Job Corps'

English Language Learner

Strategic Plan

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# 

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# **Job Corps' LEP/ELL Strategic Plan**

# 

# **National Office of Job Corps**

# Project Officer: John Chowning

# **Workgroup:**

> Boyd Barger, San Diego Job Corps Center, San Diego, CA
>
> Luis Cerezo, Homestead Job Corps Center, Homestead, FL
>
> Rita Fuentes, David L. Carrasco Job Corps Center, El Paso, TX
>
> Maria Gregoriou, National Office
>
> Margaret Kirk, Angell Job Corps Center, Yachats, OR
>
> Joey Luse, Del-Jen, Chicago
>
> Josephine Maisano, Philadelphia Regional Office
>
> Dr. Nancy Vives Neuman, Boston Regional Office
>
> Judy Robinson, Delaware Valley Job Corps Center, Callicoon, NY
>
> Glory Johnson-Stanton, Clearfield Job Corps Center, Clearfield, UT
>
> Franco Velasquez, Philadelphia Regional Office

# **Berkeley Policy Associates:**

# Linda Toms Barker, Project Director

# Dr. Kay Magill, Senior Analyst

# Raquel Sanchez, Research Analyst

# Maria Ryan, Research Analyst

> Cathy Danh, Research Assistant

# **Coffey Communications, LLC:**

# William Matteo, Senior Analyst

# **Alternate Perspectives Incorporated:**

# Dr. Jennifer Wild, Senior Analyst

#  

# 

# **CONTENTS**

Introduction\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--4

Purpose of this
Plan\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--5

Definition of
Terms\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--6

Challenges\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--7-9

Strategies for Addressing
Challenges\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--9

Policies\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--10

Practice
Guidelines\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--11

Professional
Development\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--12

Materials
Development\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--13

Dissemination and
Communication\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--14

Monitoring, Evaluation and
Research\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--15

Table A: Implementation
Plan\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--16-19

# 

# **INTRODUCTION**

Current national demographics show that there is a growing population of
individuals in the US who speak a language other than English at home
and who have limited proficiency in English. It is expected that
immigrants and other English language learners will account for half of
the growth in the working-age population between 2006 and 2015. Under
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and under Executive Order 13166
requiring federal programs to provide language assistance, Job Corps
centers are responsible for ensuring meaningful access to services for
students with Limited English Proficiency. Hereafter these students will
be referred to as English Language Learners (ELL).

Executive Order 13166 identifies the Department of Justice's
*Four-Factor Analysis* as a method for federal programs, such as Job
Corps, to frame the strategic planning process. These *Four Factors* are
as follows:

(1) [The number or proportion of ELL persons served or encountered in
    the eligible service population]{.underline}. The greater the number
    or proportion of these ELL persons, the more likely language
    services are needed. Recipients should first examine their prior
    experiences with ELL encounters and determine the breath and scope
    of language services that are needed. Data should be consulted to
    refine or validate a recipient's prior experience including the
    latest census data from the area served, data from school systems
    and community organizations, and data from state and local
    governments.

(2) [Recipients should assess, as accurately as possible, the frequency
    with which they have or should have contact with an ELL individual
    from different language groups needing assistance]{.underline}. The
    more frequent the contact with a particular language group the more
    likely that enhanced language services in the language are needed.

(3) [The nature and importance of the program, activity, or service
    provided by the program]{.underline}. The more important the
    activity, information, service, or program, or the greater the
    possible consequences of the contact to the ELL individuals, the
    more likely language services are needed.

(4) [The resources available to the recipient and costs]{.underline}. A
    recipient's level of resources and the costs that would be imposed
    on it may have an impact on the nature of the steps it should take.
    Smaller recipients with more limited budgets are not expected to
    provide the same level of language services as larger recipients
    with larger budgets. In addition, "reasonable steps" may cease to be
    reasonable where the costs imposed substantially exceed the
    benefits.

