EVALUATION OF THE 

LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND

HISPANIC WORKER INITIATIVE

FINAL REPORT

December 2009 

Prepared for: 

U.S. Department of Labor 

Employment and Training Administration 

Prepared by: 

Bethesda, Maryland 

Authors: 

Coffey Consulting, LLC 

Douglas B. Holl, Project Director 

Lisa Kolovich, Senior Researcher 

Excelencia in Education, Inc. 

Deborah Santiago, Principal Investigator 

Sally Andrade 

Editors: 

Mary Grady, Coffey Consulting, LLC 

Amy C. Coffey, Coffey Consulting, LLC 

This project has been funded, either wholly or in part, with Federal funds from the Department of Labor, 

Employment and Training Administration under Contract Number DOLJ061A20365, Task Order #7. The contents 

of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Labor, nor does mention of 

trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement of same by the U.S. Government.

The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education iii 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, AND GRAPHS....................................................................... vi

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................viii

BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................viii

THE LEPHWI.........................................................................................................................viii

THE FINAL EVALUATION REPORT.................................................................................. xii

OVERVIEW OF THE LEPHWI PROJECTS ........................................................................xiii

PROJECT CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS..................................................................xviii

CONSIDERATIONS FOR FUTURE LEP-FOCUSED INITIATIVES................................ xxii

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ................................................................................................ xxiv

I. Introduction: The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Workforce Initiative 

(LEPHWI) ..................................................................................................................................... 1

A. The LEPHWI ........................................................................................................................ 1

1. Background ....................................................................................................................... 1

2. Purpose of the LEPHWI.................................................................................................... 2

3. Framework for the LEPHWI Demonstration Projects ...................................................... 3

4. Eligible Participants .......................................................................................................... 6

5. Project Outcomes .............................................................................................................. 6

B. The LEPHWI Demonstration Project Evaluation ................................................................. 7

1. Key Evaluation Questions................................................................................................. 8

2. Interim Report Findings .................................................................................................. 10

3. Data Sources for the Final Report ................................................................................... 14

4. Limitations of the Data.................................................................................................... 15

C. Organization of the Report .................................................................................................. 17

II. Description and Analysis of the Five LEPHWI Projects ................................................... 18

A. Overview of Project Designs .............................................................................................. 18

B. San Diego, California: Words for the Workplace............................................................... 20

1. Grantee Overview ........................................................................................................... 21

2. Context ............................................................................................................................ 21

3. Outreach and Recruitment............................................................................................... 25

4. Assessment and LEP Instructional Levels ...................................................................... 27

5. Curriculum and Instruction ............................................................................................. 28

6. Job Development and Placement Activities.................................................................... 32

7. Other Components........................................................................................................... 33

8. Project Outcomes ........................................................................................................... 34

C. Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota: Career Launch......................................................... 39

1. Grantee Overview ........................................................................................................... 40

2. Context ............................................................................................................................ 40

3. Outreach and Recruitment............................................................................................... 44

4. Assessment and LEP Instructional Levels ...................................................................... 46

5. Curriculum and Instruction ............................................................................................. 48
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education iv 

6. Job Development and Placement Activities.................................................................... 51

7. Other Components........................................................................................................... 52

8. Project Outcomes ............................................................................................................ 54

D. Omaha, Nebraska: STEP UP.............................................................................................. 59

1. Grantee Overview ........................................................................................................... 60

2. Context ............................................................................................................................ 62

3. Outreach and Recruitment............................................................................................... 64

4. Assessment and LEP Instructional Levels ...................................................................... 67

5. Curriculum and Instruction ............................................................................................. 71

6. Job Development and Placement Activities.................................................................... 73

7. Other Components........................................................................................................... 74

8. Project Outcomes ............................................................................................................ 76

E. New York, New York: LEP for the Retail Industry of New York City............................... 81

1. Grantee Overview ........................................................................................................... 82

2. Context ............................................................................................................................ 84

3. Outreach and Recruitment............................................................................................... 86

4. Assessment and LEP Instructional Levels ...................................................................... 89

5. Curriculum and Instruction ............................................................................................. 91

6. Job Development and Placement Activities.................................................................... 94

7. Other Components........................................................................................................... 94

8. Project Outcomes ............................................................................................................ 97

F. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas: Sed de Saber .......................................................................... 102

1. Grantee Overview ......................................................................................................... 103

2. Context .......................................................................................................................... 105

3. Outreach and Recruitment............................................................................................. 106

4. Assessment and LEP Instructional Levels .................................................................... 108

5. Curriculum and Instruction ........................................................................................... 112

6. Job Development and Placement Activities.................................................................. 115

7. Other Components......................................................................................................... 116

8. Project Outcomes .......................................................................................................... 118

III. Cross-Site Comparison and Analysis ............................................................................... 123

A. Project Organization and Partnering ................................................................................. 123

B. Outreach, Recruitment, and Assessment Practices............................................................ 126

C. Curriculum Development and Participant Instruction....................................................... 129

D. Job Development and Placement Activities...................................................................... 130

E. Participant Support ............................................................................................................ 130

F. Use of Incentives................................................................................................................ 131

IV. Project Challenges, Solutions, and Lessons Learned...................................................... 135

A. Project Organization.......................................................................................................... 135

1. Reinforcing Effective Partnerships ............................................................................... 135

2. Maintaining Project Continuity..................................................................................... 136

3. Aligning and/or Modifying Project Services ................................................................ 137

B. Outreach and Recruitment................................................................................................. 138

1. Designing Appropriate Outreach and Recruitment....................................................... 138
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education v 

2. Integrating Participant Needs and Suitability Considerations into Outreach Plans ...... 140

3. Modifying Unrealistic Recruitment Goals .................................................................... 141

C. Assessment ........................................................................................................................ 141

1. Problems with Assessment Processes ........................................................................... 142

2. Changes in Assessment Criteria.................................................................................... 143

D. Curriculum and Instruction ............................................................................................... 144

1. Changes in Training Venues ......................................................................................... 144

2. Changes in Curricula..................................................................................................... 145

3. Changes in Instructors................................................................................................... 147

4. Challenges in Providing Instructional Support ............................................................. 148

E. Project Outcomes............................................................................................................... 149

F. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 150

V. Implications for the Future ................................................................................................. 152

References.................................................................................................................................. 163

List of Acronyms....................................................................................................................... 164
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education vi 

LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, AND GRAPHS 

Table A LEPHWI Grantees and Their Original Participant Targets ix 

Table II-1 LEPHWI Grantees and Their Original Participant Targets 19 

Table II-2 Profile of the San Diego Metropolitan Statistical Area: Selected 

Population Characteristics 22 

Table II-3 San Diego: Planned and Actual Project Outcomes 36 

Table II-4 San Diego: Outcomes for LEP and non-LEP Participants: 

Comparison of Hours Worked and Wages 37 

Table II-5 Profile of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Statistical Area: 

Selected Population Characteristics 41 

Table II-6 Minnesota: Planned and Actual Project Outcomes 55 

Table II-7 Minnesota: Participants and Placements By Program Type 56 

Table II-8 Minnesota: Wages and Earnings Gains By Program Type 57 

Table II-9 Minnesota: Participant Retention By Program Type 57 

Table II-10 Profile of the Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area: Selected 

Population Characteristics 61 

Table II-11 Omaha: Distribution of Participants by Program 68 

Table II-12 Omaha: Participants' Initial English Proficiency Test Scores on 

Rosetta Stone 69 

Table II-13 Omaha: Participant Demographics 70 

Table II-14 Omaha: Distribution of Participants by Program and Gender 71 

Table II-15 Omaha: Participants' Improvement in Rosetta Stone Score 

 By Program 77 

Table II-16 Profile of the New York, NY/NJ/CT Metropolitan Statistical Area: 

Selected Population Characteristics 82 

Table II-17 New York City: Project Participants By National 

Origin/Ethnic Group 90 

Table II-18 New York City: Project Participants By Educational 

Attainment and Gender 91 

Table II-19 New York City: Planned and Actual Project Outcomes 98 

Table II-20 New York City: Employment Outcomes 100 

Table II-21 Profile of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Statistical Area: 

 Selected Population Characteristics 104 

Table II-22 Texas: Participant Demographics 110 

Table II-23 Texas: Language Skills of Participants at Enrollment 111 

Table II-24 Texas: Participant Wages at Enrollment By Gender and 

 Employment Status 111 

Table II-25 Texas: Planned and Actual Project Outcomes 119 

Table II-26 Texas: Average Score Increase for Program Completers 120 

Table II-27 Texas: Promotions and Wage Increases 122 

Table III-I Project Grantees and Partners of the LEPHWI Demonstration 

 Projects 124 

Table III-2 Implementation Processes of LEPHWI Demonstration Grants 128 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education vii 

Table III-3 Assistance to and Incentives for Participants in LEPHWI 

 Demonstration Projects 133 

Figure 1 Retention Education’s LeapFrog Device and Instruction Package 113 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education viii 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

BACKGROUND 

 The past several decades have seen a significant increase in the number of people 

immigrating to the United States, not only from Latin America but also from Africa, Asia, 

Eastern Europe, and other regions of the globe. Many of these recent immigrants are limited 

English proficient (LEP), which affects their ability to succeed in the workforce. Continued 

growth in the numbers of individuals in the United States who are LEP will affect the social 

features and economic conditions of our country into the foreseeable future. 

To compete against foreign and domestic producers of goods and services, U.S. 

employers require workers with appropriate communication, literacy, and occupational skills. 

The resulting demand for training in English language proficiency and occupational skills is 

generating new challenges for employers, educators, and the public workforce investment 

system. Most LEP workers need access to training opportunities in Vocational English as a 

Second Language (VESL) in order to fill both the existing and the emerging labor requirements 

of employers. In 2006, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) created the Limited English 

Proficiency and Hispanic Workforce Initiative (LEPHWI) to support five demonstration grants 

intended to address these challenges. 

THE LEPHWI 

 The LEPHWI was intended to help Hispanic Americans and other LEP persons develop 

language and occupational skills to prepare them for jobs in high-demand industries. Under this 

initiative, USDOL awarded five LEPHWI demonstration project grants in February 2006 to pilot 

learning strategies that simultaneously taught English language acquisition and occupational 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education ix 

skills. Successful applicants were able to demonstrate the ability to create partnerships among 

employers, the education and training community, and the public workforce investment system. 

Project effectiveness was to be measured primarily by the outcomes of participants in each 

project. 

 Table A provides information on the grantees and their planned activities. 

State Grantee Industry

Project 

Name

Target 

Population

Number 

to be 

Served

Amount of 

Award

CA

San DiegoImperial 

Counties Labor 

Council Construction

Words for 

Workforce

Spanish-speaking 

incumbent workers at a 

local shipyard (NASSCO) 150 $1,000,000 

MN Resource, Inc. Health Care

Career 

Launch

Recently arrived refugees 

and immigrants, as well as 

other LEP and Hispanic jobseekers in three cities 200 $1,000,000 

NE

Metropolitan 

Community 

College 

Construction

Health Care

Transportation STEP-UP

Incumbent workers and high 

school students in four 

counties 1,389 $801,130 

NY

CUNY 

Research 

Foundation

Retail

Food Service

Hospitality

LEP for Retail 

Industry

New and incumbent 

Hispanic/LEP workers in 

New York City 240 $1,000,000 

TX

SER – Jobs 

for Progress 

National, Inc.

Hospitality

Food Service Sed de Saber

Hispanic/LEP incumbent 

workers in four Texas sites 2,430 $1,105,914 

Table A:

LEPHWI Grantees and Their Original Participant Targets

Source: Table information from grantee proposals and USDOL announcement (http://www.doleta.gov/sga/awards/05-

02%20Grants%20Awarded.pdf).

The LEPHWI Evaluation

 In 2007, USDOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) selected Coffey 

Consulting, LLC, and its partner Excelencia in Education, to undertake an implementation 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education x 

evaluation of the LEPHWI demonstration. The evaluation was designed to answer research 

questions in six primary areas: 

• Who were the LEPHWI grantees and their partners? 

• What were the principal approaches to organizing, implementing, operating, and 

administering the LEPHWI projects? 

• What methods of language acquisition and what strategies for occupational 

training evolved from the LEPHWI projects and their partners? 

• Who were the participants in the LEPHWI projects, and what services did they 

receive? 

• What were the short-term outcomes of LEPHWI participants, including 

participation, job placement, and advancement? 

• What lessons learned from implementing the LEPHWI demonstration projects 

can inform the replication and sustainability of these types of efforts or 

strategies? 

Two products were called for in the evaluation plan: an interim evaluation report and a final 

evaluation report. 

Interim Report Findings 

 The interim evaluation report (Andrade et al., 2008) was based primarily on interviews 

conducted during the first round of site visits, which took place in the second half of 2007, and 

on grantee progress reports submitted through the end of that year. The interim report 

summarized the status of the projects shortly after their mid-point of operation. The primary 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xi 

findings in that report identified challenges, recommendations, and general findings from the 

effort. They are as follows: 

Challenges 

• It was difficult to place participants at appropriate levels of instruction and to match the 

needs of participants with the programs’ offerings. 

• Participants often could not maintain their participation in training, particularly in the 

face of such external factors as work schedules and a lack of economic resources. 

Recommended Practices 

• Situating training at convenient locations appeared to increase the participation and 

continuity of participants. 

• Discussing and documenting arrangements with employers for VESL instruction is 

essential for project success, as is widely communicating those plans within participating 

firms. 

• Engaging employers and securing their support were critical factors for success in serving 

incumbent workers. 

• Adapting or developing curricula specific to the situation and needs of the workers and 

employers 

• Being able to adapt to unanticipated challenges and to be flexible and resilient throughout 

the project greatly contributed to an organization’s success. 

• During the projects’ early stages, participant enrollments lagged behind application plans, 

but sites were able to adjust their strategies to create additional enrollments. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xii 

Neutral Findings 

• No clear pattern emerged concerning educational partners’ involvement. 

• The involvement of One-Stop Career Centers and other parts of the publicly funded 

workforce investment system in project activities was generally limited. 

THE FINAL EVALUATION REPORT 

 Data for this report were collected from site visits, grantee data on project operations and 

participants, grantee cost data, project-related documents, and secondary data sources. Site visits 

represent the most significant source for this report. Grantees built their systems for collecting 

data on participant characteristics, project services, and program outcomes. Each site provided 

Management Information System (MIS) data for the evaluation. However, the absence of a 

common approach to participant tracking resulted in disparate information systems and data that 

were often not comparable across sites. Grantees also faced challenges in tracking participants 

in order to collect retention data, making comparisons between planned and actual performance 

problematic in many cases. 

 The evaluation was not designed to assess the effectiveness of LEPHWI efforts to 

achieve particular participant outcomes, and as such it does not include a control or comparison 

group. Each of the five projects operated in its economic and social environment. ETA’s, 

expectations were focused on learning about how to design and implement innovative 

approaches to serving LEP individuals. The report describes the experiences of the LEPHWI 

grantees as they implemented and adjusted project plans to provide employment-related 

language skills to LEP individuals. It also provides comparative information across the five 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xiii 

sites, describes the challenges projects faced and their responses to those challenges, and 

suggests some implications for future efforts to provide workforce services to LEP individuals. 

OVERVIEW OF THE LEPHWI PROJECTS 

San Diego, California: Words for the Workplace 

 Operated by the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council (the Labor Council), 

the San Diego, California Words for the Workplace project began with two key partners: one 

major area corporation, the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company shipyard (NASSCO), and 

one community college system’s continuing education department in the San Diego Community 

College District. Initially, the project adapted an existing community college curriculum for 

English as a Second Language (ESL) with input from supervisors at the shipyard to focus 

directly on VESL training in topics of critical relevance to the employer (e.g., safety, security, 

and welding). A community college instructor taught primarily monolingual, Spanish-speaking 

incumbent workers on-site at NASSCO. 

 Due to attendance issues, the class-size attendance requirements of the state community 

college system, and the changing needs of the employer, the grantee modified the project, 

terminating its relationship with the community college and hiring a college professor to provide 

VESL instruction. The grantee also modified and shortened the instructional program to 

eliminate less relevant material and to increase attendance. As well, the grantee supplemented its 

original approach by offering classes to different groups of dislocated workers and jobseekers at 

the Labor Council’s administrative offices. In the latter phase of the project, a one-week VESL 

class was provided to LEP individuals prior to their joining the grantee’s ongoing vocational 

preparation program, which also served non-LEP jobseekers. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xiv 

 The project had originally aimed to enroll 150 incumbent workers. With the adjustment 

in its service strategy, the project ultimately enrolled 61 incumbent workers and 91 jobseekers 

for a total of 152 participants. Over 95 percent of the incumbent workers completed the program 

and received a credential. Data provided by the grantee indicate that 61.5 percent of the 

jobseekers served were reported to have entered employment at the time the project ended. 

 Promising practices included the design of the second phase of the project, for which the 

grantee developed a one-week primer for LEP individuals, after which the LEP learners were 

integrated into the grantee’s ongoing, four-week worker preparation classes. A feature that 

supported participant recruitment and engagement was the stationing of case managers on-site at 

the shipyard several days per week. 

Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota: Career Launch

 Resource, Inc., a not-for-profit organization located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was the 

grantee for Career Launch, the Minneapolis-St. Paul LEPHWI project, which served primarily 

immigrant communities in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. A small subproject operated in St. 

Cloud, about 65 miles away. Services were focused on unemployed and underemployed LEP 

individuals, with the majority of referrals coming from the Minneapolis Adult Basic Education 

(ABE) program and by word of mouth from former participants. This project was unlike the 

other four in that the majority of its participants were from Africa, and many were refugees who 

had recently arrived in the United States. 

 The project used multiple levels of training, an approach that allowed participants to 

leave after completing a program module. This was a major benefit to learners, since many had 

personal challenges that interfered with their ability to attend a complete, long-term training 

program. Developed with input from Minneapolis ABE and the Minneapolis Community and 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xv 

Technical College, project curricula included accent reduction, an introduction to the workplace, 

financial literacy, study skills, and an introduction to customer service. Job-search skills were 

also taught to support participant placement efforts. Placements ranged among a variety of 

businesses, including employers who had previously hired graduates of the grantee’s other 

workforce preparation programs. 

 Although the project exceeded its goal of enrolling 225 participants, successful job 

placement occurred for only 48.4 percent of the participants who were not incumbent workers. 

Retention in employment was close to the goal of 80 percent, as 78.4 percent of those placed 

were reported to be working 180 days later. 

 Promising practices included the tiered levels of training, close linkages with the public 

ABE program, and the project’s sensitivity to participants’ cultural backgrounds. 

Omaha, Nebraska: STEP UP

 Metropolitan Community College (MCC), the project grantee in Omaha, Nebraska, 

provided classroom and literacy lab space at two MCC campuses, at Fort Omaha and South 

Omaha. MCC also provided projects services at employers’ sites and through a communitybased organization. The project established rather ambitious goals, targeting services to four 

distinct groups of LEP individuals: providing VESL training to support career advancement for 

incumbent workers, teaching basic English and workplace skills to the general LEP population 

through community-based labs and peer mentors, enhancing dislocated workers’ readiness for 

work through a new Employment and Skills program, and introducing high school students to 

targeted industries through a Career Academy. Ultimately, services focused on the learning labs 

and incumbent workers, as the local workforce system found no LEP dislocated workers in the 

area, and LEPHWI administrators decided to limit youth involvement in its project. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xvi 

 Outcome goals were established for all of the target groups and service strategies. 

Among participating adults, 86 percent were expected to enter employment, with an earnings 

gain of $3,400 for each participant. Among participating incumbent workers, 76 percent were 

expected to earn a credential, and 50 percent were expected to transition into related employment 

or advance in a career pathway. According to the grantee’s final report, the project achieved an 

entered employment rate of 67 percent and a retention rate of 77 percent. Entered employment, 

advancement, retention, and earnings data were not included in the project’s MIS reports. 

 Promising practices included the project’s close relationship with employer partners in 

developing customized VESL classes on-site to promote worker retention and advancement, its 

partnering with community-based organizations for recruitment and off-site learning activities, 

and its use of peer mentors to help participating incumbent workers learn and practice their 

English skills and explore pursuing additional education. 

New York, New York: LEP for the Retail Industry of New York City

 The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) was the lead administrator for 

this grant, formally awarded to the Research Foundation of the City University of New York 

(CUNY). Four community colleges, including BMCC, were responsible for delivering services 

to participants through this project: LEP for the Retail Industry of New York City. The project 

proposed to create a curriculum for area retail and hospitality industries, focusing on ESL and 

customer-service skills and modeled after the Equipped for the Future Customer Service 

curriculum developed by the National Retail Federation Foundation (NRFF). Training was to 

incorporate instructional technologies to prepare incumbent and dislocated worker participants 

with skills sought by employers. This model could then be adapted for a broad range of 

employers in the New York City metropolitan area. The project’s use of instructors both at work 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xvii 

sites and in college classrooms provided options for meeting the different needs of specific 

groups of participants. The grantee also planned to develop an assessment tool to measure LEP 

workers’ ability to communicate in English. 

 The project planned to provide VESL instruction to 240 adults in 12 training cycles. It 

ultimately served a total of 362 adults in 17 training cycles. Data from the project’s reports 

indicate that 19 of the 53 participants who sat for the NRFF examination (35.8 percent) passed, 

which led the grantee to determine that the NRFF certificate was an unrealistic goal for the 

LEPHWI model. Not counting those whose outcomes were missing from the project’s database, 

93.8 percent of participants were employed when they left the program, a figure that likely 

overstates the project’s actual performance. 

 Promising practices include the project’s flexibility in establishing venues for training, 

the collaborative relationships among the staff on four community college campuses, and the 

customization of training to meet the needs of participating employers. 

Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas: Sed de Saber

 SER-Jobs for Progress was the grantee for the Sed de Saber (Thirst for Knowledge) 

project, which served Hispanic incumbent workers primarily in the Dallas Metroplex. Each 

participant was provided a hand-held electronic unit or “book” (LeapFrog), programmed for selfpaced ESL instruction and geared to the food service and hospitality industries. The curriculum 

had been developed by the project’s key corporate partner and subcontractor, Retention 

Education, LLC, specifically for Spanish speakers with limited English fluency. The grantee 

initially planned to recruit workers through hospitality employers, referring potential participants 

to their nearest One-Stop Career Center for assessment and orientation. However, this proved 

unworkable, and Retention Education assumed almost all recruiting and assessment 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xviii 

responsibilities, relying on grantee staff for orientation support. The original plan also called for 

participants to receive assistance from mentors and to be referred to such support services as 

transportation, childcare, and General Education Development (GED) studies, but staffing 

limitations, difficulty in recruiting mentors, and employer reluctance to facilitate the mentoring 

process were factors that adversely affected the implementation of these components. 

Sed de Saber staff worked intensively with a group of food service and hospitality 

corporations to implement its demonstration project. The grantee expected to serve 2,430 

participants, but enrolled a total of 1,417 individuals (58.3 percent). Project outcomes included a 

completion rate of 26.3 percent (compared to a projected rate of 90 percent). 

 Promising practices included the use of an electronic teaching device that allowed 

participants considerable flexibility in selecting the time and place for instruction; a partnership 

with a private, for-profit corporation that had sales experience and strong relationships with 

employers; and the concept of supporting learning through the use of mentors. 

PROJECT CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

Each grantee experienced several challenges and successes in implementing and 

operating projects to serve LEP individuals. Sites faced a number of common challenges, and 

others were unique to each project and community. Sometimes grantees arrived at similar 

solutions to their common challenges. The major areas in which the sites encountered problems 

were in project organization, outreach and recruitment, assessment, curriculum and instruction, 

and tracking project outcomes. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xix 

Project organization 

The grantees encountered three major organizational challenges throughout the 

implementation process. Establishing and maintaining the active involvement of employer or 

corporate partners from the outset of the project until its completion was a common challenge. 

When employer support wavered or did not fully materialize, grantees revisited the original 

partnership arrangements, and at times determined that it was necessary to end or circumscribe a 

relationship and make alternate plans. Some projects faced difficulties due to changing project 

management; when the individuals who had cultivated the relationships and partnerships for the 

project were no longer involved, new management had to reestablish connections or review the 

operations plan to determine an appropriate course. A third organizational challenge confronted 

by several of the grantees was rooted in decisions to change the services they offered. When the 

original designs proved unworkable, sites were forced to revise staffing plans and occasionally to 

change partners to reflect new or revised service strategies. 

Outreach and Recruitment 

The major outreach and recruitment challenges that grantees encountered involved 

designing appropriate outreach and recruitment strategies that matched the needs of employers 

while retaining project flexibility; revising outreach plans in response to the needs, 

characteristics, and suitability of potential participants; and recognizing that the original proposal 

had set unrealistically high recruitment and participation goals. 

 As the number of employers associated with a project increased, outreach and 

communication challenges grew, in part, due to the widely varied needs and expectations of 

multiple company partners and the heterogeneity in the characteristics of their employees. 

Grantees discovered unanticipated issues when they considered the full range of participants’ 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xx 

needs when conducting recruitment, and they found it beneficial to identify the characteristics 

that made candidates unsuitable for the grantees’ VESL programs. One project had established 

an unrealistically high enrollment goal; as a result, staff experienced greater challenges in 

recruitment than had been anticipated. 

Assessment 

 Assessing the competencies of participants was an important step in ensuring that the 

content of VESL instruction was suitable for the individual learners. Several sites encountered 

difficulties in carrying out their assessment plans because of logistical, practical, and procedural 

considerations. Because employers frequently selected which employees would participate in 

the project before any project-related assessment took place, assessments did not always 

determine which candidates could enter a training program. As a result, participants with widely 

ranging levels of English proficiency and literacy were enrolled, making instruction much more 

challenging. 

 Shortly after project implementation, sites found that many participants experienced 

difficulties in their first VESL component or were hard-pressed to achieve passing scores on 

placement or competency tests. In response, project administrators decided to raise the 

minimum entry-level score to better target training to those who could benefit from the LEPHWI 

services. Some sites revised project goals toward more realistic indicators. 

Curriculum and Instruction

Although most of the VESL training undertaken by the LEPHWI demonstration projects 

involved adapting existing curricula to the unique needs of employers and participants, two sites 

(Metropolitan Community College in Omaha and SER-Jobs for Progress in Texas) used 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xxi 

commercially available software for some or all of their participant instruction. Sites had not 

anticipated the degree to which the VESL instruction would require them to address employer 

needs and to respond to participants’ varied levels of competency. 

Projects took several steps to improve participant attendance and ensure program 

completion. Once programs were underway, sites made adjustments in the places and schedules 

of instruction, the focus and length of the curricula, the instructors, and the types of instructional 

support services provided. Attendance issues related to scheduling conflicts at work sites and to 

participants’ domestic issues made the choice of training venue particularly important. Although 

projects that held classes and support sessions at community-based organizations reported 

improved attendance and completion, other sites were satisfied with training venues at 

workplaces and community colleges. 

Curriculum content was also adjusted in response to participant needs. To reduce 

participant attrition, many projects decreased the duration of instruction and the number of 

classroom hours. Sites also recognized the importance of providing instructional support in the 

form of mentors, drop-in labs, and other means of helping participants maintain progress in their 

studies. 

Project Outcomes

Four of the five LEPHWI grantees met their recruitment or enrollment objectives, with 

only the Texas site falling short. Grantee performance was decidedly mixed, however, regarding 

project outcomes, such as entered employment rates and wage gains and/or promotions. 

Relationships with corporate partners and the roles those partners played appear to be the key 

factors in an LEPHWI demonstration project’s ability to effectively adapt its implementation 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xxii 

procedures to the needs of both employers and workers and to achieve its targets of VESL 

learner success. 

CONSIDERATIONS FOR FUTURE LEP-FOCUSED INITIATIVES 

 Based on the experiences of the LEPHWI grantees, the evaluation team has identified a 

number of considerations that may apply to future efforts to provide workforce assistance to LEP 

individuals: 

1. Because many LEP individuals are already working, programs might consider targeting 

incumbent LEP workers. The organization of VESL training, in cooperation with and with 

support from employers, was effective in several of the demonstration projects as a viable means 

of responding to the income and personal needs of the target group, while providing training to 

improve their English language and vocational skills. 

2. LEP individuals who participated in the VESL training were motivated to do so for diverse 

reasons. Programs aimed at LEP individuals can reach a broader audience if their design reflects 

a recognition of the interests and needs that compete for each participant’s time. Approaches 

that incorporate flexible scheduling, convenient training locations (at an employment site or near 

public transportation), and curricula that address both workplace and non-workplace topics 

appear to be relatively more successful in attracting targeted participants. 

3. Employers decided to participate in the LEP training for a range of reasons. Some 

employers anticipated an improvement in their bottom line, either directly or indirectly (e.g., 

through improved worker safety or reduced attrition), while others saw themselves in a more 

supportive role, improving the citizenship skills of their LEP workers. Although this information 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xxiii 

is from a small sample of employers, it suggests that employer outreach efforts must consider the 

full range of reasons why they decide to participate in LEP training programs. 

4. VESL programs that offer flexibility and/or options in the scheduling, location, and level of 

instruction appear the most promising (i.e., avoiding one-size-fits-all designs). Because 

learners enter with different levels of English fluency and educational attainment, as well as with 

varying personal needs and obligations, VESL projects should incorporate approaches that 

ensure that participant and (for incumbent workers) employer needs are reflected in program 

designs. The locations of VESL instruction should be convenient for participants, timing should 

be flexible (within reason), and curricula should be tiered for different levels of language 

proficiency and educational attainment. Learners who are jobseekers should have opportunities 

to exit successfully when they need to enter the job market (i.e., classes should be modularized 

or otherwise adapted to meet this objective). 

5. Learners benefit from personalized assistance. Projects found that direct engagement of and 

assistance to participants tended to improve their persistence and outcomes. Even highly 

motivated LEP participants confronted barriers, but these were often overcome with assistance 

from one or more of the aforementioned individuals or entities. 

6. Particularly for programs serving unemployed LEP individuals, incorporating a job-search 

assistance component into their VESL training appears promising. To the extent that 

programs served LEP jobseekers among their participants, providing job-search assistance 

training for non-native English speakers appeared to be a valuable aspect of service provision. 

This type of training exposed learners to the basics of using a computer, a skill that appeared less 

common among this population, perhaps due to their limited economic resources and lack of 

access. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xxiv 

7. Measuring the performance of LEP programs may require innovative approaches to 

calculating program outcomes. Performance may be best measured on a program-by-program 

basis, using measures designed to capture relevant outcome goals that are meaningful to distinct 

stakeholder groups: participants, employers, and investors. Educational partners might represent 

a fourth stakeholder to be considered in designing a measurement system. 

