reliable assessment of student occupationally related knowledge and learning outcomes.

A second group of five senior educators from the Department of Skills Development participated for eight days in a benchmarking and vocational trainer enhancement program directed by Dr. N. L. McCaslin. The focus of this program was on reviewing exemplary programs and practices for vocational trainer development.

In addition to the Malaysian Skill development programs, CETE’s DACUM Institutes and SCID Workshops continue to attract participants from all over the United States and many other countries. During the 2006-2007 year participants have come from Mexico, Canada, Germany, Egypt, Brazil, Singapore, Nepal, Barbados, Trinidad, Namibia, and Botswana.

The use of DACUM to identify “What Should be Taught,” SCID to develop high-quality materials to help “Teach What Should be Taught,” and the valid and reliable assessment of “What Was Learned” continues to meet the needs of many secondary and postsecondary career and technical educators, as well as many business-industry trainers and developers, domestically and internationally. For more information about either DACUM and/or SCID, see our website at dacumohiostate.com or e-mail Bob Norton at norton.1@osu.edu. For more information about assessment, contact Bob Mahlman at mahlman.1@osu.edu, or James Austin at austin.38@osu.edu and about teacher education, contact N. L. McCaslin at mccaslin.2@osu.edu.

Maria H. Moore, Ph.D. and Belinda G. Gimbert, Ph.D. presented qualitative findings from the Ohio Transition to Teaching program at the Association of Teacher Educators conference in Milwaukee on August 1, 2007. Participants at this session learned about the use of qualitative comments for program improvement, experienced how data can be collected and captured within an online learning community environment, and heard how the analysis of qualitative information collected from threaded discussions and evaluation comments program improvement. The data analyzed were from teachers working toward alternative certification in Ohio who participated in the Ohio Transition to Teaching program (2002-2007). The cohorts of nontraditionally prepared teacher groups were provided with both face-to-face interaction and e-approaches to prepare for taking the Praxis II: Principles of Learning and Teaching test. For more information on the Ohio Transition to Teaching program, contact Maria Moore at 614/292-9089 or moore.1149@osu.edu or Belinda Gimbert at 614/247-4599 or gimbert.1@osu.edu.

The Center on Education and Training for Employment is preparing to integrate a statewide end-of-course testing system for Work and Family Life into the Ohio Career-Technical Competency Assessment System through the Webxam platform (www.webxam.org). Tests of knowledge will be offered for the following strands from the 2001 ITAC:

1. Personal Development [Strand 1]
2. Resource Management [Strand 2]
3. Life Planning: General [Strand 3]
4. Life Planning: Careers [Strand 3]
5. Nutrition and Wellness [Strand 4]
6. Family Relations [Strand 5]
7. Parenting [Strand 6]

Each of the seven tests consists of 50 multiple-choice items and each test features a number of paragraph-length scenarios. Each criterion-referenced item is currently aligned to the 2001 ITAC (strand-competency-indicator). Over the course of this school year the 2001 standards and test items will be cross-walked to the 2007 Work and Family Studies Content Standard Document released by Ohio Department of Education in April 2007. Standard Webxam reporting features will be available at multiple levels, including student, class, building, district, and state. Although not mandatory, these tests are recommended by the Ohio Department of Education Office of CTAE because they provide a reliable and content-valid mechanism for teachers and school districts to demonstrate impact of their course programming.

For more information, contact Robert A. Mahlman at mahlman.1@osu.edu or at 614/292-9072.

International Specialty Products (ISP) Columbus recently completed a project with Ohio State University’s Center on Education and Training for Employment to ensure that ISP’s training process conforms to the ISO 10015 Quality of Training standard. The documentation was reviewed by the Academy for Quality in Training and Education (AdeQuaTE^®), a Swiss-based ISO 10015 certification body. ISP Columbus is the first U.S. company to adopt the ISO 10015 standard as its internal company standard and has undergone the first phase of conformity assessment. ISP Columbus is a custom manufacturer of key starting materials, regulated intermediates, and active pharmaceutical ingredients, produced within a strict environment in an FDA inspected facility.

Phil Vukovic, ISP Columbus plant manager, stated that working with Ohio State to follow the ISO 10015 standard was done to ensure the effectiveness of their training programs. “We now have greater confidence that training will address actual performance problems. Too often we offered training with no understanding what results to expect in terms of improving our business performance. As a chemical company, consistency in our safety and quality practices are critical concerns.”

Until recently, ISO 10015 has primarily been followed by companies in China, Taiwan, South Korea, and EU countries. Now, more U.S. companies have become aware of the standard because it will be used as the reference guide relative to the 6.2.2 section of ISO 9001:2008. As a result, CETE has developed a training management system that combines the requirements of the standard with best practices in the training field.

