ged corps program plan

8/14/2019 GED Corps Program Plan

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GED Corps 1

Index:

1. Introduction to GED Corps2. Needs Assessment3. Program and Learning Objectives4.

Instructional Plan

5. Evaluation6. Transfer of Learning7. Marketing8. Administrative Plan9. Appendixes


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Introduction:

GED Corps is a train the trainer program that was designed to help meet the

tutoring needs of Transitional Housing, Inc. The organization is a 501c3 operation that

houses up to 61 homeless ladies, and tries to help them gain the life skills to be a

functioning member of society. A large component of the program that each lady courses

through is education. They sign a contract that states they will work towards gaining the

GED while residing there, or they may lose their room. The barriers in their lives have

kept them from obtaining their education up to this point; therefore, Transitional

Housing, Inc (THI) strives to make educational opportunities as convenient as possible

for the residents.

Prior to concluding the topic, the group of writers had to overcome their own

barriers in topic choice, and program design. The group is made up of three women ages

25-35, college educated, living in Cleveland, OH. Initially, they formed an idea of

orienting single mothers to college life, and began looking for an organization with which

to work. After numerous failed attempts, they abandoned the idea and refocused on a

larger audience: women and education. Again, failure rate was high, as many

organizations were unsure of taking on a group of students, however, one organization,

THI, was willing to speak with the writers.


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Needs Assessment:

The group initiated contact with an open mind due to the vastness of the topic area.

After speaking with the Director of Employment, Education, and Volunteers, Jane

Amata, they were able to narrow down some of the needs of the facility based on the

population, mission of the organization, and the writers own interests. The following

questions were used to help assess their programming needs.

1. What areas of education could a new program improve?2.

Are there programs in place that are outdated, or could be improved upon?

3. Have you seen successful programs at other similar institutions that you wouldlike implemented at THI?

Following the initial needs assessment, the following information was obtained and

used to arrive at the GED Corps program idea.

Audience:Up to 61 ladiesAges 18-65 Avg. age 33Length of stay up to 24 months Avg. 18monthsOptional mentor program 18 months 72% accept

Each lady is at a different point in their educational career, due to that, it was

difficult to agree upon a program idea that would meet all of their needs. However,

keeping in mind the fact that the GED was written in to their housing contract, and it was

a measurable goal, the writers focused on helping to meet that need. The issue of varying

cognitive levels came in to play once again, so the program was shifted from meeting the

students needs directly, to helping meet the teaching needs.


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The writers of this program, along with the staff and residents of THI, concluded

that the greatest need for that facility was a train the trainer program. The facility needed

to gather volunteers willing to help, and teach them how to help. The combination of

desire and training would lead to a higher success rate for women in GED training. The

program strives to bring tutors in the doors of THI, arm them with the tools to lead

students, and provide support in hopes of volunteer retention with further training being

developed at a later date.


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GED Corps 5

Program and Learning Objectives

A program objective is a specific and usually quantifiable statement of program

achievement. It is a statement of measurable outcomes which can be used to determine

the programs progress towards its goal(s). Collectively, objectives represent a

quantification of the program goal. According to Caffarella (2002), program objectives

serve as the foundation for the instructional plan, guidelines for developing the transfer-

of-learning plans and benchmarks against which programs are evaluated. Program

objectives should focus on what it wants its participants to learn, but there are also

program objectives that result in changes in groups of learners, organizational practices

and procedures, or changes within the community.

Caffarella (2002), states that program planners have differences of opinions on

whether program objectives should be measurable or non-measurable. Measurable goals

are stated in behavioral terms and non-measurable goals has outcomes that are not

measurable; learning occurs but is not measurable. Caffarella believes it is important to

state both measurable and non-measurable objectives.

Once our planning team identified the framework for the program, deciding on

the program objectives was the next step. The program objectives provided the

foundation for the learning objectives and instructional plan. The program objectives that

will guide GED Corps are as follows:

Each participant will know what the GED exam entails, including thesubject areas and guidelines on how to set students up for success.
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The GED tutor will be able to demonstrate that they understand the someof the barriers that adult learners face.

They will be able to identify different learning styles and one idea aboutteaching a student of each style.

The student will be able to create, teach, and reflect upon a lesson plan foran assigned section of the GED exam.