Under the DOL *Plan for Improving Access to Services for Persons with
Limited English Proficiency*, the National Office of Job Corps must
ensure that its policies ensure full access and meaningful participation
of ELL individuals in Job Corps. Private contractors and agencies that
operate Job Corps centers and/or provide outreach, admissions and career
transitions services must follow the LEP Guidance for recipients of
federal financial assistance issued by DOL.

The Department of Labor's Plan is guided by four elements:

-   Assessment

-   Development and Implementation of a Written Policy on Language
    Access

-   Training of Staff

-   Vigilant Monitoring

Currently, Job Corps serves over 6,000 ELL students annually. These
students speak a wide variety of languages including Spanish, Russian,
French, Arabic, Ethiopian, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Over one quarter of
all Job Corps centers provide intensive and, comprehensive services for
ELL students, including ESL programs, so that these students have the
opportunity to develop English language and acculturation skills to
successfully accomplish the full range of Job Corps training. When a
student applies to Job Corps, he or she is assessed for language skills
and assigned to a center that can provide intensive and comprehensive
services through its LEP program.

In addition, Job Corps' Outreach and Admissions service providers also
perform outreach to communities with large ELL populations and ensure
that the admissions process does not exclude students based on English
proficiency. Oral interpretation and written translation services are
generally made available where needed to aid students in applying for
the Job Corps program.

### 

### Purpose of this Plan

The purpose of this plan is to provide the blueprint for Job Corps'
nationwide effort to improve outreach, career preparation, career
development and career transition services to language minority youth.
The five key goals of this effort are to:

1.  Assess the current status of Job Corps' ability to serve ELL
    students and to identify challenges and improvements to the program

2.  Establish the elements that should be involved in written policy
    revisions

3.  Determine training needs that will result in the program's ability
    to better access and better serve ELL students

4.  Provide guidelines for continued monitoring of the ELL initiative

5.  Present an Implementation Plan for the Strategic Plan component

### 

### 

### Definition of Key Terms

It is important to use common language to ensure that staff at all
levels of the Job Corps program have a common understanding of the
target population addressed in this plan. Below are key definitions of
terms:

**Limited English Proficient (LEP) --** This term refers to individuals
with a primary language other than English whose English is less than
fluent. This term is no longer preferred by Job Corps because it focuses
on deficiency and is often misunderstood.

**English Language Learner (ELL) --** This term replaces LEP and is
preferred by Job Corps because it is avoids the focus on deficiency
embedded in the term Limited English Proficient (LEP). The term refers
to students whose English is less than fluent and who may face
language-related communication challlenges.

**Language Minority --** This term refers to individuals who have been
raised in communities where a language other than the dominant societal
language is used. This term is broader than "ELL" in that it includes
not only those with limited English but also youth from other language
minority cultures and communities, regardless of their primary language.

**Hispanic/Latino --** The terms Hispanic and Latino have been used,
often interchangeably, to identify people who (1) are Spanish speakers
or (2) have ancestral or cultural ties to Latin America, South America
or Spain. "Hispanics" and "Latinos" belong to all races: white, black,
Asian, and Native American. The term "Hispanic" generally refers to
people whose culture and heritage have ties to Spain. The term "Latino"
generally reflects the political, geographical and historical links
present among the various Latin American nations, including Mexico.
These distinctions are offered as guidelines since the use of these two
terms is not consistent or precise.

**English as a Second Language (ESL)** -- This term refers to
instruction aimed specifically at the development of English-language
skills (i.e., grammar, vocabulary, and basic communication) for people
whose native language is not English. The term describes an
instructional approach and does not describe individuals.

**Native Speakers --** This term refers to speakers of a particular
language who have spoken the language since earliest childhood and have
an inherent knowledge of its meanings, use, and subtleties.

# **CHALLENGES IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF LANGUAGE MINORITY YOUTH**

Survey data and information about the experiences and services for
Hispanic/Latino students and ELL students were gathered across all
centers. Current practices and key stakeholder interviews were conducted
with management, staff and students at a sample of centers. In addition,
a National Workgroup, representative of the Job Corps community,
identified challenges across the phases of CDSS, the service delivery
process. The data suggest specific challenges and provides the
opportunity to focus Job Corps ELL-related activities on the reduction
and/or elimination of the challenges faced by Hispanic/Latino students
and ELLs.