The project was sponsored in part by the Ohio Department of Development. For more information about the project, contact Dr. Ron Jacobs, director, CETE, at jacobs.3@osu.edu.

Many Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) educators are familiar with the six-strand Work and Family Life ITAC released in 2001 but may be less acquainted with the April 2007 release of Work and Family Studies. The new standards were developed by teams of practitioners in a sponsored project headed by Professor Ruth Dohner of the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University. This short summary provides an overview of the standards document as well as a link to the PDF version of the standards. A few observations about the new standards…

First, the philosophy behind the standards explicitly emphasizes inquiry-based education in which students arrive at knowledge and skill through research activities. Second, the layout has evolved from six strands in 2001 to nine standards in 2007:

1. Advocate Healthy Lifestyle
2. Build Relationships
3. Demonstrate Personal Financial Literacy
4. Design a Career Blueprint
5. Become Consumer Savvy
6. Ensure Food Safety
7. Manage a Life Plan
8. Manage Personal Transitions
9. Nurture and Care for Children

Third, the new standards are expressed through benchmarks and descriptors as shown in the table. The K-12 content standards (English, Math, Science, Social Studies) were embedded at the benchmark level. These standards were developed to apply to middle- and high-school levels therefore benchmarks are stated as Introductory, Intermediate, or Advanced.

Implications for instruction include coursework and tests. Courses could be developed from a single standard or could result from combined standards. A course, for example, might combine Standard #1 (Advocate Healthy Lifestyle) and Standard #6 (Ensure Food Safety).

The 2007 FCS standards are available as PDF or Word format at the general website for CTE curriculum content standards.

Work and Family Resource Guides

• Personal Development Resource Guide - WFL-01, $35
• Resource Management Resource Guide - WFL-02, $35
• Life Planning Resource Guide - WFL-03, $35
• Nutrition and Wellness Resource Guide - WFL-04, $35
• Family Relations Resource Guide - WFL-05, $35
• Parenting Resource Guide - WFL-06, $35

Alternative Assessment; Work and Family Life Teachers Tool Kit, WFLAG, $30

This guide helps you answer the question: What should I do regarding assessing learning of my students? Divided into three sections, the guide assists you in understanding issues related to and purposes of assessment, developing an overall assessment plan, and selecting or creating specific product, performance, and process assessment tools. Informative to any teacher, examples in the guide match with competencies in the Work and Family Resource Guides.

Preparing Better Teachers for Tomorrow (PBTT)

A series of instructional modules for Career and Technical Education instructors at the secondary and postsecondary levels. These performance-based learning packages address professional competencies needed by technical and other career-related teachers, instructors, and occupational trainers in all career areas. For information on this series check our website: cete.org/publications.asp.

You can place your order via our website at cete.org/publications.asp; by fax at 614/292-1260, by phone at 614/292-4277 or 800/848-4815 ext 24277, or by mail to CETE/OSU, Publications, 1900 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210. We accept checks made payable to CETE/OSU, Purchase Orders, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover Card. Please phone in or mail in your orders if you are paying by credit cards. Shipping and handling, for orders up to $75 add $8 over $75 add 12%. International orders are charged actual shipping costs plus a $15 handling fee. Prices subject to change.

Test Construction Workshop, October 8-10, 2007, March 12-14, 2008, 8am-5pm, presented by CETE, Columbus, OH; $1,000

Constructing valid, reliable assessments of job-specific knowledge and skills is critical to effective human resource practice. This workshop provides participants with practical knowledge and skills to understand the creation of valid, reliable, and legally defensible assessments.

For information: Jim Austin, austin.38@osu.edu or 614/292-9897. To register: Kathy Summerfield, summerfield.1@osu.edu or 614/688-4000 .

DACUM/SCID

DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) Institute, November 12-16, 2007, January 28-February 1, 2008, or March 31-April 4, 2008 hosted be CETE/OSU, Columbus, OH; $1,395

SCID (Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) Workshop, October 1-5, 2007, November 26-30, 2007, February 4-8, 2008, or April 7-11, 2008 hosted by CETE/OSU, Columbus, OH; $1,195

For information, contact John Moser at 614/247-7989 or moser.120@osu.edu weaver.22@osu.edu; www.dacumohiostate.com

DACUM International Seminar, December 10-11, 2007, Las Vegas, NV; $350

Designed primarily for persons who have been trained to use DACUM and have been involved in organizing and facilitating DACUM workshops. Others may attend with approval or invitation. We invite experienced facilitators to submit a DACUM/SCID seminar proposal on any topic related to the DACUM/SCID curriculum development process that would be of value and interest to other experienced facilitators. Please submit your proposal by November 10, 2007. You will be notified about the status of your proposal on or before November 16. Registrations are due by November 20, 2007. More information, registration, and proposal request forms may be requested by e-mail from weaver.22@osu.edu or norton.1@osu.edu or at dacumohiostate.com.