The program objectives provide a clear statement of the proposed outcome for the

GED Corps program. The program objectives also set the tone for our transfer-of-

learning, and evaluation plans. The planning team is able and willing to change the

program objectives as needed; reflection and revision will be a constant process upon

receipt of evaluations.


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Instructional Plans

According to Caffarella (2002), there are five major categories of learning

outcomes: acquiring new knowledge; enhancing cognitive skills; developing

psychomotor skills; strengthening problem-solving and finding capabilities; and changing

attitudes, beliefs, values, and/or feelings (p. 169). Based on the specific categories and

our program objectives, we were able to develop an instructional plan that caters to the

five major categories of learning outcomes. (Appendix A).

Through a guided lecture style, the participants will engage in several learning

styles. The skills used in our program according to Caffarella (2002) are, cognitive,

changing attitudes, beliefs, values, and or feelings, and acquiring knowledge (p. 189).

Through case studies and analytics the participants will enhance their cognitive skills.

The role plays and open-ended discussions will allow the participants to explore and

develop their beliefs, attitudes, and values. In order to be successful in teaching GED

techniques, the participants will acquire key knowledge about the test and information to

help the students improve scores and pass the test. As a final assessment, the students will

be asked to design and present a lesson plan appropriate for one of the five sections of the

GED exam. (Appendix B)

By attending this workshop, participants are expected to acquire knowledge that

will enhance their teaching skills in relation to the GED. Participants will learn each

aspect of the GED, in order to pass along key tips and techniques to improving test

scores. Participants will engage in role plays and interactive discussions to better

understand their students. These open-ended discussions will allow the participants to

understand adult learning styles, adult teaching styles, and help them relate to the student


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in order to help them improve. The techniques the participants are expected to learn will

help the GED candidates in retention, so they are qualified to motivate and direct students

to continue with the GED program through completion.

This program will be led by trained GED Corps Instructors, who are college

educated and actively involved in the field of education. We will spend time with the

instructors to ensure they are well versed on the Instructional Plan and able to relate with

potential candidates for the program. Due to the fact that GED tutors are volunteers, one

key element to ensuring success is making sure our instructors are engaging and

interactive, In order to have an audience, we must have engaging instructors to keep the

attention of volunteers.


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Transfer of Learning

Transfer of learning deals with transferring one's knowledge and skills from one

problem-solving situation to another. It is the effective application of what the learner

has learned by attending the training or program. According to Caffarella (2002), it is the

now what phase of the learning process. Caffarella, also explains that transfer of

learning should be specified in terms of observable changes in knowledge, skills, and

attitudes.

Transfer of learning plans are based upon five components of Caffarellas

Interactive Model of Program Planning: the context, program ideas and needs, the

objectives, instructional plans, and program evaluations. The transfer of learning process

is not always connected to all of the components; the processit may be connected to the

instructional plan or specifically as a means of meeting the learning objectives. The

transfer of learning is important to businesses because they want the outcomes to be

applicable and practical, it is beneficial if the outcome can be applied to real life

situations. There are enhancers and barriers to transfer of learning, therefore the planner

must create techniques to facilitate learning transfer. Transfer of learning techniques can

be categorized into three techniques; individual techniques only, group techniques only,

or techniques that can be individual or group. Our planning team devised transfer

learning techniques in all three categories. The transfer of learning techniques for our

program is that:

Each learner will utilize the tips and ideas on how to conquer the GED bytaking at least one section of the test (Know what you teach)


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Each learner will test what they have learned in each session byparticipating in role playing exercises. (Act on what you have learned)

Each learner will actively prepare for and participate in class discussions.(Reflect with your peers)

Each learner will implement their acquired knowledge by conducting atutoring session at Transitional Housing, Inc. (Demonstrate all skills you

acquired)


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Evaluation Plans

Caffarella (2002) states, program evaluation is most often defined as a process

used to determine whether the design and delivery of a program were effective and

whether the proposed outcomes were met (p. 225). The three major aspects to the

evaluation plan. Our participants will be asked to complete a lesson plan that they could

use in their class due the last day. Class time will be set aside to complete this task;

however some additional work outside the classroom might be necessary. Participants

will be conducting role plays throughout the course to evaluate their skills. Participants

will be given a survey at the end of the course to evaluate the overall program.