8. Efforts to market an LEP program should address the diversity of positive outcomes that 

employers and LEP individuals seek from such a program. Many LEP individuals cite benefits 

of VESL instruction that go beyond the workplace, such as improving their ability to interact 

with other members of their community and to help their children with schoolwork. Employers 

also have diverse reasons for participating. Outreach efforts should attempt to reflect this 

multiplicity of reasons for different groups of LEP individuals and for a variety of employers to 

participate in LEP programs. 

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 

 The LEPHWI demonstration program represents an important early step in the design and 

delivery of vocational training to individuals who are limited English proficient and Hispanic 

workers. Participating projects achieved a degree of success by being flexible and ready to adapt 

their programs and service plans when confronted with unanticipated challenges. Interest was 

high among employers and potential participants, both incumbent workers and the unemployed. 

 The factors critical to the success of LEPHWI demonstration projects included active 

engagement of employers in creating or adapting a VESL curriculum to meet their workplace 

requirements; employers’ support in recruiting and maintaining participants; instruction located 

at the worksite or in an otherwise convenient location; the awareness and enthusiasm of a 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education xxv 

participant’s immediate supervisor; and the employer’s ability and willingness to provide 

incentives for the participation in and completion of the VESL training. 

 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 1 

I. Introduction: The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Workforce Initiative 

(LEPHWI)

A. The LEPHWI 

1. Background 

 Over the last 20 years, increasing numbers of Hispanic workers who are from Latin 

America and for whom Spanish is their native language, as well as other immigrant populations 

from Europe, Asia, and Africa, have entered the U.S. labor market. Hispanics represent the 

fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. Participation in the U.S. workforce by 

Hispanics and other recent immigrant populations who are limited English proficient (LEP) is 

projected to continue to grow in the coming years. Many of these individuals are not sufficiently 

proficient in English to attain work outside a limited set of occupational fields or to progress in 

employment responsibilities. These LEP adults face unique challenges in acquiring the 

education and skills they need to successfully participate in the workforce. 

 To remain competitive, U.S. employers require workers with appropriate communication, 

literacy, and occupational skills. Employers also need continued access to all potential sources 

of new workers who possess these skills. Trends in population demographics and workplace 

skill requirements are combining to create a high demand for training in English language 

proficiency and occupational skills, generating new challenges for employers, educators, and the 

public workforce investment system. To help ensure that LEP workers can meet the labor 

requirements of employers, these individuals need access to training opportunities in Vocational 

English as a Second Language (VESL). In 2006, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) 

created the Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Workforce Initiative (LEPHWI) to support 

five demonstration grants intended to address these challenges. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 2 

2. Purpose of the LEPHWI 

The LEPHWI was a strategic effort of the Employment and Training Administration 

(ETA) at USDOL to improve access to employment and training services for LEP persons and to 

better serve Hispanic workers through workforce investment programs that address the specific 

employment challenges faced by these individuals. 

The LEPHWI was intended to help Hispanic Americans and other LEP persons develop 

language and occupational skills to prepare them for jobs in high-growth/high-demand 

industries. Under this initiative, USDOL awarded five LEPHWI demonstration project grants in 

early 20061

 to pilot learning strategies that simultaneously teach English language acquisition 

and occupational skills. To be awarded a grant, applicants were required to demonstrate the 

ability to create partnerships among employers, the education and training community, and the 

public workforce investment system, all of which were required to be actively involved in the 

project’s design and implementation. The effectiveness of the demonstration program’s 

strategies was to be assessed primarily on the individual outcomes of the LEP and Hispanic 

participants in each project. 

This report discusses the design of the five LEPHWI projects. It describes each site’s 

implementation activities to recruit participants and employers and to develop and deliver 

training. It also describes partnerships developed to address the needs of LEP individuals during 

training and placement. The report presents the outcomes for each project and explores the 

lessons learned from their design, participant engagement, and replicability. To the extent 

possible, the evaluation also attempts to draw comparisons across all five projects in key 

program areas and identifies potential promising VESL practices. 

 

1

 The ETA grant announcement was February 14, 2006. http://www.doleta.gov/reports/dpld_lep.cfm. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 3 

3. Framework for the LEPHWI Demonstration Projects

The Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) was the vehicle through which USDOL 

provided a context for the LEPHWI demonstration activities and established project 

requirements and expectations.2 The SGA identified five areas of USDOL’s expectations for the 

grantees’ implementation of the demonstration projects: instructional design, engagement of 

project partners, generation of leveraged resources, targeting of eligible participants, and the 

resulting outcomes and benefits of the demonstration projects. 

a. Teaching Methods and Strategies 

Under the LEPHWI demonstration program, occupationally oriented training for LEP 

individuals required the use of VESLs and/or contextualized language instruction. In the SGA, 

USDOL cited a U.S. Department of Education source3 for its description of VESL programs: 

VESL programs are vocational training programs that provide fundamental English language 

instruction to enable students to be successful in their vocational training and careers. In these 

programs, students are expected to become proficient in the basic English required to 

successfully interact in a workplace with customers and co-workers. As such, VESL training 

often utilizes workplace contexts to impart occupational language skills relevant to the subject 

matter under study. According to the description in the SGA, this contextualized language 

instruction focuses on topics familiar to the learner, utilizing real objects and situations to 

 

2

 70 Federal Register 35118–35136. 3

 Buchanan, Keith. “Vocational English-as-a-Second-Language Programs.” ERIC Digest, ED321551. ERIC 

Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics. Washington, DC 1990. (Available at http://www.ericdigests.org/pre9216/vocational.htm.) 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 4 

provide a practical context for learning. Contextualized language instruction allows English 

learning opportunities to be incorporated into occupational education coursework.4

 

LEPHWI applicants were required to develop unique and innovative instructional models 

and to implement teaching strategies that accelerated and focused the learning processes for both 

English language skills and the basic and occupational skills in demand by local industries. In 

addition to the use of creative teaching strategies, applicants were also required to provide 

flexible settings and schedules to ensure that participants could take part in the proposed training 

programs while successfully balancing the demands of work and personal life. 

Definitions of the requirement for program models that were “unique and innovative” 

included any one or a combination of the following parameters: 

• Merging English instruction with occupational skill training; 

• Accelerating the attainment of both English language and occupational skills by using 

technology in the instruction/curriculum; 

• Customizing English language and occupational skill training to meet the specific needs 

of a high-growth industry; and 

• Providing new technological platforms for learners to attain English language and 

occupational skills at the participants’ own pace. 

b. Project Partner Roles 

Each of the mandated project partners—employers, the education system, and the 

workforce investment system—was required to have clearly defined roles, depending upon the 

 

4

 Tharp, Roland G. From At-Risk to Excellence: Research, Theory, and Principles for Practice. Center for Research 

on Education, Diversity & Excellence. 1997. http://crede.ucsc.edu/products/print/reports/rr1.html. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 5 

issues being addressed and the scope and nature of the activities undertaken. Employer partners 

were expected to be actively engaged and to participate in every aspect of the grant activities, 

including defining the program’s strategy and goals, identifying the needed skills and 

competencies, designing training approaches and curricula, implementing the program, 

contributing financial and in-kind support, and hiring qualified graduates. The education system 

was expected to lead in developing curricula and delivering contextualized training to prepare 

participants for employment opportunities. The local workforce investment system was 

encouraged to provide a range of services to project participants that included outreach, 

recruitment, assessment, training, and placement. 

c. Leveraged Resources 

LEPHWI applicants were also required to leverage non-federal resources. The SGA 

described leveraging resources within a strategic partnership as pursuing additional funds, 

increasing stakeholder investment at all levels, and broadening the impact of the project. 

Applicants were required to identify the amounts and types of leveraged cash or in-kind 

resources from non-federal sources that would augment their project’s implementation and 

development. Each project’s partnership as a whole was expected to contribute resources 

totaling at least 50 percent of the amount of funding requested. 

Applicants were instructed to consider the awarded funding as seed money, and grantees 

were expected to sustain successful projects once grant funds were expended. Projects were also 

to be designed with the expectation that successful training and curricula models would be 

shared with the public workforce system, and that the projects would provide recommendations 

for replicating the models throughout the workforce investment system. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 6 

4. Eligible Participants 

USDOL stated in the SGA that the demonstration funding was to target “individuals with 

Limited English Proficiency” (as previously defined) and “Hispanic Americans, specifically 

those who lack basic occupational skills needed by high-growth occupations.”5 Individuals 

targeted by projects could be incumbent workers, transitioning workers (including dislocated 

workers), new job entrants, and/or youth or adults who lacked the language skills and the basic 

and occupational skills in demand in the local labor market. 

5. Project Outcomes 

LEPHWI applicants were required to fully describe the outcomes and benefits they 

expected to achieve through the project in relation to the workforce challenges to be addressed. 

Grantees were encouraged to mirror those outcomes defined by the Office of Management and 

Budget’s common measures for all federal job-training and employment programs. Although the 

SGA identified three measures that grantees were expected to address, a USDOL directive issued 

before the grants were awarded modified the relevant common measures to be as follows: an 

entered employment rate, a retention rate, and the average earnings for participants who were 

retained in employment.6

 ETA recognized that other outcome measures were possible, including 

English literacy gains, employer satisfaction, and credentials received; and it encouraged 

applicants to identify other measures appropriate to their proposed projects. 

Applicants were also required to describe the extent to which successful approaches 

would be continued after the grant expired, as well as the extent to which the project would be of 

significant and practical use to the public workforce investment system. The maximum period of 

 

5

 70 Federal Register 35118. 6

 Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 17-05. http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL17-05.pdf.
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 7 

performance for each project was up to 24 months from February 24, 2006, the date the grant 

documents were executed. 

B. The LEPHWI Demonstration Project Evaluation 

USDOL contracted with Coffey Consulting, LLC, assisted by a subcontractor, Excelencia 

in Education, Inc., to evaluate the five LEPHWI demonstration projects. The goal of the 

evaluation was to examine the effectiveness of instructional methodologies that simultaneously 

enhanced both English language and occupational skills of LEP workers to respond to workforce 

challenges identified by employers in each grantee community. To achieve this goal, the 

evaluation team engaged in the following activities: 

• Described the innovative approaches adopted by the grantees for the acquisition of 

language and occupational skills; 

• Compared the language acquisition and occupational strategies among the five grantees 

to identify common elements or practices; 

• Examined the strategies employed by each grantee for improving the language 

acquisition and occupational skills of participants using data already collected in 

accordance with the Workforce Investment Act (WIA); 

• Identified lessons learned from each of the five grantees (in implementation and 

outcomes) that can inform others interested in the replication of the strategies used; and 

• Assessed the sustainability or institutionalization of each initiative beyond the current 

funding. 

These activities were guided by the development of six key evaluation questions, along with 

several supporting questions, and the use of five sources for collecting data. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 8 

1. Key Evaluation Questions 

The evaluation was designed to address six key evaluation questions: 

a) Who were the LEPHWI grantees and their partners? What types of 

participants had they served in the past, what services had they provided, and 

what outcomes had they achieved? What were the characteristics and 

qualifications of their staff? To what extent had grantees collaborated with other 

local organizations and agencies in the past, and what collaborative strategies 

worked well? What were the demographic and economic characteristics and 

workforce conditions of the grantees’ communities? What types of relationships 

did grantees develop with local employers? 

b) What were the principal approaches to organizing, implementing, 

operating, and administering the LEPHWI projects? What organizational roles 

and linkages were developed during the planning phase? What array of services 

was planned? How did those services change over time? To what extent did 

project designs provide for the simultaneous acquisition of language and 

occupational skills? What were the start-up and ongoing challenges, and what 

strategies did projects develop to overcome them? What factors facilitated or 

impeded implementation? How did grantees track participants, what barriers did 

grantees face in tracking them, and how did the staff attempt to overcome those 

barriers? How did grantees and project partners change during their involvement 

in the LEPHWI project? 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 9 

c) What methods of language acquisition and what strategies for 

occupational training evolved from the LEPHWI projects and their partners?

How did instructional sites, time periods, durations, and strategies vary across the 

LEPHWI demonstration projects? Did the projects have specific interventions for 

targeted national origin/language groups? Were new curricula created, or were 

existing curricula for English as a Second Language (ESL) used, adapted, or 

supplemented to meet the VESL goals of employer partners? Was the primary 

emphasis on attaining skill in English oral fluency, literacy, or both? To what 

extent was technology used in the VESL approaches, and how effective were 

those approaches? What types of orientation and training were provided to 

project instructors and to support personnel (e.g., lab supervisors, mentors, 

volunteers)? 

d) Who were the participants in the LEPHWI projects, and what services 

did they receive? Did projects’ eligibility prerequisites, recruitment techniques, 

and enrollment patterns evolve over time? If yes, how did these features correlate 

with participation and services received? How did frequency of service and 

program completion vary, based on participants’ backgrounds? What barriers did 

participants face to entering into the project, to receiving services, and to 

achieving employment gains? What were grantee, partner, and participant 

perspectives about the success of projects in addressing these barriers? How did 

the grantee determine the barriers faced by participants? How did the grantee 

address any barriers to participant success? Besides performance outcomes, how 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 10 

did the grantees determine if barriers had been addressed? What preliminary 

benchmarks did the projects use? 

e) What were the short-term outcomes of LEPHWI participants, including 

participation, job placement, and advancement? What common elements or 

practices existed among the grantees? How did performance vary among the 

grantees? What were the outcomes achieved by the new learning strategies as 

indicated by improvements in participants’ occupational skills, placement and 

retention in jobs, increased wages, and advancement in employment? How did 

each grantee promote and measure language acquisition? How did these 

outcomes vary for different types of LEPHWI participants? How did the 

LEPHWI outcomes compare to outcomes for other programs seeking to place 

LEP participants? 

f) What lessons learned from implementing the LEPHWI demonstration 

projects can inform strategies to replicate and sustain these types of efforts?

What in-kind resources were projects able to leverage from the community and 

for what services? What are the plans to sustain these projects beyond the end of 

the grant period? How can project models be replicated across the workforce 

investment system? What are feasible options for disseminating replication 

strategies? 

2. Interim Report Findings 

Many of the above evaluation questions were explored at the approximate mid-point of 

the demonstration through an initial round of site visits and data analyses. The descriptions of 

project implementation experiences and preliminary analyses of program designs and lessons 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 11 

learned were published in the Evaluation of the Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic 

Worker Initiative Demonstration Projects Interim Report (Andrade et al., 2008; hereafter, 

Interim Report). The following summarizes the initial findings described in the Interim Report: 

Placing participants and matching their needs with program offerings were constant 

challenges. It was not always feasible to group participants based on their differences in English 

language fluency in order to foster their skill development. For that reason, instructors and 

project staff were confronted with diverse levels of English proficiency among participants. In 

response, they instituted small-group work, individual or paired assignments, the use of 

computers and electronic programs, or the support of peer mentors and volunteers. In addition, 

instructors identified and piloted a wide variety of instructional strategies to work with 

participants who had varying levels of education and literacy in their native languages. Some 

projects, however, found it difficult to create and maintain instruction for different levels of 

VESL skills development. 

Learners faced challenges to maintaining their participation. External factors 

(including variations in work schedules, limited transportation, lack of childcare, family 

illnesses, and other emergencies outside their control) and lack of economic resources caused 

some committed participants to leave a program before completion. Even highly motivated 

individuals frequently struggled to participate in VESL training, primarily because of workplace 

schedules that were demanding and frequently variable. 

Multiple factors appeared to affect individual participation and continuity. Locating 

training activities at a single site of employment generally proved to be the most feasible and 

convenient approach for incumbent workers, and this approach appeared to increase the retention 

of participants. However, when there were small numbers of participants and when the site did 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 12 

not have training space, this approach was less feasible. Participant motivation, commitment, 

and self-discipline appeared to play important roles in the success of individual learners. The 

presence and involvement of positive role models also contributed to the success of participants. 

The effectiveness of employee compensation (either in terms of financial compensation or in 

work release) on participant retention was inconclusive. 

Project staff found it was essential to discuss and document arrangements with 

employers for VESL instruction and to communicate those plans widely within 

participating firms. Oftentimes initial discussions with employers did not include individuals 

whose buy-in was critical to successful LEP training. After agreements were made, 

communications with general managers and immediate supervisors were necessary to ensure 

their understanding of the project and the benefits expected for the company. This step increased 

the commitment of local managers to encourage the active engagement of participants. 

No clear pattern emerged concerning educational partners’ involvement and 

curricular adaptation or development. In three projects, community colleges used or adapted 

existing ESL curricula to meet the needs of employer partners. The colleges’ involvement did 

not eliminate the challenges of matching curricula to workers and employer needs, nor did it 

allow grantees to overcome scheduling and location issues. For example, California’s 

requirements related to attendance consumed considerable time in the early implementation of 

that project and resulted in the grantee’s ultimate decision to replace the community college with 

an independent ESL instructor, who then served as the educational provider. This change also 

made it possible for the grantee to be able to offer classes in locations and times convenient for 

participants. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 13 

Employers were critical factors for success in serving incumbent workers. Employer 

support for VESL training manifested itself in various forms. Some participating employers 

strongly encouraged workers to sign up for the program, provided space for classes, and offered 

incentives for successful program completion. Projects whose staff met with employers to 

develop specific plans to address mutual expectations of and responsibilities for instructional 

activities, including location and scheduling of classes, appeared to encounter fewer problems 

with project implementation. 

One-Stop Career Centers and other parts of the publicly funded workforce 

investment system were involved in project activities in generally limited ways. Oftentimes, 

collaboration between the two entities involved referring LEP individuals from the One-Stop to 

the project. 

During the projects’ early stages, participant enrollments lagged behind application 

plans. All of the projects struggled to attain their enrollment targets in the early phases of 

implementation, some because of instructional space and scheduling difficulties (California), 

others because of challenges in gaining employer participation (New York), and still others due 

to unexpected challenges faced by participants who were engaged at the worksite and/or 

participants who were managing a self-paced learning approach (Texas). Two sites experienced 

recruitment difficulties because of unanticipated barriers affecting the original target populations, 

and they had to modify the demonstration project models to respond to community needs 

(Nebraska and Minnesota). Thus, each project faced some significant challenges, and each 

attained some reasonable, early successes. 

Organizational flexibility and resilience contributed to project success. Project staff 

described having to respond to unexpected circumstances of employers, participants, and 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 14 

participants’ family members. Recruitment methods turned out to be less effective than 

anticipated and/or new methods emerged. Classes sometimes had to be relocated due to 

employers’ new workplace requirements. Carefully planned curricula sometimes had to be 

revised in length, number of lessons, or schedules. Even the most dedicated participants 

sometimes had to temporarily interrupt their instructional program because of shifts in work 

schedules or family crises. For adult VESL programs to succeed, project staff needed to be 

flexible and resilient in their commitment to participants’ long-term progress, in spite of what 

appeared to be short-term setbacks. Having sufficient staff to perform case management and 

“dropout recovery” was also identified as an important contributing factor to success. 

3. Data Sources for the Final Report

Data for this report (hereafter, Final Report) were collected from five sources: site visits, 

grantee data on project operations and participants, grantee cost data, project-related documents, 

and secondary data sources. 

• Site Visits. Qualitative and quantitative data on project operations were collected 

during two visits to the demonstration sites. Site visits included interviews with staff 

members from the grantees and project partners, observations of activities, 

interviews with participants, and interviews with employers. 

• Grantee Data on Project Operations and Participants. The grantees collected 

information on the characteristics of LEPHWI participants at enrollment, as well as 

ongoing data on the services received and employment and other outcome-related 

measures. Examples of types of program data varied across projects but included 

program completion rates, job placement rates, job retention rates, credential 

acquisition rates, placement wage rates, wage gains, and promotion rates. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 15 

• Grantee Cost Data. Grantees provided information on the costs required to operate 

the LEPHWI projects. The costs included staff salaries, fringe benefits, purchased 

services and other direct costs, administrative expenses, and indirect costs. 

Information on in-kind contributions was also provided by some sites. 

• Project Documents. The grantees’ original proposals contained information about 

the organizations, histories, and implementation plans for the LEPHWI 

demonstration projects. Other relevant documents (such as grantee quarterly reports 

and grant amendments) produced during the course of the demonstration contained 

information on project progress and on the successes and challenges that 

accompanied program implementation. 

• Secondary Data Sources. Data on the socioeconomic characteristics (including 

employment data) of the local LEPHWI communities were examined as the context 

for the demonstration projects. Research on other initiatives serving LEP 

populations or programs offering similar services to different populations also 

provided a basis for comparison when examining the findings of the evaluation. 

4. Limitations of the Data 

 Although the evaluation was designed to provide a detailed analysis of the experiences of 

the LEPHWI grantees within the framework of the research questions cited above, the study 

design and available data sources have several key limitations. 

• Time constraints limited the amount and nature of qualitative information that could 

be collected through site visits. In addition, changes in project staff and the potential 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 16 

for biased or faulty recollections among interviewees also affected the quality of site 

visit data. 

• Grantees built their systems for collecting data on participant characteristics, project 

services, and program outcomes, which resulted in disparate information systems 

and data that were often not comparable across sites. For example, the category of 

national origin for participants was recorded differently across and within sites. 

• Data reporting and recording processes, although adequate for the purposes of 

project management, were not designed for the purpose of producing unbiased, errorfree data. For example, data on participant characteristics, to the extent it was 

recorded, was usually based on self-reported information. Projects were not required 

to validate data to ensure its accuracy. The absence of rigorous statistical validation 

processes should not hinder all uses of the data but argues for interpreting the 

information with a clear understanding of its limitations. 

• Grantees found it difficult to track participants, particularly after they left the 

program (either as completers or dropouts), resulting in missing outcome data for 

some participants. 

• The study does not include a control or comparison group and, therefore, is not 

intended to assess the effectiveness of LEPHWI efforts to achieve particular 

participant outcomes. 

 Within these limitations, the report describes the experiences of the LEPHWI grantees as 

they implemented and adjusted project plans to provide employment-related language skills to 

LEP individuals. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 17 

C. Organization of the Report 

This report focuses on the implementation experiences of the five LEPHWI 

demonstration projects, including how they addressed the needs of their widely varied participant 

groups to acquire the skills to achieve the program’s stated objectives and outcomes. While the 

Interim Report detailed the initial successes and challenges experienced by the sites in 

developing meaningful and productive partnerships with employers, educational institutions, the 

workforce development system, and other stakeholders, the Final Report summarizes the 

outcomes of the demonstration projects and the lessons learned from their implementation that 

are of relevance to future VESL programs. 

This chapter provided background on the LEPHWI, described the overall framework for 

the evaluation, and summarized the findings from the Interim Report. Chapter II of this report 

describes each of the projects in detail, including the grantee organizations, the communities 

where the projects operated, and each project’s model or design, including approaches to 

outreach and recruitment, assessment, curricula and instruction, job placement, and program 

outcomes. Chapter III contains a cross-site analysis, which describes similarities and differences 

in key project attributes. Section IV presents lessons learned from the demonstration, and 

Section V provides concluding observations related to the replication of project activities to 

serve LEP individuals. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 18 

II. Description and Analysis of the Five LEPHWI Projects 

A. Overview of Project Designs 

Five organizations received LEPHWI awards to pilot innovative approaches to improve 

the English language and workforce skills of Hispanic workers and individuals with limited 

English proficiency (LEP) in their communities. This chapter contains a brief overview of the 

five projects, followed by in-depth descriptions of the models and the implementation 

experiences of each site. This mini-case-study format was chosen as the best way to organize 

and provide information on the five sites that, for the most part, chose significantly different 

approaches to identifying, serving, and tracking their LEP participants. 

The grantees varied in organizational structure and mission, type of intervention, and 

scope of outcome measures (Table II-1). The table presents information on the projects as 

originally proposed by the successful applicants and does not reflect the changes in target groups 

that were made during the course of project operations. For example, as explained below, the 

California grantee expanded the target group beyond incumbent workers to include jobseekers. 

The five demonstration projects each aimed to simultaneously improve the English 

language and vocational skills of LEP and/or Hispanic workers. The grantees sought to do so 

through different models, and some sites used multiple approaches. In three of the projects, 

community college instructors consulted with employers to adapt an existing ESL curriculum to 

a more occupationally oriented model. One project adapted an English skills program for 

recently arrived immigrants and refugees. Two projects used technology-based language 

training programs, with one piloting a self-paced instructional model that delivered its 

curriculum through a portable electronic teaching tool.
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 19 

State Grantee Industry

Project 

Name

Target 

Population

Number to 

Be Served

Amount of 

Award

CA

San DiegoImperial 

Counties 

Labor Council Construction

Words for 

Workforce

Spanish-speaking 

incumbent workers at a 

local shipyard 150 $1,000,000 

MN Resource, Inc. Health Care

Career 

Launch!

Recently arrived 

refugees and 

immigrants and other 

LEP and Hispanic jobseekers in three cities 200 $1,000,000 

NE

Metropolitan 

Community 

College 

Construction

Health Care

Transportation STEP-UP!

Incumbent workers and 

high school students in 

four counties 1,389 $801,130 

NY

CUNY 

Research 

Foundation

Retail

Food Service

Hospitality

LEP for 

Retail 

Industry

New and incumbent 

Hispanic/LEP workers 

in New York City 240 $1,000,000 

TX

SER- Jobs for 

Progress 

National, Inc.

Hospitality

Food Service

Sed de 

Saber

Hispanic/LEP 

incumbent workers at 

four Texas sites 2,430 $1,105,914 

Table II-1:

LEPHWI Grantees and Their Original Participant Targets

Source: Table information from grantee proposals and USDOL announcement 

(http://www.doleta.gov/sga/awards/05-02%20Grants%20Awarded.pdf).

The remainder of this chapter contains profiles of each of the five projects. Cross-site 

comparisons of project designs and experiences are included in Chapter III. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 20 

B. San Diego, California: Words for the Workplace 

San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council

Summary

The San Diego, California, project began with one major local corporation, the National 

Steel and Shipbuilding Company shipyard (NASSCO), and one community college system’s 

continuing education department in the San Diego Community College District as its key 

partners. Initially, the partnership adapted an existing community college curriculum for 

English as a second language (ESL) to focus directly on Vocational English as a Second 

Language (VESL) training in topics of critical relevance to the employer (e.g., safety, security, 

welding); a community college instructor taught primarily monolingual, Spanish-speaking 

incumbent workers on-site at the shipyard. However, due to attendance issues, the classsize requirements for reimbursement at the state community college system, and the 

changing needs of the employer, the grantee modified the project, terminating its relationship 

with the community college and hiring a college professor to provide VESL instruction. The 

grantee both modified and shortened the instructional program to eliminate less relevant 

material and to increase attendance. As well, the grantee supplemented its original approach 

by offering classes to different groups of displaced workers and jobseekers at the San DiegoImperial County Labor Council’s administrative offices. 

The project had originally aimed to enroll 150 incumbent workers. After adjusting its 

service strategy, the project ultimately enrolled 61 incumbent workers and 91 jobseekers for 

a total of 152 participants. Over 95 percent of the incumbent workers completed the program 

and received a credential. Data provided by the grantee indicate that 61.5 percent of the 

jobseekers served were reported to have entered employment at the time the project ended. 

 Promising practices included the development of a one-week primer for LEP 

individuals, which was followed by integrating LEP learners into the grantee’s ongoing worker 

preparation classes and locating case managers on-site at the shipyard. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 21 

1. Grantee Overview

 The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council (Labor Council) consists of 124 

affiliated labor groups within the two California counties. Since the late 1990s, the Labor 

Council has run job-training programs to prepare area residents for employment, receiving 

funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the State of California, and the San Diego 

Workforce Partnership (the local WIA entity). The Labor Council’s four-week course, the 

Career and Apprenticeship Preparation Program (CAPP), trains qualified candidates in job 

search skills, such as resume preparation and interviewing techniques. The program also covers 

employer and workplace expectations and basic skills in math, language arts, and mechanical 

education. Technical skills relevant to several trades are also taught so that participants can be 

placed with some of San Diego’s largest union employers. In addition, the Labor Council 

provides placement assistance to individuals who complete the CAPP course.7 

 At the time of the LEPHWI grant application, the Labor Council had previous experience 

in serving LEP individuals. For example, it had provided support for collaboration between the 

San Diego Community College District and the UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health 

program to offer the first health-and-safety training for Spanish-speaking workers in the San 

Diego area.8

2. Context 

a. Population Profile 

 In 2007, almost 15 percent of individuals 25 years or older in San Diego, California, 

were not high school graduates (Table II-2). In its grant application, the Labor Council noted 

 

7 http://www.unionyes.org/training (accessed February 2009), site visit interviews, and grantee documents. 8

 San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, Labor Leader newsletter 99 (June 2006), p. 5. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 22 

challenges it faced in finding skilled and qualified workers to fill high-demand union positions 

due to rapid technological advances and a competitive global economy. 

MSA USA

Educational Attainment (individuals over 25 years)

Total population over 25 1,887,786

Percent less than high school graduate 14.8% 15.5%

Percent bachelor's degree or higher 33.5% 27.5%

Place of Birth

Native 77.3% 87.4%

Different state 28.8% 27.3%

Foreign born 22.7% 12.6%

Foreign-born population, not a U.S. citizen 55.3% 57.5%

Foreign-born population, entered in 2000 or later 23.5% 27.7%

Region of Birth of Foreign Born

Europe 8.0% 13.1%

Asia 33.2% 26.8%

Africa 2.1% 3.7%

Latin America 54.1% 53.6%

Language Spoken at Home (population 5 years and over)

Total population 5 and over 2,753,401

English only 65.1% 80.3%

Language other than English 34.9% 19.7%

English less than "very well" 15.5% 8.7%

Language spoken at home by those speaking English less than "very well"

Spanish 11.1% 5.8%

Other Indo-European languages 0.7% 1.2%

Asian and Pacific Islander languages 3.3% 1.4%

Other languages 0.4% 0.2%

Poverty and Language (population 18 years and over)

Below poverty level (overall) 9.8% 11.6%

For each primary language group, proportion below poverty level

Speak only English 7.8% 10.6%

Speak other than English 13.5% 18.7%

Speak Spanish 15.2% 18.4%

Speak other Indo-European languages 11.6% 10.8%

Speak Asian and Pacific Islander languages 8.9% 11.5%

Speak other languages 19.1% 19.3%

Table II-2

Profile of the San Diego Metropolitan Statistical Area:

Selected Population Characteristics

Source: Bureau of the Census, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 23 

The population originally targeted by the Labor Council project was Spanish-speaking 

incumbent workers from the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) shipyard. 

