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Appendix B: Nevada Adult Basic Education
Distance Education Policy

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title II
Adult Education and Family Literacy Act

Nevada Department of Education
State of Nevada
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
700 East Fifth Street
Carson City, Nevada
89701-5096
(775) 687-9200

Administration:

Jonathan Moore
Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction

Kristine Nelson
Director, Office of Career Readiness, Adult Learning, & Education Options

Nancy Olsen
Adult Education Program Supervisor, Office of Career Readiness, Adult Learning, & Education Options

Arianna Florence
Business Process Analyst, Office of Career Readiness, Adult Learning, & Education Options

Need for A Distance Education Reporting Policy

This policy defines distance education for adult basic education programs in Nevada and provides guidelines by which programs can report adult learners' distance education hours to the National Reporting System (NRS) using the state approved student information system. The goal of this policy is to describe the types of activities approved for distance education and outline the requirements and procedures for reporting distance education activities.

Nevada Policy: Adult education programs must follow the steps and processes described in this document to report distance education classes and related student attendance into the state approved data management system.

Definition of Distance Education

The federal Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) defines distance education for adult basic education programs as follows.

Distance education is a formal learning activity where students and instructors are separated by geography, time, or both for the majority of the instructional period.* Distance learning materials are delivered through a variety of media including, but not limited to, print, audio recording, videotape, television broadcasts, computer software, web-based interaction, and other online technologies. Teachers support distance learners through communication via mail, telephone, e-mail, or other web-based technologies or software.

* Completion of instructional activities in a computer lab for traditional classes does not qualify as distance education.

Definition of Adult Basic Education Learners

Traditional Learners: Students who receive the majority of their instruction through traditional face-to-face instruction.
Distance Learners: Students who receive a majority of their instruction through distance education services.
Blended Learners: Students who receive a majority of their instruction through traditional face-to-face instruction and also participate in distance education activities. For NRS reporting purposes, blended learners are classified as traditional learners.

Nevada Policy: A student is classified as a distance learner if the majority of the student's hours earned in a program year are derived by his or her participation in distance learning activities. However, a student's hours in both distance and classroom activities must be reported into the data management system.

Approved Distance Education Hours

Contact Hours: Contact hours are defined as time spent interacting with the learner. Contact hours for distance education students can be a combination of actual face-to-face contact and contact by telephone, video, teleconference, or other online communication where student and program staff are able to interact and through which learner identity is verifiable. Face-to-face interaction includes student intake, orientation, assessment, goal setting, counseling, and classroom-based skills training.
Proxy Hours: Proxy hours are defined as the time distance education students spend engaged in distance education activities, such as using distance education curricula. The hours for each activity are calculated using one of three models:
1. Clock-time: This model assigns contact hours based on the elapsed time that a learner is connected to and engaged in an online or stand alone software program that tracks time. The software must provide a mechanism to time-out or logout students after a preset period of inactivity.
2. Teacher Verification: This model assigns a fixed number of hours of credit for each assignment based on the teacher's determination of the extent to which a learner engaged in, or completed, the assignment.
3. Learner Mastery: This model assigns a fixed number of hours of credit based on the learner's demonstrated mastery of the content of a lesson. This model requires previous engagement by the student on curriculum and materials related to the test. A high percentage of correct responses on the mastery test earns the credit hours attached to the material.

Assessment of Distance Education Learners

Nevada Policy: All potential adult basic education distance education students must be assessed in accordance with the Nevada Assessment Policy.

All assessments must be administered in a proctored, face-to-face setting.
All students must be pretested prior to 12 hours of instruction.
Distance education students are subject to the same post-test instructional hour intervals as traditional learners.

Reporting Distance Education Learners

Nevada Policy: Programs must use LACES to report distance learner activities by endorsing “Instruction – Distance Learning” for attendance hours. All distance education hours, both contact hours and proxy hours, are to be reported on attendance records associated with the learner's distance education class.

In the case of blended learners (students that have enrollment and attendance records in both traditional and distance education classes), a determination will be made at the end of the program year. If the majority of their attendance was distance education hours, they will be classified as distance education students.

Approved Distance Education Curricula

Nevada Policy: Only Nevada Department of Education-Office of Adult Education (NDE-OAE) approved distance education curricula may be used for reportable distance education activities.