The final survey is used in the levels of evaluation by Kirkpatrick, 1998 and

Guskey, 2000. According to Caffarella (2002) these four steps include, participant

reaction, behavior change or use of new knowledge and skills, participant reaction, and

results or outcomes (p. 239). The lesson plan is reflective of this evaluation approach is

well, in comparison to a test. The lesson plan will allow students to showcase what they

have learned, demonstrate how they have acquired new knowledge, and put into practice

the results and outcomes of the program. The role plays that will be demonstrated daily

are examples of accountability planner by Vella, Berardinelli, and Burrow, 1998 that

evaluates four types of evaluative date. This data includes, skill/knowledge/attitudes

and achievement of broad objectives, education process elements such as learning tasks,

and anticipated changes (p. 239). (Appendix C)


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Marketing Plans

According to Caffarella (2002), There are four key tenets that are essential in

the marketing process; develop and maintain credibility, build on successes, know the

competition and find a market niche (p. 317). Our marketing strategies will meet each

four of these avenues by appropriate target audience analysis, reach, and approach.

Our primary means of marketing will be letters to appropriate staff and faculty

and companies and universities to request a moment to promote our product in their class

or at a meeting. We will use this letter to introduce ourselves, the program, and the

benefit to taking the program. Once we have permission to speak to the target audience

we will pitch our program to potential attendees to educate how the program can help.

(Appendix D)

We plan on taking advantage of free means of marketing through the use of social

media. Using free social networking tools such as Facebook and Linked in will allow us

to reach a broad audience via the web free of charge. A Facebook group will be created

to invite others in the industry through common networks such as Cleveland State.

Social networking is a fast and easy way to reach a large audience at one time and

increase our audience view through networking and word of mouth.

Other means of communication involve blurbs in school newspapers, church

bulletins, and city newspapers. Several of these avenues are free of charge or

inexpensive to post. These will be small blurbs in various circuits to promote the

program. Several individuals are seeking volunteer work, internships, and work

experience; therefore they will be seeking an avenue to get involved. The ads will be


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placed in areas that these individuals will be looking for this type of program and work.

(Appendix E).


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Administrative Plan

People who plan programs are responsible for many behind the scenes tasks that

go beyond thinking through the educational components. One of these tasks involves

preparing a budget. Cafferella (2002), discusses 11 major tasks that program planner

should focus on while planning a budget. She informs the planner that the behind the

scenes tasks of preparing and managing budgets can have disastrous effects if the plan is

not planned out well.

In preparing the budget for the GED Corp, the first step was to communicate with

all entities involved and decide on how the program is going to be financed, how we were

going to advertise the class, and choosing the location. The next consideration is how we

would subsidize the funding for our class. It was determined that we would apply for

grants through various sources to cover the majority of the cost. Our budget is broken

down into direct costs including fixed and variable expenses and indirect costs. The

major costs for the GED Corp program is the cost to pay the instructors and the indirect

costs. The total revenue for the program is $25,000.00/year, which will allow up to 3

classes of 10 students to be taught during the year.

It is the goal of GED Corp to become a profitable program by the year 2011. This

goal will be accomplished by having other 501c3 organizations submit grant proposals

that include our training fee. (Appendix F).


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Appendix A

Subject area 3 Language Arts,Reading

Tips to conquerthis test, tutorideas

Discussion,PowerPoint, roleplays, examples

Day 360minutes

Subject area 3 Language Arts,Writing

Tips to conquerthis test, tutorideas


Day 360minutes

Title: GED Corp

Date and Time: Wednesdays June 9,16, 23, 30 at 6:00PM-10:00PM

Theparticipantswill be ableto

ContentHeading

Key Points toEmphasize

InstructionalTechnique

EstimatedDay/Time

Describe whatprevents onefrom obtainingtheir GED

Welcome,Introductions

RoadblocksPast failuresSchedules,time,responsibilities

Leaded and guidedDiscussion

Day 160 minutes

Understandissues of adultlearners

Present adultlearningbarriers

Why theylearn, whatprevents them

Leaded and guidedDiscussion/PowerPoint Day 130 minutes

How to engagethe adultlearner

Discussmotivatingideas

Motivations,connections,teaching styles

Discussion, examples,role plays

Day 130 minutes

Identifylearningstyles/buildingon lifeexperiences

Present adultlearningmodels

Learning stylesModalities

Discussion, role plays Day 160 minutes

What does theGED entail

Aspects of theGED

Format, subjectareas, models,theories

Leaded and guideddiscussion/PowerPoint

Day 130 minutes

Lesson Plan ExplainAssignment

FinalAssessment

ExamplesExplanation

Day 130 minutes

Subject area 1 Math Tips toconquer thistest, tutor ideas

Discussion,PowerPoint, role plays,examples

Day 260 minutes

Subject area 2 Science Tips to

conquer thistest, tutor ideas

Discussion,

PowerPoint, role plays,examples

Day 2

60 minutes


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Lifeexperiences/keeping motivation