Later, the target group was broadened to include unemployed LEP individuals in the San Diego 

area who required intensive English language training to secure employment. 

b. Goals of the Project/Model 

 The model of the Labor Council’s Words for the Workforce project was to enroll 180 

participants and provide VESL training to 150 Hispanic incumbent workers at the NASSCO 

shipyard. In the past, work teams at NASSCO had been segregated by language fluency. While 

this had been effective, changes in work requirements for security and safety and the need to 

adequately supervise employees led management to decide to integrate the shipyard employee 

teams without respect to English skills. To assist NASSCO in implementing the new, integratedteams approach, the LEPHWI project was to support simultaneous language acquisition and 

skills development for the shipyard’s LEP workers. 

 In addition to addressing the anticipated workforce needs of its corporate partner, the 

grantee was also aware of important demographic issues in California. For example, the Labor 

Council’s newsletter publicized the fact that Latino worker injuries and fatalities had increased 

in 2004, in contrast to national trends.9 Project training was intended to increase participants’ 

workplace literacy (in an effort to reverse the aforementioned trend in California) and assist 

participants in entering a career path in high-wage/high-growth construction trades. The goal 

was for participants to advance from low-skill positions to higher-wage, higher-skilled jobs by 

reaching an apprentice’s level in the construction industry. 

 

9

 San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, Labor Leader newsletter 99 (June 2006), p. 5. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 24 

The grantee articulated the following specific outcome goals for the project: 

• Program completion (NASSCO incumbent workers): 80 percent of 150 participants 

would complete the program.10

• Earnings gain: 80 percent of project participants would receive raises from a base of $8 

an hour to $12 an hour in six months after program completion. 

• Skill acquisition: 70 percent of participants would successfully enter trades as welders 

and cutters, electrical technicians, or machinists after completing NASSCO’s preapprenticeship program. 

When the project was eventually modified to focus enrollments on jobseekers instead of 

incumbent workers at the shipyard, the original outcome goals became less relevant for 

measuring project success. It is not clear, however, whether supplemental goals were formally 

established for the new target group. 

c. Project Partners 

 The Labor Council’s primary partner for the LEPHWI grant was the NASSCO. On its 

website, NASSCO outlines its experience in designing and building ships since 1959, 

specializing in auxiliary and support ships for the U.S. Navy and oil tankers and dry cargo 

carriers for commercial markets.11 The NASSCO shipyard in San Diego is one of three in the 

Marine Systems group of General Dynamics Corporation. In 2007, the San Diego shipyard 

employed more than 4,600 people and was the only major ship construction yard on the West 

Coast of the United States. 

 The original proposal identified the Continuing Education department of San Diego City 

College, part of the San Diego Community College District, as its key education partner. 

However, during implementation, the Labor Council decided to end the partnership. The grantee 

 

10 In its application for funding, the grantee indicated that it would enroll “at least 180 participants.” It is unclear 

what attrition occurred to reduce the 180 enrollees to 150 participants. This evaluation report utilizes the 150 figure 

as the presumptive planned goal for participant enrollments. 

11 General Dynamics NASSCO. http://www.nassco.com/. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 25 

did not introduce another institutional educational partner to the project, but instead hired an 

independent instructor to provide training to project participants. 

3. Outreach and Recruitment 

a. Employer Outreach and Recruitment 

 NASSCO supported the Labor Council’s grant application because of the company’s 

specific interest in VESL training for its incumbent workers. Due to unforeseen challenges in 

implementation during the project’s first year—primarily low attendance rates among LEP 

individuals, changes in partnerships, and shifting employer needs—the Labor Council proposed 

to modify the project, allowing it to serve “pre-hires” for positions at the shipyard and other 

jobseekers. While it retained the partnership with NASSCO, the Labor Council also recruited 

other companies, including the Metropolitan Transit System (which operates light rail, bus, and 

freight rail services in the San Diego area) and the San Diego Gas & Electric Company, as 

potential employers of successful project participants. 

b. Participant Outreach and Recruitment 

 Incumbent Workers. For the initial phase of the project, NASSCO facilitated the 

outreach efforts of grantee staff to recruit incumbent workers, for example, by providing access 

for the Labor Council’s staff to disseminate bilingual English/Spanish materials at the shipyard 

and in parking areas during work hours, despite those being secure locations. In addition, several 

company supervisors made special efforts to identify potential participants and to encourage 

them to apply. The Labor Council also bought advertising space in a local Spanish language 

newspaper to publicize the LEPHWI project and to recruit participants. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 26 

 Recruitment of incumbent workers interested in participating in on-site training at 

NASSCO was challenging. For example, when production requirements were high, the 

availability of overtime work at premium pay competed with VESL training classes. At the time 

the LEPHWI incumbent worker training at NASSCO was concluded, 61 of the planned 150 

incumbent workers (41 percent) had been served by the project, and nine additional workers 

there had expressed interest in taking the class. 

 Unemployed and Underemployed Workers. In spring 2007, NASSCO requested that 

the Labor Council begin to provide VESL-type training to individuals who were prospective 

candidates for hire at the shipyard, due to the company’s shortages of qualified applicants for 

entry-level positions. The grantee proposed a change in their project and adjusted its recruitment 

procedures to meet the emerging needs of the employer. 

 Under the revised training program, NASSCO provided “reverse referrals,” that is, when 

individuals applying for jobs at the shipyard appeared to be potential candidates for employment 

but lacked some of the knowledge or skills to successfully complete the application process, the 

company referred them to the Labor Council. Project staff then assessed the applicants to 

determine whether they qualified to participate either in the CAPP training program or in the 

expanded version of the program, called V-CAPP, which began with intensive VESL instruction. 

Applicants with limited English proficiency who qualified for entry into the Labor Council’s 

training program were directed to the V-CAPP program. 

 The Labor Council also used its traditional referral entities to promote the VESL training 

opportunity. In addition to NASSCO, several other organizations also referred individuals to the 

Labor Council for assistance, including two local One-Stop Career Centers. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 27 

4. Assessment and LEP Instructional Levels

a. Description of Processes 

 The Words for the Workforce project staff collected general background from NASSCO 

participants about their education, work history, native language, and literacy. The ESL 

proficiency of these individuals was assessed through the Comprehensive Adult Student 

Assessment System (CASAS) reading appraisals, writing and listening assessments, and oral 

competency levels. Project staff created individual files for each participant to track their 

progress based on the aforementioned assessments. In addition, staff members documented the 

revision and implementation of the initial curriculum developed by the community college staff. 

In the second phase of the project, the Labor Council supplemented its existing CAPP program 

with a one-week preparatory class for unemployed and underemployed workers who were 

limited English proficient. The grantee offered twice-a-month orientations for these programs to 

groups of about 30 jobseekers at its administrative office. As the project transitioned the focus 

of its recruitment to unemployed and underemployed workers and shifted recruitment from 

participants with low levels of English ability to those with a midlevel of English fluency, 

comprehensive assessments of prospective participants for the second phase of the project aimed 

to ensure that the enrolled individuals possessed sufficient English oral and reading skills to 

succeed in the V-CAPP training. 

b. Participant Characteristics 

 The project’s MIS data did not identify participants by gender, native language, or 

national origin. Interviews and observations by the evaluation team during the site visits, 

however, suggested that the initial on-site incumbent worker program included mostly Hispanic, 

monolingual Spanish speakers, the majority of whom either resided in or had immigrated to the 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 28 

United States from Mexico. In addition, the group was made up almost entirely of men, a fact 

that largely reflected the characteristics of the shipyard’s workforce. The Labor Council’s 

proposal suggested that participants’ hourly wages would average $8 at the time of enrollment. 

Since the wage levels of the incumbent worker participants averaged just under $20 an hour post 

enrollment, it appears that participants possessed significantly more advanced skills than 

originally anticipated. Data on the wages of incumbent worker at the time of their enrollment 

were not provided by the grantee. 

 Although the majority of participants in both phases of the project were males, women 

were more common in the V-CAPP groups. This V-CAPP group also had more bilingual, 

English-Spanish speakers, as well as a few speakers of other languages (in addition to English). 

Because the grantee required that V-CAPP participants possess at least a minimal level of 

conversational English and English literacy (in order to use the instructional materials), fewer 

monolingual Spanish speakers participated. 

5. Curriculum and Instruction

a. Curriculum Development 

The primary content of the Words for the Workplace VESL curriculum addressed oral 

English communication and comprehension (i.e., understanding and transmitting critical 

workplace information), as well as basic English literacy (e.g., the ability to read warning signs 

or related brochures). For example, the project partnered with the San Diego Community 

College District’s Continuing Education department, which adapted its basic ESL curriculum, 

customizing the topics and learning activities to address the shipyard’s needs for training that 

focused on safety and security. NASSCO supervisors and management staff who oversaw 

workers in each of the trades provided the expertise necessary for determining the occupational 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 29 

language skills necessary and the minimum levels of proficiency required to perform the jobs 

successfully. The curriculum combined such features as conversational skills, technical 

vocabulary building, and problem solving with a “hard skills” job training program, where 

workers were taught specific trades at the beginner’s level. At this stage, participants’ VESL 

training allowed them to practice and apply enough occupational, contextual English to 

demonstrate their growing competencies in their trades. 

The Continuing Education department suggested that classes be 18 weeks in length, in 

keeping with semester-based educational programs in higher education. Training was to occur 

daily, based on the premise that language instruction requires intensity and repetition to achieve 

lasting learning. After two, 18-week sessions, the grantee documented notable absenteeism and 

concluded that the instructional duration was too long for shipyard workers. The program was 

shortened to ten weeks in length, and the frequency of classes was reduced to two classroom 

sessions per week. Under the revised schedule, participants could choose from two classes 

running Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday. Since both classes followed the 

same curriculum, students could make up a missed class by attending on the correlating day of 

the other class. To increase access to computer-assisted practice and assistance, the grantee 

additionally arranged to provide instruction every Saturday at a language lab located within 

walking distance of the shipyard at the Cesar E. Chavez Center. Participants interviewed during 

the site visits stated that the accessible location and the opportunity for additional practice were 

beneficial. 

After the decision was made to pilot a second model of instruction for unemployed and 

underemployed workers, the Labor Council created an intensive VESL instructional program. 

The five-day, eight-hours-a-day, one-week program incorporated portions of the shipyard’s 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 30 

curriculum and was held at the grantee’s administrative offices. Participants in the LEPHWI 

project received this initial training as a prelude to participating in the Labor Council’s existing 

four-week CAPP program of training in job preparation and job search skills, with the combined 

VESL and CAPP instruction entitled V-CAPP. 

b. Use of Technology 

By partnering with a neighborhood library and community center, the San Diego project 

provided modest technological support for VESL instruction to the initial groups of incumbent 

workers who participated in the on-site training at NASSCO. With the development of the 

second, classroom-based model at the Labor Council’s administrative office, more emphasis was 

placed on participants interacting with English-proficiency computer software. This occurred 

primarily during the first intensive week of VESL instruction, but participants also had 

opportunities to practice their English skills during the following four weeks of the CAPP 

program. 

c. Instructors 

 The initial phase of the LEPHWI project relied on instructors from the local community 

college. However, strict State of California regulations on community college class size and 

attendance12 became difficult to meet, given the fluid participation by the early groups of 

incumbent workers who struggled to maintain their frequently changing job schedules at the 

 

12 Community colleges and other public educational entities in California receive funding through a process that 

utilizes Average Daily Attendance (ADA) data to apportion funds. See 

http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/StateAgencyBudgets/0010/0850/mission_statement.html and 

http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/report/R_104PMR.pdf for general background. 

According to Labor Council staff, ADA required a minimum of 26 students per class, and the college reportedly 

charged the grant based on the minimum size. Since the classes were non-credit and the costs of the training were 

paid with grant funds, it is unclear why ADA was an issue. As the college was no longer a service provider at the 

time of the second site visit, college officials were not interviewed for this report. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 31 

shipyard while attending the on-site VESL classes. The last phase of incumbent worker training 

at NASSCO was completed in December 2007. 

 With a goal of increasing and stabilizing participation in the classes, the grantee hired an 

independent ESL instructor who adapted and used the project’s VESL curriculum to teach at the 

shipyard. This approach was continued in the second model, where unemployed workers 

participated in V-CAPP training at the grantee’s administrative office. 

d. VESL Components 

The San Diego VESL curriculum included ten modules that directly addressed 

NASSCO’s concerns for employee safety and shipyard security; for example, the modules 

included Hazards Communication, Safety in Confined Spaces, Personal Protective Equipment, 

and Blueprint Reading. Thus, participants learned critically important workplace information, 

even as they expanded their English vocabulary and practiced communication skills. 

The curriculum used a variety of instructional techniques, including job-related 

conversation practice, the study of technical vocabulary, role-playing with words and phrases to 

assist in resolving problems on the job and clarifying job processes, and job-related reading, 

especially about safety and security. For the incumbent workers, real-life workplace scenarios 

were used, incorporating actual objects such as tools and equipment into the lessons. 

The V-CAPP curriculum placed a one-week, intensive English language review at the 

beginning of the Labor Council’s traditional four-week CAPP course. It used the NASSCO 

content to help participants take advantage of the math, mechanics, and soft-skills instruction of 

the CAPP course, while developing the basic, interpersonal communication skills and cognitive 

abilities necessary at the shipyard. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 32 

e. Training Venues 

This LEPHWI grantee implemented its model initially on-site with incumbent workers at 

the NASSCO shipyard. Project staff reported that they almost immediately encountered 

problems due to the employer’s difficulty in providing a designated space for instruction and to 

the frequent changes made in the workers’ schedules, which resulted in some workers missing 

several VESL sessions and dropping out. For example, the laboratory at the community college 

(the initial training provider) was open for only three and one-half hours on Saturdays. In 

addition, when extra work was available at the shipyard, incumbent workers would work on 

Saturdays to earn double-time rates—and not be able to attend their VESL training. However, 

the addition of the computer lab at the Chavez Center improved the access that learners had to 

equipment for studying and practicing their language skills. When the second (V-CAPP) model 

was instituted, classes were located at the grantee’s administrative offices. 

6. Job Development and Placement Activities

 Incumbent Workers. The LEPHWI participants were already employed at NASSCO, 

and with the shipyard’s integration of employee work groups (eliminating language-segregated 

teams), participants were placed in new teams. Some participants took advantage of 

opportunities to develop into team leaders, a phenomenon that project staff attributed to the 

interests and skills of those individuals, rather than to the curriculum provided. 

 Unemployed and Underemployed Workers. Many of the unemployed individuals who 

completed the V-CAPP training in the second phase of the project were hired at NASSCO. 

Because the Labor Council worked with a range of jobseekers through its ongoing CAPP 

program, job development and placement activities for LEPHWI participants took place in 

conjunction with the placement services routinely offered by the grantee. Some workers were 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 33 

placed with employers with whom the grantee already had relationships, others were with 

employers with whom the Labor Council established new relationships, and still other 

placements were the result of job-development efforts for specific participants. In addition to the 

numbers of participants placed at NASSCO, the Metropolitan Transit System, and the San Diego 

Gas & Electricity Company, individuals were also placed in jobs in construction, office 

administration, accounting, and kelp processing. 

7. Other Components 

a. Support Services 

Interviews with staff indicated that some participants received assistance from the Labor 

Council and partner agencies in the form of food, transportation vouchers, tools, uniforms, and 

rental assistance to facilitate their participation in the LEPHWI project, as well as to support their 

employment retention. United Way Labor Participation was the principal partner in this activity. 

Data were not available on the number of LEPHWI participants assisted, the program in which 

they were enrolled, or the types of services provided. For this reason, it is not clear to what 

extent incumbent workers received support services or what service was the most common. 

b. Use of Incentives 

The training for LEPHWI incumbent workers at the shipyard was conducted after most 

workers’ shifts ended. Anticipating fatigue on the part of the students, the instructors and case 

workers strived to make the classes interesting; to encourage steady attendance, they also 

provided incentives for participants. These efforts included hosting classes on-site and offering 

refreshments and prize drawings for participants who had achieved certain benchmarks of 

attendance or had attained certain skills. Prizes included movie passes, tickets to San Diego 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 34 

Padres baseball games, and gift certificates to restaurants and fast-food chains. Although 

participants indicated appreciation of these incentives, the efforts did not appear to provide 

sufficient incentive to offset the problems in participant attendance caused by changes in shifts, 

inconvenient location, and inconsistent support from team leaders. 

Support services and the possibility of employment were the primary incentives provided 

to participants of the V-CAPP training model that served unemployed individuals. 

c. Support Outside the Classroom 

As previously described, the LEPHWI grantee took steps to ensure that computer-assisted 

instruction would be more readily available for self-paced training and tutorials. The Labor 

Council partnered with a community organization near the shipyard to provide this instruction, 

thus increasing access to computers at times and in a location convenient to the learners. This 

dedicated facility had 15 laptop computers, and at least one case manager was present to assist 

the incumbent worker participants on Saturdays. For unemployed participants in the V-CAPP 

program, the Labor Council offered flexible hours at its administrative site for learners to access 

similar equipment and services. 

8. Project Outcomes 

a. Skills Acquisition 

 The two areas of skills acquisition were examined in the LEPHWI projects: (1) English 

language skills and (2) vocational skills and certification. Table II-3 summarizes the planned 

and actual project outcomes for the San Diego grantee. 

English Language Skills. The grantee did not incorporate an assessment of gains in 

language skill into its measurement system. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 35 

Vocational Skills and Certificates. The project offered certificates specific to the two 

training programs. Incumbent workers who successfully completed the training program at 

NASSCO received a certificate from NASSCO and/or initially from the San Diego Community 

College District, until the latter ceased providing instruction. The Labor Council also provided 

its own certificate to many of the same individuals. Participants who completed the V-CAPP 

program received a certificate of completion from the Labor Council. 

b. Employment Outcomes 

 Grantee reports showed that 61 incumbent workers entered the NASSCO portion of the 

training program, and 91 individuals entered the V-CAPP component at the Labor Council, for a 

total of 152 enrollees. 

Indicators/Measures Target Group

Number Percent Number Percent

Incumbent Workers 61 N/A

Jobseekers 91 N/A

Total 180 N/A 152 N/A

Entered Employment / Rate 56 61.5%

Retention / Rate 43 93.5%

Earnings Gain Incumbent Workers 50.0% N/A N/A

Achieve Credential or Diploma Incumbent Workers 59 95.2%

Achieve Credential or Diploma Jobseekers 47 51.6%

Notes: 

Enrollees

 - According to the grant solicitation, project outcome measures were to mirror ETA’s common measures (Entered

Employment Rate, Retention Rate, and Earnings Gain), “to the extent possible.”

 - The project originally intended to enroll 180 individuals and serve 150 in the program. Jobseekers became the 

primary target group approximately half-way through the period of performance.

 - Entered employment is based on the 91 nonincumbent participants for whom placement is a relevant measure.

 - Retention is based on remaining in the job for 90 days. The grantee provided retention data for 46 of the 

participants who were employed at exit.

 - Earnings Gain was to be measured for incumbent workers 180 days after program completion; expected gains 

were from a base of $8 per hour to $12 per hour.

 - Credential or diploma: 59 incumbent workers received a certficate of completion from San Diego Community

College District and/or NASSCO. For jobseekers, 47 received a certficate of completion from the grantee for their VCAPP training programs.

Sources: Grantee proposal (planned data), Grantee Final Report and MIS (outcome data)

Table II-3

San Diego: Planned and Actual Project Outcomes

Planned Actual
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 36 

 Entered Employment. The entered employment outcome was not an appropriate measure 

for the incumbent workers served by the project. Grantee data indicate that 56 of the 91 V-CAPP 

participants, or 61.5 percent, were placed in jobs when they exited the program. Some of the 

remaining 35 individuals who were served in V-CAPP can be considered to have had positive 

exits; however, based on notations in the grantee’s MIS, several individuals who were not placed in 

employment went into another educational or training program. For those placed, data on wages 

and number of hours worked per week were also included in the MIS. 

 Table II-4 provides outcomes data (wages and hours worked) for participants in the Labor 

Council’s LEP (V-CAPP) and non-LEP (CAPP-only) programs during 2007 and early 2008. 

Slightly more than 35 percent of the participants were enrolled in the V-CAPP Words for the 

Workplace program. The average wage for those V-CAPP participants who were placed after 

completing the program was $11.56, which was slightly higher than the wages of the CAPP 

participants who did not participate in the V-CAPP program but were placed upon completion. 

The average number of hours worked per week, however, was slightly higher for CAPP 

participants who were not part of the V-CAPP program. These data suggest that, on average, the 

LEPHWI participants fared as well as other program completers in their post-participation 

employment outcomes. Interviews with grantee staff indicated that employers were primarily 

concerned with finding qualified candidates for their positions, regardless of their native language 

or nationality. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 37 

V-CAPP CAPP only Total

Number of Participants 56 101 157

Average Hours Worked 39.21 40.23 39.87

Average Wage $11.56 $11.36 $11.43

Source: Grantee MIS

Table II-4

San Diego: Outcomes for LEP and non-LEP Participants

Comparison of Hours Worked and Wages

 Advancement. The project provided data on advancement/promotion for the 61 

participants who were incumbent workers. According to the data, all received at least one 

promotion, and 17 workers attained three promotions, while one was promoted six times. 

Retention data were not available. 

 Earnings. Initial earnings data showed that the average wage for incumbent workers was 

$20.03 following program participation. Average wage for the V-CAPP workers was $11.56. 

Data on the wages of incumbent workers at enrollment were not included in the data provided by 

the grantee. Based on the earnings of incumbent workers, the NASSCO workers served by the 

project were more highly skilled than the proposal had anticipated. Because wages at entry into the 

program were not included in the grantee’s MIS for the NASSCO workers, it is not possible to 

determine whether the earnings goal was met for that portion of the project’s participants. 

c. Progress Toward Sustainability 

 In its final project report, the Labor Council reported that the major employer connected to 

the Words for the Workplace LEPHWI demonstration project, the NASSCO shipyard, “will 

continue to pay to perpetuate these VESL classes on the job site beyond the terms of the grant.” 

Further, the Labor Council case manager was to continue to be available on-site at the shipyard 

two days a week to address any need for support services or workplace issues. Officials at the 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 38 

Labor Council expressed their commitment to continuing to assist low-wage LEP workers in their 

effort to acquire English-language skills so that they would have viable opportunities for career 

advancement. These officials also described the Labor Council’s plan to incorporate the VESLimmersion week or V-CAPP (the second model of the demonstration grant) into future training 

programs with new employer partners, with whom they were currently in negotiation. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 39 

C. Minneapolis- St. Paul, Minnesota: Career Launch

Resource, Inc. 

Summary 

Resource, Inc., a not-for-profit organization located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was the 

grantee for Career Launch, the Minneapolis-St. Paul LEPHWI project, which served primarily 

immigrant communities in the Twin Cities area. A small subproject operated in St. Cloud, 

about 65 miles away. The project focused its services on unemployed and underemployed 

LEP individuals, with referrals coming primarily from the Minneapolis Adult Basic Education 

(ABE) program and by word of mouth from former participants. This project was unique in that 

the majority of its participants were from Africa, and many were refugees who had recently 

arrived in the United States. 

The project used multiple levels of training, an innovation that allowed participants to leave 

after completing a program module; many participants had personal challenges that interfered 

with their ability to attend a complete training program. Developed with input from Minneapolis 

ABE and the Minneapolis Community and Technical College, project curricula included accent 

reduction, an introduction to the workplace, financial literacy, study skills, and an introduction 

to customer service. Job search skills were also taught to support participant placement 

efforts. Placements ranged among a variety of businesses, including employers who had 

previously hired graduates of the grantee’s other workforce preparation programs. 

Although the project exceeded its goal of enrolling 225 participants, successful job 

placement occurred for only 48.4 percent of the participants who were not incumbent workers. 

Retention in employment was close to the goal of 80 percent, as 78.4 percent of those placed 

were reported to be working 180 days later. 

Promising practices included the tiered levels of training, close linkages with the public 

ABE program, and the project’s sensitivity to participants’ cultural backgrounds. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 40 

1. Grantee Overview 

 Resource, Inc., states that its mission is “to empower people to achieve greater personal, 

social, and economic success.” The organization serves more than 15,000 individuals annually 

through a variety of human services and employment services programs. Resource, Inc., career 

training programs have assisted more than 8,500 persons who faced barriers to employment 

though its vocational evaluation, career training, placement, and job retention services. Its 

employment programs are supported by a variety of state, federal, and local funding sources. As 

an example of employment outcomes achieved in 2004, Resource, Inc., placed 2,919 participants 

with 2,035 employers, in jobs with wages ranging from $9 to $36 per hour. 

 The organization has four divisions, each one specializing in a particular type of service. 

The division that managed the LEPHWI grant, the Employment Action Center, assists people 

who are unemployed or underemployed in their search for a new job, a better job, or a new 

career. Another division, the Minnesota Resource Center, provides training and employment for 

individuals with disabilities or other barriers to employment. This division also participated in 

the LEPHWI project. The other two Resource, Inc., divisions help individuals recover from 

chemical dependency and assist people with serious mental illness to live and participate actively 

in the community.13

2. Context 

a. Population Profile 

 Resource, Inc., is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the LEPHWI project served 

residents of the Minneapolis-St. Paul (Twin Cities) area. A satellite office in St. Cloud, 

 

13 http://www.resource-mn.org/learn-more (accessed February 2009), site visit interviews, and grantee documents. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 41 

Minnesota (approximately 65 miles to the northwest), served a small number (12) of the 253 

participants enrolled in the project. 

MSA USA

Educational Attainment (individuals over 25 years)

Total population over 25 2,103,892

Percent less than high school graduate 7.5% 15.5%

Percent bachelor's degree or higher 36.8% 27.5%

Place of Birth

Native 91.0% 87.4%

Different state 26.0% 27.3%

Foreign born 9.0% 12.6%

Foreign-born population, not a U.S. citizen 57.6% 57.5%

Foreign-born population, entered in 2000 or later 37.6% 27.7%

Region of Birth of Foreign Born

Europe 13.3% 13.1%

Asia 38.4% 26.8%

Africa 21.2% 3.7%

Latin America 24.1% 53.6%

Language Spoken at Home (population 5 years and over)

Total population 5 and over 2,977,943

English only 87.8% 80.3%

Language other than English 12.2% 19.7%

English less than "very well" 5.2% 8.7%

Language spoken at home by those speaking English less than "very well"

Spanish 1.9% 5.8%

Other Indo-European languages 0.6% 1.2%

Asian and Pacific Islander languages 1.8% 1.4%

Other languages 0.9% 0.2%

Poverty and Language (population 18 years and over)

Below poverty level (overall) 7.5% 11.6%

For each primary language group, proportion below poverty level

Speak only English 6.5% 10.6%

Speak other than English 15.4% 18.7%

Speak Spanish 15.6% 18.4%

Speak other Indo-European languages 7.4% 10.8%

Speak Asian and Pacific Islander languages 11.7% 11.5%

Speak other languages 31.2% 19.3%

Table II-5

Profile of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Statistical Area:

Selected Population Characteristics

Source: Bureau of the Census, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 42 

As shown in Table II-5, the population of the Minneapolis area is more highly educated 

than the rest of the country. In 2007, the area had a lower proportion of foreign-born residents 

than the United States as a whole. The area’s largest number of foreign-born residents originated 

in Asia (38.4 percent). Compared to national averages, fewer came from Latin America (24.1 

percent versus 53.6 percent), but significantly more came from Africa (21.2 percent versus 3.7 

percent). More than one-third of its foreign-born residents (37.6 percent) had entered the United 

States since 2000, almost 10 percentage points more than the national rate. 

 About one in eight Minneapolis residents five years of age and older (12.2 percent) spoke 

a language other than English at home, and 5.2 percent reported speaking English “less than very 

well.” These proportions were smaller than the national averages. The highest numbers of LEP 

respondents in this group stated they spoke Spanish at home (1.9 percent) or an Asian/Pacific 

Islander language (1.8 percent). 

 More than 15 percent of the individuals 18 years of age and older in the Minneapolis area 

who did not speak English had incomes below the poverty level, a figure double the rate for 

English speakers. The disparity in poverty rates was more severe in the Twin Cities than for the 

United States as a whole. Among individuals who did not speak English, those who spoke 

Spanish and “other languages” were more likely to be below the poverty level than speakers of 

“other Indo-European languages” or Asian and Pacific Islander languages. 

b. Goals of the Project/Model 

 The original project description for Career Launch stated that it would accomplish the 

following: 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 43 

. . . develop, implement, and deliver employer-driven workplace training to 

200 Somali, Ethiopian, Southeast Asian, and Hispanic participants for 

customer service and healthcare office support positions. Participants will be 

placed in high growth healthcare and customer service positions, with career 

assistance and follow-up. The program will begin in the Twin Cities for the 

first year and will be replicated in St. Cloud the second year. The curriculum 

will include customer software simulation, worksite experiences and 

coaching. Other services will include case management, ESL testing, and 

online work readiness lessons. 

The expected outcomes for Career Launch included: 

• Job placement: 85 percent of participants, or 170 individuals, would be placed in 

employment with an average hourly wage between $11 and $13.50. 

• Employment retention: 80 percent of those placed would still be working 180 days later. 

• Earnings gain: participants would experience a minimum 6 percent average wage gain 

(six months after placement). 

• Credentials: 65 percent of program completers would earn credentials or diplomas. 

c. Project Partners 

 The principal partners for the Career Launch project were the Public Schools Adult 

Basic Education (ABE) programs for Minneapolis and St. Cloud. These organizations referred 

to the grantee significant numbers of individuals who enrolled in the project. Other partners 

included the Minneapolis Employment and Training Program, the Minneapolis Community and 

Technical College, and several area employers. Resource, Inc., is well known in the Twin Cities 

area, and many of the entities with which it regularly collaborates, particularly employers, were 

involved in the LEPHWI project, as well. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 44 

3. Outreach and Recruitment 

a. Employer Outreach and Recruitment

Since its founding in 1979, Resource, Inc., has built several active Employer Advisory 

Councils that guide and direct the success of customized training programs by providing 

feedback on curricula, contributing resources, and hiring program graduates. For the LEPHWI 

project, employer partners provided curriculum development support, work readiness training, 

job shadowing opportunities, equipment, and job placement support. 

Employer partners for the LEPHWI project included Wells Fargo, which worked with 

Resource, Inc., to help recruit and develop its workforce. Well Fargo staff identified the various 

skills the firm needed in its employees and the levels among available customer service positions 

through which a new hire might progress. The accent-reduction training program was identified 

as especially relevant for Wells Fargo employees. 

Another employer partner, the University of Minnesota, also worked with the project’s 

job development staff to identify project graduates who had been hired, as well as to help these 

new workers with continued career development once they became employed. The university’s 

Dining Services hired several project graduates and offered specific career development 

opportunities once the graduates successfully completed a probationary period. In addition, after 

completing the probationary period, new hires could join the union, which also provided career 

development and enhancement assistance. 