See Appendix A for a list of currently approved distance education curricula and their respective, approved proxy-hour models.

Programs may request a curriculum be approved and added to the list. NDE-OAE reserves the right to review and consider the impact of approving it for state use and reporting. See Appendix B for a form that programs may use to request a review of curricula.

APPENDIX A: Approved Distance Education Curricula

Each distance education curricula approved for use by the NDE-OAE must be produced by a reputable educational publisher, be appropriate for specific adult education populations, provide accommodations for learners with disabilities, and have some research-based evidence of both reliability and validity. The following is a brief explanation of each category presented.

Curricula name: The full, official name of the curricula
Delivery mode: The media format(s) in which the curricula is delivered: Print, online, video, CD-ROM, or DVD
Proxy hour model: The method used to assign learner proxy hours (i.e. clock-time, teacher validation, learner mastery
Criteria for reporting hours: guidelines for calculating proxy hours
Target population: The adult education population for whom the material is most appropriate (e.g. ABE, GED, ESL)
Publisher information: The name and contact information of the publisher or producer of the curricula
Description: A brief description of the content and features

i-Pathways Curriculum

Information	Detail
Name	i-Pathways
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity
Target population	ABE, HSE
Publisher information	Center for the Application of Information Technologies Western Illinois University Macomb, Illinois 61455 (309) 298-1804 http://www.cait.org
Description	i-Pathways, a responsively designed and mobile ready curriculum, delivers both online and offline learning options for individuals, programs, organizations, or statewide deployments. Essential study areas include Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Basic Math, Mathematics, Basic Writing, and Consumer Education. Evaluation of learning is monitored through ongoing assessments. Offline instruction is available to a community of users without Internet connectivity through the Oasis system. Approved by the GED Testing Service and The Education Testing Service for the HiSET™; i-Pathways has a proven record of including College and Career Readiness curriculum that is engaging and meaningful. The essential skills embedded throughout the content ensure students are workplace ready.

Essential Education Curriculum

Information	Detail
Name	Essential Education GED Academy, HiSET Academy, TASC Academy
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity
Target population	ABE, HSE
Publisher information	Essential Education 895 NW Grant Avenue Corvallis, OR, 97330 Call Toll Free: (800) 460-8150 http://pasged.com
Description	Essential Education's instructional programs (GED Academy, TASC Prep Academy, and HiSET Academy, and Computer Essentials) feature a complete learning solution for both ABE and ASE level students and covers all five HSE subject areas: math, science, social studies, reading, and writing.

Reading Horizons Curriculum

Information	Detail
Name	Reading Horizons
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity
Target population	ABE, ESL
Publisher information	Reading Horizons Corporate Headquarters 60 North Cutler Drive, Suite 101 North Salt Lake, UT 84054 800-333-0054 (Toll-Free) 801-295-7088 (Fax) http://readinghorizons.com info@readinghorizons.com
Description	Reading Horizons software was developed for independent use for students ages 10 and above who read below grade level. Students are able to work at their own pace and can receive the instruction that they need to close the reading gap. The software is not condescending; on the contrary, it helps build self-esteem and self-confidence in students who have repeatedly failed to learn to read. Coupled with the most effective reading strategies, this software is exactly what your struggling readers have been waiting for.

Edmentum Curriculum

Information	Detail
Name	Edmentum (formerly Plato Learning)
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity
Target population	ABE, ASE, HSE
Publisher information	Edmentum 5600 W. 83rd Street Suite 300 Bloomington, MN 55437 www.edmentum.com
Description	Edmentum Courseware provides an extensive library of ready-made, rigorous online courses which have been proven to improve student achievement. The lessons actively engage students with interactive and media-rich content. Lessons are customizable to meet the needs of the student and the class. Each course is set up with pre- and post-tests for each unit as well as cumulative end of course tests, prescriptive lesson assignments, discussion boards, drop box for homework, and message system for quick communication with instructor(s).

ACT Curriculum

Information	Detail
Name	Career Ready 101 (ACT KeyTrain, ACT Soft Skills)
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity
Target population	All (ABE, ASE, ESL)
Publisher information	ACT, Inc. KeyTrain Office 340 Frazier Avenue Chattanooga, TN 37405-4050 877.842.6205 info@keytrain.com
Description	Career Ready 101 is a comprehensive career training course that helps design itself based on the student. It is an integrated approach to exploring careers and their skill requirements, building workplace skills using KeyTrain®, and creating life-literacy with such skills as financial awareness and job searching. The program leads users to certification with WorkKeys® assessments and the NCRC.

