Training, Resources and Innovation Network for Texas (TRAIN Tex)

Excerpted from Texas Adult Education and Literacy Guide
Published by Texas Workforce Commission
July 2017
[Read the entire AEL Guide]
[Read archived original 2014 TRAIN Tex paper]

The Training, Resource and Innovation Network for Texas (TRAIN Tex) strategy represents TWC’s investment in Professional Development, relevant research, and capacity-building projects that sustain and advance a robust system of providers and workforce partners to accelerate the advancement of education and training priorities across the state.

TRAIN Tex promotes a fully integrated system that delivers increased employment, postsecondary education and training transition, skills gains, and secondary completion for participants. The result is greater value for the public investment. TRAIN Tex transforms the limited PD options of the past into a high-quality “no wrong door” integrated network of providers, Workforce Training systems, and the state’s Workforce Solutions services. The TRAIN Tex strategy distributes responsibilities across three entities, each one directed and supported by TWC staff:

The Professional Development Center (PD Center) contracted by TWC TRAIN Tex PD at Texas A&M University’s Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning (TCALL) is responsible for developing and delivering training, informational resources, and other support to local programs, Boards, nonprofit and community-based adult education providers, employers, and other stakeholders. Further information on PD roles and responsibilities of Grantees and the PD Center can be found at https://tcall.tamu.edu.

Capacity-building projects are initiatives that advance development and innovation in addressing specific TWC priorities. Projects are designed to expand the capacity of providers and to develop research-based curriculum and resources, expand Educational Technology, and enhance the integration of services with other education and workforce organizations, including Boards, colleges, libraries, and nonprofit and faith-based providers. For more on these projects, visit TCALL’s Capacity Building Project’s page (https://tcall.tamu.edu/twcael/specialInitiatives.htm).

1. Professional Development Center

TRAIN PD @ TCALL is a TCALL project, funded by TWC to serve as the statewide PD and resource center for Texas staff. In that role, TRAIN PD serves as the hub for the TWC TRAIN Tex strategy. For more information, go to TRAIN PD @ TCALL (https://tcall.tamu.edu/TRAIN-PD-TCALL.html).

Note: “TRAIN PD @ TCALL” is the project name only, not an e-mail address.

TRAIN PD @ TCALL is responsible for providing training-of-trainer events, informational resources, and other training support to local programs, students, and stakeholders. PD Center staff, including PD specialists, are responsible for deploying statewide PD activities, identifying and recruiting additional contract trainers, developing and delivering training throughout the state, ensuring online accessibility, and assisting AEL Grantees and other providers with PD planning and services provisions, as follows:

  • Data-driven PD planning, services, and implementation

  • The Texas AEL Contract Trainer Database (with ongoing recruitment/development of trainers)

  • Management and development of TWC-provided Learning Management System (Texas AEL PD Portal)

  • Event planning for statewide, regional, or local conference or business events

  • Research activities to evaluate PD effectiveness and for other purposes as approved by TWC

  • Assisting AEL Grantees and other providers with PD development planning and services provision

a. Role of the PD Specialist

A PD specialist employed by the PD Center is assigned to each Grantee. The PD specialist works in coordination with the local PD coordinator, the program director, and TWC in the review of program performance data in TEAMS, Labor Market and Career Information, and other relevant data to identify deficiencies related to program operations and/or program instructional systems that may be resolved through targeted PD. The PD specialist is in regular contact with the PD coordinator to review progress, provide or request the necessary Professional Development training, and coordinate the development of a Professional Development Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) for the program year.

2. Professional Development Roles and Responsibilities

a. Program Director Role in PD

The AEL program director:

  • must employ a PD Coordinator who is dedicated at least 20 percent full-time to the role;

  • coordinates with the PD Coordinator to develop the program’s CIP and guides staff PD;

  • ensures that program data is reviewed regularly by both the data coordinator and the PD coordinator to monitor program improvement and PD efforts;

  • ensures coverage while instructional staff members attend PD training;

  • manages the program’s PD budget to ensure that all AEL staff receives, at a minimum, the appropriate PD to satisfy the requirements set forth in §805.21; and

  • provides instructional staff with access to their data to help inform instruction.

b. Professional Development Coordinator Role in PD

The PD Coordinator:

  • must not also be the program director;

  • acts as a single point of contact for TWC PD;

  • effectively leads PD efforts for the program;

  • collaborates with the assigned PD Center specialist and TWC Program Support Specialist as necessary to ensure that AEL Grantees’ needs are met;

  • coordinates with PD specialist on the PD planning, implementation, and documentation to ensure that all staff members meet PD requirements and are sufficiently trained to support program performance and compliance;

  • works with the PD specialist and program director to develop the AEL Grantee’s CIP;

  • submits contextualized and/or specialized curriculum developed by program staff to the PD specialist for inclusion as an available resource for other AEL programs;

  • coordinates PD planning, implementation, and documentation, as directed by TWC if the program is placed on a Technical Assistance Plan or other corrective action; and

  • provides training to local staff, where local capacity exists, or as directed by TWC, in coordination with the PD specialist.

Local training activities include the following:

  • Training for the administration of pre- and post-tests in compliance with the Assessment Guide and the test publisher’s administration guidelines

  • Basic training on TEAMS

  • Student intake, enrollment, and Orientation

  • Goal setting, as defined in the Assessment Guide

  • Career awareness

  • Other training topics in which local staff has subject matter expertise

c. AEL Staff Needing to Obtain Professional Development

AEL staff which need to obtain PD work with the PD coordinator to plan for PD based on identified needs with the goal of quality improvement and participate in PD activities in support of individual PD. Staff may also participate in program improvement efforts, which may include the following:

  • Participating in a program improvement team

  • Identifying program improvement goals

  • Reviewing data related to program improvement goals

  • Providing feedback on impact of program improvement efforts

  • Implementing program changes