The LEPHWI project also included a small component to train entry-level workers in the 

healthcare industry in a Health Core Training curriculum. However, as instruction got underway 

and participants attempted the college placement test with minimal success, it became evident 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 45 

that most participants would not be able to learn enough English to gain entry to the program. 

As a result, this component was dropped from the project’s plans. 

b. Participant Outreach and Recruitment 

Given the Minnesota LEPHWI project’s focus on unemployed and underemployed 

workers, staff established referral relationships and conducted participant recruitment through 

entities where LEP individuals tended to seek assistance. The project planned to recruit 

participants through the local One-Stop Centers and adult education programs in the Minneapolis 

and St. Cloud areas. Project reports indicated that over 90 percent of participants were referred 

by the Minneapolis ABE program or had heard about it from former participants who had been 

successful and who spoke positively about the program. 

The engagement with the ABE program involved both referral from ABE staff and active 

recruitment by Career Launch staff visiting ABE classes. Grantee staff made presentations on 

the LEPHWI project at ABE classes in various parts of the city and then followed up with 

interested individuals. This approach was part of the project’s recruitment strategy from the start 

and appears to have been successful. 

For LEP individuals, the selling points of the project included not only the assistance it 

offered in basic skills but also the help it provided with job search. Although many of the 

participants were already employed, they enrolled in the project to improve their employability 

for better and higher-paying jobs, based on the perception that improved English language skills 

were the vehicle to job advancement. 

During its early stages, the project experienced an unexpectedly high rate of participants 

dropping out. Management identified and focused on where “drops” were occurring. Two of the 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 46 

reasons for the dropouts involved poor matches between the participants’ circumstances and the 

project’s offerings, and participants “disappearing” because they did not want to confide in 

project staff about their personal situations. 

 To address the challenge of establishing a good match between the circumstances of the 

participants and the project’s offerings, grantee staff reviewed pre-enrollment activities to ensure 

that they were recruiting individuals who were likely to stay with the project. They came to 

realize that intake staff needed to better understand the individual situation of each participant 

and to validate that those circumstances were not incompatible with project particulars, such as 

the services available and their duration. Possible complicating factors for prospective 

participants included not only their deficiencies in the English language, but also their family 

situations and backgrounds. Staff provided an example of a candidate with an advanced degree 

whose spouse encouraged her to enroll. This individual dropped out after two days because her 

educational needs were not compatible with those of other participants.

 In an effort to boost participant engagement in project activities, particularly postprogram follow-up, grantee staff made a concerted effort to build trust between the participant 

and the employment specialists. Staff felt that by doing so participants would feel more 

comfortable discussing any changes in their situation with project staff. 

4. Assessment and LEP Instructional Levels 

a. Description of Processes 

 Career Launch used the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS) 

instrument to assess applicants’ basic understanding of English (requiring a minimum score of 

190–210 to participate) and the Basic English Skills Test (BEST) Plus assessment instrument to 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 47 

determine whether participants had English skills that were sufficient to allow them to 

comprehend classroom instruction and materials (requiring a minimum score of 50 to 

participate). During early implementation, project staff noted the difficulties that participants 

experienced in their first VESL component and decided to raise the minimum CASAS score to 

better target participants who could benefit from the LEPHWI services. Individuals with lower 

scores were referred to ABE programs in the area. The grantee used CASAS testing at the end 

of its job readiness curriculum as the only post-testing instrument. It did not include project 

assessment test results as part of its participant data. 

b. Participant Characteristics 

 Most Career Launch participants were recent immigrants who had different cultural 

backgrounds, who needed immediate employment, and who did not have sufficient English skills 

to succeed at the higher levels of the original LEPHWI instructional model. The majority of 

participants were from Africa, with 57 percent from Somalia and 14 percent from Ethiopia; and 

they primary spoke Somali, French, and Oromo. Many of the individuals spoke English with an 

accent that was difficult for local residents to understand, and/or they did not speak English 

fluently enough to become employed in most occupational fields. 

 Almost two-thirds of the participants were women (65 percent). Project staff reported 

that African females in particular had to make cultural adjustments in the American workplace 

related to employer expectations about schedules, appropriate dress, customer service, and other 

factors. 

Despite significant participant interest, the original expectations of a relatively smooth 

transition path from community college training to careers in the health sector proved unrealistic 

for most of the applicants. In response, project staff adapted the LEPHWI curricula, 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 48 

instructional tracks, and support services. As a result, the project met its intake target, with staff 

recognizing the need for completion and transition goals that were more realistic. 

5. Curriculum and Instruction

a. Curriculum Development 

 Career Launch was partially based on the existing VESL programs of Resource, Inc. 

Curriculum for the introductory-level class, Job Launch, was developed by the grantee and by 

project partners from Minneapolis ABE and the Minneapolis Community and Technical College. 

Content for the class focused on accent reduction, introduction to the workplace, financial 

literacy, study skills, and an introduction to customer service. The LEPHWI project created 

multiple levels of training, beginning with the four-week, Career Launch component. These 

levels gave participants the opportunity to accomplish noticeable, if minor, progress when their 

circumstances required them to leave the training after a short period of time. Some of those 

who had to leave the program later returned to resume their classes. Under this approach, 

participants could see progress, which boosted their confidence. This segmentation of the 

curriculum was part of the design going into the grant, and it may help to explain the relatively 

high completion rates for enrollees in each component of the program. Table II-7 in the Project 

Outcomes section on placements by program type displays the number of participants in each 

level of the Career Launch project. 

 The LEPHWI project anticipated that as many as 90 percent of the participants who 

successfully completed Job Launch would continue on to the next component, Customers First. 

This training in customer service was provided with potential employers at worksites where 

participants could learn English skills by applying them directly to required job skills. Trainees 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 49 

who enrolled in this portion of the VESL project were to receive additional customer service 

training in both simulated and actual work settings for up to an additional 180 hours. 

 What Resource, Inc., staff discovered, however, was that a significant number of 

participants struggled in early stages of the Customers First training, and the number who 

completed the training was extremely low. LEPHWI staff responded by bringing in Minneapolis 

ABE teachers who could incorporate more English language skills development into the 

Customers First training. The first major adjustment to the curriculum was to station an ABE 

instructor in the classroom four hours per week to work with the students on their English skills, 

which lengthened the course by one week. 

 Resource, Inc., staff reported that this adjustment helped to improve student achievement 

and advancement, but they found that more participants than anticipated needed to begin fulltime employment and were leaving the class because they had to spend their time securing work. 

In response, the second adjustment to the program involved giving participants job search 

assistance immediately after they completed Job Launch if they needed to begin working, while 

enrolling fewer participants in the Customers First component. The staff reported that these 

changes helped raise the number of participants who completed the introductory Job Launch 

training but lowered the numbers in advanced training. 

 When the project was in its early stages, staff realized that many new enrollees had 

dropped out of their ABE/ESL classes in order to participate in the LEP program.14 In addition, 

the number of participants in the most advanced training was also low, because the project’s 

Health Care Support curriculum proved too difficult for most VESL participants. Their inability 

to score adequately on the community college placement exam proved a barrier to their 

 

14 Most of the participants queried explained that they needed to work and had limited time available for classes and 

related activities. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 50 

proceeding with the training program in healthcare support. In response, the project enhanced its 

job readiness component and emphasized finding full-time employment for participants. 

b. Use of Technology 

 To help participants become more familiar with personal computers (PCs), the LEPHWI 

project provided an introduction to PCs and Windows 2000 computer systems for participants. 

To improve the hiring prospects for participants who decided to look for work after completing 

the Job Launch (level 1) training module, the curriculum was revised for the project’s second 

year. The number of class hours was increased by 16 (one additional week), and developing 

computer skills was added to the curriculum. 

c. Instructors 

 Resource, Inc., instructors taught most components, supplemented by ESL instructors 

from the ABE system. 

d. VESL Components 

 Because many of the participants spoke at least some English, the LEPHWI project 

focused on English pronunciation and accent reduction. The other major components included 

study skills, life-management and job-seeking skills, Career Launch services in simulated work 

setting and situations, and a follow-up phase of customer service. 

 The basic Career Launch curriculum was supplemented by ESL instruction when it became 

apparent that applicants needed more intensive support in developing their English skills. The 

project also incorporated an intensive Dialect Modification Training program for a small group 

of participants at one major employer to enhance their chances of career mobility. This program 

averaged four weeks in length. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 51 

e. Training Venues

 The grantee provided classroom space for most VESL instruction for the project and for 

other project activities. The sole project-sponsored class that dealt with accent reduction for 

incumbent workers was held at the employer’s location. 

6. Job Development and Placement Activities 

Resource, Inc., had a network of employers with whom they had partnered in the past for 

job placements. To place a participant with an employer, the project’s employment specialist 

would first contact existing business partners to determine whether any of them had job openings 

that would be appropriate for the candidate. If that did not produce results, or if a participant’s 

placement plan identified employers outside the normal scope of the grantee’s employer 

relationships, the specialist would reach out to non-partner companies, beginning with 

companies that hired Resource, Inc., participants in the past. Employers who had had successful 

experiences with prior candidates from Resource, Inc., were often willing to hire others referred 

by the grantee. Some employer recruitment took place through the grantee’s participation in a 

local Job Development Alliance. 

During a site visit interview, the project’s employment specialist (who was relatively new 

in the position) described looking for employers with a history of hiring immigrants—

“immigrant friendly.” For example, individual job-development activities were required to help 

place a woman from Sri Lanka who was looking for work as a furniture upholsterer. Because 

this was a position outside the scope of the grantee’s usual relationships with business partners, 

placement efforts required outreach to new employers. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 52 

 During the grant period, employment specialists continued to work to find new 

employers as they nurtured and maintained their relationships with old ones. Grantee staff 

stressed the importance of establishing contact with the right person at a business, someone who 

understood the challenges faced by LEP individuals and who would be supportive of new hires. 

Staff made presentations to businesses, in which they explained the cultural backgrounds of 

recent immigrants and attempted to raise the awareness of hiring officials so that they would not 

inadvertently screen immigrant applicants out of the process. At the time of the second site visit 

in August 2008, staff expressed concern that rising unemployment rates created additional 

competition for available openings, thus making it more difficult to place project participants. 

7. Other Components 

a. Case Management 

 Like those of most other LEPHWI projects, case management responsibilities for Career 

Launch were carried out in combination with employment counseling and job placement. Staff 

with these duties were involved in training activities that provided job search skills to 

participants, and through these activities staff were able to develop a better understanding of the 

participants. In an interview, one staff member described efforts to work with participants to 

address cultural barriers to employment, specifically dress codes and behavior, because 

employers tended to screen out people who dress differently. Coupled with these efforts was a 

community outreach component designed to enlighten employers about the cultures of the job 

applicants and new employees. In this way, the participants gained a better understanding of 

employer expectations, and employers learned about foreign cultures, including the backgrounds, 

histories, and strengths of the participants. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 53 

 Because a notable percentage of the participants were immigrants from regions that had 

experienced severe political and military conflict, some participants initially demonstrated a 

degree of fear and distrust about the LEPHWI project and its requirements for follow-up with 

employers. In response, the project staff invested considerable energy in developing trust among 

participants. LEPHWI staff and employers also had to learn about the major cultural and 

religious clashes experienced by participants in Minnesota workplaces and assist the trainees in 

adapting to their new circumstances. 

b. Support Services 

The project provided support services to some participants. By monitoring participants’ 

training progress, counselors sought to ensure that no major needs, such as transportation 

assistance, were going unmet. Data were not provided on the number of project participants 

assisted or the types of services provided. As a result, it is not known what type of supportive 

service was the most common. 

c. Use of Incentives 

Since the project served primarily unemployed and underemployed workers, employerprovided incentives were not a component. Interviews during the site visits indicated that 

modest incentives might have made a difference in the participants completing advanced 

training. 

A manager at the training location for incumbent workers noted that providing the dialect 

modification training on-site made it much easier for employees to participate, even though the 

class time was not compensated. He believed that the training increased their confidence, and 

that this improved the possibilities for promotion of people who were already performing well. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 54 

However, a company employee participating in the class who described the LEPHWI accent 

reduction instruction very positively also noted that she did not have a driver’s license, and she 

spoke about the struggles and costs of using public transportation to get to work and to 

participate in the training. 

In another case, a former participant in the job search training who was from Somalia 

described her on-going struggle to find better-paying employment while she did cleaning work. 

She aspired to increase her computer skills and to find a technology-related job. It is possible 

that modest financial incentives (e.g., childcare) might have allowed her to persist with more 

advanced training. 

d. Support Outside the Classroom 

Project staff cited the importance of the general support provided to participants through 

the use of case managers. Interviewees suggested that it was not necessarily important for 

someone from the participant’s culture to be the case manager, but rather that the individual 

simply be able to take the time necessary to get to know the participants. This relationship 

building also facilitated project tracking and follow-up. Most significantly, the participants’ 

ability to achieve positive outcomes, particularly long-term retention, seemed to be enhanced 

when they viewed project staff as supportive of their general well being. 

8. Project Outcomes 

a. Skills Acquisition 

 The two areas examined for skills acquisition were English language skills and 

vocational skills and certification.
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 55 

 English Language Skills. The project’s MIS system did not include participant data on 

their assessment post-test results.

 Vocational Skills and Certificates. The project’s original proposal included an 

objective for 65 percent of participants to obtain a healthcare support credential or diploma. As 

discussed above, participants were not able to pass the community college placement exam for 

entry into that program. Thus, the MIS system did not report any outcome data on this indicator. 

b. Employment Outcomes 

 Table II-6 provides a summary of planned and actual project outcomes for the grantee in 

Minnesota. 

 Entered Employment. Overall, of the 253 participants enrolled in the project, a total of 

123 were placed in jobs, according to grantee reports. When the outcomes for incumbent worker 

Number Percent Number Percent

Enrollees* 225 N/A 253 112.4%

Enrollees (Job Launch component) 205 N/A 192 93.7%

Entered Employment (Rate) 191 85.0% 125 49.4%

Retention (Rate) 151 80.0% 98 78.4%

Earnings Gain 6.0% 6.0%

Achieve Credential or Diploma 65.0%

Table II-6

Minnesota: Planned and Actual Project Outcomes

Planned Actual

Indicators/Measures

Earnings Gain was measured after 90 days on the job.

SOURCES: Grantee proposal (planned data), Grantee Final Report (outcome data).

NOTES: According to the grant solicitation, project outcome measures were to mirror ETA's 

common measures (Entered Employment Rate, Retention Rate, and Earnings Gain), "to the extent 

possible."

* - Proposal indicated 225 candidates for intake and testing, 205 enrolled in Job Launch.

Actual data include 7 incumbent workers

Retention was based on remaining in the job for 90 days
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 56 

participants are excluded from these data, the placement rate was 48.4 percent. Table II-7 shows 

the total number of participants placed for the four types of training programs offered. 

 Advancement. According to the final report provided by the grantee, five of the seven 

individuals who participated in the incumbent worker training “received advancement 

opportunities” due to the training they received. 

 Earnings. The grantee provided initial and follow-up wage data for their participants, as 

well as information on whether or not participants were employed full- or part-time. These data 

are presented in Table II-8. Overall, average wage gains for full-time workers were nominal. 

The participants in the Job Launch component (the first level of the program) made up the group 

with the largest gains; they saw their wages increase 1.2 percent, on average, in the first 90 days 

after placement. Incumbent workers had the highest average wages. However, the grantee’s 

MIS data indicate that these 6 workers, along with the 17 full-time workers in the healthcare 

support program, did not receive a raise after 90 days on the job. 

Program Total Placed

Job Launch 192 61

Customers First 72 37

Healthcare Support 27 19

Incumbent Worker Training 7 6

Total 298 123

Source: Grantee MIS

Table II-7

Minnesota: Participants and Placements

By Program Type

Participants

Note: Because many participants enrolled in multiple programs, the

enrollment totals are higher than the 253 participants served by the project.
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 57 

 Retention. Data on the number of participants employed for 90 days after placement or 

after leaving the program indicate that participants in all components of the project retained 

employment (Table II-9). The lowest level of the program, Job Launch, achieved a success rate 

of 82.7 percent on the retention measure when participants with missing data are excluded from 

the calculation. Participants in the more advanced levels of the program, Customers First and 

Healthcare Support, were retained at rates of 94.3 percent and 88.9 percent, respectively. 

However, missing data for participants at each of the three levels suggest that these outcomes 

may not be representative of all project participants. 

Program Yes Percent No No Data

Job Launch 43 82.7% 9 9

Customers First 33 94.3% 2 2

Healthcare Support 16 88.9% 2 1

Incumbent Worker Training 6 100.0% 0 0

Total 98 88.3% 13 12

Source: Grantee MIS

Table II-9

Minnesota: Participant Retention

By Program Type

Employed 90 Days

Note: Percentage employed based on participants with data in the MIS.

Program

Entered

Employment

Full-time, 

with Data at Exit

at FollowUpPercent 

Gain

Job Launch 61 44 $9.95 $10.07 1.2%

Customers First 37 28 $9.86 $9.94 0.8%

Healthcare Support 19 17 $9.72 $9.72 0.0%

Incumbent Worker Training 6 6 $11.03 $11.03 0.0%

Note: Placement and wage gain data calculated only for participants who were reported to be 

working full-time.

Source: Grantee MIS

Table II-8

Minnesota: Wages and Earnings Gains

By Program Type

Number of Participants Wage
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 58 

c. Progress Toward Sustainability 

 Project staff indicated the components of the LEPHWI project would be integrated into 

the grantee’s ongoing service strategy. An employer representative who was interviewed spoke 

highly of the project and its ability to respond to the needs of the immigrant community in the 

Twin Cities area. Although specific commitments had not surfaced by the time this Final Report

was submitted, Resource, Inc., staff planned to explore options for state funding and the 

possibilities of some support from area foundations. Thus, it appears possible that VESL 

services may continue to be available to LEP individuals in the areas served by the grantee. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 59 

D. Omaha, Nebraska: STEP UP

Metropolitan Community College 

Summary 

 Metropolitan Community College (MCC), the project grantee in Omaha, Nebraska, was 

created in 1974 by the Nebraska State Legislature. For the LEPHWI grant, two MCC 

campuses, at Fort Omaha and South Omaha, provided classroom and literacy lab space. 

The project established rather ambitious goals, targeting services to four distinct groups of 

LEP individuals: providing VESL training to support career advancement for incumbent 

workers, teaching basic English and workplace skills to the general LEP population through 

community-based labs and peer mentors, enhancing dislocated workers’ readiness for work 

through a new Employment and Skills program, and introducing high school students to 

targeted industries through a Career Academy. Ultimately, services focused on the learning 

labs and incumbent workers, as the local workforce system found no LEP dislocated workers 

in the area, and LEPHWI administrators decided to limit youth involvement in its project. 

 Outcome goals were established for all of the target groups and service strategies. For 

adult participants, 86 percent were expected to enter employment, with an earnings gain of 

$3,400 for each participant. For incumbent workers, 76 percent were expected to earn a 

credential, and 50 percent were expected to transition into related employment or advance in 

a career pathway. According to the grantee’s final report, the project achieved an enteredemployment rate of 67 percent and a retention rate of 77 percent. Entered employment, 

advancement, retention, and earnings data were not included in the project’s MIS reports. 

 Promising practices included the project’s close relationship with employer partners in 

developing customized VESL classes on-site to promote worker retention and advancement, 

its partnering with community-based organizations for recruitment and off-site learning 

activities, and its use of peer mentors to help incumbent worker participants learn and practice 

their English skills and explore pursuing additional education.
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 60 

1. Grantee Overview 

Metropolitan Community College (MCC) is a comprehensive, full-service public 

community college in Nebraska, serving the counties of Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, and 

Washington. MCC focuses on providing career preparation and general education programs and 

services to people of all ages and educational backgrounds. In 2006–07, the college had over 

30,000 credit students and more than 13,000 non-credit students.15

MCC’s Learning Design and Support Department assumed responsibility for the 

administration of the LEPHWI grant. This unit provides learning opportunities and special 

support for students who may need to improve their skills in reading, writing, and mathematics; 

obtain a General Educational Development (GED) certificate; learn English as a Second 

Language (ESL); and/or acquire computer skills. For the largest component of the LEPHWI 

project, employer-centered services for incumbent workers, the college adapted its ESL 

curriculum with input from a number of employers to create vocationally oriented training. 

Classes were offered both on the college’s campuses and at job sites, with businesses 

providing classroom space for the VESL training. Classes usually took place at the end of the 

workday, and in one case sessions were offered on Saturday mornings at the employer’s 

headquarters. Two major innovations in these classes involved the creation of literacy labs and 

the availability of peer mentors. The peer mentors not only assisted with VESL issues but also 

helped LEPHWI participants understand the “college culture” and academic requirements and 

encouraged them to consider additional options for continuing their education. 

 

15 http://www.mccneb.edu/businessandcommunity/metrofacts.asp (accessed February 2009), site visit interviews, 

and grantee documents. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 61 

MSA USA

Educational Attainment (individuals over 25 years)

Total population over 25 528,165

Percent less than high school graduate 9.8% 15.5%

Percent bachelor's degree or higher 31.3% 27.5%

Place of Birth

Native 94.3% 87.4%

Different state 35.4% 27.3%

Foreign born 5.7% 12.6%

Foreign-born population, not a U.S. citizen 61.5% 57.5%

Foreign-born population, entered in 2000 or later 35.2% 27.7%

Region of Birth of Foreign Born

Europe 11.6% 13.1%

Asia 25.7% 26.8%

Africa 7.9% 3.7%

Latin America 51.4% 53.6%

Language Spoken at Home (population 5 years and over)

Total population 5 and over 765,922

English only 91.4% 80.3%

Language other than English 8.6% 19.7%

English less than "very well" 3.5% 8.7%

Language spoken at home by those speaking English less than "very well"

Spanish 2.6% 5.8%

Other Indo-European languages 0.2% 1.2%

Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0.6% 1.4%

Other languages 0.2% 0.2%

Poverty and Language (population 18 years and over)

Below poverty level (overall) 9.0% 11.6%

For each primary language group, proportion below poverty level

Speak only English 8.5% 10.6%

Speak other than English 14.6% 18.7%

Speak Spanish 16.7% 18.4%

Speak other Indo-European languages 5.4% 10.8%

Speak Asian and Pacific Islander languages 13.0% 11.5%

Speak other languages 31.9% 19.3%

Source: Bureau of the Census, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates

Table II-10

Profile of the Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area:

Selected Population Characteristics
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 62 

2. Context 

a. Population Profile

 The population of the Omaha metropolitan area was by far the smallest of the five project 

areas. As shown in Table II-10 above, residents in the Omaha area in 2007 were, on average, 

more highly educated than those in the rest of the country. More than 31 percent of the 

population held at least a bachelor’s degree, and approximately 90 percent had completed high 

school. Less than 6 percent of the area’s residents were foreign born, compared to 12.6 percent 

in the rest of the United States. As is the case nationally, the majority of foreign-born residents 

in Omaha originated in Latin America (51.4 percent). Immigrants from Africa made up a small 

proportion of the area’s foreign-born residents but represented significantly more than the 

national average (7.9 percent versus 3.7 percent). More than one-third of metropolitan Omaha’s 

foreign-born residents (35.2 percent) had entered the United States since 2000, compared to the 

national rate of 27.7 percent. 

 About one in 12 Omaha residents five years old and older (8.6 percent) spoke a language 

other than English at home, and only 3.5 percent reported that they spoke English “less than very 

well,” the lowest rates reported for these indicators in the five LEPHWI project regions. The 

majority of LEP respondents in the Omaha group (2.6 percent) stated they spoke Spanish at 

home. 

b. Goals of the Project/Model 

 The STEP UP project initially aimed to accomplish the following: 

. . . focus on learning basic English and workplace skills through communitybased labs and the use of peer mentors; enhancing readiness for work through a 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 63 

new Employment and Skills program; expanding the labor pool by introducing 

high school students to the target industries through an expanded Career 

Academy program and ensuring more students graduate; and promoting career 

advancement by developing and implementing Vocational English as a Second 

Language training for incumbent workers that is offered at employer sites. 

Participants will be recruited through participating employers, One-Stop Career 

Centers and community organizations. 

 The MCC set ambitious goals for the STEP UP project, consistent with its plan to offer 

multiple service strategies for discrete target groups. The project’s expected outcomes included 

the following: 

3⁄4 Youth participants: 

• Graduation: the graduation rate of LEP and Hispanic youth participants would rise 

from 58 to 75 percent. 

• Credential/skill acquisition: 83 percent of youth participants would attain targeted 

skills. 

3⁄4 Adult participants: 

• Entered employment: 86 percent of adult participants would enter employment. 

• Employment retention: 87 percent of adult participants would retain employment. 

• Credential: 67 percent of adult participants would earn a credential. 

• Earnings gain: adult participants would each experience an earnings gain of $3,400. 

3⁄4 Dislocated worker participants: 

• Entered employment: 91 percent of dislocated workers would enter employment. 

• Employment retention: 93 percent of dislocated workers would retain employment. 

• Credential: 76 percent of dislocated workers would earn a credential. 

• Earnings gain: dislocated worker participants would each experience an average 

wage gain of $2,245. 

3⁄4 Incumbent worker participants: 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 64 

• Credential: 76 percent of incumbent worker participants would earn a credential. 

• Advancement: 50 percent of incumbent worker participants would transition into 

related employment or advance in a career pathway. 

c. Project Partners 

The initial primary partners for STEP UP included the Applied Information Management 

Institute, the Cesar Chavez Institute, and the Southern Sudanese Community Development 

Foundation (SSCDF). The Chavez Institute and SSCDF came to play key roles in recruitment 

and outreach, as well as in providing community-based services through literacy labs. MCC also 

partnered with a local church that housed a small literacy lab designed to assist primarily African 

refugees. Several local employers including a construction company, a landscaping company, a 

meat processor, and a building maintenance firm became engaged in order for their workers to 

receive project services. 

3. Outreach and Recruitment

a. Employer Outreach and Recruitment 

The grantee had been involved in English language training for incumbent workers for 

two years prior to receiving the LEPHWI grant. Through this previous experience, the grantee 

had developed a procedure for helping employers interested in ESL training. Other departments 

at MCC were familiar with the services available through the Learning Design and Support 

Department. Interested employers would be referred to the department head or to the college’s 

ABE director. 

MCC also conducted outreach to recruit employers who might be interested in the 

project, sending letters to area businesses to inform them of project services. After interested 

businesses were identified, department staff would work with officials at each business to 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 65 

understand the employer’s objectives, and the two parties would attempt to reach an agreement 

on what the college could provide to support these objectives. Factors that were considered in 

creating the plan included the number of classes that would be necessary to meet the training 

objectives, the location or locations for training (i.e., identifying space at the place of 

employment or at MCC), and technical issues, such as Internet access in the classrooms. One 

employer representative, whose firm ultimately participated in the project after being contacted 

by MCC, used the jointly developed plan for the VESL activities as the basis for a presentation 

to the company’s executive committee, which approved the firm’s participation. The company 

took part in the project because it wanted to maintain and promote a quality workforce and to 

help its LEP workforce become better communicators. Its ultimate goal was to increase the 

number of multilingual supervisors. To achieve that end, many of the workers who completed 

the VESL training had to enroll in GED classes, since the firm required a high school degree or 

equivalent for promotion to supervisor. 

The training arrangements were defined by memoranda of understanding (MOUs) 

between the employers and MCC, with the MOUs spelling out the expectations of each party. 

One topic covered in discussions and often included in the MOUs was that of incentives: what 

the employer would offer to employees who took part in and/or successfully completed the 

training. After agreement was reached through the MOU process, the college set up the training, 

assigned or hired instructors (new hires were usually necessary for VESL classes), and initiated 

training. MCC project staff conducted follow-up and assessment activities. 

b. Participant Outreach and Recruitment 

Incumbent Workers. For employer-based project activities, the grantee usually relied 

on the employer to undertake the initial outreach to workers. According to project staff, the 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 66 

employers typically had pre-identified a number of workers whom they wanted to enroll in the 

training, and other employees could sign up until the class was full. One employer confirmed 

that administrators for his company had selected workers who possessed most of the requisite 

occupational skills, had good rapport with their peers, and demonstrated good work habits (e.g., 

punctuality). 

 Employer-based training programs were open to all limited-English employees, 

regardless of their level of English language skills. Given the size of the workforce of 

participating employers, the grantee found it necessary to provide multi-level training activities 

so that the optimal class size could be achieved. The goal was to have at least 15 workers in a 

class, although some classes had as few as 10 students and others as many as 18. Rosetta Stone 

software was used to address the multiple language skill levels of participants. 

 After candidates had been identified and/or expressed interest in the training, MCC staff 

presented to potential students an information session in which staff described course content 

and expectations. 

Unemployed and Underemployed Workers. Literacy lab participants were recruited in 

several ways. The grantee placed advertisements for the lab in Spanish-language newspapers 

and also distributed bilingual brochures and flyers. Two of the partner organizations where labs 

were planned, the Chavez Institute and the SSCDF, also advertised the program within their 

respective communities. The Chavez Institute was successful in both recruiting participants and 

providing local services, in part because their literacy lab was established early in the project 

period. Staff cited several logistical challenges, including space issues, as barriers affecting the 

ability of the SSCDF to fully participate, but credited the organization with success in its referral 

role, as the foundation was able to reach portions of the LEP population that MCC could not. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 67 

 The original project proposal contained a component that focused on dislocated workers16

who were to be recruited through the Greater Omaha One-Stop Career Center system. The goal 

was for 50 or more dislocated workers to complete VESL training. This component was later 

dropped from the project, because workforce development staff informed MCC that they were 

not serving any dislocated workers who were LEP. 

 The project also included a component to address the needs of immigrant youth. The 

objective was to increase the high school graduation rates of local LEP youth through the 

development and implementation of a VESL Career Academy at MCC, with training in several 

of the area’s high-demand, high-growth occupations. This component experienced numerous 

challenges and delays and was never fully implemented. 

4. Assessment and LEP Instructional Levels 

a. Description of Processes 

 The STEP UP project used the Basic English Skills Test (BEST) oral and literacy 

assessments for its testing and placement process. These instruments made it possible to conduct 

assessments in the areas of reading and writing, as well as speaking. The results of these tests 

were not included in the grantee’s MIS database. 

 Over two-thirds of the 802 participants in the Omaha LEPHWI project received services 

in the literacy lab (Table II-11). The remaining participants were spread out fairly evenly across 

the five other programs—employability skills, Transportation, Distribution, Warehousing and 

Logistics (TDWL), high school, construction and healthcare. 

