Texas

Texas

Programs and People: 

Mahalia Baldini
Texas Workforce Commission
Adult Education and Literacy
101 E. 15th Street
Austin, Texas 78778
Phone: (512) 936-0963
mahalia.baldini@twc.state.tx.us

Assessments: 

ABE: TABE 11 & 12, CASAS Reading GOALS, CASAS Math GOALS
ESL: BEST Plus 2.0, BEST Literacy, CASAS Life & Work Listening, CASAS Life & Work Reading

Data Systems: 

Texas Educating Adults Management System (TEAMS) –  a web-based data management system used to maintain information about adult education programs throughout the state.
https://apps.twc.state.tx.us/TEAMS/security/logon.do

Followup Methods: 

GED/High School Equivalency Diploma: Data Match and Other Methods
Employment: Data Match and Other Methods
Transition to Postsecondary Education or Training: Data Match and Other Methods

Data Tools for Monitoring and Program Improvement: 

AEL Staff Technical Assistance: Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) staff regularly analyze the performance of grantees to offer them just-in-time technical assistance and ensure that their program objectives are met. AEL program staff members proactively communicate with AEL grantees based on the provider’s performance and needs. Each time that technical assistance is provided, the details are entered into a database, including the type of assistance (category), the contents (what the assistance entailed), and the start and end dates. This information is used to inform biweekly AEL conference calls, which include all AEL grantees, subrecipients, and Local Workforce Development Boards (Boards). During these calls, AEL staff members address critical issues, make announcements, and answer grantees’ questions. The calls have proven invaluable in keeping grantees informed.

Staff monitors program data at least every two weeks to check for anomalies that may indicate a large-scale misunderstanding related to program implementation. For instance, staff might notice that a service type is coded in a way that does not align with the types of participants who are receiving the service. This misalignment would indicate that a misunderstanding exists regarding the service or the coding of the service.

Each month, AEL staff reviews the technical assistance provided during the previous month to establish trends and determine whether a correlation exists between the technical assistance provided and the quality of program performance. This analysis helps AEL find ways to be more proactive about certain topics and develop new processes.

Another key activity each month is the Monthly Performance Report (MPR) meeting. To ensure data integrity and objectivity, all data, including that used in the MPR official AEL performance data is managed, analyzed and produced by a separate TWC division, the Division of Operational Insight. During the MPR meeting, program staff, contract staff, finance staff, and division managers discuss performance trends, issues, and potential corrective action. The meetings result in action plans to be carried out and reported on at the next MPR meeting.  Staff also provide a program status sheet to each grantee. The status sheet combines data analyzed during the MPR meeting into a format that clearly shows whether a grantee is or is not meeting performance standards, and it explains in detail how each measure is calculated. Providers have benefited from this process, given the steep increase in WIOA enhancements. The process also is crucial because it helps grantees understand how they are faring under the WIOA measures and helps ensure just-in-time remediation of performance.

Additionally, every month program staff members also hold a dedicated call with each grantee. The call, hosted by the assigned AEL program support specialist, has a standard agenda that includes discussing key areas of concern, including performance and finances; dispensing new information; and providing clarity on the programmatic issues that staff members report on during the next MPR meeting.

Subrecipient Monitoring: TWC’s AEL staff relies heavily on TWC’s Subrecipient Monitoring (SRM) department, located in a division separate from AEL, to ensure that providers are compliant and are serving as good stewards of federal funds. Grantees are selected annually for on-site reviews based on a robust risk analysis that includes both objective criteria and input from AEL. All AEL grantees are monitored either in person or through a desk review, with all programs receiving on-site monitoring once every three years.

While on-site, SRM staff members review expenditures and records management—including eligibility documentation—and interviews the provider’s staff to confirm that internal processes for participant intake, screening, and placement comply with TWC’s AEL policy. SRM staff members identify records in TEAMS to compare with on-site records, including student test scores, student attendance records, and the staff members’ professional development hours.

The results of SRM reviews enrich the technical assistance targeted to local projects. Additionally, AEL staff members conduct sessions at AEL’s quarterly business meetings to discuss common issues, findings, and best practices, and to encourage peer-to-peer support.

State Tools and Resources: 

TRAIN PD @ TCALL is responsible for delivering training, including training-of-trainer (TOT) events, informational resources, and other support to local programs, students, and stakeholders.  PD Center staff, including PD Specialists, are responsible for deploying statewide PD activities, identifying and recruiting additional contract trainers, developing and delivering training throughout the state, including online accessibility, and assisting AEL Grantees and other providers with professional development planning and services provision.

 https://tcall.tamu.edu/index.htm

FEATURED RESOURCES

Explore featured resources related to WIOA and the NRS including: state guidance, reporting, and external WIOA resources.

Reporting Measurable Skill Gains (MSG) Types 3, 4, and 5

NRS Technical Assistance (TA) Guide—Revised March 2021

WIOA and NRS Resources

Distance Education Tips

NRS Reporting Tables