Typing.com Curriculum

Information	Detail
Name	Typing.com (formerly TypingWeb)
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock - System Verified
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity. Students must login through the agency's education portal. Students have unlimited access to the system. The time is monitored and recorded by agency accountability specialist.
Target population	All (ABE, ASE, HSE, Workforce Readiness)
Publisher information	www.typing.com FTW Innovations, Inc 880 Apollo St El Segundo, CA 90245 310 909 8985 contact@ftwinnovations.com
Description	This program can track students hours that they spend on the computer typing at home, and it will also measure their typing progress. The program also offers certifications that the students can take. There is a variety of tests that the students can take to watch their progress.

Aztec Software – HiSET Prep

Information	Detail
Name	Aztec Software
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock - System Verified
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity.
Target population	ABE, ASE, HSE
Publisher information	Aztec Software 51 Commerce Street Springfield, NJ 07081 www.aztecsoftware.com
Description	Aztec Software's HiSet Prep Solution is designed in a modular format. It is deliverable on standalone PCs, notebooks, local and wide area networks, or through the Internet. The system is aligned to the new Common Core State Standards and it provides learners and educators with all the tools needed to successfully prepare for all content areas on the new HSE Tests. The multisensory approach of audio, graphics, and interactive screen design reinforces and enhances learning. The courseware offers an interactive mode of learning which makes the learning more interesting and memorable. All lessons are individualized to meet the needs of each student. Each of the five HSE subject areas begins with a Pre Test to determine a student's strengths and weaknesses and to help determine the student's individualized learning plan. Students can take Pre Tests, Practice Tests, Post Tests and Essay Tests and they will spend time completing lessons and drills in the areas they need to strengthen. Instructors can place announcements on a message board and they can read, score and return essays with comments in the feedback area. In addition, Aztec's HiSet Prep Solution also includes a Computer Literacy component for those with limited computer skills and Advanced Concepts area for students who want additional challenges.

Aztec Software – Bridge Series

Information	Detail
Name	Aztec Software
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock - System Verified
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity.
Target population	ABE/HSE (NRS Level 4) & ELL (NRS Level 6)
Publisher information	Aztec Software 51 Commerce Street Springfield, NJ 07081 www.aztecsoftware.com
Description	"The Aztec Bridge Series is a new and revised curriculum featuring over 100 lessons in Language Arts and Math. The Series is designed to correlate with College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education at levels 6-8, as identified by the U.S. Department of Education, as well as TABE Level D Standards. Students will use this series to bridge from basic academics to high school equivalency curriculum or TABE Level A. Students will practice using academic skills along with critical thinking to solve problems and think analytically. Students will also progress in practical skills such as using reference materials, spending money wisely, and writing persuasively."

Aztec Software – Foundations Series

Information	Detail
Name	Aztec Software
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock - System Verified
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity.
Target population	ABE/HSE (NRS Level 3) & ELL (NRS Level 5)
Publisher information	Aztec Software 51 Commerce Street Springfield, NJ 07081 www.aztecsoftware.com
Description	"The Aztec Foundations Series is the perfect place to begin, whether your student is new to English, or life intervened in their education. Beginning at reading levels as low as 1st grade, but written for adults, the Foundations Series sets the groundwork in all three of the major academic areas of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. With a scaffolding approach, each concept utilizes and enhances the concepts mastered before it. The Foundations Series provides a diagnostic, learning, and practice program that assesses and prescribes customized individual programs to assist learners in the remediation of their basic skills. By using mature life and work situations with age-appropriate graphics to present the lessons, the learner is engaged, challenged, and absorbed by the learning to successful completion."

Aztec Software – Fundamentals Series

Information	Detail
Name	Aztec Software
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock - System Verified
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity.
Target population	ABE/HSE (NRS Level 2) & ELL (NRS Level 4)
Publisher information	Aztec Software 51 Commerce Street Springfield, NJ 07081 www.aztecsoftware.com
Description	Fundamentals provides targeted, computer-based curriculum for beginner level preparation in reading, writing and mathematics, with alignments to TABE level E, CASAS level B, Grade level equivalency: 2-3.9."