This section identifies the challenges particular to each of the four
phases in the Job Corps Career Development Services System (CDSS).

### Outreach and Admissions Phase (OA)

While most outreach and admission service providers already recruit
significant numbers of language minority youth, they are not all equally
well equipped to recruit and serve this population. This is particularly
true when a new immigrant population that has need of Job Corps services
moves into their recruitment area. In these instances, OA staff may need
new strategies and additional training resources to better identify and
serve this culturally diverse pool of applicants. The challenges for OA
are as follows:

-   OA staff that are unfamiliar with conducting outreach to language
    minority communities will need to forge new relationships and
    identify new recruitment sources.

-   Recruiting culturally competent staff is important. OA staff are
    usually the first point of contact with potential applicants. Having
    staff with backgrounds similar to the students or who are culturally
    sensitive to the needs of diverse student populations can provide an
    important foundation for student success.

-   It may be difficult for OA to ensure that ELL students and their
    families understand the recruitment and admissions process and the
    nature of the Job Corps program. OA staff may not currently have
    access to the tools and expertise to identify students' potential
    language assistance needs or access to translated materials and
    interpretation services.

### Career Preparation Period (CPP)

For students with limited English skills, full participation in CPP may
be very challenging. The key components of the career preparation period
include the identification by staff of the services students will need
during their Job Corps program including the selection of a trade and
learning essential work-readiness skills, all of which need to take into
account students' English skills and language assistance needs.
Additional challenges to fully serving ELL students in CPP are as
follows:

-   If centers have ELL students attend ESL classes prior to CPP, these
    students may be isolated from the rest of the Job Corps program
    until they reach an intermediate level of English language
    proficiency.

-   There is no single consistent method for assessing students' English
    language progress or tracking ELL student needs.

-   Some center staff lack understanding of the cultural differences
    among students or have limited intercultural communication skills.

-   Culturally unaware staff may not think to create a welcoming
    environment for students from various backgrounds or put a system in
    place to help them adjust to the residential or non-residential
    component of Job Corps.

### Career Development Period (CDP)

If ELL students spend months in separate ESL programs before beginning
their career technical/academic training, the time remaining in the
program may not be sufficient to complete an effective academic and/or
career technical program. For ELLs, factors such as limited literacy in
their primary language lack of familiarity with US educational systems
or curricula, or outside commitments and obligations to family may also
have an impact on their progress. Additional challenges to fully serving
students in the CDP phase are as follows:

-   Staff turnover, lack of resources, competing demands to implement
    other initiatives, and staff feeling overloaded may all contribute
    to an attitude that supporting language learning for ELLs is someone
    else's responsibility and may make effective collaboration
    challenging. The creation of an effective English language-learning
    environment on center goes beyond interpreters and ESL classes. It
    requires collaboration among staff of different departments to
    accommodate the educational and vocational learning experience for
    ELLs.

-   Some staff may not be aware of recent demographic changes (e.g., the
    growth in Hispanic/Latino population) or of the implications of
    these changes for the Job Corps program.

-   Some academic and career technical staff lack the training and
    resources needed to effectively integrate ELL students into their
    classrooms.

### Career Transition Period (CTP)

-   While many students may have to consider relocating or joining a
    union to find employment in their chosen trade, these challenges may
    be even greater for ELLs. Some ELLs may have strong community and
    family ties and be reluctant to relocate, or they may have limited
    ability to develop a community support network in a new location. In
    order to join most unions, they will need to have a GED or high
    school diploma, a driver's license, and be English proficient.

-   Some career transition staff may not be aware of employers'
    diversity needs, or of strategies for marketing the assets of
    employing a bilingual or bicultural worker.

-   Conducting follow-up surveys with students, especially ELL students,
    may be especially challenging if these students move back home and
    their families may not speak English. CTP staff may not have the
    language capabilities to conduct surveys with families who do not
    speak English.