 

16 “Dislocated workers” are individuals whose employment has been terminated and who are unlikely to return to 

work in their previous industry or occupation. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 68 

 The project used the commercial Rosetta Stone software for teaching English 

language skills to participants and for assessing their progress. The MIS contained results of 

Rosetta Stone assessments provided at the beginning and at the end of the language training for 

all participants except for those in the high school component. At enrollment, construction 

industry workers generally had the highest scores on the Rosetta Stone test (Table II-12). 

Participants in the TDWL and Employability Skills components had the lowest average scores at 

enrollment. Changes in test scores during the course of participation are described in the 

discussion of project outcomes (Section 8 below). 

Participants demonstrated a considerable range in their levels of education and English 

ability, ranging from those who had minimal experience with the language to those who 

possessed some functional speaking skills but needed help developing their skills in workplace 

communication and literacy. 

Program Total

Percent of all 

Participants

Construction 100 12.5%

Employability Skills 118 14.7%

Healthcare 86 10.7%

High School 109 13.6%

Language Lab 277 34.5%

TDWL 112 14.0%

Grand Total 802 100.0%

Table II-11

Omaha: Distribution of Participants by Program

Note: TDWL stands for Transportation, Distribution, Warehousing

and Logistics.

Sources: Grantee Final Report and MIS data
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 69 

b. Participant Characteristics 

The majority of participants in the Nebraska project were Hispanic (619 out of 802, or 

78.3 percent), with some individuals of African and Asian descent, as well (Table II-13). For the 

project overall, slightly more than half (53.0 percent) of the participants were female. However, 

the two genders were not so evenly represented in specific components of the project. Females 

accounted for only 6 percent of the participants in the construction component and 33 percent of 

those in TDWL (Table II-14). By contrast, females were a significant majority in the healthcare 

component, accounting for over 71 percent of the participants in that portion of the project. 

These proportions mirror national employment data. In July 2009, females constituted 6 percent 

of the persons employed in the construction industry, 23 percent of those employed in the 

transportation and warehousing industry, and 79 percent of those employed in the health care and 

social assistance industry for the United States as a whole.17

 

17 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, “Employed persons in nonagricultural industries by sex 

and class of worker” (Table A-23), household data: not seasonally adjusted. 

Program 1 2 3 4 5-6 7

Construction 0% 18% 26% 13% 32% 11% 4.2

TDWL 12% 25% 41% 9% 6% 7% 3.0

Employability Skills 11% 31% 31% 15% 10% 2% 2.9

Language Lab 2% 33% 25% 14% 22% 4% 3.5

Overall Project 5% 29% 30% 13% 19% 5% 3.4

Table II-12

Omaha: Participants' Initial English Proficiency Test Scores on Rosetta Stone

Distribution of Scores by Program (lowest (1) to highest (7))

Source: Grantee MIS data

Note: TWDL stands for Transportation, Distribution, Warehousing and Logistics.

Average 

Score
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 70 

 

Although spouses could attend the English classes at the site of one of the project’s 

employers, and an instructor reported having met with at least two spouses to discuss their 

participation in the LEPHWI program, no spouse ever attended a session. Spouses (primarily 

wives) and children sometimes came into the literacy lab. 

 Grantee staff identified a number of barriers that affected participation by the individuals 

targeted for project services, particularly those in the Literacy Lab component. Many of these 

challenges were related to the personal situations of participants. For example, two students 

were grandparents raising their grandchildren. Some other participants worked at least part-time 

and were the primary breadwinners for their extended households; their jobs often took 

precedence over the classroom activities, and they sometimes missed up to three consecutive 

weeks of classes as a result. In addition, staff reported initially encountering considerable fear 

and misinformation among potential participants. In response, project staff worked to adapt the 

college’s intake process to respect and reduce those feelings. 

Characteristic Total Percent

Gender

Male 370 47.0%

Female 417 53.0%

Unknown 15

Region of Origin

Africa 102 12.9%

Latin America 619 78.3%

Middle East 4 0.5%

Asia 61 7.7%

Eastern Europe 5 0.6%

Unknown 11

Note: Percentages exclude participants whose records indicate

their gender or origin is "unknown."

Source: Grantee Final Report (outcome data)

Table II-13

Omaha: Participant Demographics
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 71 

5. Curriculum and Instruction

a. Curriculum Development 

 The STEP UP project built on the existing ESL curriculum of its lead agency, 

Metropolitan Community College. Using the specifications of its various employer partners, the 

project adapted the curriculum and gave it a VESL design. MCC staff worked with employers to 

clarify each company’s needs and the ultimate objectives of the VESL instruction. For example, 

the program at a cleaning company was based on a national certification examination that the 

company wanted its employees to pass. In another case, the curriculum at a construction 

company incorporated elements from the mathematics GED examination, because employees 

needed to be proficient in basic geometry. Thus, the instructor devoted part of the course to 

teaching geometry in conjunction with the English language. 

Program Total Number Percent Number Percent

Construction 100 6 6.0% 94 94.0%

Employability Skills 109 60 55.0% 49 45.0%

Healthcare 83 59 71.1% 24 28.9%

High School 109 61 56.0% 48 44.0%

Language Lab 277 148 53.4% 129 46.6%

TDWL 109 36 33.0% 73 67.0%

Grand Total 787 370 47.0% 417 53.0%

Notes: Totals include only those participants whose genders were recorded in the grantee’s records. 

Among project participants, 15 lacked gender data: 9 in Employability Skills, 3 in Healthcare, and 3 in 

TDWL.

Sources: Grantee Final Report and MIS data

Table II-14

Omaha: Distribution of Participants by Program and Gender

Female Male
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 72 

 In addition to developing new curricula for training incumbent workers, MCC used 

commercially available software from Rosetta Stone to provide English language training to 

individuals and to assess their progress in the LEPHWI literacy labs. 

b. Use of Technology 

 The project was notable for its use of technology-enhanced teaching in VESL 

classrooms. This approach was accomplished by creating literacy labs at several locations and 

by instructors encouraging participants to use the available software programs in those settings. 

Interviews with participants and instructors during site visits indicated that the project’s support 

of student mentors who were familiar with the VESL model and its objectives was a major asset. 

Mentors staffed the literacy labs, where they helped students use the hardware, responded to 

students’ questions about curriculum content, and otherwise helped participants to progress 

through the Rosetta Stone program. At least one of the tutors was a recent immigrant himself, 

and he explained in an interview that in addition to providing students with assistance on the 

Rosetta Stone course material, he also used the computers in the lab to assist students with online 

job searches and helped them become familiar with the job readiness training tools available 

online. 

c. Instructors 

 To provide the VESL training, the grantee used one instructor who had been with MCC 

for several years and hired a second individual to train incumbent workers and to staff the 

literacy lab. The project sponsored professional development activities for both credit and noncredit faculty in team-teaching techniques that instructors reported as being helpful in 

strengthening their instructional activities. At least one instructor received training on how to 

use the Rosetta Stone software. Project staff, including a peer mentor and a case manager, 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 73 

provided training on cultural issues related to participants, such as suggestions for how to 

interact with students. Training also covered the course materials, including job search 

techniques. 

d. VESL Components 

 Project staff developed an innovative VESL curriculum with multiple tracks of study, 

which focused on short-term training across several occupational areas (e.g., call centers, office 

technology, and welding). Instructional components included accent modification, math skills, 

and computer skills, as well as healthcare vocabulary. The literacy labs provided an opportunity 

for applicants to start their VESL training immediately, without having to wait to register for a 

formal college class; thus, participants could learn at their own pace and by so doing gained an 

early appreciation of the technological support available to them for practicing their English 

skills. 

e. Training Venues 

 Most of the incumbent workers were trained on-site at employer facilities, although this 

was not always feasible because of space constraints. Training also took place on two 

community college campuses. The main campus housed a literacy lab. Two additional labs 

were located off-campus in churches in neighborhoods of recent immigrants. 

6. Job Development and Placement Activities 

 Training for workers not taking part in employer-affiliated LEP classes included jobsearch skills. Instruction in these skills provided additional opportunities to familiarize 

participants with English language terms and vocabulary. Placement services were undertaken 

through several means. The grantee worked with the local Workforce Investment Act Board, the 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 74 

Tri-County Workforce Investment Board, to facilitate placement. Some job development also 

took place through the local Refugee Task Force. Several academic deans at MCC and some 

faculty had strong connections to area employers. These connections provided a foundation for 

the grantee to include in the program skill training in information technology and welding. As a 

result, after eight weeks of training, several participants began working part-time at a local steel 

supplier. The business services unit, responsible for corporate education and training, also had 

useful connections to area employers. 

7. Other Components

a. Case Management 

 Case managers and peer mentors were available to assist and guide participants through 

the STEP UP programs. LEPHWI staff noted that implementing the demonstration project 

involved more case management than anyone had anticipated. While student services 

departments in community colleges typically deal with a range of issues among the student 

population, these departments at MCC were not designed to help immigrants address the full 

range of issues that they commonly face, such as understanding how to set up class schedules 

and complete the necessary institutional paperwork. Staff believed that the grantee had to 

establish its ability to produce results early in the program because if the college had not been 

able to help the first group of participants successfully navigate the process, those initial 

enrollees might have given up and spread the word that the project did not work. 

 The LEPHWI project took an innovative approach toward case management through the 

use of peer mentors. Like the participants, the primary peer mentor was an immigrant to the 

United States; however, unlike the participants, the mentor’s home country was in the Middle 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 75 

East rather than in Latin America. However, the experience of immigrating provided the mentor 

with a connection to the participants, despite the difference in cultural backgrounds. 

 The primary peer mentor also served as an instructor in the Learning Lab and at some of 

the employer-based programs. He described one of his functions as trying to get participants to 

recognize the need to learn English in order to advance. 

b. Support Outside the Classroom 

The project made a limited range of support services available to participants. The case 

manager/mentor helped students navigate the local social service system and provided other 

support and assistance to the students. Although most of the assistance was through public 

services, a private funder provided childcare for parents who were enrolled in VESL training; 

this was made available at one of the local, intermediate schools. 

Staff noted, however, that the needs of participants seemed to vary from year to year. In 

the first year of the project, participants needed help with childcare, but that need was not evident 

in the second year. Transportation then became the most important need because classes for callcenter training had to take place at the main community college campus. All of the women in 

that class had children, complicating their transportation requirements. There were two lessons 

learned from these events, according to project staff: “Don’t assume anything” regarding 

participants’ support service needs; and the requirements of each individual participant must be 

assessed individually. 

c. Use of Incentives 

Grantee staff and employer representatives discussed employer-provided incentives 

during the project-planning phase to ensure that companies had considered using incentives. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 76 

These discussions also allowed staff and officials to share relevant information during the 

recruitment phase. Employers took diverse approaches to the issue. 

One of the participating firms offered a bonus to workers who finished the initial class. 

Amounts ranged from $100 for those finishing with a grade of C to $350 for those receiving an 

A. These incentives had not been announced in advance. So when workers signed up for the 

program, they were not influenced by the possibility of receiving a bonus. Because of financial 

reasons, however, incentives were discontinued for subsequent classes. Workers at a second 

firm were to receive a bonus of $500–$1,000, as well as reimbursement for fees and books if 

they successfully completed GED programs following their LEPHWI training. 

One employer representative who was interviewed commented that the firm provided a 

graduation ceremony and increased opportunities for successful students to be promoted, but it 

offered no other incentives. The company was considering other low-cost activities to serve as 

incentives, such as inviting graduates to lunch with the company president. In this company, 

workers were not paid to take the class, and the classes were not conducted on company time. 

8. Project Outcomes 

a. Skills Acquisition 

 The two areas examined for skills acquisition were English language skills and vocational 

skills and certification.

 English Language Skills. The results of the BEST placement tests for reading, writing, 

and speaking were not included in the project’s MIS database. The primary assessment of 

participants’ progress in English language skills involved a comparison of their scores on the 

Rosetta Stone’s pre- and post-tests. By the end of the project, the college had comparison scores 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 77 

for 593 participants, and the Language Lab was the only program with missing data (14 

participants). Gains of at least one level were demonstrated by half or more of the participants in 

all of the major program components: Construction (84 percent); TDWL (81 percent); 

Employability Skills (73 percent); and Language Lab (66 percent; Table II-15). Percentage gains 

of three or four levels were documented in every program, most notably in the TDWL, and 2 

percent of the Language Lab participants gained five levels. More than one-third of the 

participants in the Language Lab, however, demonstrated no difference in their pre- and postscores; and data were not available for participants in the healthcare support program or for the 

high school participants.

Program Component 012345

Construction 16% 51% 25% 4% 4% 0% 100

TDWL 19% 35% 17% 16% 13% 0% 112

Employability Skills 15% 58% 17% 7% 3% 0% 118

Language Lab 34% 41% 20% 2% 2% 2% 263

Grand Total 18% 33% 14% 4% 3% 0%

Number of Participants 145 266 116 34 28 4 593

Table II-15

Omaha: Participants' Improvement in Rosetta Stone Score

By Program

- Percentages are based on participants with pre-and post test scores (blanks omitted). The only program

with missing data was language lab, and data were missing for 14 participants.

Sources: Grantee Final Report and MIS data

Gain in Test Score

(Difference between Pre- and Post Test Scores) Number of 

Participants 

with Scores

Notes:

- The Grantee's MIS did not include these data for participants in the Healthcare and High School

components of the program.

 Vocational Skills and Certificates. Out of 86 participants, 72 (84 percent) in the 

healthcare training program completed their certification program. Certification data were not 

available for the other training programs or cohorts. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 78 

 MCC had previously developed and was implementing a new, college-wide system of 

supports to help transition ESL students into vocational education programs and employment. 

STEP UP program participants were able to take advantage of this support. The project’s final 

report stated that 77 literacy lab participants moved from the LEPHWI project into college credit 

programs, and thus put themselves on a track for achieving additional career mobility and 

advancement. 

c. Employment Outcomes 

 Entered Employment. According to its final report, the STEP UP program’s entered 

employment rate was 67 percent and its retention rate was 77 percent. Entered employment, 

wage, and retention data were not provided. 

 Advancement. Advancement data were not included in the project’s MIS report. One 

project staff reported that many students were promoted shortly after completing their training.

 Earnings. Data on participants’ wages were not included in the project’s MIS report. 

 Other Outcomes. One employer representative commented that workers who improve 

their English language skills become better employees. He believed that such workers fit better 

into U.S. society and appeared to be happier at home. Within the workplace, he said, improved 

performance is difficult to measure, and he had not seen a measurable increase in productivity 

among those workers who had gone through the STEP UP program. However, his impression 

was that the attitudes of these workers were better, and they seemed to feel better connected to 

the company. This individual believed that the LEPHWI program contributed to the positive 

staff retention that the entire company was experiencing. He saw the company as responsible for 

creating a good work environment and for helping employees feel that the firm was a good place 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 79 

to work. This representative saw improved safety as one consequence of helping workers to 

improve their English language skills (this firm was in an accident-prone industry), as increased 

language competency made them better communicators. 

d. Progress Toward Sustainability 

 The grantee, Metropolitan Community College, reported general satisfaction in its ability 

to sustain training activities for LEP individuals in the Omaha metropolitan area, taking 

advantage of the lessons learned and the momentum of its LEPHWI demonstration project. The 

administrator reported that local leaders recognized MCC’s successful piloting of a college-wide 

system to transition ESL students into vocational education programs and employment. This 

success led the college to establish procedures for recruiting and retaining ESL students. The 

college was committed to continuing to monitor the progress of the LEPHWI students currently 

enrolled. As the project was winding down, officials suggested that individuals in the college’s 

Corporate Education and Training Division had to become more involved in programs such as 

the LEPHWI incumbent worker training activities. 

 The second evaluation site visit took place in February 2008, immediately prior to project 

completion. At this time, the position of transition coordinator had been formalized as an 

ongoing resource for ESL and LEP individuals who wanted access to additional adult education 

and training and support for the development of a career plan. The peer mentoring program 

remained in place at the literacy labs as a permanent part of the college’s ESL program. The 

college also intended to maintain and update regularly the STEP UP website as an on-going 

resource for students and others in the region. Finally, an academic scholarship fund had been 

established to support continued professional development of STEP UP graduates, although no 

information was available about the number of awards or the amounts of money involved at the 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 80 

time the evaluation concluded. In general, the probability appeared strong for sustaining the 

Nebraska LEPHWI model. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 81 

E. New York, New York: LEP for the Retail Industry of New York City

Research Foundation of the City University of New York (CUNY) 

Summary 

The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) was the lead administrator for 

this grant, formally awarded to the Research Foundation of the City University of New York 

(CUNY). Four community colleges, including BMCC, were responsible for delivering services 

to participants through this project: LEP for the Retail Industry of New York City. The project 

proposed to serve new and incumbent workers and to create a curriculum for area retail and 

hospitality industries focused on ESL and customer service skills. This curriculum was to be 

modeled after the Equipped for the Future Customer Service curriculum, developed by the 

National Retail Federation Foundation (NRFF). Training was to incorporate instructional 

technologies in order to provide participants with the skills sought by employers. This model 

could then be adapted for a broad range of employers in the New York City metropolitan area. 

The project’s use of instructors both at work sites and in college classrooms provided options 

for meeting the different needs of specific groups of participants. The grantee also planned to 

develop an assessment tool to measure LEP workers’ ability to communicate in English. 

The project planned to provide VESL instruction to 240 adults in 12 training cycles. It 

ultimately served a total of 362 adults in 17 training cycles. Data from the project’s reports 

indicate that only 19 of the 53 participants who sat for the NRFF examination (35.8 percent) 

passed, leading the grantee to determine that the NRFF certificate was an unrealistic goal for 

the LEPHWI model. Not counting those participants whose outcomes were missing from the 

project’s database, 93.8 percent were employed when they left the program, a figure that 

likely overstates the project’s performance. 

Promising practices include the project’s flexibility in establishing venues for training, the 

collaboration among the staff on four community college campuses, and the customization of 

training to meet the needs of participating employers.
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 82 

1. Grantee Overview 

The Research Foundation of the City University of New York (CUNY) acted as grant 

recipient for the LEPHWI Project in New York City. The Center for Continuing Education and 

Workforce Development of the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) served as 

the operations manager for the grant. BMCC is the largest community college in the CUNY 

system of 21 colleges and the only community college in Manhattan. The additional educational 

partners were three colleges in the CUNY system located in other boroughs of New York City: 

LaGuardia Community College in Queens, the New York City College of Technology in 

Brooklyn, and the Kingsborough Community College, also in Brooklyn. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 83 

MSA USA

Educational Attainment (individuals over 25 years)

Total population over 25 12,647,448

Percent less than high school graduate 16.0% 15.5%

Percent bachelor's degree or higher 35.1% 27.5%

Place of Birth

Native 71.7% 87.4%

Different state 14.3% 27.3%

Foreign born 28.3% 12.6%

Foreign-born population, not a U.S. citizen 47.8% 57.5%

Foreign-born population, entered in 2000 or later 23.7% 27.7%

Region of Birth of Foreign Born

Europe 18.6% 13.1%

Asia 26.7% 26.8%

Africa 3.7% 3.7%

Latin America 50.0% 53.6%

Language Spoken at Home (population 5 years and over)

Total population 5 and over 17,585,055

English only 62.6% 80.3%

Language other than English 37.4% 19.7%

English less than "very well" 17.1% 8.7%

Language spoken at home by those speaking English less than "very well"

Spanish 9.0% 5.8%

Other Indo-European languages 4.4% 1.2%

Asian and Pacific Islander languages 3.1% 1.4%

Other languages 0.6% 0.2%

Poverty and Language (population 18 years and over)

Below poverty level (overall) 10.7% 11.6%

For each primary language group, proportion below poverty level

Speak only English 8.0% 10.6%

Speak other than English 15.1% 18.7%

Speak Spanish 18.5% 18.4%

Speak other Indo-European languages 11.1% 10.8%

Speak Asian and Pacific Islander languages 12.4% 11.5%

Speak other languages 15.7% 19.3%

Table II-16

Profile of the New York, NY/NJ/CT Metropolitan Statistical Area:

Selected Population Characteristics

Source: Bureau of the Census, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 84 

2. Context

a. Population Profile 

CUNY’s proposal cited a 2004 New York City Department of Planning report that 

indicated that foreign-born workers made up 43 percent of New York City’s total labor force, yet 

they accounted for two-thirds of the city’s low-wage earners. Half of these foreign-born 

residents were not English proficient and were less likely to have graduated from high school 

than their native-born counterparts, thereby negatively impacting their potential for 

socioeconomic attainment. In 2007, 16 percent of individuals 25 years or older in the New York 

City metropolitan area were not high school graduates (Table II-16). In the same year, 28 

percent of the residents of New York City were foreign born, more than double the proportion 

for the United States as a whole. Half of those who were foreign-born originated in Latin 

America (50 percent) and 26.7 percent were from Asia. Another 18.6 percent were from Europe, 

again a figure significantly higher than the overall U.S. rate of 13.1 percent. 

About one-fourth of the area’s foreign-born residents (23 percent) had entered the United 

States since 2000. Of the area’s residents five years of age and older, 37 percent spoke a 

language other than English at home, and 17 percent reported speaking English “less than very 

well.” Both of these figures were roughly double the national rate. The highest numbers of LEP 

respondents stated that at home they spoke Spanish (9 percent), another Indo-European language 

(4 percent), or an Asian/Pacific Islander language (3 percent).

In its grant application, CUNY stated that each of the boroughs in New York City was 

experiencing retail development and expansion on an unprecedented scale, creating growth and 

job opportunities in the areas of retail and customer service. While being multilingual and 

multicultural in an area as diverse as New York City was sometimes an advantage, the lack of 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 85 

English skills prevented many immigrant workers from communicating effectively with Englishspeaking employers, co-workers, and customers. The combination of limited English skills with 

the lower levels of education of some immigrant workers meant that these workers often 

remained in low-wage positions. The CUNY project set out to address these workforce 

development challenges by partnering with employers primarily in the retail and customer 

service industries to identify and serve LEP workers in need of skill enhancements. 

b. Goals of the Project/Model 

In its proposal, CUNY articulated the project’s overarching goal as follows: 

To facilitate the entry, retention, and advancement of new and incumbent 

Hispanic workers and those with limited English proficiency in the retail and food 

service industries across the five boroughs of New York City. 

The project also sought to create a curriculum to serve the needs of Hispanic/LEP workers and 

their employers and to make the LEPHWI curriculum available to all of CUNY’s continuing 

education divisions. The project expected the following outcomes: 

• Recruitment: 260 new and incumbent workers would be recruited. 

• Program completion: 240 participants would complete the full, 240-hour program of 

training. 

• Job placement: 85 percent of participants would be placed within 60 days of program 

completion. 

• English language skill gains: 85 percent of program completers would demonstrate 

gains. 

• Credentials: 50 percent of program completers would take and pass the test for the 

National Professional Certification in Customer Service. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 86 

c. Project Partners 

The CUNY project partnered with the National Retail Federation Foundation (NRFF) to 

adapt curricula that had been originally developed as part of the Foundation’s Equipped for the 

Future program and designed to train workers to achieve the National Professional Certification 

in Customer Service. The National Retail Federation (NRF) was to support the recruitment of 

employer members whose workers would participate in the project. To recruit participants, the 

project also worked with the Local 338 of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, 

the McDonald’s Corporation, and the Queens Center Mall. 

Participating businesses—area retail and food service establishments and area business 

associations—partnered with one of the four colleges. These employers included McDonald’s 

restaurants, the Church Avenue Merchants Block Association, Net Cost Supermarket, Eckerd 

Drugs, the Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation, Crystal Windows, and 

Duane Reade Drug Stores. The city’s Department of Small Business Services, which operates 

Workforce Investment Act services in the boroughs, also participated in the project. 

3. Outreach and Recruitment 

This LEPHWI project did not target a specific group with any particular racial/ethnic or 

language backgrounds to recruit for training. In addition, while employers from several different 

sectors were served, the project focused on companies in the retail sector. The locations of these 

diverse companies within New York City often influenced who their workers were, given the 

city’s widely various communities made up of residents from different backgrounds and national 

origins. For example, project participants included entry-level Russian immigrant employees 

from a grocery store and Chinese middle managers from a window wholesaler/distributor, as 

well as other incumbent workers from diverse groups whose native language was not English. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 87 

a. Employer Outreach and Recruitment 

 In part because four different CUNY campuses operated components of the LEPHWI 

project, employer recruitment and referral processes encompassed a wide range of approaches. 

Project staff anticipated that the NRF would play a more active role in recruiting its member 

companies to participate in the project than the NRF in fact did. At least one employer was 

referred to the project after visiting a local One-Stop Career Center and requesting information 

and assistance. Because the project targeted the retail sector, college staff made presentations at 

the owner-operator meetings of fast-food franchises in the five boroughs prior to the grant 

application being submitted; they also conducted cold calls to individual stores to drop off flyers 

about the program. Staff reported that between six and nine months of contacts with a single 

company were necessary before that company signed on as a project partner. The grant 

application was then written in collaboration with the management of the corporation. 

Another participating employer entity, the Chinatown Partnership, became involved in 

the LEPHWI project when officials there recognized an opportunity to improve their workers’ 

ability to provide information to English-speaking tourists. 

b. Participant Outreach and Recruitment 

 Incumbent Workers. The CUNY project provided 17 cycles of VESL classes for 

incumbent workers from a wide range of firms. With so many participating employers, the 

processes of selecting or identifying employees to participate in the VESL training followed 

diverse patterns. Site visit interviews revealed that employers wanted to select certain incumbent 

workers to participate in the project, but that their selections were sometimes inconsistent with 

the efficient and effective delivery of training. Specifically, many employers wanted to select 

the employees who would participate. The colleges, however, wanted to be able to assess 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 88 

prospective participants before enrolling them to ensure appropriate placement according to the 

participant’s level of English skills. A common compromise was that employers chose whom to 

invite to participate, and then the college would assess the candidates who were interested in the 

VESL training. One consequence of this compromise was that students with different levels of 

education and language skills were often included in the same class, which made instruction 

more challenging. 

 The owner-operators of fast-food franchises usually selected a front-line manager or crew 

member who needed to improve his or her English language skills. After assessing the first 

cohort of candidates for this part of the program, LEPHWI staff found that some individuals had 

very low skill levels. Training for those workers with the lowest skills was delayed until a later 

class could offer instruction at an appropriate level. The second training cycle was then designed 

to deliver a lower-level curriculum. 

 In selecting potential project participants, employers acted in part out of self-interest. 

One owner-operator described as his objective the selection of candidates who seemed to be 

moving up within the organization. He cited as one benefit the fact that employees in the 

LEPHWI program seemed to “buy in” to the corporation and to view themselves as being valued 

by their employers. 

 After candidates were identified, project staff visited employers who signed on to the 

program to conduct orientations for prospective participants. In these orientation sessions, the 

staff explained the commitment needed to complete the class. 

 Unemployed and Underemployed Workers. The college that ran the program for 

dislocated workers bought advertisements in Spanish language newspapers, undertaking what 

was described as “a big recruitment” effort. The program worked with the local One-Stop 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 89 

Career Center, Workforce One, and was able to be somewhat selective in whom it enrolled. 

Staff cited the benefit of enrolling participants who were at a level appropriate for the training. 

4. Assessment and LEP Instructional Levels 

a. Description of Processes 

The State of New York mandates the use of the BEST Plus Oral English Proficiency Test 

(hereafter BEST Plus) to assess the English language skills of entering students; therefore, the 

LEPHWI project administered the BEST Plus as its primary pre- and post-measure of English 

knowledge and skills, using the Functioning Level Table of the National Reporting System for 

Adult Education. 

In addition, the NRFF adopted the National Institute for Literacy’s Equipped for the 

Future Content Standards and developed the national standards for the retail industry: the 

National Professional Certification in Customer Service. One of the project’s original expected 

outcomes involved project participants achieving a specific passing rate on the NRFF Equipped 

for the Future exam. 

b. Participant Characteristics 

Reflecting the New York City metropolitan area, LEPHWI participants varied widely in 

their national origins and native languages. About two out of every five participants were from 

Latin America (41 percent), with Russia (19 percent) and China (14 percent) being the other 

major regions of origin (Table II-17). The project tabulated ten categories of native languages 

(Bengali, Chinese, Creole, Eastern European languages, Farsi, French, Georgian, Russian, 

Spanish, and Urdu), in addition to those unknown. Almost half of the participants reported 

Spanish as their primary language (48 percent). 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 90 

The grantee collected data on participants’ educational levels (Table II-18). Fewer than 

13 percent reported that they had less than a high school education, whereas over 28 percent of 

participants had some college education, including 11 percent with post-graduate degrees. 

Educational information was missing for nearly one-third of all participants, creating uncertainty 

regarding whether the available data are representative of participants as a whole. The majority 

of participants were women (232 of the 357, or 65 percent of those whose genders were recorded 

in the MIS). 

National Origin/Ethnicity

Number of

Participants Percent

Average

Age

Asian 10 2.8% 32

Caribbean 16 4.4% 37

Chinese 49 13.5% 35

Eastern European 3 0.8% 35

Latino 149 41.2% 36

Russian 70 19.3% 53

Other 4 1.1% 34

Not indicated 61 16.9% 43

Total 362 100.0% 36

Source: Grantee MIS

Table II-17

New York City: Project Participants

By National Origin/Ethnic Group
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 91 

5. Curriculum and Instruction

a. Curriculum Development 

The core curriculum package completed by LEP Initiative for the Retail Industry of New 

York City targeted primarily incumbent workers at companies willing to host and support the 

project. The curriculum was customized for each campus and target employer, as well as 

adapted for each cohort of participants in light of their widely varied native languages, 

educational backgrounds, and literacy skills. The consortium also produced a video explaining 

how the model can best be used to improve the English language skills and enhance the career 

mobility of prospective learners. 

The original model for the New York VESL project called for 180 contact hours in 

classroom instruction. After early implementation difficulties in maintaining attendance, this 

was modified to 160 contact hours of classroom instruction, plus computer lab activities, 

essentially entailing 20 weeks of VESL training. The project also began issuing special 

Educational Attainment Female Male Total Percent

Under 8 years 19 12 31 8.6%

8–11 years 10 4 14 3.9%

12 years/High School 74 21 95 26.2%

13–15 years/some College 7 5 12 3.3%

16 years/College Degree 35 17 52 14.4%

Post-college/MA 27 13 40 11.0%

Not indicated 60 53 118 32.6%

Total 232 125 362 100.0%

Source: Grantee MIS

Note: Gender information was missing for 5 participants whose educational 

attainment was not indicated.