Aztec Software – Ready for Work Series

Information	Detail
Name	Aztec Software
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock - System Verified
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity.
Target population	ABE, HSE & ELL
Publisher information	Aztec Software 51 Commerce Street Springfield, NJ 07081 www.aztecsoftware.com
Description	"The Ready for Work Learning Series is specifically designed to foster workforce readiness skills. It gives students the tools to build a successful foundation to launch themselves into today's workforce with confidence. This comprehensive interactive series engages students with progressive lesson content that is based on real life and workforce scenarios. The software is presented in an easy to use effective format."

Burlington English Curriculum

Information	Detail
Name	Burlington English
Delivery mode	Online
Proxy hour model	Clock
Criteria for reporting hours	System must track time and log out students after preset period of inactivity
Target population	English Language Learners
Publisher information	Burlington English, Inc. https://www.burlingtonenglish.com/contact 4800 N. Federal Way Suite E207 Boca Raton, FL 33431
Description	BurlingtonEnglish is a unique blended English program for adults offering a comprehensive General English Program with a wide range of career extensions. This program combines face to face classroom activities with anywhere access to online interactive courses. Burlington English provides students with the tools to internalize the language necessary for them to move forward with their personal and career goals. Based on classroom content, instructors can assign lessons based on an assessment of student needs and areas of challenge. Students will have access to the program tests that measure student progress and receive feedback. BurlingtonEnglish can be used as a supplement to classroom instruction, as an interim program for students who have missed enrollment deadlines, and as a tool for motivated students to explore both the language and career extensions in more depth.

Teacher Verified Local Agency Classroom Homework Assignment

Information	Detail
Name	Teacher Verified Local Agency Classroom Homework Assignment
Description	Local agency homework assignments are intended to provide students with an opportunity to support and enhance regular class instruction. Homework assignments of this scope are used to augment a traditional classroom and are not intended to be a replacement for regular instruction. Each homework assignment that awards proxy hours must have a completed "Homework for Proxy Hours" form approved by a local agency lead administrator and by the Nevada Department of Education Office of Adult Education.
Delivery mode	Any appropriate delivery mode
Proxy hour model	Teacher Verification
Criteria for reporting hours	Each homework assignment must have an approved "Homework for Proxy Hours" form on file that includes a written description of the criteria used to determine proxy hours and must state a limit to the maximum hours allowable.
Target population	Appropriate for all adult education program types.
Publisher information	Homework assignments may include locally developed curricula, publisher curricula, or a combination of each. A description of the curricula must be included in the "Homework for Proxy Hours" form.

APPENDIX B: Distance Education Curriculum Approval Request Form

Return to:
Nevada Dept. of Education
Office of Adult Education
755 N. Roop St. #201
Carson City, NV 89701

Local Program Requesting Curriculum Approval

Information	Detail
Program:
Name:
Email Address:
Phone:
Date:

Curriculum Information

Information	Detail
Curriculum Name:
Delivery mode: (online, print, cd/dvd, etc.)
Proxy hour model: (clock, teacher verify, or learner mastery)
Criteria for reporting hours: (include criteria for teacher verify or learner mastery models)
Target population: (ABE, GED, ESL, etc)
Publisher information: (include both postal and electronic contact info)
Description: (Briefly describe the main features of the curriculum and why you recommend it for approval. Include such features such as pre-and post-tests, prescriptive lesson assignment, feedback systems, and interface method. Use additional pages if necessary.)

APPENDIX C: Homework for Proxy Hours Approval Request Form

Local Program Requesting Curriculum Approval

Information	Detail
Program:
Name:
Email Address:
Phone:
Date:

Homework Assignment Information

Information	Detail
Assignment name:
Description: (Detail the assignment objectives and outcomes. Include such features such as what resources will be used, prescriptive lesson assignment, feedback systems, and interface method. Use additional pages if necessary.)
Target student population: (e.g. HSE Math Prep for ABE students, Beginning ESL, etc.) If for specific class, include class name.
Proxy hours to be awarded: (Describe the amount of proxy hours that will be awarded. Include a maximum limit on available hours.)
Criteria for reporting hours: (Describe how teacher will verify proxy hours.)