PowerPath to Education and Employment

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It’s been a few years since I last posted about PowerPath to Education and Employment. Why, because at that time, I had been closely following something inspiring: the implementation of the PowerPath System along with significant research on the learners served in AE. Through a larger initiative, we create a whole new way of providing adult education services. We called the initiative Align & Redesign.

After two decades of consulting across more than 20 states,
I had been delivering a one-year professional learning experience called Transforming Learning and Innovating Instruction. Each year, states would send teams of two instructors and their program administrators to three intensive three-day sessions, supported by extensive readings and real-time implementation with adult learners. The results were consistently promising: programs saw at least a 30% increase in learner persistence every year.

In every state, I requested a second year of implementation support, because real change takes time. But with so many sites and programs, most states couldn’t imagine how to make it work. I eventually stepped back from professional development, unsure of the next move.

Still, the pattern was clear. Each new cohort I worked with showed the same immediate 30% boost in learner engagement. But a year later, the gains often faded. Two big lessons emerged:
1. Programs need long-term support to embed what they’ve learned.
2. High staff turnover, especially in part-time adult education roles, meant that newly trained instructors often left before changes could take root.

Then came the Mountain Plains Conference in Wyoming.
I had committed to presenting one final time, offering sessions on The Brain and Learning, The Impact of Emotions and Trauma on AE Learners, and an overview of the PowerPath System. To my surprise, the Wyoming State Director attended every session.

At the end of the conference, she approached me and asked:
“Would you consider coming to Wyoming to train our programs?”
My first response? “No.”

But she didn’t give up.
“What would it take for you to say yes?”

So I laid it out:
1. A four-year commitment—real change takes time.

2. All instructors and administrators must participate in the 10-month Transforming Learning and Innovating Instruction initiative.

3. I’d bring in a team of expert collaborators:
Margaret Patterson as the researcher,
Meryl Becker-Prezoski to develop Adult Ed Standards, and
Jeff Fantine to guide Career Pathways development.

4. After the initial 10-month professional learning course, Transforming Learning and Innovating Instruction, we’d hold monthly Communities of Practice with administrators and instructors to support implementation beyond the training for the next two years.

5. Most importantly, we would only do this as partners with the state, not as outside consultants.
And Wyoming said yes.

What Happened Next?
In Year 1, learner persistence rose by 30%.

In Years 2, 3, and 4—with sustained support and full commitment—Wyoming saw another 30% increase each year.

But the transformation went even deeper.
When Align & Redesign began in 2014, Wyoming ranked #32 nationally in Measurable Skill Gains (MSGs)—a key indicator of adult education success. By 2017, Wyoming had climbed to #4 in the nation.

And that wasn’t all. Wyoming ranked:
• #2 nationally in learners who completed their GED or HiSET and moved into employment, staying employed for two or more quarters.

• By 2020, Wyoming earned the #1 national ranking for students who took and passed the GED or HiSET exam.
These outcomes reflect more than just strong programming—they point to a statewide commitment to redesigning how adult education is delivered across the state.

Align & Redesign, grounded in research and practice, did more than improve test scores. It engaged learners in discovering how they learn best, building their confidence, and equipping them with the tools and self-awareness they needed to succeed.
When instructors, administrators, and state leadership work in true partnership—with shared purpose, deep investment, and sustained support—extraordinary things happen.

So, what's next?

Call now to connect with business.

A great way to start out a new school year is to understand more about what students have gone through in their lives and how their past experiences inform their current beliefs and actions. This video by Dr. Amen can even shed some light on why we do what we do and think what we think.

Please view this fantastic piece of work and remember.....if you wonder why a student is doing something, just ask. There is a reason why....

As we begin a new school year, I always feel the excitement when seeing big and small students eager to see what the new year will bring. I too am eager to smell the energy in as they walk down the halls and I can sense their hopes for a good beginning to a great new year. And, I cannot forget my own racing heart as my adrenalin spikes. The spirit catches and I know why....I am doing what I love.

At this point of my life, my students are teachers. Next week as I begin PowerPath's 10-month hybrid certification course, Transforming Learning and Innovating Instruction, with several new PowerPath sites and updating for several other current sites, I feel the same excitement. The excitement pleasant and somewhat overwhelming! Why? Because I know that by working with these educators they are going to be touching many many many students with new thinking, new tools, and new processes that will support all students in becoming successful learners.