Table II-18

New York City: Project Participants

By Educational Attainment and Gender
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 92 

certificates of merit to those who had 100-percent attendance at graduation. The instructors 

characterized this certificate as being modestly effective in increasing attendance. By the end of 

the LEPHWI project, the model had reduced instructional time to 120 contact hours, or 15 

weeks. 

b. Use of Technology 

 Participants received varying levels of exposure to technology. In general, their use of 

technology was at the discretion of the instructors of the core curriculum, in part because 

curricula were modified to meet the needs of each group of participants. Overall, technologybased learning tools did not appear to be pervasive within the instructional classes, but there 

were exceptions. All of the participants were given e-mail addresses and flash drives. In several 

instances, MP3 players or tape recorders were used to record pronunciation, and one of the 

college’s curricula used online blackboards. Through the LEPHWI project, most participants 

who had lacked basic computer skills were able to acquire enough knowledge to utilize this tool. 

One former participant stated that, although he was familiar with computers prior to enrolling in 

the project, many of his fellow students had not known how to use the Internet and various 

software programs. 

A noteworthy example of the use of technology involved a group of participants from 

Crystal Windows. These workers were computer-literate, so instructors experimented with online learning. Many of the company’s employees were required to use computers to make sales 

presentations, which provided a valuable context for learning and applying VESL knowledge in 

a technology-based setting. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 93 

c. Instructors 

 Community college instructors from the four campuses provided the VESL training. 

Instructors attended a three-day (20–24 hour) program to prepare them for teaching the NRFF 

core curriculum to participants. During the project, many of the instructors offered training onsite at the employers’ locations, and they incorporated appropriate content and references to 

reinforce the customer service and language training for participants. 

d. VESL Components 

The core curriculum used an ESL model for language acquisition, and it integrated 

customer service criteria established by the NRFF. In addition, instructors constructed a 

worksite-contextualized VESL curriculum at the different campuses and company settings with 

the help of employer input. Instructional activities included customer service activities and 

situational role playing that applied the curricula content learned. 

e. Training Venues 

Generally, the VESL classes were provided on-site for incumbent workers. Augmented 

on-line instruction was provided for workers at one company, and one college offered classroom 

instruction to continue ESL development beyond the VESL training. Nonetheless, attendance 

was identified as a constant problem due to scheduling conflicts at the work sites. However, 

domestic and family issues seemed to present the greatest difficulty to attending classes that the 

participants faced (especially the challenge of finding care for children, spouses, and/or older 

adults during instructional periods). 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 94 

6. Job Development and Placement Activities 

For workers who were not employed and those who were looking for better jobs, the 

colleges periodically held job fairs, and grantee staff stated that prior cohorts were often invited 

to these fairs. Most of the job search skills and placement assistance provided to dislocated 

worker participants took place through the local One-Stop Career Center, which worked in 

conjunction with the BMCC campus that offered project services to dislocated workers.

7. Other Components

a. Case Management 

LEPHWI staff identified case management as a critical function and one having a 

positive impact on project outcomes when done appropriately. Case managers helped to ensure 

that participants remained involved in project activities, and they assisted in addressing 

participants’ needs. They maintained contact with participants through what was described as a 

“hands-on” relationship. 

Case managers stationed at the individual colleges also worked with employers to assist 

incumbent workers with training-related issues. They telephoned employers to resolve 

scheduling and compensation problems to find out why a participant was not attending class, and 

in general to see if the participant had any issues that needed to be addressed. Case managers 

visited some worksites to check on participants. One case manager described a situation in 

which he had contacted the supervisor to learn why an employee was not attending class. In 

response, the supervisor intervened with the worker and told him that he needed to go to class 

because he had the potential to move on to a better job. After the call, the participant resumed 

attending classes and completed the VESL training. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 95 

Attendance seemed to be a particular problem with the first cohort of participants at each 

campus. One interviewee stated that participants were initially skeptical about getting something 

“good” for free. Common problems also related to scheduling (both those related to work and to 

other commitments) and family issues. Several participants dropped out because they found 

better jobs. For “no shows,” LEPHWI staff attempted to reach workers at home via telephone, 

with varied success. 

b. Support Services 

Staff at all four campuses reported investing considerable time in tracking the progress of 

participants and contacting participants and employers to determine what the LEPHWI 

participants needed in order to succeed in the training. Staff stressed the importance of ongoing 

case management and effective wrap-around services to enable participants to complete their 

VESL training. 

Case managers reported that participants were interviewed after the initial language 

assessment took place. One of the goals of this interview session was to determine whether there 

would be any possible challenges for participants to attend class. Issues such as transportation, 

childcare, and health concerns would often surface during these discussions. Staff worked with 

participants to address problems identified in these discussions. The case managers usually 

followed up during the training program.

c. Use of Incentives 

The original New York LEPHWI proposal had assumed that all incumbent workers 

would be compensated for their time spent in class. Project staff cited several different 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 96 

approaches taken by employers, however, to provide meaningful incentives to VESL 

participants; these approaches had emerged during the demonstration project: 

• At some companies, participants worked 32 hours, went to class for 8, and got paid for 

40; others worked 40 hours, went to class for 8, and got paid for 48. 

• Other employers did not offer monetary incentives but worked with participants to adjust 

their work schedules to allow them to attend class. 

• Participants from one company signed a “student responsibility agreement,” or learning 

contract, at the beginning of the program, which served to establish mutual obligations 

and expectations; it also helped participants know that both the employer and the college 

were committed to their success. 

• At another site, time in class was “on the clock”; the employer at this site also held a 

graduation ceremony. 

One employer representative stated that incentives were necessary to get the right people 

to participate. Many of the workers needed to pay for childcare, and they often could not afford 

to take time off from work to study. However, the payment alone was not seen as a sufficient 

incentive independent of other factors because an individual employee’s motivation was very 

important in his or her decision to invest time in VESL training. Nonetheless, one staff member 

noted that many of the participants were paid minimum wage, so that receiving compensation to 

attend training might be an important incentive to keep them motivated and persistent in their 

efforts to complete the training. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 97 

d. Support Outside the Classroom 

Some grantee staff and participants cited two important factors in supporting employee 

participants: the employers’ commitment to the VESL training and the degree to which 

employers encouraged workers to continue their education. This support came in various forms. 

For example, some of the owner-operators attended “graduation” ceremonies for participants. In 

addition, cohorts of participants were described as meeting on the worksite beyond instructional 

time to continue practicing and engaging in language and skills development, which suggests 

that employers allowed or encouraged this activity. This practice also suggests that participants 

provided support for each other and for themselves. As well, some participants reported 

communicating more frequently with family and children in English to develop their language 

skills beyond the classroom.

8. Project Outcomes 

The New York LEPHWI demonstration project successfully provided VESL instruction 

for 17 training cycles or groups of participants, which included 362 adults, according to the 

grantee’s MIS database (see Table II-19). Compared with the project’s original target of 12 

cohorts and 240 participants, these numbers indicate that the project delivered training to almost 

51 percent more participants than planned. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 98 

a. Skills Acquisition

 The two areas examined for skills acquisition were English language skills and vocational 

skills and certification.

 English Language Skills. Data from the MIS database provided by the grantee after the 

conclusion of the project documented pre-test scores on the BEST Plus exam for 258 participants 

and post-test scores on BEST Plus for 229 participants. The average pre-test score on the BEST 

Plus exam was 436 (characterized by the National Reporting System for Adult Education as an 

educational functioning level of “high literacy”), while the average post-test score was 508 

(characterized as “advanced ESL”). It was possible to calculate a change in scores for 199 of 

these individuals, and the average gain by its VESL participants was 75 points in English 

proficiency. 

Number Percent Number Percent

Enrollments 260 362

Program Completers 240

Entered Employment Rate 85.0% N/A

Retention Rate

Earnings Gain

English Literacy Gains 85.0% N/A

Achieve Credential or Diploma 50.0% 16 * N/A

Table II-19

New York City: Planned and Actual Project Outcomes

Planned Actual

Indicators/Measures

Notes:

 - According to the grant solicitation, project outcome measures were to mirror ETA's common 

measures (Entered Employment Rate, Retention Rate, and Earnings Gain), "to the extent 

possible."

* - The grantee MIS indicates that 16 participants passed the National Retail Federation 

Foundation's Equipped for the Future exam. Due to uncertainties regarding the actual number of 

participants who sat for the exam, the percentage that passed has not been calculated.

Sources: Grantee proposal (planned data), Grantee MIS and Final Report (outcome data).

 - N/A = not applicable
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 99 

CUNY set a goal for 85 percent of the project participants to increase their scores on the 

BEST Plus test. According to data provided by the grantee, 160 out of 169 participants with preand post-training BEST Plus test scores, or 96.7 percent, increased their scores. The minimum 

gain in scores was 2 points; the maximum gain was 501 points. Median improvement for 

participants with both BEST Plus test scores was 52 points. 

 Vocational Skills and Certificates. In the first year of implementation, the New York 

City LEPHWI project staff learned that they had overestimated the ability of participants to 

improve their English proficiency—particularly their literacy skills—sufficiently to attain one of 

the project’s key expected outcomes: passing the National Retail Federation Foundation’s 

Equipped for the Future examination. The project’s first quarterly report noted that experience 

gained from administering the exam during the period following the submission of the LEPHWI 

proposal indicated notable problems for English language learners. Successive quarterly reports, 

as well as interviews during the first site visit, continued to show participants’ low success rates. 

The project’s sixth quarterly report stated that 19 of the 53 participants who had sat for 

the credentialing exam at the conclusion of their training, or 35.8 percent, passed the exam.18 

Individuals who were successful on the test were those who had been more highly educated in 

their home country, were more proficient with the English language and its nuances, and were 

much more familiar with the technology used in the program. 

After unsuccessful attempts by several cohorts of LEPHWI training completers to pass 

the exam, the project staff decided to take more time to assess participants’ readiness to take the 

exam, in advance of scheduling them for the test. The project administrator explained during a 

 

18 Data from the project MIS database showed that 22 participants sat for the examination, and 16 (or 73 percent) 

passed. According to the former project manager, because many participants took the test after the conclusion of 

training, it is likely that the MIS undercounts both numbers. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 100 

site visit that staff determined the NRFF test was not a realistic objective for recent immigrants 

involved in VESL training, nor was their degree of success on it an accurate measure of their 

progress. This conclusion grew out of instructor feedback explaining that the VESL instruction 

completers had sufficiently improved their oral English to succeed in the workplace, as well as 

out of the project’s successful experiences with participants’ placement and retention in 

employment. 

b. Employment Outcomes 

 Entered Employment. Data from the MIS database indicated that 305 of the 362 

LEPHWI participants were employed after they completed their training. Information on 37 

participants was missing. Including only data from those participants whose employment status 

was known results in 93.8 percent of participants employed when they left the program. 

 Earnings. The grantee did not identify earnings gains as a goal of the project. Data on 

participant earnings following completion of the project were not included in its MIS. 

 Other Outcomes. One employer representative reported observing a perceptible 

increase in the confidence of program graduates. He also believed that investing in the 

employees made them more loyal to the corporation, even though some had left after completing 

Employment Status Total Of Total Of Known

Employed 305 84.3% 93.8%

Not Employed 20 5.5% 6.2%

Not Indicated 37 10.2%

Total 362 15.7% 6.2%

Source: Grantee MIS

Note: Five participants whose gender was not indicated were employed.

Table II-20

New York City: Employment Outcomes

Percent
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 101 

the training. One of the Chinatown Partnership’s process measures tracked how many tourist 

visitors were assisted by their workers. Partnership representatives reported that workers 

provided information in 2007 to almost 8,300 pedestrians and motorists. 

c. Progress Toward Sustainability

In 2008, the New York State Department of Labor awarded CUNY a $500,000 grant to 

train the staff of one of the major employers participating in the LEPHWI project. The 24-month 

project was to expand the college’s VESL activities with McDonald’s Corporation franchises in 

New York City, beginning in March 2008. In addition, the NRFF was to host training courses 

for crew members and front-line management, with both kinds of courses supported by the 

VESL curriculum on one community college campus. One other major employer was seeking 

funding in support of continuing the VESL training. Based on these indications of additional 

funding for LEP training for incumbent workers, continuation of the New York LEPHWI model 

appeared possible. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 102 

F. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas: Sed de Saber 

SER-Jobs For Progress, Inc.

Summary 

SER-Jobs for Progress was the grantee for the Sed de Saber (Thirst for Knowledge) 

project, which served Hispanic incumbent workers primarily in the Dallas Metroplex. Each 

participant was provided a hand-held electronic unit or “book” (LeapFrog), programmed for 

self-paced ESL instruction and geared to the food service and hospitality industries. The 

curriculum had been developed by the project’s key corporate partner and subcontractor, 

Retention Education, LLC, specifically for Spanish speakers with limited English fluency. The 

grantee initially planned to recruit workers through hospitality employers, referring potential 

participants to their nearest One-Stop Career Center for assessment and orientation. 

However, this proved unworkable, and Retention Education assumed almost all recruiting and 

assessment efforts, relying on grantee staff for orientation support. The original plan also 

called for participants to receive assistance from mentors and to be referred to such support 

services as transportation, childcare, and GED studies, but staffing limitations, difficulty in 

recruiting mentors, and employer reluctance to facilitate the mentoring process were factors 

that adversely affected the implementation of these components. 

Sed de Saber staff worked intensively with a group of food service and hospitality 

corporations to implement its demonstration project. The grantee expected to serve 2,430 

participants but enrolled a total of 1,417 individuals (58.3 percent). Project outcomes included a 

completion rate of 26.3 percent (compared to a projected rate of 90 percent). 

 Promising practices included the use of an electronic teaching device that allowed 

participants considerable flexibility in selecting the time and place for instruction; a partnership 

with a private, for-profit corporation that had sales experience and strong relationships with 

employers; and the concept of supporting learning through the use of mentors. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 103 

1. Grantee Overview 

SER-Jobs for Progress National, Inc., (SER) is a national network of employment and 

training organizations.19 A private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation headquartered in 

Dallas, Texas, SER was established in 1964 to address education, employment, and economic 

concerns and inequities among Hispanics in the United States. The organization develops 

initiatives and advocates for programs that result in the increased development and utilization 

of America’s human resources, focusing on education, training, employment, business, and 

economic opportunity. 

SER provides technical assistance, research and planning, program and policy 

development, and fundraising support to enhance the employment and training capabilities of the 

SER Network of Partners. This network consists of 38 affiliates operating through more than 

200 offices in 19 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Locally, SER operates 

community development programs, targeting Hispanics and other underrepresented groups, and 

also serves the business community by providing qualified applicants for job openings. 

 

19 Background on SER is from their LEPHWI grant application and their website, accessed through http://www.sernational.org/ on April 13, 2009. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 104 

MSA USA

Educational Attainment (individuals over 25 years)

Total population over 25 3,865,374

Percent less than high school graduate 18.4% 15.5%

Percent bachelor's degree or higher 29.9% 27.5%

Place of Birth

Native 82.2% 87.4%

Different state 26.5% 27.3%

Foreign born 17.8% 12.6%

Foreign-born population, not a U.S. citizen 71.3% 57.5%

Foreign-born population, entered in 2000 or later 30.9% 27.7%

Region of Birth of Foreign Born

Europe 4.5% 13.1%

Asia 20.8% 26.8%

Africa 4.6% 3.7%

Latin America 68.6% 53.6%

Language Spoken at Home (population 5 years and over)

Total population 5 and over 5,628,628

English only 70.8% 80.3%

Language other than English 29.2% 19.7%

English less than "very well" 14.4% 8.7%

Language spoken at home by those speaking English less than "very well"

Spanish 12.0% 5.8%

Other Indo-European languages 0.6% 1.2%

Asian and Pacific Islander languages 1.5% 1.4%

Other languages 0.3% 0.2%

Poverty and Language (population 18 years and over)

Below poverty level (overall) 10.4% 11.6%

For each primary language group, proportion below poverty level

Speak only English 8.4% 10.6%

Speak other than English 15.5% 18.7%

Speak Spanish 17.0% 18.4%

Speak other Indo-European languages 10.9% 10.8%

Speak Asian and Pacific Islander languages 8.6% 11.5%

Speak other languages 16.9% 19.3%

Table II-21

Profile of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metropolitan Statistical Area:

Selected Population Characteristics

Source: Bureau of the Census, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 105 

2. Context

a. Population Profile 

In 2007, almost one in five of all of individuals 25 years or older in the Dallas 

Metropolitan Statistical Area had not graduated from high school (Table II-21). The Dallas 

Metroplex region of Texas is home to a large hospitality industry, and Hispanics represent a 

significant portion of workers in that industry. This low-wage industry attracts a large 

percentage of immigrant workers with low levels of English fluency, and retention of these 

employees is generally low.20 

In 2007, almost one in five of the residents of the Dallas Metroplex was foreign born (18 

percent), with about two out of three coming from Latin America (69 percent) and another 21 

percent from Asia. Almost one-third of the area’s foreign-born residents (31 percent) had 

entered the United States since 2000. Not quite one-third of the Dallas population five years of 

age and older spoke a language other than English at home (29 percent), and 14 percent reported 

that they spoke English “less than very well.” Of the latter group, the highest number of LEP 

respondents spoke Spanish at home (12.0 percent), while another 1.5 percent spoke an 

Asian/Pacific Islander language. 

b. Goals of the Project/Model 

The original goals of the Sed de Saber demonstration project were to improve the 

retention, wage, and promotion of 2,430 participants from the hospitality industry in four sites in 

Texas. The project expected the following four outcomes: 

• Program completion: 90 percent of participants would complete the program. 

 

20 One large employer in the hospitality industry who was a partner in the Sed de Saber project provided contrary 

information during a site visit interview, indicating that the organization’s retention rate was a healthy 92 percent. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 106 

• Employee retention: 70 percent of program completers would be employed after 180 

days.21

• Wage gain: participants would experience an average wage gain of 20 percent after six 

months on the job. 

• Promotion: 20 percent of participants would be promoted from their beginning positions. 

c. Project Partners 

The major partners for SER’s LEPHWI project were a curriculum development and 

marketing corporation and several food service and hospitality companies that sought VESL 

training for their employees. Retention Education, LLC (RE), was the corporate partner that 

created the electronic curriculum kit used by participants. Through its relationship with 

LeapFrog Enterprises, Retention Education was able to provide a portable, computerized tool 

that delivered English language training to participants. 

Most of the employers participating in the LEPHWI project signed up to offer training 

that would enhance the customer service skills of company workers and improve their earnings 

and promotion potential, thus improving employee retention. 

3. Outreach and Recruitment 

a. Employer Outreach and Recruitment 

The employers whose workers were targeted for assistance were those in food service or 

hospitality industries. Within this framework, the corporate educational partner, RE, selected the 

companies that would be approached and recruited for participation. For example, a large 

hospitality firm was already an RE customer, so the RE local salesperson connected the 

hospitality company with a SER representative, who then encouraged that customer to become 

 

21 The grant application was silent as to whether this goal related to participants or completers. Also, the application 

was not clear on whether the 180-day period began at program entry, at program completion, or at some other point 

in time. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 107 

part of the LEPHWI project. RE recruited 35 of the 36 employers who participated in the 

project. All of these firms were customers of RE. Through cold calls, SER staff identified one 

employer who agreed to participate in the program. 

Many of RE’s clients were hospitality and food service firms that wanted to promote 

from within. Their workers, however, needed to learn English in order to move into assistant 

manager positions and other higher-paying jobs that required customer interaction. The RE 

products provided a foundation for future advancement for these workers. A training official 

with one participating employer stated in an interview that the workplace language skills 

acquired through the LeapFrog device were a good starting point for additional English language 

acquisition and training. Many of the participants from this firm had relatively low levels of 

education prior to immigration, and the project’s intervention was one part of a lengthier staff 

development process. 

b. Participant Outreach and Recruitment 

The project targeted incumbent workers in the food and hospitality industries. 

Companies whose leaders agreed to participate generally identified the specific sites and the 

managers they wanted to be involved. The managers were, in turn, to recruit employee 

participants. Thus, managers or supervisors generally had the responsibility of choosing which 

incumbent workers would be invited to participate in the project, but workers voluntarily chose 

whether or not to participate. 

After an employer made a commitment to the project, grantee staff visited the company 

with a RE representative to conduct a “roll-out,” which was a function designed either as a 

recruitment session for potential participants or as an orientation for workers whom the employer 

had invited to participate. LEPHWI staff reported that while these roll-outs were taking place, 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 108 

other employees who were not part of the group attending the session would inquire about 

participating. This was especially common in restaurant settings, where sessions were usually 

conducted in open areas and other workers passing by could hear part of the presentation. 

Interest grew in the program as employees became aware of the project’s offerings through 

word-of-mouth reports from participants and/or from their own observations of co-workers. 

4. Assessment and LEP Instructional Levels 

a. Description of Processes 

The enrollment of participants took place at a company-specific “roll-out” event 

facilitated by an RE staff person. At these two-hour functions, prospective participants 

completed self-assessments of their English comprehension skills, and LEPHWI staff conducted 

assessments of candidates’ English comprehension and speaking skills and collected background 

data. Invitees were expected to have completed a separate assessment of English comprehension 

prior to the roll-out through a telephone call to RE’s tracking center. During the project’s early 

stages, candidates who had not completed this self-assessment were given instructional kits with 

the electronic learning tool. The grantee soon determined, however, that they had to require the 

pre-assessment as a condition of entry before providing participants with the kit. 

Participants’ worksite managers were responsible for monitoring their employees’ 

completion of the curriculum and of the assessment processes. Sed de Saber project staff did not 

have direct contact with participants. Notably in cases where companies had designated trainers 

who were accountable for program results and/or when managers were bilingual themselves, 

participants were monitored more closely and encouraged to complete their instructional books 

and the assessment process. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 109 

Follow-up assessments of language ability were made through use of RE’s automated 

response system. After the initial assessment, participants voluntarily made the telephone calls 

at times convenient to them at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the self-paced instructional 

program as they completed each of these three designated sections. Participants dialed into the 

RE system, entered their personal identification number, and, using their telephone’s touchpad, 

provided keyed responses to questions from the automated system. Callers also provided verbal 

responses to some questions. Assessment scores were calculated and stored electronically. 

Results collected by RE were shared periodically with SER. LEPHWI project staff reported that 

the corporate partner’s procedures for locating and sharing individual scores for project 

participants were time consuming and resulted in delayed and sometimes incomplete feedback to 

SER, which created challenges for monitoring the participants and managing the project overall. 

b. Participant Characteristics

All of the Texas LEPHWI participants identified Spanish as their primary language, with 

Latin America being their region of origin. Additional demographic information is presented in 

Tables II-22 and II-23. Nearly 62 percent of the Sed de Saber participants were women (Table 

II-22). The population served was characterized by low levels of educational attainment; 

however, a number of participants had college degrees. Over one-quarter of the participants 

reported that they had six or fewer years of education. Another 49.2 percent had seven to 12 

years of education.22 Forty-seven participants, or 3.3 of the total served, reported that they had an 

associates degree or higher. 

 

22 Because the MIS provided a specific category for participants who had achieved a high school diploma or GED, it 

is assumed that those in the category that includes 12 years of education did not receive a diploma. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 110 

 The language skills of participants prior to beginning the program were assessed by 

grantee staff at the roll-out events and through a telephone response process with the educational 

partner. Despite their relatively low levels of formal education, a majority of participants were 

determined to have “Excellent” reading skills in their native language, Spanish (Table II-23). 

Less than one in five scored “Fair” or “Poor” on this assessment. However, participants were 

found to have low speaking and reading skills in English, as over 90 percent scored “Fair” or 

“Poor” in these areas. 

Characteristic Number Percent

Gender

Male 872 61.7%

Female 542 38.3%

Unknown 3

Educational Attainment*

No school 71 5.0%

0-6 years 323 22.8%

7-8 years 254 17.9%

9-12 years, no diploma 443 31.3%

GED or high school diploma 183 12.9%

Vocationa/technical degree 69 4.9%

Some college 27 1.9%

Associates degree 23 1.6%

Bachelor's degree 21 1.5%

Masters or doctoral degree 3 0.2%

Total 1417

Source: Grantee MIS

 * - Highest grade completed

Table II-22

Texas: Participant Demographics

Note: Percentages exclude participants whose records indicate

their gender is "unknown."
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 111 

According to the project’s MIS, over 87 percent of project participants worked full-time 

at the businesses of the participating employers (Table II-24). Full-time workers earned an 

average wage of $9.38 an hour. Men working full-time earned more than a dollar an hour above 

the average wage of women working full-time. There was no gender gap in wages for part-time 

workers. 

Excellent Good Fair Poor

Spanish Reading Skills 51.8% 28.8% 16.3% 3.0% 1,414

English Speaking Skills 0.4% 6.1% 36.5% 57.0% 1,410

English Reading Skills 0.8% 7.6% 37.2% 54.4% 1,413

Table II-23

Texas: Language Skills of Participants at Enrollment

Assessment Number

Assessed

Source: Grantee MIS

Gender Part-time Full-time Total

Average Hourly Wage $8.09 $8.95 $8.83

Total Participants 119 753 872

Average Hourly Wage $7.95 $10.04 $9.82

Total Participants 59 483 542

Average Hourly Wage $9.75 $9.75

Total Participants 3 3

$8.04 $9.38 $9.21

178 1,239 1,417

Employment Status

Table II-24

Texas: Participant Wages at Enrollment

By Gender and Employment Status

Female

Male

Missing Information

Overall Average Hourly Wage

Total Participants

Source: Grantee MIS
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 112 

5. Curriculum and Instruction

a. Curriculum Development 

 The VESL curriculum, or “Sed de Saber: English for Hospitality,” was developed by 

RE, the corporate partner and subcontractor to the grantee. The curriculum focused on 

incumbent workers in food service and hospitality industries, and it included six electronic 

“books” that addressed appropriate English language skills for the workplace. The curriculum 

specifically targeted Spanish-speaking workers and included attractive and culturally appropriate 

graphics. The six components (or books) and selected examples of topics in each included the 

following: 

1) Getting Started (introductions, schedules, being a prep cook) 

2) Learning New Things (taking orders, responding to requests) 

3) Meeting Challenges (talking on the phone, being a cook) 

4) Solving Problems (requesting time off, being a server) 

5) Hard Work Pays Off (changing shifts, receiving feedback) 

6) Continued Success (taking complex orders, being a general manager) 

The curriculum was delivered through a hand-held, electronic device (see Figure 1 for an 

illustration of a Sed de Saber kit). 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 113 

Figure 1 

Retention Education’s LeapFrog Device and Instruction Package 

b. Use of Technology 

The curriculum was transmitted to learners via the Quantum LeapPad technology of 

LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. Thus, the Sed de Saber instructional tool was a portable, interactive, 

and self-paced system that offered participants maximum flexibility, allowing them to use it 

during breaks while at work or, more typically, at home. One of the key advantages of this 

instructional system was its interactive voice recording mechanism that allowed participants to 

record their voices multiple times until satisfied that their pronunciation was correct. Because 

participants could return to any of the lessons whenever they needed to review that material 

(unlike most classroom instruction in which learners have only have a predetermined amount of 

time in a particular instructional setting), this tool reinforced English language acquisition in 

ways that were specific to individual needs. For the assessments, participants called a toll-free 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 114 

number when they felt they were prepared to move on to the next level of the curriculum, and 

they took the appropriate test over the phone. This automated assessment facilitated RE’s data 

collection. 

c. Instructors 

Because it used an electronic, self-paced instructional system to deliver the curriculum, 

the project did not need instructors. However, some of the participating employers 

complemented this self-paced instructional system with additional “wrap-around” training, or 

they gathered participants at least once a week to check in on the status of their learning. The 

grantee coordinator stated that, according to reports, the few employers that supplemented the 

self-paced instruction with personal interaction generally saw the most progress in their 

employees. 

As the number of LEPHWI users of the LeapFrog device grew, RE realized that 

additional services would help to improve the success rate of participants. This specifically 

called for providing additional engagement and more “touch points” to keep participants in the 

program. The corporation thus decided to offer learner support to participants of the project. 

According to reports, a learning coach was given the task of calling students four times 

throughout the program. These calls were designed to ensure that participants understood how to 

use the software, how to take the pre-assessment, and how to access the toll-free number for 

periodic assessment and check-in. The initial call focused on the pre-assessment. Another call 

reminded students of the target dates for other activities, such as the post-assessment and 

graduation. Another objective of the calls was to learn whether any events were taking place that 

could affect the participants’ progress (e.g., personal or family illness, job changes). 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 115 

d. VESL Components 

The Sed de Saber curriculum focused on food preparation and customer service skills and 

on the ESL skills related specifically to the food services and hospitality industries. These 

focuses served the overall goal of increasing the productivity of incumbent workers on the job. 

e. Training Venues 

Training was delivered through an electronic learning tool with a curriculum and learning 

activities that were almost entirely self-paced and that participants usually accessed at home. 

LEPHWI project staff soon recognized the importance of regularly following up with employers 

and participants in an effort to directly and indirectly encourage employees to complete the 

curriculum. Because the mentoring activity anticipated in the proposal was not fully 

implemented, the self-paced model attempted in Texas meant that many participants may not 

have experienced the external support and guidance that could possibly have facilitated their 

continued skill acquisition. This was particularly true in smaller establishments that lacked 

personnel who were dedicated to training and human resource development. For these reasons, 

the initial model evolved into one with additional supports, such as the learning coach described 

above. 

6. Job Development and Placement Activities

All of the participants in the Texas LEPHWI project were incumbent workers, and the 

grantee did not establish or pursue job development or placement activities. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 116 

7. Other Components

a. Support Services 

The Texas LEPHWI project did not provide significant support services to participants, a 

situation attributed by project staff to the limited funding available for case managers to offer 

such services. Mentoring had been the primary support planned at the outset of the grant. 

However, early in the project the grantee learned that most of the participating companies were 

not interested in hosting mentoring activities at their establishments, due usually to a lack of 

dedicated space and to the pressured work schedules of their employees. 

In addition, efforts to attract students from area colleges and universities to work as 

mentors appear to have been unsuccessful because supervisors of interns assigned to outside 

agencies are required to have, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree and certification in social work. 

It is unclear whether additional interpersonal assistance or other forms of support services 

might have been necessary for participants, since they continued to earn income while in training 

and could choose the most convenient time and place to use the instructional tool. However, the 

project coordinator believed that many more participants would have completed the curriculum if 

they had been both monitored and encouraged to persist. She suggested that the low educational 

levels and unfamiliarity with learning processes of many participants led them to doubt their 

ability to complete the VESL instruction on their own. 

b. Use of Incentives 

The self-paced and portable instructional system was considered an incentive for 

participation. The expectation was that self-motivated employees would seize the opportunity 

and take advantage of the flexibility provided by the electronic learning tool. The electronic 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 117 

learning systems became the property of the employers, and participants were expected to turn 

them in once they had completed the curriculum or dropped out of the project. 

c. Support Outside the Classroom 

The curriculum was offered in a non–classroom setting. Additional support was largely 

dependent upon individual employers who could augment curricular information with 

workplace-specific activities. 

