This study was conducted by staff from Abt Global, which co-administers CLEAR. The review of this study was conducted by ICF, which co-administers CLEAR and is trained in applying the CLEAR implementation study guidelines.
Citation
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the implementation of Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) which focuses on providing basic skills, occupational skills, and college readiness to low-skilled adults.
- The study authors conducted an implementation evaluation using site visit observations, interviews with key I-BEST staff, and I-BEST administrative data.
- The study found that study sites implemented I-BEST as designed. However, each of the three sites differed on how I-BEST program components were delivered to participants.
- The authors did not provide information on how fidelity was assessed, qualitative analysis methods, and quality assurance methods during data collection.
- The companion impact study was reviewed by CLEAR in June 2024 and can be found here: Washington State’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) Program: Three-year impact report (Martinson et al., 2021).
Intervention Examined
Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST)
Features of the Intervention
- Type of organization: Community and technical colleges
- Location/Setting: Multi-site in Washington
- Population Served: Low-skilled adults; 632 participants
- Industry Focus: Not included
- Intervention Activities: Accelerated learning; Career pathways; Student support services
- Organizational Partnerships: Community and technical colleges
- Cost: Not included
- Fidelity: Not included
The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges developed I-BEST out of concern that adults who lacked high school level skills were not accessing college-level occupational programs and not earning credentials. The goal of I-BEST was to offer an accelerated structured career pathway to increase access to and completion of college-level occupational training in high demand occupation areas for students who may otherwise have to complete remedial coursework.
The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges implemented I-BEST as a pilot program during the 2004-2005 academic year at 10 community and technical colleges to increase the number of adult basic education (ASE) and English as a second language (ESL) students transitioning to college-level occupational training programs. During the 2006-2007 academic school year, the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges fully implemented I-BEST across thirty-four public community and technical colleges. I-BEST targeted adult ASE and ESL students who scored between 221-256 on both math and reading Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CSAS) assessments.
Features of the Study
I-BEST was one of the nine programs involved in the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) Evaluation, funded by the Administration for Children and Families. Study authors conducted an implementation evaluation to assess how well community and technical colleges implemented I-BEST and the patterns of how students used the program. Study authors collected data through site visit observations; monitoring calls with program managers, advisors, case managers, and staff at partner agencies important to service delivery; and administrative I-BEST data. For the implementation study, I-BEST sites included Bellingham Technical College, Evertt Community College, and Whatcom Community College in Washingtons State. While study authors provided information on how they obtained data, the analysis, quality assurance for data collection, and fidelity assessment techniques were not described.
Findings
Intervention Activities/Services
- The study found that all three I-BEST colleges implemented the components of I-BEST as it was designed. However, the colleges varied on how team teaching by basic skill and occupational instructors were implemented together to instruct students.
- One of the I-BEST colleges eliminated the support course of the intervention in the final year of the study. Instructors believed it was a better use of time to focus on team teaching to strengthen concepts and improve basic skills.
- Basic skills instructors often advised and provided support to students, even though tutoring services were available, as students preferred to work with someone familiar to them.
- Basic skills instructors and occupational instructors provided informal employment assistance services to I-BEST students, filling the gap left by the lack of structured employment services in the program.
- The study found that 31% of students served by I-BEST had less than a high school degree or GED.
- The study also found that 73% of students participated in at least one I-BEST course. The most popular course was the nursing assistant (36%) followed by welding (30%).
Implementation Challenges and Solutions
- The study aimed to enroll 1,000 students from three colleges but found less interest in I-BEST than anticipated. To increase enrollment, I-BEST targeted adults who were not in college and those with entrance scores that met the requirements for standard classes but were still within I-BEST's basic skills range. Ultimately, they enrolled 632 students.
- I-BEST college staff collaborated as a teaching team, but new members expressed a lack of sufficient paid preparation and training time because they were adjunct instructors.
- I-BEST classes were small due to low enrollment, allowing non-I-BEST students to join. These non-I-BEST students generally had higher skills. Basic skills instructors prioritized assisting I-BEST students before helping non-I-BEST students.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Study authors mentioned that they assessed fidelity of program implementation but did not include a description of their fidelity assessment. Additionally, study authors did not disclose the number of staff they interviewed during data collection, their data quality methods, and their analytic methods.