I read the following article by a retired teacher as she reflected on her profession. In the article, Laurie Barnoski states, "It is only for those who can tackle challenges, work hard, and put in the time and effort it takes to help young people succeed. When entering the profession, you must believe deep down that what you are doing is important, as it is not a profession where you can expect bonuses or public recognition."

If this resonates with you....please read on:

A Veteran Educator’s Love Letter to Teaching Why don't more people choose teaching as a career? Despite the challenges, the positive aspects far outweigh the negatives, writes one veteran educator.

A new report has been released on the reading and math levels of students in states across the US.
Did we make gains in reading and math?
Is there still a great discrepancy between the income levels of students in reading and math?
What about your state?
Can you reflect on how this data might be impacting your adult education program?

Here is the link to the information.....

http://hechingerreport.org/national-test-scores-reveal-a-decade-of-educational-stagnation/

Let us know what you think about impact of the reading and math data impact your program!

National test scores reveal a decade of educational stagnation - The Hechinger Report The average performance of the nation’s fourth- and eighth-graders mostly held steady in math and reading from 2015 to 2017, now marking a decade of stalled educational progress, according to the results of a test released Tuesday. The one exception was eighth-grade reading, with the average score...

Heading to the 2018 COABE conference! This year, Align and Redesign will be offering many sessions that focus on what we know about learning, what we know about the learners we serve, and the incredible exciting field-tested components that
have redesigned adult education services! We will share the the redesign components have dramatically improved persistence, measurable skill gains, HSEs, and student's readiness for success in postsecondary and employment.

A key component in the successes we've seen is the notion that we need to build the 'whole' person: academically, socially, emotionally. This notion has been underlying a lot of talk in education - with little action and researched positive results.

In the following article you can read how building the whole person is an integrated part of an entire education experience. Read how this is happening and start to think about how adult educators could build on this example. Share your thoughts please!

Analysis | Educating ‘the whole child’ isn’t just jargon. Here’s how it’s done. What happened during a day-long visit to two schools in Tacoma, Wash.

As educators we know that not all students are comfortable speaking in front of their peers or answering questions in a group. We understand that there are extroverts and introverts - and we know which type we are more like than the other.

Education Week posted this very informative article on how we can chose not to fall in the usual hole of underestimating introverts as low achievers and how to better manage the notion of 'quiet' with extroverts. Read on for more insight and information on how we can better serve all students when we better understand importance of 'quiet'.

Teaching Introverted Students: How a 'Quiet Revolution' Is Changing Classroom Practice Inspired by Susan Cain's 2012 book, Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking, teachers in New York City and elsewhere are developing learning environments that give a voice to silent students.

We hear a lot about what students need to have to be successful as an employee. Here is an important research article that looks at what employers identify as the key attributes of successful employees. It is not the STEM skills we thought were key, but the social capital skills we can build through PowerPath's powerful Participatory Learning Methodologies! Read on....

Analysis | The surprising thing Google learned about its employees — and what it means for today’s students The top traits of success at Google sound more like what one gains as an English or theater major than as a programmer.

The shift is happening! Educators are finally looking at the process of learning and the role of the instructor in hosting the learning process. Instructors are learning and adopting new ways to engage all learners and build exciting learning communities!

The article below is from Curtis Chandler. Chandler understands that the shift (from knowledge holder to host of learning) takes building new skills and growing our own depth of knowledge about what is learning and how can we support its development for all learners. He also offers a variety of new APPs that can help educators improve their questioning techniques to be able to ask questions differently to grow a broad depth of knowledge.
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CLASS APPS / STUDENT QUESTIONING
Is Your Teaching More Ping-Pong or Volleyball?
BY CURTIS CHANDLER · PUBLISHED 12/10/2017

As a teacher, I sometimes get too comfortable – and satisfied – with a ‘ping-pong’ approach to questions and discussion that merely bounces information back and forth between my students and myself.

I tend to formulate a question (often with a predetermined answer), serve it out to class, and wait for a student to respond.

Then I either affirm the student’s ‘correct’ answer or – if they are off-track – rephrase their response or follow it up with an additional question to ensure that we all arrive at the ‘correct’ response.