The grantee’s original plan called for mentoring to be a key strategy to help participants 

learn English. SER was going to work with its private and public partners to identify mentors 

and encourage “worker leaders” to become part of a peer-support system. In the project’s early 

stages, workplace-mentoring activities did take place. Grantee reports describe group-mentoring 

sessions held for participating workers at one large employer partner, where attendees played 

team-oriented games, such as Family Feud and tic-tac-toe. They also played bingo using 

vocabulary words and/or phrases in place of numbers. 

Mentoring sessions at another employer partner were individual, one-on-one sessions 

with someone called the training coach. In these sessions, the coach and a participant reviewed 

material previously studied. The employer offered this service to workers who were “on the 

clock,” thus demonstrating to the workers the employer’s commitment and support for their 

continued English language learning. 

Most employers did not have the space to support mentoring activities. Further, once the 

partnership between SER and RE evolved in 2006, the grantee felt compelled to focus its staff 

services on orientation and data collection to meet its ambitious recruitment and completion 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 118 

goals rather than on mentoring activities. In addition, the original plan to enlist college students 

as mentors did not materialize. As a result, this project feature was not fully implemented. 

By the end of the Texas LEPHWI demonstration project, the coordinator had identified 

several companies or “business champions” in the Dallas Metroplex that demonstrated particular 

success in the rates of their employees completing their instruction. She characterized the 

employers’ engagement as based on an ongoing commitment to the development of their 

workers and a recognition of the critical role that their Spanish-speaking employees would play 

in their companies’ future economic stability and earnings. Those incumbent workers were 

expected to provide better customer service with their improved English skills and also to 

respond to the needs of the growing number of Spanish-speaking customers frequenting their 

establishments. The Sed de Saber coordinator believed that the existence of a training director 

and/or supervisors on-site who invested time in monitoring the progress of their LEPHWI 

incumbent workers’ learning and who challenged and encouraged them to persist was the factor 

responsible for their companies achieving high levels of employee completion of the VESL 

instructional process. 

8. Project Outcomes 

The MIS database of the Texas LEPHWI demonstration project indicated that the project 

enrolled 1,417 participants, or 58.3 percent of the original goal of 2,430 participants (Table II25). 

a. Language and Vocational Skills Acquisition 

Grantee MIS data indicate that, of the participants who began the self-paced, at-home 

curriculum as part of the LEPHWI demonstration project, about one-fourth (26 percent) finished 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 119 

all six books along with the final assessment to complete the entire program. Fifteen percent of 

the participants completed only the first half of the curriculum (three books) and its midpoint 

assessment. It is inferred that the remaining participants completed even less of the curriculum. 

Number Percent Number Percent

Enrollees 2430* N/A 1417 N/A

Program Completion 90.0% 372 26.3%

Entered Employment Rate N/A N/A

Retention Rate 70.0% 213 91.8%

Earnings Gain 20.0% $0.43 4.7%

English Literacy Gains 14.9

Participants Earning Promotion 20.0% N/A N/A

Notes:

 - According to the grant solicitation, project outcome measures were to mirror ETA’s 

common measures (Entered Employment Rate, Retention Rate, and Earnings Gain), “to the

extent possible.”

 - N/A = not available.

 - Entries in italics are estimated and are based on incomplete data.

 - Retention was based on remaining in the job for six months. Data are based on a sample 

of 231 participants; therefore, the results are not intended to be representative of the 

project's overall performance on this measure. 

 - Earnings Gain was measured after six months on the job. Earnings gain was calculated

using the 43-cent per hour gain reported for 213 individuals for whom wage data are 

available who were still employed after 6 months and the average wage of $9.21 for all

participants in the project.

 - English literacy gains are based on 327 individuals who completed the program and have

pre- and post-program test scores. The scores on the Retention Education instrument

averaged 66.62 and 81.53, respectively.

* - The proposal indicated that a total of 2,830 LeapFrog devices would be purchased in a 

1:1 cost-sharing scheme with participating employers. However, the total number of planned

participants was stated as 2,430. It is not clear how the additional 400 Leap Frog devices 

were to be used.

Sources: Grantee proposal (planned data), Grantee Final Report (outcome data)

Table II-25

Texas: Planned and Actual Project Outcomes

Planned Actual

Indicators/Measures
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 120 

SER’s final project report emphasized that the Sed de Saber curriculum supported the 

attainment of job-specific, entry-level English language, workplace, and life skills relevant to 

food service and hospitality industries, and that the curriculum was not a comprehensive ESL 

language program. Therefore, the assessment results are not directly tied to comprehensive 

language acquisition. 

Table II-26 shows the gains in test scores from the pre-assessment to the midpoint 

assessment; from the pre-assessment to the final assessment; and from the midpoint assessment 

to the final assessment. According to the project’s MIS data, 1,045 participants did not complete 

the entire program; 372 did complete it, and thus had final assessment scores. 

To collect follow-up information on the status of participants, SER staff members 

attempted to call participants 180 days after they enrolled in the program. Although the project 

coordinator noted that staff members had been successful in contacting many participants, MIS 

follow-up data are available for only approximately 16 percent of participants. For noncompleters, common reasons for not completing the program related to the participants missing a 

deadline. The project had established a six-month, post-enrollment target for participants to 

complete the program and to take the final assessment test. In some instances, employers 

established internal deadlines that were shorter than those of the project. SER staff were unable 

Testing Interval All Male Female

Pre-assessment and midpoint assessments 13.5 11.5 14.0

Pre-assessment and final assessments 14.9 12.5 15.5

Midpoint and final assessments 2.6 1.0 3.1

Total Participants 372 80 291

Source: Grantee MIS

Table II-26

Texas: Average Score Increase for Program Completers

Participant Gains

Notes: Total includes one participant for whom gender was not entered.
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 121 

to contact many individuals who did not take the midpoint or final assessment test; in these 

cases, the information was entered as “unable to contact” or “failed to meet deadline.” 

b. Employment Outcomes

Entered Employment. The Sed de Saber project focused solely on incumbent workers; 

therefore, placement data were not provided by the grantee. 

Advancement and Retention. The Sed de Saber project established a goal that 20 

percent of participants would earn a promotion from the positions held at the time of enrollment 

into the project. An additional goal was that 70 percent would be employed after 180 days.23 Of 

the 231 participants with follow-up records in the project’s MIS, 215 participants were working 

in the restaurant industry.24 Approximately 10 percent of this limited sample of participants had 

received a promotion. More than 92 percent of these 231 participants were still employed after 

six months. Advancement and retention outcomes for the other 1,186 participants are unknown. 

Earnings. The Texas LEPHWI goal was a 20-percent earnings gain for all participants 

who completed the VESL curriculum. Data in the project’s MIS, however, only cover 231 of the 

project’s 1,417 participants and 372 program completers. It is unclear how many of the 

participants with follow-up data completed the learning process. For those individuals with 

follow-up data, 218 were employed after six months. The 22 individuals who were promoted 

had an average wage increase of 20.6 percent, while those who were not promoted had an 

average increase of 2.9 percent (Table II-27). Earnings outcomes for the other 1,186 participants 

are unknown. 

 

23 As noted previously, the grant application is silent as to whether this goal relates to participants or completers, and 

it is not clear whether the 180-day period began at program entry, program completion, or some other point in time. 

24 These results are not based on a representative sample of the project participants. For this reason, the outcomes 

cannot be considered to be reflective of the project as a whole. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 122 

c. Progress Toward Sustainability 

Employer partners in Texas were required to purchase Sed de Saber electronic learning 

systems for their workers. In return, each company received an equal number of learning 

systems free as a match for their participation in the LEPHWI project. At the end of the grant, 

those machines became the property of the partners to use or reuse as they saw fit. The learning 

systems can be recycled multiple times and used by employees who did not have a chance to 

participate in the demonstration project, as well as by employees at different sites during 

different time periods. 

The LEPHWI project coordinator was optimistic about the positive response of 

employers, especially the “business champion” companies, and their intent to continue the 

program. Interviews with representatives from two such companies indicated that they were 

planning to continue the project to make this language-learning opportunity available to more of 

their current employees and, in one case, to expand the VESL project to another business site in 

a different state. 

Received Promotion Number Beginning Follow-Up Amount Percent

Yes 22 $8.00 $9.65 $1.65 20.6%

No 196 $9.39 $9.66 $0.27 2.9%

Notes: Data based on sample of 218 participants with follow-up records who were employed

with wages at enrollment and at follow-up. Results are not necessarily representative of all

participants.

Source: Grantee MIS

Table II-27

Texas: Promotions and Wage Increases

Wage Wage Change
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report September 4, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 123 

III. Cross-Site Comparison and Analysis 

 Although the grantees’ approaches to project operations and service delivery varied 

considerably, each project dealt in some form with several key LEPHWI program components. 

This chapter presents a brief overview of how the sites approached six key program areas: 1) 

project organization and partnering; 2) outreach, recruitment, and assessment; 3) curriculum 

development and participant instruction; 4) job development and placement; 5) participant 

support; and 6) use of incentives. 

Each project responded to its unique community context and objectives. Yet several 

similarities were evident in program design and experiences. This chapter’s description and 

analysis across sites is intended as a prelude to the discussion in the next chapter on project 

challenges, solutions, and lessons learned. 

A. Project Organization and Partnering

 To organize and operate the LEPHWI projects, grantees worked with entities involved in 

education, with employers, and to some extent with local workforce systems. Table III-1 

displays information on these principal partners and their respective roles for each project. 

Educational institutions were the primary partners for each grantee and were involved in each 

LEPHWI project. In two instances, the grantees themselves were community colleges. In the 

other three cases, educational entities were involved as part of the original project proposals. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 

Employer Educational O

San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor CouncilSan Diego, CA

Regional association of labor unions

 - One employer of incumbent workers (NASSCO shipyard)

 - Continuing Education Department, San Diego City College (curriculum and instruction for incumbent workers)

 - Cesar E. Chavez space and comput

Resource, Inc.Minneapolis, MN

Local communitybased organization - Existing employer partners (support for 

curriculum development and other project activities)

 - Minneapolis Adult Basic Education program (referral and instructional support) - Minneapolis Community and Technical College (instruction)

 - None

Metropolitan Community CollegeOmaha, NE

Higher education institution

 - Employers of incumbent worker participants in maintenance, construction, food preparation, and other businesses

 - Grantee Coordinator: Learning Design and Support Department, Metropolitan Community College (MCC) - Other MCC Divisions

 - Cesar Chavez Incomputer lab) - Southern SudaneDevelopment Foun

- Local Workforce 

One-Stop Career Cplacement)

City University of New YorkNew York, NY

CUNY Research Foundation

 - Multiple employers of incumbent worker participants in retail and food service businesses

- Grantee Coordinator: Borough of 

Manhattan Community College, with support from three other CUNY community colleges (curriculum adaptation and instruction)

 - National Retail F(curriculum adapta - NYC DepartmenServices and One-(referral, training s

SER - Jobs For Progress, Inc.Dallas, TX

Non-profit organization with a national network of employment & training organizations

 - Multiple employers of incumbent worker participants in hospitality and food service businesses

 - Retention Education, a private educational corporation (proprietary electronic learning tool and curriculum, as well as recruitment of employers and assessment of participants)

 - None

Table III-1

Project Grantees and Partners of the LEPHWI Demonstration Projects

Sources: LEPHWI grantees' applications, project reports, and site-visit interviews

Primary Project Partners

Grantee

Grantee 

Organization
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 125 

In the two projects administered by community colleges (Nebraska and New York), 

instructors and staff adapted existing curricula to create vocationally oriented training that 

addressed the needs of participating employers. In these sites, the colleges also provided the 

institutional framework available through post-secondary institutions for student assessment, 

tracking, and support. 

The other three grantees (California, Minnesota, and Texas) were not formal educational 

organizations, but each had some experience in providing training in job search and occupational 

skill training to area residents, and all of these grantees worked with entities whose primary 

mission was education. The California grantee originally partnered with part of the San Diego 

Community College District to develop a curriculum for incumbent workers at the NASSCO 

shipyard. In Minnesota, the local community college and the adult educational system were both 

partners in the project design. The Texas grantee partnered with an educational corporation to 

deliver instructional programs. 

For the four projects that served significant numbers of incumbent workers (California, 

Nebraska, New York and Texas), employers were key project partners. In two projects 

(California and New York), employers were involved in preparing the project plan prior to the 

submission of the proposal. However, all of the sites also worked with employers who were 

recruited to participate in the projects only after the funds from USDOL had been awarded. 

Based on interviews with some participating employers and project staff, three primary factors 

motivated businesses to become involved in the projects: to improve customer service by 

improving their workers’ English language skills; to increase worker retention by helping 

workers be more comfortable in their work environments by learning vocational English; and to 

help their workers become better persons and better citizens. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 126 

B. Outreach, Recruitment, and Assessment Practices

 When incumbent workers were part of the target group, grantees typically relied on 

employers to identify those workers for whom project services were appropriate. The sites that 

served jobseekers relied upon the access points of local workforce investment systems to identify 

potential participants. These sites also purchased advertising and secured Public Service 

Announcements in foreign-language media and used immigrant social groups and community 

organizations to gain access to LEP individuals in the groups targeted for their projects (Table 

III-2). 

 As required by USDOL, the five LEPHWI demonstration projects used some type of 

initial assessment of participants’ English skills to help them place participants into appropriate 

instruction; the projects also used a variety of outcome measures to help determine the 

effectiveness of their models in teaching English language skills. Because there were wide 

variations in approaches to assessing English proficiency gains, however, it is not possible to 

make comparisons across projects. 

 Sites had mixed success in their attempts to collect the kind of employment-related 

outcome data proposed in their grant applications. Data on participant retention in employment 

and average earnings were particularly problematic, as former participants often were reluctant 

to share such information and staff encountered difficulties staying in contact with some program 

graduates. Grantees that had previously operated WIA-funded programs were more prepared to 

carry out the outcome-tracking function. 

 Staff at several projects were disappointed with the results of their assessment activities, 

especially those in the Minnesota and New York projects, as they discovered either that 

participants were not able to meet the expected placement criteria or that the instrument was too 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 127 

challenging for VESL learners. The Texas project had the advantage of relying on its corporate 

partner’s assessment process and metrics for its proprietary electronic device, although 

motivating participants to complete their assessments proved somewhat difficult and grantee 

staff reported delays in receiving data from the partner. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 

Grantee

Outreach, Recruitment

and Assessment

Curriculum Development and Learner 

Instruction Job Developmen

San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor CouncilSan Diego, CA

 - Incumbent workers at NASSCO shipyard were recruited through on-site flyers, supervisor referrals, and former participants. - Jobseekers were recruited through established Labor Council processes, reverse referrals from NASSCO, and flyers and advertisements.

 - The community college adapted curriculum with employer input and provided initial instruction (to incumbent workers). - The Labor Council shifted to an external instructor (for incumbent workers) and project staff (for jobseekers).

 - Not applicable foserved only incumb - Grantee provided assistance. - Jobseekers were generic Labor Counmethods and conneNASSCO.

Resource, Inc.Minneapolis, MN

 - Participants were referred from Minneapolis Adult Basic Education (ABE) and former participants.

 - Grantee adapted existing curricula with help from ABE and community college partners.

 - Grantee provided assistance. - Grantee developeand assisted jobsee

Metropolitan Community CollegeOmaha, NE

 - Employers were recruited through letters. - Employers identified incumbent worker participants. - Participants were recruited through community-based organizations and advertising.

 - Grantee adapted an existing ESL curriculum with guidance from employer partners. - Commercial (Rosetta Stone) software was used. - Components were customized to meet employer needs.

 - Grantee provided assistance.

City University of New YorkNew York, NY

 - Multiple avenues were used to recruit employers. - Employers identified incumbent worker participants. - Advertisements and referrals from OneStop Center (for dislocated workers) were used.

 - Grantee adapted an existing curriculum with assistance from the National Retail Federation Foundation. - Colleges created customized components to meet employer needs and participant characteristics.

 - One-Stop Center community colleges jobseekers.

SER - Jobs For Progress, Inc.Dallas, TX

 - The corporate educational partner recruited employers. - Employers identified incumbent worker participants.

 - Grantee used a commercial product (Retention Education proprietary product).

 - Not applicable (pincumbent workers

Sources: LEPHWI grantees' applications, project reports, and site-visit interviews

Table III-2

Implementation Processes of LEPHWI Demonstration Grants
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 129 

C. Curriculum Development and Participant Instruction 

 Table III-2 displays the projects’ principal approaches to developing program curricula 

and instructing participants. In most cases, projects serving incumbent workers created 

curriculum content that was specific to the needs of their participating employers. For example, 

in California supervisors and management staff in each of the trades at the shipyard assisted in 

determining the occupational language skills required for successfully performing tasks on the 

job. This involvement allowed the community college staff to customize the topics and learning 

activities to meet the employer’s specific needs. Employer input was also a strong component at 

most other sites, with the notable exception of Texas, where Retention Education’s proprietary 

program was provided to all participants through the LeapFrog device. 

When employers identified workers who showed potential for success in VESL training, 

project staff and instructors faced major challenges due to the widely varied levels of the 

workers’ English language competency. As a result, individual workers selected by their 

employers were not necessarily well suited to sharing the same instructional setting. Projects 

such as New York’s attempted to place participants into educational tracks, based on their pretest fluency scores, but the opportunities for providing even just two tracks of instruction for the 

same content were uncommon. Promising approaches that could help to address this dilemma 

include mentoring and coaching activities, such as those in the Nebraska project and the selfpaced instructional model piloted in Texas. 

 In sites that served jobseekers (primarily the grantees in California, Minnesota, and 

Nebraska), substantial components of the VESL instruction involved providing a practical 

context for training that focused on job search skills and accent reduction for non-native English 

speakers. These project components appeared to be somewhat less structured than the more 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 130 

occupationally oriented curricula provided through the other demonstration projects. The job 

search training was nonetheless perceived to be an important component of preparing 

participants to succeed in their efforts to find satisfactory employment with higher wages and 

opportunities for advancement. 

D. Job Development and Placement Activities 

 Most projects did not devote significant resources to job development and placement 

services for participants, since they primarily served incumbent workers. However, the limited 

information on job development and placement strategies for LEP individuals does show some 

emerging trends. The sites with noteworthy services in this area were those that recruited 

participants who were jobseekers and underemployed individuals. Table III-2 summarizes the 

approaches used by each site for this activity. 

 The Minnesota, Nebraska (Literacy Labs), and California (V-CAPP component) projects 

integrated job search training into their VESL instruction. These projects sought to provide 

learners with some of the knowledge and tools they would need to look for and obtain 

employment, either on their own or with limited guidance and staff assistance. This job search 

training component, which incorporated VESL instruction, is one of the innovative approaches 

that the projects generally had not anticipated in their applications. 

E. Participant Support

 Most sites planned to provide some level of support or assistance to learners through 

either case managers or mentors (Table III-3). Although the support was planned to help 

participants directly with their language acquisition and related learning, most sites anticipated 

that participants would require assistance with other needs, as well. Project staff in Minnesota 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 131 

and New York specifically indicated that the needs for ongoing participant support were greater 

than they had initially anticipated. These and other sites took steps to increase the types of 

support they offered and/or to expand participants’ access to supports that had been previously 

planned. The exception was the Texas project, which was not able to support case management 

because of its large number of participants. 

F. Use of Incentives 

 Although prospective participants were offered a learning opportunity that held intrinsic 

value, many of them were encouraged to become engaged in the LEPHWI projects through 

various incentive schemes. These steps were in addition to any hints of promotions and 

advancement opportunities that may have accompanied employers’ invitations to participate in 

the program. Table III-3 displays the principal means undertaken by employer partners of 

providing incentives to participants. 

The greatest diversity of incentive schemes was displayed at two projects that served 

workers at multiple firms. In the Nebraska project, one approach provided performance-based 

bonuses for completers (from $100 for those finishing with a grade of C to $350 for those 

receiving an A). These incentives, however, had not been announced in advance and were 

offered only to the first cohort of workers to enter training. Workers at a second firm were to 

receive a bonus if they successfully completed GED programs following their LEP training. 

Another firm provided a graduation ceremony and increased opportunities for promotion for 

successful students but offered no other incentives. 

The project in New York served incumbent workers at more than six firms, plus numerous 

franchises of a major fast-food corporation. Workers at some companies were paid for their time 

in class, typically eight hours a week. Other employers did not offer monetary incentives but did 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 132 

work with participants to adjust their work schedules to allow them to attend class. Some 

participants received a contract at the beginning of the program to establish mutual obligations 

and expectations. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 

Grantee Training Venues Participant Support

Ince

(for incumb

San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor CouncilSan Diego, CA

 - Initially at and near the worksite (incumbent workers) - Grantee administrative offices (jobseekers)

 - On-site case management was provided at employer worksite.

 - Grantee offereinducements for achievement. 

Resource, Inc.Minneapolis, MN

 - Grantee administrative offices (jobseekers) - One incumbent worker class at the worksite

- Employment specialists provided 

case management services, including assistance after placement. 

 - None

Metropolitan Community CollegeOmaha, NE

 - Grantee campus (learning labs) - Worksites (incumbent workers) - Community-based organization (computer lab)

 - Case managers and mentors provided support for instruction and other participant needs.

- A few employ

to some participcompletion.

City University of New YorkNew York, NY

 - Mix of grantee campuses and worksites (incumbent workers)

 - Case manager provided support during and after participation.

 - Some employtime for training - Some employfor successful c

SER - Jobs For Progress, Inc.Dallas, TX

 - Flexible venues through participant use of portable learning device - Some employer-offered space for group activities

 - Some participants received limited assistance from a few employers.

 - None

Sources: LEPHWI grantees' applications, project reports, and site-visit interviews

Table III-3

Assistance to and Incentives for Participants in LEPHWI Demonstration Projects
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 134 

For the incumbent worker portion of the California project, instructors and staff provided 

refreshments and prizes as incentives for participants to encourage steady attendance. 

Two projects made little if any use of explicit incentives. Although the Texas project served 

incumbent workers, most employers did not provide time off or other incentives for their 

workers to participate in or complete the program. In some ways, providing a self-paced and 

portal instructional system might be considered an incentive for participation because this 

approach provided learners with the flexibility to schedule the instructional time and place that 

would be most convenient for them. The Minnesota project served mostly jobseekers, so there 

were no explicit incentives provided by employers. 

 Interviews with project staff revealed differences of opinion regarding the importance of 

incentives. Because workers in many of the projects were earning close to minimum wage, 

several interviewees believed that some form of incentive was critical to compensate participants 

for the practical costs of attending classes. Other staff felt that the training itself, without any 

explicit enticements, was appropriate for workers who were sufficiently motivated to attend and 

work hard at improving their English skills. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 135 

IV. Project Challenges, Solutions, and Lessons Learned

This section describes the major challenges to effective implementation of the LEPHWI 

demonstration projects, to whole-scale participation, and to documentation of project outcomes. 

This section also describes solutions or accommodations by the projects for these challenges. 

A. Project Organization 

Grantees of LEPHWI demonstration projects encountered three major organizational 

challenges throughout the implementation process: 

• Reinforcing effective partnerships to support the project; 

• Maintaining project continuity with changing project management; and 

• Aligning and modifying project services in response to the needs and priorities of both 

employers and participants. 

1. Reinforcing Effective Partnerships 

LEPHWI project coordinators identified partnering as a critical challenge. Overall, this 

challenge referred to the active involvement of and support from their employer or corporate 

partners from the outset of the project until its completion. The corporate representatives’ 

support, or lack of it, generally determined whether local managers were sufficiently committed 

to encouraging the active engagement of participants. Most projects reported that their partner 

agreements could have been developed with more careful attention of all partners. 

For several of the grantees, the partnerships initially created for the demonstration 

projects were revisited upon program implementation. For example, the New York grantee’s 

initial partnership with the NRFF was intended to facilitate participation by their members in the 

demonstration project. However, the grantee had difficulty garnering participation from the 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 136 

federation’s regional representatives once the project began. In another example, the Texas 

grantee reported the need to address the lack of a clear MOU with its corporate educational 

partner on such issues as outreach, recruitment, and support services. For the California grantee, 

the original partnership with the education partner was complicated because of state 

requirements regarding average class size and the changes the project effected to address the 

evolving needs of the employer and participants. 

To resolve these challenges, staff from several projects reengaged their partners to 

redefine the goals and clarify expectations for project completion and reporting. Several staff 

also reported spending more time with corporate representatives to ensure that general managers 

and immediate supervisors understood the goals of the demonstration project, as well as the 

expected benefits for the company and its employees. Specifically, the New York grantee 

responded to the lack of participation by the federation’s members by recruiting its own set of 

local employers to participate in the demonstration project. The Texas grantee and partner both 

reconfigured their staff roles to more effectively support the project and clarified mutual 

responsibilities in meeting the project’s goals. The California grantee eventually dissolved the 

partnership with its original education partner when the levels of participation and funding 

expectations were not met and chose to hire an instructor to provide VESL training in 

collaboration with its corporate partner. 

2. Maintaining Project Continuity 

Several of the grantees identified changes in project management as another obstacle to 

maintaining project continuity in their demonstration activities. In some cases, the relationships 

and partnerships developed for the project were based upon those cultivated by the original 

grantee administrators; changes of personnel in these positions required the grantees to revisit 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 137 

their operations plan to ensure project continuity. For example, the Texas grantee experienced 

the unexpected death of the project administrator early in the project’s initiation; the lack of 

documentation and establishment of responsibilities for the project presented major difficulties. 

The San Diego grantee also had a change of management after the project was initiated; this 

challenged its continuity, as well. 

The Texas and California grantees hired new coordinators and worked to reestablish with 

the partner organizations the relationships that were necessary to continue the goals of the 

demonstration project. The coordinators also revisited and articulated staff needs and roles to 

ensure project continuity and completion. 

3. Aligning and/or Modifying Project Services 

A third organizational challenge confronted by several of the grantees involved their need 

to change the services they offered. These adjustments often affected the staffing configuration 

for the LEPHWI project or required alterations in how services were provided. For example, the 

original proposal for the Texas grantee included a position for a mentor coordinator to provide 

case-management support for participants’ language-skills development and for referrals to 

social services. Few of the participating companies were interested, however, in hosting 

mentoring activities, primarily due to a lack of dedicated training space and the revolving work 

schedules of their employees. The New York grantee faced a similar challenge in providing 

instruction and support services to participants because of its numerous partners, locations, and 

the fluctuations in participants’ work schedules. 

To address the challenge of aligning project services to actual implementation needs, the 

Texas grantee revised its mentor-coordinator position, changing it to one that involved managing 

participant data and strengthening the grantee’s role in participant intake assessments, but this 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 138 

was done at a cost of not being able to provide case-management services to participants. The 

New York grantee was able to extend some classes into locations provided by community-based 

organizations after the first year, which reduced participants’ travel time to instruction and was 

especially beneficial when participants faced heavy workplace demands that affected their class 

attendance and project completion rates. 

B. Outreach and Recruitment 

Grantees of LEPHWI demonstration projects encountered three major outreach and 

recruitment challenges throughout the implementation process: 

• Designing appropriate outreach and recruitment for employer needs while remaining 

flexible to project adaptations; 

• Revising outreach plans in response to the needs, characteristics, and suitability of 

potential participants; and 

• Recognizing that the original proposal had included unrealistically high recruitment 

and participation goals. 

1. Designing Appropriate Outreach and Recruitment 

The outreach and communication challenges faced by projects appeared to grow as the 

number of employers increased. Projects that relied on one or a small number of employers, 

such as those in California and Nebraska, put proportionately less effort into this activity than 

other sites, such as New York and Texas, which recruited and interfaced with numerous 

employers. 

For example, the New York project confronted widely varied needs and expectations of 

its company partners and the considerable heterogeneity in the characteristics of their employees. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 139 

As a result, the grantee faced challenges related to communicating and to facilitating a concerted 

outreach and recruitment plan. In contrast, the incumbent worker program in California initially 

included mostly Hispanic, monolingual, Spanish-speaking men. At first, all participants were 

recruited on-site at the corporate partner’s shipyard. However, the focus of the project evolved 

from recruiting incumbent workers to recruiting potential new hires, and the grantee was 

challenged to design an appropriate recruitment plan for this change in the target population. 

To resolve their challenges in creating appropriate outreach and recruitment plans, the 

LEPHWI demonstration projects modified their original models for outreach and recruitment to 

respond to the preferences or requirements of their major employers. For example, the New 

York grantee developed individual, campus-based plans to adapt to the complex organizational 

structure of the project—with its four community colleges and individually recruited employers 

as partners. The grantee’s four community colleges relied on existing relationships within their 

various communities to identify employers and potential participants when efforts to recruit 

members of the National Retail Federation lagged. This resulted in different, but effective 

recruitment plans, which ranged from relying on an employer’s management to identify 

participants who could benefit from the VESL instruction, to disseminating flyers and general 

employer announcements of the training offered, to using the initial set of participants to recruit 

colleagues for participation in future training. 

The California grantee, the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, designed a 

second model of classroom instruction at its administrative offices in response to the project’s 

changed needs for recruitment. Outreach activities for potential new hires were already in place, 

and recruitment involved providing an orientation about the benefits of the VESL program 

during the agency’s general intake sessions for job-seeking applicants. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 140 

2. Integrating Participant Needs and Suitability Considerations into Outreach Plans

In addition to their need to modify recruitment plans based on the needs of employers, the 

grantees also had to take into account the needs of participants when conducting recruitment 

activities. 

The Texas project was challenged by the need to modify its recruitment plans due to the 

relatively low threshold set by some employers for worker participation. Overall, the grantee’s 

corporate partner encouraged participating companies to target the training on employees who 

had been with the company for some time, whom the employer wanted to promote, and who 

were loyal to the firm. Project staff reported that most participating employers used these 

selection criteria effectively for participation. However, one company’s managers selected some 

kinds of employees who tended to have a high turnover rate—individuals who had been with the 

company only a short time and in entry-level positions (e.g., dishwashers). Not only did the high 

turnover rate continue and limit skill advancement, but it also appeared to have had an adverse 

affect on the morale of workers who had been at the firm for many years and who had not been 

selected to participate. This company’s experience helped LEPHWI staff convince other 

employers of the importance of selecting participants who had reasonable potential for success in 

the program. 

Local employers in Nebraska supported the LEPHWI project by identifying incumbent 

workers as possible participants. The staff, however, initially encountered considerable fear and 

misinformation among these workers, many of whom were recent immigrants. To address this 

challenge, the project adapted Metropolitan Community College’s intake process in ways that 

were designed to respect and reduce those fears. Community-based organizations also provided 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 141 

important assistance in recruiting unemployed and underemployed workers, reaching out to 

individuals whom the grantee would not have been able to contact. 