# **STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES**

The next step in the strategic planning process is to identify
strategies to address these challenges. In doing so, it is important to
keep the following guiding principles in mind:

1.  Effectively addressing these challenges involves redirecting
    sufficient resources to support implementation while being realistic
    about both what can be accomplished during students' participation
    in the program and about what centers can accomplish given their
    resources and circumstances. It would not be reasonable to expect
    the program to accomplish the stated goals or address all of the
    identified challenges in the short-term. Each center must develop a
    realistic implementation plan that lays out reasonable steps toward
    accomplishing these goals.

2\. Success will be achieved when buy-in from all participants in the
Job Corps program is reached. Securing this kind of buy-in not only
involves providing ELL technical assistance to all staff but also
requires clear direction from national, regional, contractor and center
levels.

3\. The strategies adopted for addressing these challenges need to be
based on a clear understanding of the cultural barriers facing Job Corps
students and on a shift in resources to help students learn the English
skills they will need to succeed in the workplace.

The National Workgroup has identified multiple strategies to address
each of the challenges described above. These strategies are organized
into six categories, as follows:

1.  **Policies** -- Requirements for centers that will be reflected in
    the PRH. Each center's CDSS plan must address how they will achieve
    compliance with these new policies.

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1.  **Practice Guidelines** -- Recommended practices that will support
    centers' efforts to become more effective in serving language
    minority youth.

2.  **Professional Development** -- The investment in professional
    development at the center, operator, regional and national levels to
    help centers implement the Practice Guidelines.

3.  **Materials Development** -- Materials that assist centers when
    implementing the Practice Guidelines.

4.  **Dissemination and Communication** -- Strategies to support
    implementation of the Practice Guidelines.

5.  **Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research** -- Methods of documenting
    centers' successes in increasing access to services and improving
    outcomes for language minority youth and developing new information
    about effective strategies and practices.

### Policies

New or revised policies will be developed in order to enable Job Corps
centers, outreach and admissions service providers and career transition
specialists to improve and enhance services to ELL students. The
following areas may require revision of existing policies or development
of new policies.

1.  Provide feasible and appropriate language assistance during the
    recruitment and admissions process to ensure that prospective
    students and their families understand Job Corps services and are
    able to make an informed choice about participation in Job Corps.

2.  Designate an ELL coordinator or resource person to assist ELL
    students and provide appropriate resources and support to the staff
    that serve them.

3.  Use common tools to assess English proficiency to ensure access to
    appropriate ESL services and to monitor English language acquisition
    over time.

4.  Establish community linkages and partnerships with other community
    agencies when available to support success for language minority
    students.

5.  Develop a plan to serve underserved language minority populations as
    part of the regional and center CDSS Plans.

### 2. Practice Guidelines

Centers, outreach and admissions service providers and career transition
service providers should:

1.  Communicate management's commitment to achieving the goals of the
    strategic plan.

2.  Develop an **ELL Readiness Plan** that will be integrated into the
    CDSS plan, an that can be implemented should the ELL service needs
    for inputs change. This plan will provide Job Corps the ability to
    effectively and efficiently meet the needs of ELL students when and
    if they arise.

3.  Execute a service infrastructure for serving multicultural youth by:

-   Assessing the multicultural demographics of the local community and
    ELL needs;

-   Assessing the current center infrastructure and service delivery
    gaps; and

-   Identifying the resources needed to fill recognized gaps.

    1.  Secure or redirect sufficient resources to support
        implementation of the center-specific plan for serving ELL
        youth.

    2.  Conduct outreach to underserved language minority youth as
        required.

    3.  Recruit multilingual and multicultural staff where needed and
        feasible.

.

4.  Develop community relationships and partnerships to support the
    needs of ELL and language minority students by:

-   Conducting routine community assessments to identify local resources
    and gaps;

-   Developing MOUs and other formal arrangements with agencies that
    provide language support services to ensure commitment and
    follow-through on partnerships;

-   Working closely with agencies providing off-center services, such as
    ESL, to ensure services are targeted to address the needs of Job
    Corps students and are compatible with the philosophy and goals of
    the Job Corps program;

-   Identifying support services to address the needs of language
    minority youth in students' home communities; and

-   Providing information to students and families about relevant
    community resources.