Open Discussion Ideas to engageand build offexperiences

Discussion, roleplays

Day 360minutes

Lesson Plan Work in class Provide support Day 360

minutesPreventingfutureroadblocks

Setting studentsup for success

Motivation,engagement

Open discussion Day 430minutes

Subject area 5 Science Tips to conquerthis test, tutorideas


Day 460minutes

Subject area 4 Social Studies Tips to conquerthis test, tutorideas


Day 460minutes

Lesson Plan Present Feedback Day 4

90minutes

Assessment Plan: Practical lesson plan and role plays to demonstrate understanding andpractical use of content

Instructional resources and equipment needed:

For Instructor:ComputerOverheard ProjectorPower Point

White Board/Dry Erase MarkersLesson Plans for Instructor

For ParticipantsHandout on program notesExample lesson plans


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Appendix C

GED CorpPost-Program Assessment

Follow -Up Survey

Your evaluation of this program is important to us. Please take a few minutes to complete thebelow questions.

StronglyAgree

Agree Neutral DisagreeStronglyDisagree

I feel this program will make me a bettertutor

I found the materials helpful

I found the instructors to be prepared

I will take away something from this program

I found the materials relevant and current

I would refer someone to this program

I would participate in another similarprogram

I felt this program met my expectations

I found the role plays beneficial

I found the final lesson plan beneficial


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Please te l l us 3 areas you l iked about the pr ogram:

1 .

2 .

3 .

Please share 3 areas you would change about t he program :

1 .

2 .

3 .

Addit ional Comments:


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Appendix D

Beth Cooper

Cheryl KnightMarla BattisteNovember 24, 2009

Mary SmithDean of EducationJohn Carroll University20700 North Park Blvd.University Heights, OH. 44118

Dear Ms. Smith:

We have founded the GED Corp, a program to develop and train GED trainers, to helpincrease the graduation rate and scores of the GED. We thing your students would makeexcellent candidates as GED tutors.

Your students would not only be helping others achieve their educational goals, butwould provide them a way to sustain volunteer hours needed for graduation, and earnnecessary experience to help with future employment. We would like to speak to yourupcoming class briefly for 10 minutes to explain the program and how it can benefit yourstudents. Could we set up a time to meet by December 1

stto further discuss this program

and how it can help benefit your students?

Sincerely,

Beth CooperCheryl Knight

Marla BattisteGED Corps Founders


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Appendix F

GED Corps

BUDGET

I. ExpensesA. Personnel

1. Instructors-4 days $1200.00

B. Fixed Expenses1. Promotional Costs

a. printing $ 500.00

b. graphic design $ 300.00c. mailing list $ 350.00d. postage $ 150.00

Total $4300.00

C. Variable Expenses (10 participants)1. Registration Packets/Name Tags $ 20.002. Hand-outs (Copies) $120.003. GED study program books $149.504. Pens/Highlighters $ 10.005. Coffee $ 50.006. Lunch $400.00

Total $749.50

Total Direct Cost $ 5,049.50Total Indirect Cost $ 2,900.00

PROGRAM TOTAL:$ 7,949.50

II. Revenue

A. Grant: Cleveland Foundation $25,000/year

Total Revenue $25,000


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Budget Worksheet

Instructors $250.00 day X 4 days X 3 instructors = $3,000

Fixed Expenses Standard amounts presented in class

Variable ExpensesRegistration Packet $2.00 X 10 participants = 20.00Handouts(copies) $3.00 X 10 participants X 4 days = 120.00**GED Study Guide $14.95 each X 10 = 149.50Pens/Highlighter $5.00 a box X 2 = 10.00Coffee $1.25 a person X 10 participants X 4 days = 50.00**Lunch $10.00 a person X 10 participants X 4 days = 400.00

Indirect cost 11,600 X 25% = 2900.00

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