3. Modifying Unrealistic Recruitment Goals 

The Texas project’s original proposal included a very ambitious participation goal, but 

staff experienced greater challenges in recruitment than they had anticipated. The project 

depended on its corporate educational partner (which sold the electronic learning device) for 

outreach to employers. Project staff had to coordinate with this corporate partner to reach 

participation target numbers for the LEPHWI program, and recruitment took place at corporate 

partner “roll-out” events, with minimal involvement by project staff. To address this challenge, 

the grantee deferred recruitment to its corporate partner and realigned its staff to focus on intake 

assessment information and coordination with the corporate partner. 

C. Assessment 

In the same way that the LEPHWI demonstration projects learned that their outreach and 

recruitment activities needed to be adapted, several projects discovered that their assessment 

criteria or processes were not appropriate for many participants. There were two common 

challenges in this area: 

• Problems with the assessment process itself; and 

• Recognition of the need to change assessment and/or placement criteria. 

Projects responded by adapting their assessment practices in a variety of ways. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 142 

1. Problems with Assessment Processes 

All projects attempted to assess prospective participants’ competencies, particularly their 

fluency in English, prior to the beginning of their formal learning process. Many sites 

encountered difficulties in completing the assessments, due to logistical, practical, and 

procedural considerations. 

The initial California assessment process was a challenge to implement with incumbent 

workers at the shipyard site because of problems obtaining a regular space for the project and 

participants’ struggles to locate and enroll in the program. Assessments became easier when the 

project piloted its second VESL model at the grantee’s administrative office and incorporated 

ESL assessment instruments into routine testing and interview procedures for applicants. 

Recruitment of LEPHWI participants in Texas took place at events within participating 

companies. These “roll-outs” included a quick oral assessment of the English comprehension 

and speaking skills of interested applicants. This did not always prove to be effective due to time 

pressures, the large number of applicants whose speaking skills needed to be tested, and the 

sometime inadequate number of grantee staff available to complete the oral testing. Follow-up 

assessments were made through telephone interviews with participants by staff from the 

corporate educational partner. These assessments were conducted at the beginning, midpoint, 

and end of the self-paced instructional program. Participants voluntarily made the telephone 

calls at times convenient to them when beginning the program and as they completed each of the 

three designated sections of the curriculum. Results were then shared with the grantee, although 

staff reported frequent, long delays before they received results. 

As part of recruitment strategies for the New York project, the four colleges planned to 

assess the ESL levels of incumbent workers before they became participants in the LEPHWI 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 143 

project to ensure they would benefit from VESL instruction. However, employers almost always 

selected those employees who would participate, and only then did the college assess candidates. 

The result was that the students who participated had widely ranging levels of English 

proficiency and literacy, which made effective instruction much more challenging. 

2. Changes in Assessment Criteria 

During early implementation of its project, the Minnesota project staff noted that many 

participants experienced difficulties in their first VESL training component. They decided to 

raise the minimum entry-level score to better target participants who could benefit from the 

LEPHWI services. Individuals with lower scores were referred to ABE programs in the area. 

The New York LEPHWI project quickly determined that it had been overly optimistic 

about the ability of applicants to improve their English proficiency, particularly their literacy 

skills. The major question the project faced was whether it would be able to attain one of the key 

expected outcomes: certification in customer service. The NRFF had adopted the National 

Institute for Literacy’s Equipped for the Future Content Standards and had developed national 

standards for the retail industry, the National Professional Certification in Customer Service. 

One of the project’s original expected outcomes was the achievement of a 50 percent pass rate by 

LEPHWI participants on the NRFF Equipped for the Future exam. After several unsuccessful 

attempts by project participants to pass the NRFF exam, when these same participants had been 

successful in their VESL efforts, it was reluctantly concluded that the certification was not an 

appropriate objective for recent immigrants involved in VESL programs. The project 

coordinator reported that this decision was based on feedback from instructors, who confirmed 

that their LEPHWI completers had sufficiently improved their oral English communication skills 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 144 

to succeed in the workplace and/or and to secure successful placement and retention in 

employment. 

D. Curriculum and Instruction

As with recruitment and assessment, the adaptation or development of curriculum and the 

implementation of VESL instruction required the LEPHWI demonstration projects to address the 

needs and concerns of employers and to respond to participants’ efforts to succeed. With the 

objective of improving attendance and ensuring program completion, changes were made in the 

following: 

• Places and schedules of instruction; 

• Focus and length of the curricula; 

• Instructors; and 

• Types of instructional support services. 

1. Changes in Training Venues

The demonstration projects offered several different options for training sites, and 

adaptive changes seem to have improved participation in and completion of VESL training. For 

example, most LEPHWI project staff believed that, as often as an employer’s space permitted, 

VESL classes should be taught at the work site to help maintain attendance. Staff worried that 

educational campuses might be difficult to reach for many participants because of their lack of 

dependable transportation. Several sites extended and/or eliminated instructional sites in 

response to the circumstances of employers and participants. Thus, each project responded to the 

demands, limitations, and opportunities of its workplace settings and the characteristics of its 

participants in slightly different ways, all seeking to be effective. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 145 

The California LEPHWI demonstration project implemented its initially proposed model 

on-site with incumbent workers at the NASSCO shipyard, but it almost immediately encountered 

problems due to the employer’s difficulty in providing a regular, designated space for instruction 

and to frequent changes in the workers’ schedules that resulted in their missing several VESL 

sessions and not completing their training. In response, the LEPHWI staff modified the project 

design several times by moving instruction around the employer’s facility, shortening the 

curriculum, and changing instructors. As the needs of the employer changed from training 

incumbent workers to finding and training jobseekers, the sponsoring Labor Council developed a 

second model of classroom instruction at its administrative offices. This model consisted of an 

intensive week of VESL classroom instruction that preceded participation in the existing CAPP 

program that prepared participants to find and maintain steady employment. Throughout the 

project’s various changes and adaptations, the major employer partner, the shipyard, remained 

committed to the training effort and to hiring completers. 

Staff at the New York project identified attendance as a constant problem primarily due 

to scheduling conflicts at the work sites and to participants’ domestic issues (especially their 

need to care for children, spouses, and/or older adults during instructional periods). Staff at the 

project came to recognize the value of scheduling some classes in partnership with communitybased organizations, in addition to offering classes at a variety of campuses and work sites. In 

both cases, the results were encouraging in terms of improved participant attendance and 

completion. 

2. Changes in Curricula

At the outset of the projects, the grantees developed an initial curriculum for their 

vocational skills and English language development programs. However, several projects made 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 146 

changes to their curricula to accommodate the needs of employers and to adapt to the 

characteristics of the participants. The Minnesota project provided some notable examples of 

this adaptation process. Many Minnesota LEPHWI participants encountered stronger language 

and cultural barriers than the grantee had anticipated, and staff had to incorporate ways to 

address these barriers into their project curriculum and job search training. The majority of its 

participants were recent immigrants from Africa who spoke some English but not fluently 

enough to attain employment. 

Minnesota participants and project staff also reported that some participants had to make 

major cultural adjustments to accommodate the norms of the American workplace, such as 

employer expectations about schedules, appropriate dress, and customer service. LEPHWI staff 

and their partner employers had to learn about the “culture shock” experienced by participants in 

Minnesota workplaces and how to assist the trainees in adapting to their new circumstances. 

These issues were more pronounced for some female participants who were not accustomed to 

men and women working together. 

In addition, because a notable percentage of the Minnesota participants were from 

regions that had experienced severe political and military conflict, these participants 

demonstrated some initial fear and distrust of the project and its requirements for follow-up with 

employers. The project staff adapted the LEPHWI curricula, instructional tracks, and support 

services accordingly in an effort to respond to these participants’ situation. 

The Minnesota project staff also found that participants who completed the first phase of 

job preparation training were inadequately prepared for the advanced skills course in the 

customer service component of the training. In response, the project staff incorporated more 

ESL instruction into their curriculum. Additionally, despite high participant interest and 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 147 

motivation, almost none of the participants were able to meet the stringent community college 

admissions requirements for the Health Care Support program. As a result, the project’s 

emphasis shifted to one of strengthening the job readiness component and to finding full-time 

employment for participants. 

The New York LEPHWI project had the benefits and the challenges of piloting its 

initiative within a huge metropolitan service area. Staff encountered a wide variety of employer 

needs and expectations, and project participants represented a wide range of language groups. 

Each of the four community colleges involved in the project adapted the ESL curriculum to the 

needs of both the employers and the participants. As a result, there was no single pattern, 

schedule, or VESL content that was consistent across the campuses or participating employers. 

Instead, the project adapted its instructional core in a flexible manner in response to the 

characteristics of participants and to the requirements or limitations of employers and their sites. 

After early difficulties in maintaining attendance, the management of the New York project 

shortened its curriculum, twice reducing instructional time from 180 to 160 contact hours, and 

then to 120 contact hours, and reducing the duration of its course from 20 to 15 weeks. 

3. Changes in Instructors 

The initial phase of the California LEPHWI project relied on instructors from the local 

community college district. However, strict state regulations on class size and attendance were 

difficult to meet, given the fluid nature of the early cohorts, when incumbent worker participants 

struggled to maintain their job schedules and participate in the on-site training. The grantee 

subsequently hired an ESL instructor who used the adapted curriculum to teach right at the 

shipyard. This approach was continued in the second model, when unemployed workers 

participated in VESL training at the administrative offices of the sponsoring organization.
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 148 

4. Challenges in Providing Instructional Support 

The Texas demonstration project, with its electronic VESL learning kits, encouraged 

employers to provide a place and time at the work site for participants to work on developing 

their English communication and customer service skills.25 The original project design also 

included mentors who would assist participants in the learning process. But the project staff 

quickly learned that the limited space and the fast, demanding pace of its company partners, 

primarily in the food preparation and hospitality industries, did not allow employers to 

accommodate this feature. In addition, the project was unable to recruit volunteer mentors, and 

there were not enough staff members to provide oversight or mentoring. Thus, the instructional 

experience became almost exclusively a self-paced process for the employee at home, with 

minimal supervision unless managers and co-workers made concerted efforts to encourage 

participants to practice their skills at the work site. 

Texas LEPHWI project staff recognized the importance of regular follow-up with 

employers and participants, the former involved making sure that supervisors knew the 

importance of their encouraging employees to be persistent; and the latter involved encouraging 

employees to believe that they could indeed complete the curriculum through self-discipline and 

motivation. This intervention required more case management than the grantee had anticipated 

or budgeted for, however, and the staff did not have enough direct contact with participants to 

monitor their progress in completing the VESL curriculum. The project set a very high goal for 

participation and funded a relatively low level of staff support for case management activities. 

Because so much effort went into outreach and recruitment, the project’s ability to contact and 

encourage participants to persist and complete their VESL training was limited. Notably, where 

 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 149 

companies had designated trainers to be accountable for program results, participants were 

monitored more closely and encouraged more vigorously to complete their instructional 

components and the assessment process. 

The Nebraska LEPHWI project started with the idea of offering VESL instruction at the 

work site, on educational campuses, and in community settings. The staff quickly discovered 

that one community partner had neither the space nor the infrastructure to manage the 

instructional support responsibilities that had been originally proposed. Staff also learned that 

many potential applicants and participants did not have regular access to the Internet. In 

response, the project strengthened its campus offerings, emphasizing the use of literacy labs with 

peer mentor support for VESL practice; sought additional support from its community partners 

with outreach and recruitment; and expanded production and dissemination of printed materials. 

The project’s comprehensive approach of providing training and support at work sites and 

community college campuses served participants well, and employers indicated high rates of 

satisfaction with their employees’ training. In addition, the Nebraska grantee developed 

additional programs using innovative VESL curriculum to allow multiple tracts of study for 

short-term training across several occupational areas that lead to high-demand careers with 

career paths. 

E. Project Outcomes

Four of the five LEPHWI grantees met their recruitment or enrollment objectives. 

However, performance related to planned project outcomes was decidedly mixed, specifically, 

the number or proportion of participants who completed the training, those who were placed in 

employment, or those who received increased wages and/or promotions. Relationships with and 

roles played by corporate partners appear to be the key factor in an LEPHWI demonstration 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 150 

project’s ability to effectively adapt its implementation procedures and achieve its targets of 

success for VESL learners. 

Employer engagement and support often determined the success of grantees’ activities in 

outreach, recruitment, assessment, and adaptation of curricula in response to employee 

characteristics. As well, employer engagement contributed significantly to the motivation of 

participants to persist in completing their coursework. In part, this engagement provided 

important advice and feedback to LEPHWI staff, as well as access to worksites; and it made 

overseeing the progress of employees possible. Finally, employer engagement often resulted in 

concrete incentives for employee participants. When these elements of employer engagement 

and support were accessible to grantee staff, staff members could modify or correct project 

activities quickly and participants were more engaged in learning activities. However, when 

these elements were missing, project staff often were not able to recognize and correct a problem 

in time to make a difference in terms of employee progress and success. Consequently, a wide 

variety of incumbent workers and unemployed individuals completed VESL training with 

measurable positive outcomes as a result of strong employer engagement. 

 As outlined in the above sections, flexibility and resiliency characterized the responses of 

the five grantees in adapting their demonstration models in order to recruit participants and assist 

them in completing the VESL training. 

F. Conclusion 

In summary, the factors critical to the success of the LEPHWI demonstration projects 

included active engagement of employers in creating or adapting a VESL curriculum to meet 

their workplace requirements; employers’ support in recruiting and maintaining participants; the 

presence of a director of training from the employers and the presence of on-site instruction; the 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 151 

awareness and enthusiasm of a participant’s immediate supervisor; and the employer’s ability 

and willingness to provide incentives to the workers for their participation in and completion of 

the VESL training. 

Very large employer operations and national corporations and franchises benefited from 

having several of these factors. For example, the California shipyard had a director of training 

who played a significant role in the grantee work in adapting the curriculum, as did the four 

community colleges in the New York CUNY system. Four of the companies that the Texas 

project coordinator identified as most supportive and the one in New York for which the 

LEPHWI project received additional funding for training were national fast-food franchises or 

major grocery chains with training directors. In contrast, many of the relatively small companies 

in these and other project areas did not have the infrastructure that provided personnel who could 

play such an active, supportive role in the LEPHWI projects. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 152 

V. Implications for the Future

 The trends described in Chapter I, such as continued growth in the numbers of LEP 

individuals in the U. S. population and workforce, will affect the social and economic features of 

our country into the foreseeable future. Immigrants from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe 

continue to enter the United States, many of them seeking employment in the labor market. 

Those who are relatively proficient in English generally find employment opportunities that are 

more diverse and remunerative than those available to immigrants who are not fluent in English. 

Immigrants who lack occupational skills and advanced education in their native language face 

even more constrained options. 

 It is generally accepted that, in both national and regional economies, workers who lack 

advanced skills and competencies will encounter considerable challenges in achieving secure 

employment at good wages, regardless of their LEP status. Employers in the United States are 

seeking workers who have not only the requisite education and experience but also the relevant 

soft skills, such as interpersonal communications and analytical skills. When their position is 

that of breadwinner and head of households, most LEP adults must overcome time constraints, 

family obligations, and other challenges to acquire the education and skills they need to 

successfully participate and advance in the workforce. 

 The skill requirements of employers and the country’s current demographic trends are, 

therefore, creating a high demand for training in English language proficiency, especially in 

relation to occupational skills. In part because many of the consumers of this training are 

working adults who cannot forego current income to improve future earnings capabilities, these 

trends are generating significant new challenges for employers, educators, community- and faithbased groups, and the public workforce investment system. Service providers and workforce 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 153 

system intermediaries, along with the consumers themselves, are finding new ways to meet the 

emerging demand for relevant and timely programming that addresses these challenges. 

 The LEPHWI demonstration program was designed to improve VESL training and 

access to employment for LEP persons and to better serve Hispanic workers through workforce 

investment programs that address the specific employment challenges faced by members of LEP 

groups. Demonstration projects were designed to help Hispanic Americans and other LEP 

persons develop English language and occupational skills to prepare them for jobs in highgrowth/high-demand industries. Because five projects were funded and each operated in a 

unique economic and social environment, the expectations for the projects focused modestly on 

exploring workable models and learning about designing and implementing innovative 

approaches. The program was not designed to produce definitive findings on the relative 

effectiveness of different services or training techniques. It may not be possible to generalize the 

lessons learned from these projects across all LEP subpopulations or local economies. The 

experiences of the five sites and the observations from the evaluation, however, may indicate 

factors that bear consideration in designing VESL programs for LEP individuals. The findings 

may also suggest legislation or policies that can affect the implementation of effective 

educational and social service programs designed to assist LEP populations. 

 This chapter summarizes the observations of the evaluation team, based on the 

experiences of the LEPHWI grantees. 

1. Because many LEP individuals are already working, programs that addressed the needs of 

incumbent LEP workers appeared to be more successful than those targeted on other 

subgroups within the LEP and Hispanic population. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 154 

 One of the more promising ways to provide relevant vocational education to LEP 

individuals may be through incumbent worker training. Most LEP individuals are adults who 

cannot forego income in an attempt to improve in their earnings and employment prospects. 

These individuals also have significant family demands on their time that affect their ability to 

attend long-term, formal training. Organizing and offering VESL training in cooperation with 

and support from employers proved effective in several of the demonstration projects as a viable 

means of responding to the income and personal needs of the target group, while helping to 

improve their English language and vocational skills. 

 One challenge associated with this approach, however, is that many employers do not 

perceive the value of investing their company time and resources in such a training venture. 

Thus, outreach to employers and workers alike must be crafted in a manner that recognizes and 

uses the factors that drive them to participate. Furthermore, since most traditional job-training 

programs are aimed at unemployed adults or dislocated workers (only a small proportion of 

individuals served by publicly funded programs are incumbent workers), issues related to 

participant eligibility and performance measurement would have to be addressed before 

significant numbers of LEP individuals could be served through such programs. 

2. LEP individuals who participated in the VESL training were motivated to do so for diverse 

reasons. 

 Some LEPHWI demonstration project participants anticipated financial rewards from 

their involvement, in terms of promotions and/or higher pay. Others sought to improve their 

English language skills, with less regard to the potential impact on job and earnings; they wanted 

to be able to function better in English-dominated settings in their communities and to help their 

children with their school work. Conversely, some potential participants did not enroll because 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 155 

they could not discern the value of participating. Still others saw value in the program but did 

not enroll or ceased participating because of the loss of earnings caused by the time they had to 

spend in class. Work schedules almost always took precedence over class schedules. Many 

potential participants also struggled with transportation issues and their need to care for family 

members. In general, many eligible individuals chose not to participate or ended their 

participation in VESL training for a wide range of reasons, including those related to finances, 

family obligations, job demands, and other personal considerations. 

 Programs aimed at LEP individuals can reach a broader audience if their design reflects a 

recognition of the competing interests and needs of prospective participants. Approaches that 

incorporate flexible scheduling, convenient training locations (at an employment site or a place 

convenient to public transportation), and curricula that address workplace and non-workplace 

topics appear to be relatively more successful at attracting targeted participants. 

3. Employers decided to participate in the LEP training for a range of reasons. 

 Some employers stated that they anticipated an improvement in their bottom line, either 

directly or indirectly, through their involvement in programs that provided VESL training to their 

LEP workers. Indirect reasons dominated their explanations; these included improved worker 

safety (fewer on-the-job injuries would mean less paid time off, lower worker’s compensation 

costs, and lower insurance premiums), reduced attrition rates (happier workers would be more 

likely to remain with their employer), and better customer service skills (leading to more 

satisfied customers who would be more likely to make repeat purchases). Some employers saw 

themselves in a supportive role and felt that by providing VESL training they would be 

improving the citizenship skills of their LEP workers. Although this information is from a small 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 156 

sample of employers, it suggests that employer outreach efforts must consider the full range of 

reasons why employers decide to participate in LEP training programs. 

 Although another group of employers may have wanted to participate but could not, the 

evaluation did not collect sufficient information to suggest how providers could address these 

“willing but unable” employers. However, it is possible that since most of the demonstration 

projects assumed that on-site training was preferable for both employers and incumbent workers, 

businesses without available space may have hesitated to commit to such an undertaking. 

4. VESL programs that offer flexibility and/or options in the scheduling, location, and level of 

instruction appear the most promising (i.e., they avoid one-size-fits-all designs). 

 Because learners enter training programs with different levels of English fluency and 

educational attainment, as well as with varying personal needs and obligations, VESL projects 

should incorporate approaches that ensure that the needs of both participants and employers (in 

the case of incumbent workers) are reflected in program designs. To the maximum extent 

possible, projects should incorporate the following: 

• The location of VESL instruction should be convenient for participants. For many 

learners, this meant holding classes at the worksite; for others, it meant holding classes at 

sites that are accessible by public transportation. The portable LeapFrog device allowed 

learners in Texas to undertake instruction when and where they chose. 

• If learners cannot be given options as to when and where the instruction takes place, 

instruction should occur immediately before or after work, and/or there should be 

opportunities for make-up classes. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 157 

• Curricular content should reflect participants’ assessed English language fluency 

levels. 

• Curricula should be tiered to accommodate groups of learners with different English 

language abilities. 

• Programs of instruction that offer either open-entry/open-exit or multiple 

opportunities to exit after achieving specific levels of competency are recommended. 

These approaches provide learners with an incentive to participate, and they lessen the 

negative effects of having to leave a course of instruction early due to personal reasons. 

5. Learners benefit from personalized assistance.

 Projects found that direct, personal engagement of and assistance to participants tended to 

improve their persistence and outcomes, whether the engagement and assistance was through 

mentors, case managers, involved instructors, supervisors, community-based groups, or other 

means. Even highly motivated LEP participants faced barriers, but they could often overcome 

these barriers with assistance from one or more of the aforementioned individuals or entities. 

6. Incorporating a job search assistance component into the VESL training programs, 

especially those that serve unemployed LEP individuals, appears to be a promising strategy. 

 Many LEP individuals are already working to maintain an income and usually are 

supporting family members. To the extent that programs include LEP jobseekers among their 

participants, the provision of job search assistance training for non-native English speakers 

appears to be a valuable aspect of service provision. This component could also be relevant for 

incumbent workers, although it may be less appropriate in the eyes of employers who may be 

providing space, release time, or other resources so that their employees can participate. The 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 158 

experiences of the LEPHWI demonstration projects suggest that LEP jobseekers appear to 

benefit from exposure to and training on how to look for employment in the United States. 

Relevant topics that were unfamiliar to many participants included aspects of Internet-based job 

searches, the preparation of a resume using computer software, interviewing skills, and similar 

traditional components of a job search program. In particular, LEP individuals who come from 

cultural backgrounds significantly different from those in the United States benefitted from 

exposure to and discussion of this country’s norms of interpersonal behavior (e.g., looking 

someone in the eye, shaking hands), ways that genders typically interact in workplace settings, 

and related topics. 

 This type of training offers an additional advantage: it exposes learners to the basics of 

using a computer. Although some LEP individuals have had experience with computers, 

computer literacy is a skill that appears less common among this population, perhaps due to their 

limited economic resources and lack of access. 

7. Measuring the performance of LEP programs may require innovative approaches to 

calculating program outcomes. 

 Given the experiences of the five LEPHWI sites, measuring the performance of programs 

serving LEP individuals exclusively may best be done on a program-by-program basis, using 

measures designed to capture outcome goals that are relevant to each program effort. The 

measures should be meaningful to three distinct stakeholder groups: participants, employers, and 

investors. Educational partners might represent a fourth stakeholder to be considered in 

designing a measurement system. 

 The standard performance measures for WIA programs (as contained in the USDOL’s 

common measures) may not be the most appropriate means of measuring performance for 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 159 

programs focused on LEP individuals. To the extent that such programs serve incumbent 

workers, the entered employment measure and the wage gain measure appear to be less useful. 

Retention in employment could be meaningful if that outcome were compared to a norm that was 

derived from data for non-participating incumbent LEP workers who were similar to those 

served. 

8. Marketing of an LEP program should address the diversity of positive outcomes that 

employers and LEP individuals seek from such a program.

 In addition to occupationally relevant gains (employer approval, possible wage increases, 

potential promotions), many LEP individuals identify several benefits of VESL instruction: 

improved interaction with other workers and community members through improved language 

skills, protection from unemployment through skills training, and exposure to strategies for 

finding new employment. The motivation to participate very likely varies across diverse groups 

of LEP individuals, just as it does for companies in different sectors of the economy. Employers 

have different reasons for participating: They want to invest in the long-term economic 

resilience of their companies; they have concerns about workforce shortages; they want to 

improve service to their customers; they want to contribute to the civic well-being of their 

communities; and so on. Outreach efforts should attempt to reflect this multiplicity of reasons 

for different groups of LEP individuals and for the variety of employers interested in 

participating in LEP programs. 

Areas Requiring Additional Research 

 Information collected from the LEPHWI demonstration projects was insufficient to 

identify promising practices in several critical areas. These topics for which additional research 

would be valuable are described below. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 160 

1. Additional research is needed to determine which type of VESL training is most effective in 

specific circumstances. 

VESL curricula used in the projects included those created to meet the specific needs of 

workers at a single firm, general programming aimed at workers in a specific sector, and generic 

programming for individuals seeking to learn English. Training typically consisted of curricula 

adapted in some manner to the specific needs of the employers and/or the participants. Most 

common were vocational components created to meet the objectives of participating employers 

(e.g., helping workers pass a credentialing examination). Two sites used off-the-shelf electronic 

learning programs, one of which (from Retention Education, LLC) was designed for hospitality 

and retail sectors, and the other (Rosetta Stone) a generic language-training program. Sufficient 

information is not available to determine which of these approaches is most effective. 

Two projects were led by community colleges that adapted their basic ESL curriculum. 

They succeeded in attaining their target numbers but encountered considerable frustration in 

trying to prepare participants for continued occupational training and credentials. If expanding 

the access of LEP individuals to higher levels of vocational training is a goal, more needs to be 

understood about the resources of these individuals and the institutional barriers they face in 

seeking entry to academic and technical degree programs. 

2. The full potential for on-line, electronic tools and other kinds of self-paced VESL 

instruction continues to be unknown. More needs to be learned about how these kinds of tools 

can best support low-income LEP workers and jobseekers pressured by distracting demands 

on their time and energy. 

 LEPHWI project staff and instructors suggested that many of the LEPHWI projects had 

had minimal opportunities to familiarize themselves with computers or other electronic devices. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 161 

Those projects that provided commuter access and/or partnered with community organizations to 

offer some opportunities in a language lab reported widespread satisfaction for their efforts. 

Applied research that looks at expanded opportunities for such support of VESL learners, 

including the use of funds to ensure structured partnerships with neighborhood schools and 

libraries that already have computer labs, are worth considering. 

 Another relevant research topic would be to contrast how hand-held electronic devices, 

such as that of the Texas demonstration project, might be more realistically supported. This topic 

begs two critical questions: what should expectations be for the number of LEP individuals 

served using these devices; and how could mentoring and encouragement for completion of the 

curriculum be incorporated into ventures that employ these devices. Any plan to use hand-held 

electronic devices for LEP educational efforts, however, would require greater certainty about 

how to accurately assess the language gains of those using the device, as well as greater certainty 

about the instructional effectiveness. 

3. The eight “implications” enumerated earlier in this chapter are drawn from an extremely 

small sample. Additional research leading to the development of evidence-based practices for 

helping Hispanic Americans and other LEP persons develop language and occupational skills 

would represent a positive step. 

The experiences of the five grantees and the activities conducted through the evaluation 

constitute a modest addition to the body of knowledge regarding how to design and provide 

effective workforce and English language services to non-native English speakers. From the 

information gathered for the evaluation, it is clear that the individuals in the target population 

have diverse needs and expectations, barriers and levels of preparedness; that service providers 

design interventions which may include forms of assistance beyond the required language and 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 162 

vocational skill components; that the vocational skill components themselves may be off the 

shelf or custom-designed or a hybrid; and that, in considering the business community, 

employers become involved in this activity for different reasons. 

Research through projects with experimental designs could assist in uncovering 

information about a substantial number of program design and management issues, such as how 

much specific services are connected to particular outcomes, whether certain subpopulations of 

LEP individuals are more effectively served through particular service strategies, and in 

identifying how the needs of LEP individuals diverge from those of other low-income adults or 

immigrants who are not limited English proficient. There is, no doubt, an ample number of 

topics on which to develop evidence-based practices concerning workforce services for LEP 

individuals. 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 163 

References 

Sally Andrade, Deborah Santiago, and Douglas Holl. 2008. Evaluation of the Limited English 

Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Demonstration Projects: Interim Report. Bethesda, 

MD: Coffey Consulting. 

Keith Buchanan. “Vocational English-as-a-Second-Language Programs.” ERIC Digest, ED321551. 

ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics. Washington, DC 1990. (Accessed at 

http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9216/vocational.htm.) 

Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. Training and Employment 

Guidance Letter No. 17-05. (Accessed at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL17-05.pdf.) 

Patrick J. Murphy. 2004. Financing California’s Community Colleges. San Francisco: Public Policy 

Institute of California. (Accessed at http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/report/R_104PMR.pdf.) 

Roland G. Tharp. From At-Risk to Excellence: Research, Theory, and Principles for Practice. 

Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence. 1997. (Accessed at 

http://crede.ucsc.edu/products/print/reports/rr1.html.) 

U.S. Department of Labor. 70 Federal Register. 35118–35136. 

 
The Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative Evaluation Report - DRAFT July 15, 2009 

Coffey Consulting, LLC and Excelencia in Education 164 

List of Acronyms 

ABE Adult Basic Education 

BEST Basic English Skills Test 

BMCC Borough of Manhattan Community College 

CAPP Career and Apprenticeship Preparation Program 

CASAS Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System 

CUNY City University of New York 

ESL English as a Second Language 

ETA Employment and Training Administration 

GED General Education Development 

LEP Limited English Proficient 

LEPHWI Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Workforce Initiative 

MCC Metropolitan Community College 

MIS Management Information System 

MOU Memoranda of Understanding 

MSA Metropolitan Statistical Area 

NASSCO National Steel and Shipbuilding Company 

NRF National Retail Federation 

NRFF National Retail Federation Foundation 

PC Personal computer 

RE Retention Education, LLC 

SGA Solicitation for Grant Applications 

SSCDF Southern Sudanese Community Development Foundation 

TDWL Transportation, Distribution, Warehousing, and Logistics 

USDOL U.S. Department of Labor 

V-CAPP Vocational-Career and Apprenticeship Preparation Program 

VESL Vocational English as a Second Language 

WIA Workforce Investment Act