    1.  Use common assessment tools to identify ESL needs and to monitor
        progress in language acquisition.

    2.  Increase collaboration between ESL and CPP instructors to
        support integrating the ESL and CPP curricula early in the
        service process.

    3.  Integrate ELL students into career technical and academic
        programs as early in their learning process as feasible.

    4.  Provide language minority students, especially ELL students,
        with sufficient teacher time and support. Use volunteers,
        tutors, mentors, roving substitutes or other strategies to
        accomplish this.

    5.  Educate businesses and other potential employers about
        multicultural issues, including:

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-   The cultural diversity of Job Corps graduates;

-   Benefits of hiring Job Corps graduates.

    1.  Inform advisory boards and the community at large about
        multicultural issues, including:

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-   The cultural diversity of Job Corps graduates;

-   Success stories of language-minority students;

-   Events, community partnerships, etc. that serve language-minority
    populations.

### 

### 3. Professional Development

To be effective in delivering services to language minority youth and to
implement the policies and practice guidelines listed above, train
managers and staff using a variety of methodologies, including online
and computer-assisted instruction training and ongoing professional
development in the following areas:

1.  ELL resources and technical assistance

2.  Recruitment and retention of multicultural and multilingual staff.

3.  Multicultural diversity resources

4.  Sensitivity training on communicating with language minority
    parents.

5.  Legal status and legal rights of immigrants and students whose
    parents or guardians are not citizens.

6.  Tools for assessing students' language assistance needs.

7.  Creating an ELL-friendly environment:

-   Welcoming ELL students with language-friendly orientation
    activities;

-   Implementing a student mentor program;

-   Assisting language minority students to integrate into the overall
    Job Corps culture;

-   Promoting collaboration across departmental lines to provide
    language support;

-   Engaging the entire staff in creating a center-wide English
    language-learning environment.

    1.  Coordination and collaboration between ESL instructors and
        career technical and academic instructors.

    2.  Mentorship and information sharing among instructors.

    3.  Meeting the diverse needs of employers:

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-   Identifying employers' diversity needs;

-   Identifying English language skills needed for specific jobs.

    1.  Providing or encourage staff and students to take advantage of
        foreign language classes.

### 4. Materials Development

Most existing Job Corps materials do not specifically address the needs
of ELL students or of center staff who are interacting with these
students and their families. Although some centers that have large
populations of ELL students have developed needed materials (or located
materials developed by others that they can use), in general, centers
lack the resources to assemble the materials they need. Strategies for
meeting this challenge include gathering, developing and making
available online such materials as:

1.  An Outreach Tool Kit, including:

-   Materials targeting community agencies who serve ELL students;

-   Family or parent-focused documents in multiple languages;

-   Basic descriptive information on Job Corps services and language
    rights in multiple languages;

-   Flyers in different languages explaining qualifications for
    different careers including English language requirements; and

-   Public Service Announcements featuring language minority graduates.

    1.  Language testing and assessment materials.

    2.  Selected materials in other languages to support CPP, academic,
        and career technical curriculum and collection of student
        satisfaction survey data.

    3.  Demographic information to assist centers in assessing the
        potential need for language support services.

    4.  Compilation (database) of translated materials already developed
        by centers, operators, and regional offices around the country.

    5.  Sample Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for making formal
        arrangements with community-based organizations (CBOs) which
        provide language assistance services.

    6.  Fact sheets with tips on how to establish linkages with CBOs and
        employers with information about language friendly,
        multicultural employers with whom other centers are already
        partnering.

    7.  Materials for educating employers, advisory boards, etc., about
        language as an "employability skill" and about the cultural
        diversity of Job Corps graduates.

    8.  Sample staff recruitment materials to help centers increase the
        diversity of the Job Corps workforce.

### 5. Dissemination and Communication

Recommended strategies for dissemination of print, online, and other
communication materials include:

1.  Disseminating resources and materials that help staff improve the
    delivery of services to language minority students via the Job ELL
    website.

