Accelerating Opportunity (AO)
Program overview
Combining career and technical education (CTE) programming and developmental education courses: Accelerating Opportunity (AO) responded to the need for improved pathways from adult basic education to valuable credentials in the labor market. The initiative served adults without high school diplomas or the equivalent. AO encouraged states to allow community and technical colleges to enroll these students in either for-credit CTE courses or developmental courses leading to CTE pathways while they simultaneously earned high school credentials, improved basic skills, or built their English language capabilities (referred to collectively as “adult education”).
Engaging states with adult education in their postsecondary system: Participating states identified at least eight colleges to pilot and scale up Accelerating Opportunity pathways in high-demand industries. The colleges assembled pathway planning and implementation teams (with representatives from adult education, credit-bearing CTE programs, support services, and administration) to participate in regular meetings in a statewide network, sharing best practices and informing state policy development. Colleges were expected to establish at least two Accelerating Opportunity pathways. Other key aspects of the pathways in addition to the dual enrollment included that colleges connected students with dedicated navigators and that they arranged for adult education and CTE instructors to team teach at least 25 percent of pathway content.
Linking educational pathways to viable career pathways: To be eligible for the program, students had to fall within National Reporting System levels 4-6 (6th to 12th grade) on math, reading, or writing, or National Reporting System levels 5-6 in English-language skills. Eligible students began with adult education courses, then continued on to college-level certificates that are at least 12 credit hours long. These certificates are offered in industries with substantial labor demand and high wages, ensuring students may reliably gain sustainable employment following graduation.
Increase access and success in postsecondary education and the workforce: The AO model addressed both policy and practice in each participating state. AO established a policy team for each state, which then worked to identify policies that would support dual enrollment pathways for adults. The policy teams focused on five policy priorities: data and analysis, innovation/redesign, aligned expectations, assessment and placement, and finance. On the practice side, AO aimed to improve students’ overall education experience. To do this, the program offered professional development for faculty and staff at participating institutions to ensure a high-quality learning experience.
A single study with a rigorous design provides some evidence for Accelerating Opportunity (AO) as a strategy for helping adults with low basic skills earn more credentials. The AO model is also based off of another evidence-based workforce program, I-BEST.
- A 2018 program evaluation found that students enrolled in AO earned more credentials than their non-AO counterparts in fewer credit hours, saving students time and money. Labor market gains, however, showed mixed results across states.
Prioritizing student support and success: The AO model included non-negotiable elements for each of its participating states to promote student success and support: acceleration strategies (e.g., contextualized learning and hybrid course designs), dual enrollment strategies, comprehensive student supports (e.g., child care and transportation), partnerships with workforce agencies (i.e., American Job Centers) and employers, and more. These helped ensure a more accessible and equitable resource for students.
Building on proven practices to scale statewide: Accelerating Opportunity builds on practices established in Breaking Through, an initiative of Jobs for the Future and the National Council for Workforce Education, and Washington State’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST). AO incorporates three primary lessons from prior initiatives: (1) operating at scale, (2) emphasizing the quality of the classroom experience, and (3) attending to both policy and practice at the state level.” Incorporating these lessons into the program design allowed program leaders to run a smooth and effective program.
Emphasizing both policy and practice: Many programs expend substantial energy trying to work around existing policy in an area to be able to effectively implement a program, at times merely covering up larger institutional issues rather than addressing root causes. AO worked to address policy issues directly by working with state officials to create a more conducive policy environment, providing for a more equitable future for students.