This ‘ping-pong’ approach feels controlled and safe, and practically guarantees that we travel in a linear path to the ‘proper’ destination. Unfortunately, it also sends the message that my role is to dish out information, and the student’s role is merely to receive it and give it back to me.

There is nothing wrong with using questions to prompt and probe students…or to help focus their learning. But as often as possible, teachers should seek to get students more actively involved in divergent, critical thinking, questioning, and discussion.

>The Volleyball Approach
In contrast, recently one of my sons and I attended a collegiate volleyball game. I noted how the coaches on both sides displayed calm confidence in their players and offered rare but specific encouragement and feedback. What really struck me was how the reaction was the same whether a team scored…or gave up a point! In both scenarios, the players high-fived each other and shouted words of encouragement.

At one point in the match, it seemed that neither team would score. There was a long, back-and-forth battle during which my son commented how ‘cool’ it was to see players take their time and work together to set up the perfect shot. The longer it took for either team to score a point, the more excited he became. It was the ‘wrestle’ – rather than the outcome – that he enjoyed.

Teachers would do well to adopt a similar, ‘volleyball’ approach in the classroom by…

Framing lessons with thought provoking essential questions that spark discussion and debate.
Crafting questions at different degrees of challenge and in different cognitive domains.
Asking inferential/analytical questions that require students to justify their answers and to explain their thinking.
Modeling and providing students with practice in creating their own questions and in responding to questions posed by their peers.

Allowing students plenty of time think, write, discuss, and revise their responses. Structuring student-centered discussions like fishbowls and Socratic seminars.

>>Technology Tools for Fostering Questioning and Discussion
Depending on the type of question or discussion a teacher has in mind, there are a variety of tools available to help facilitate the process – some old and some emerging.

**Padlet is an easy-to-use tool for gathering/sharing student responses and for modifying them later. Teachers can pose questions to students. Students can post responses or questions. One of the newer Padlet features includes the option to turn on (or off) the ability for students to comment on the posts of their classmates. A brief tutorial for getting started can be found here.

**TodaysMeet is a backchannel app that can be adapted as online discussion tool for students to contribute comments or ask questions during a presentation. It can also be used for conducting online discussions during and outside of class. Students can join a conversation easily with no registration and take part in powerful conversations that augment the traditional classroom.

**Nearpod is a tool for that allows teachers and students to share responses to traditional and open-ended questions. Teachers launch a presentation with a question or survey for students from the website or through the app. Using the Nearpod app on their devices, students input their names to access the content and submit responses.

Teachers and students can interact and review responses in real time. Teachers can control the timing or launch homework sessions in which students move through at their own pace. Either way, teachers are aware of who is and who isn’t responding to questions, which helps with classroom management and reinforces appropriate use of technology in the classroom.

Google Forms and SurveyMonkey are two tools great for posing questions to students, gathering their thoughts and responses, and compiling quick data charts based on the results.

**Poll Everywhere is a free, versatile tool for posing questions to students during and/or outside of class. Students can respond to a variety of open-ended, multiple choice, or ranking questions designed by the teacher from any internet-connected device or smart phone. Student responses can be displayed in real time or saved for later. Students could also create polls as a cross-teaching strategy.

Deepening Questions and Discussion
Powerful questions and deep discussion serve as the lifeblood of learning. They activate students’ prior knowledge, deepen their understanding, and invite learners to engage in challenging cognitive tasks (Dean, 2012). Questions and discussion can also be used to improve recall of information and to assess and provide feedback to students (Craig et al., 2006).

Too often, however, questions and discussion are teacher-driven. Consider these words from researcher John Hattie (2012):

For teachers, questions are often the glue to the flow of the lesson, and they see questions as enabling, keeping students active in the lesson, arousing interest, modeling enquiry, and confirming for the teacher that ‘most’ of the students are keeping up.

While this teacher-driven approach isn’t always bad—we can certainly do better. Our goal should be to foster discussion that encourages students to respond thoughtfully and thoroughly to a range of questions and to pose many questions of their own.

References

Craig, S. D., Sullins, J., Witherspoon, A., & Gholson, B. (2006). The deep-level-reasoning-question effect: The role of dialogue and deep-level-reasoning questions during vicarious learning. Cognition and Instruction, 24 (4), 565– 591.

Dean, C. B. (2012). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. ASCD.

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. Routledge.