2.  Establishing mechanisms to support ongoing information sharing among
    centers including online learning communities for instructors,
    administrators, and other Job Corps staff.

### 6. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research

One of the keys to addressing the goals and challenges outlined in this
plan is to collect accurate data for tracking progress and for
evaluating the effectiveness of the overall effort. The following
monitoring, evaluation, and research strategies are recommended.
However, it is understood that monitoring and evaluation of this
initiative will have to be consistent with Job Corps' current and future
monitoring and evaluation capabilities and systems and that any actual
research that may be conducted will require approval and additional
financial resources not currently provided in the Job Corps
appropriations.

1.  Adopt common data items and definitions of the target population so
    that centers, outreach and admissions service providers and career
    transition service providers may clearly identify ELL students when
    tracking and reporting information about their progress.

2.  Provide access to data on the demographics of ELL students in the
    centers and OA target areas.

3.  Update the program guidance materials to include assessment of the
    implementation of multicultural policies and practice guidelines, to
    include:

-   Availability of ESL and other language support services;

-   Presence of a designated ELL resource person on-center;

-   Outreach to multicultural communities;

-   Inclusion of diversity as an issue addressed in relationships with
    the business community (e.g., employer training, Center Industry
    Council);

-   Progress toward serving students who reflect the cultural diversity
    of centers' target communities;

-   Multicultural diversity of center staff to reflect the center
    population;

-   Use of appropriate assessment tools; and

-   Community partnerships and linkages to support ELL students and
    multicultural learning environment.

    1.  Use interpreters, bilingual staff and/or translated materials as
        needed to ensure adequate response rates among non-English
        speaking families for follow-up and satisfaction survey data
        collection.

    2.  Conduct periodic program evaluations that:

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-   Document implementation of the strategy plan and centers' successes
    in including and accommodating ELL students;

-   Identify the promising practices that appear to support effective
    inclusion and success for ELL students; and

-   Assess the transferability of promising practices to other centers
    and communities.

    1.  Conduct research combining qualitative and quantitative methods
        to identify "effective practices" associated with positive
        outcomes, and other factors that contribute to success, as well
        as areas that are of concern.

# 

# **IMPLEMENTATION PLAN**

To implement the six types of key strategies outlined above, the Job
Corps system will need to use a multilevel approach to achieve the key
goals. Responsibility for implementation will be shared among the
National Office, Regional offices, center operators, and centers. These
steps will take place over a period of three years. This Implementation
Plan is subject to change based on the need to reflect and integrate
other initiatives being developed independently and simultaneously as
part of Job Corps' vision.

This Job Corps Strategic Plan outlines how Job Corps will address the
four elements outlined in the DOL plan:

###### 

###### Table A. Implementation Plan

+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| **General Strategy** | **Specific Strategies**                       |
+======================+===============================================+
| Assessment           | -   The National Office will develop a        |
|                      |     template for compiling the results of     |
|                      |     demographic data research on ELL          |
|                      |     students. The data will determine the     |
|                      |     predominant language groups eligible to   |
|                      |     be served or likely to be directly or     |
|                      |     significantly affected by the Job Corps   |
|                      |     programs in the Regions. Data will come   |
|                      |     from a combination of sources, including  |
|                      |     census and labor market information       |
|                      |     systems, client utilization data from     |
|                      |     client files, and statistics from school  |
|                      |     systems and community agencies and        |
|                      |     organizations.                            |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   Regions will use the data provided by the |
|                      |     National Office to adjust their Regional  |
|                      |     CDSS and Geographic Assignment Plans to   |
|                      |     address issues identified in the data.    |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   Regions will designate an ELL Point of    |
|                      |     Contact (POC) who will be responsible for |
|                      |     conducting staff training, disseminating  |
|                      |     materials, and incorporating new          |
|                      |     requirements into the Regional Office     |
|                      |     Assessment Review, including the ELL      |
|                      |     Readiness Plan.                           |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   Centers, Outreach and Admissions and      |
|                      |     Career Transition providers will adjust   |
|                      |     their CDSS plans to reflect changes or    |
|                      |     modifications in the Regional plans. Each |
|                      |     center will also develop an ELL Readiness |
|                      |     Plan.                                     |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   Centers will review the data and adjust   |
|                      |     their service delivery methods and        |
|                      |     resources appropriately.                  |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Development and      | -   This Strategic Plan and the accompanying  |
| Implementation of a  |     changes in the Job Corps Policy           |
| Written Policy on    |     Requirements Handbook (PRH) will serve as |
| Language Access      |     the Written Policy on Language Access.    |
|                      |                                               |
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|                      | -   The National Office will make the         |
|                      |     appropriate changes to the PRH.           |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | *To support the Written Policy, the following |
|                      | activities will occur:*                       |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   The National Office of Job Corps will     |
|                      |     develop ESL Curricula for Beginner,       |
|                      |     High-Beginner, Low-Intermediate and       |
|                      |     Intermediate levels, research ESL         |
|                      |     Assessment Tools, research Study          |
|                      |     Enrollment for TABE ESL, and collect data |
|                      |     of ESL materials and resources currently  |
|                      |     in use in Job Corps' ESL programs.        |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   The National Office will prepare a Job    |
|                      |     Corps ESL and VESL Program Guide for      |
|                      |     dissemination on the JCCDRC website.      |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   The National Office of Job Corps will     |
|                      |     prepare, and disseminate electronically,  |
|                      |     an Outreach and Admissions Toolkit to     |
|                      |     enhance ELL participation in the Job      |
|                      |     Corps Program.                            |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   The National Office will prepare and      |
|                      |     disseminate an ELL technical assistance   |
|                      |     resources that will be available online   |
|                      |     for all centers. The guide will provide   |
|                      |     important access and service tips and     |
|                      |     well as a number of resources available   |
|                      |     to centers serving ELL students to ensure |
|                      |     the changes in the PRH are implemented    |
|                      |     per the intent of the Executive Order.    |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   Centers will designate an ELL coordinator |
|                      |     and the ELL coordinator and other         |
|                      |     specified center and outreach and         |
|                      |     admissions personnel will attend training |
|                      |     on the ELL curriculum and how to use the  |
|                      |     online materials.                         |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   Centers will ensure that ELL service      |
|                      |     needs are addressed in their CDSS plans.  |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Training of Staff    | -   The National Office will provide an       |
|                      |     online training for select center and     |
|                      |     Outreach and Admission personnel that     |
|                      |     will address ESL and VESL curriculum, ELL |
|                      |     Technical Assistance and an Outreach and  |
|                      |     Admissions Toolkit.                       |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   Center and Outreach and Admissions        |
|                      |     ongoing training will be provided online  |
|                      |     and Technical Assistance will be accessed |
|                      |     on an as needed basis. This provides a    |
|                      |     reasonable way for all centers to ensure  |
|                      |     they are able to service ELL students and |
|                      |     allows them full access to Job Corps      |
|                      |     services.                                 |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   Job Corps will take advantage of DOL's    |
|                      |     implementation of a toll-free Help Line,  |
|                      |     which will have the capacity to provide   |
|                      |     information and assistance in over 146    |
|                      |     languages.                                |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   Multicultural Diversity Technical         |
|                      |     Assistance will be provided as a part of  |
|                      |     the Career Success Standards website and  |
|                      |     resources.                                |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Vigilant Monitoring  | -   The Job Corps Division of Program Support |
|                      |     and Accountability will assess the most   |
|                      |     up-to date census figures and actual      |
|                      |     workload statistics, review the           |
|                      |     effectiveness of policies and procedures  |
|                      |     and solicit feedback from stakeholders on |
|                      |     an annual basis.                          |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   Regions and center operators will review  |
|                      |     and monitor ELL service delivery through  |
|                      |     their Regional and center assessments.    |
|                      |     The results of which will be used to      |
|                      |     modify services to maximize efficacy.     |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | -   The DOL Civil Rights Center will review   |
|                      |     the Job Corps' LEP/ELL Strategic Plan.    |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+