Frequently asked questions about the 2014 AO-K Proviso.

Developed from the "Questions and Answers" session during the AO-K Proviso and GED Accelerator Webinar on May 9, 2014, below are a series of FAQs about the AO-K Proviso.  Click here to review the presentation.

  1. When you talk about being co-enrolled in a GED program and a technical program, do both enrollments have to be at the same institution? 

  2. With the co-enrollment requirement, can students co-enroll in any CTE program the college has that is approved by KBOR, or do programs have to be reapproved by KBOR? 

  3. Will we be using the same AO-K MOU? 

  4. Do the courses for an Accelerating Opportunity career pathway have to be team taught by an adult educator as well as a CTE faculty person?

  5. What about students who are enrolled in an SOS program – who are not enrolled in the adult learning center but are taking alternative schooling for a High School diploma or equivalency. If those students are identified in PABLO as GED or high school diploma-seeking and they’re also in CTE classes, do they count for AO-K Proviso funds?

  6. In the discussion draft, Proviso language includes co-enrollment as those attending ABE/ASE/ESL classes. Will the state provide programs with TABE cutoff scores for the pathways, or will that be an institutional decision?

  7. If we start the enrollment process for August can we 'grandparent' those with the CASAS scores required for AO? I do understand they will need TABE for PABLO but our TEC classes fill so fast we want them to get started soon.

  8. Will tuition be paid for only the 12-hour pathway courses that are co-instructed or will it continue to pay tuition for the program until the student receives their GED?

  9. This is not a grant, right? Is it correct that institutions don’t have to apply, just provide these services and send the data reports to Kansas Regents, and that’s how they get the funding?

  10. Which funding source should be used for TANF-eligible students; DCF Tuition Scholarship funds or AO-K Proviso funding?

  11. Will the AO-K Proviso reimburse in-state or out-of-state tuition?

  12. Can you clarify the differences between the statement at the beginning of H.B. 2506 re: individuals who are enrolled in “technical education classes while obtaining a GED using the Accelerating Opportunity program”; GED Accelerator Section 63(a)(1)(A) (which focuses on enrollment); and (C) (which focuses on students who have completed)? There are three different sections and some are more flexible than others. Will there be additional discussion of these differences?

  13. Is the basic skills instructor required to be an Adult Education Center employee?

1. When you talk about being co-enrolled in a GED program and a technical program, do both enrollments have to be at the same institution? 

In order for institutions to receive AO-K Proviso funding, each student must be enrolled in an AEFLA-funded Adult Education program, entered as an AO-K student in PABLO and co-enrolled in an approved AO-K pathway. Both enrollments do not have to be at the same institution, but each institution must have a formal partnership with Kansas Regents for AO-K. 

2. With the co-enrollment requirement, can students co-enroll in any CTE program the college has that is approved by KBOR, or do programs have to be reapproved by KBOR? 

Already-approved CTE programs do not have to be reapproved by Kansas Regents, but the designated AO-K pathway and credentials do require a separate AO-K approval. There is a Kansas Regents process in place for obtaining that approval.

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3. Will we be using the same AO-K MOU? 

Yes, if an institution is already an AO-K college with an AO-K MOU, the existing MOU will be sufficient. 

If an institution is not an AO-K provider college, the institution will need to participate in training and enter into an MOU with Kansas Regents as part of the process of becoming an AO-K provider for purposes of the AO-K Proviso.

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4. Do the courses for an Accelerating Opportunity career pathway have to be team taught by an adult educator as well as a CTE faculty person?

Yes, there is a 25% requirement for team teaching (postsecondary/basic skills instruction) for AO-K courses, but not necessarily for every course in the pathway; we will work with colleges that are not currently AO-K providers on how to meet the team-teaching requirements.

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5. What about students who are enrolled in an SOS program – who are not enrolled in the adult learning center but are taking alternative schooling for a High School diploma or equivalency. If those students are identified in PABLO as GED or high school diploma-seeking and they’re also in CTE classes, do they count for AO-K Proviso funds?

No. AEFLA-funded Adult Education can only serve adults. Meeting that definition requires individuals to be at least 16 years of age and released from compulsory attendance by the school district. If they’re in SOS they’re still in high school.

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6. In the discussion draft, Proviso language includes co-enrollment as those attending ABE/ASE/ESL classes. Will the state provide programs with TABE cutoff scores for the pathways, or will that be an institutional decision?

The Proviso defines co-enrollment in technical education classes while obtaining a GED by referring to the Accelerating Opportunity program. We will use the Education Functioning Level (EFL) requirements that are currently in place to determine eligibility for enrollment in AO-K classes. 

TABE and CASAS scores can be cross-walked to determine who is eligible for AO-K. Click Here to view the cross-walk between CASAS and TABE scores.

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7. If we start the enrollment process for August can we 'grandparent' those with the CASAS scores required for AO? I do understand they will need TABE for PABLO but our TEC classes fill so fast we want them to get started soon.

Students have to be pre- and post-tested with the same test within a fiscal year. During this transition year, students who are initially qualified with CASAS scores must be re-tested with TABE after July 1; however, if their TABE scores are below or above the cutoff scores, they will be grandfathered into the AO-K program based on their CASAS score. 

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8. Will tuition be paid for only the 12-hour pathway courses that are co-instructed or will it continue to pay tuition for the program until the student receives their GED?

We will pay tuition until the end of the semester in which students have either completed their approved AO-K Pathway or obtained their GED. For example, if students earn their GED in March, their eligibility will end upon completion of the spring semester. If students complete their AO-K Pathway but have not yet earned their GED, their eligibility stops at the end of the semester in which they earn the CTE credential(s) associated with their approved AO-K Pathway.

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9. This is not a grant, right? Is it correct that institutions don’t have to apply, just provide these services and send the data reports to Kansas Regents, and that’s how they get the funding?

For the AO-K Proviso, institutions not currently participating in AO-K need to apply to become an AO-K Provider, participate in training, and be eligible to receive AO-K Proviso funding. 

Institutions currently participating in AO-K do not need to re-apply but rather complete the requirements in the guidance document. (Also refer to GED Accelerator question #13.)

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10. Which funding source should be used for TANF-eligible students; DCF Tuition Scholarship funds or AO-K Proviso funding?

Department for Children and Families (DCF) Tuition Scholarship funds are utilized as the first available funding source for qualified students, prior to accessing funding through the AO-K Proviso. For TANF-eligible students only, payment is available for both tiered and non-tiered courses.

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11. Will the AO-K Proviso reimburse in-state or out-of-state tuition?

The AO-K Proviso does not reimburse an institution for the amount an institution would have charged based on the individual institution’s tuition rate. The AO-K Proviso is attached to the Tuition for Technical Education (SB 155) line item, which provides funds at the full calculated course rate for tiered technical courses.

Students need to be residing in Kansas and cannot be charged tuition for enrollment in tiered technical courses. 

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12. Can you clarify the differences between the statement at the beginning of H.B. 2506 re: individuals who are enrolled in “technical education classes while obtaining a GED using the Accelerating Opportunity program”; GED Accelerator Section 63(a)(1)(A) (which focuses on enrollment); and (C) (which focuses on students who have completed)? There are three different sections and some are more flexible than others. Will there be additional discussion of these differences?

The AO-K Proviso (Section 24) refers to students pursuing a GED while enrolled in an approved AO-K pathway.  

The GED Accelerator, Section 63(a) (1)(A) refers to students who receive GEDs while enrolled in CTE and (C) is to pay for the testing costs for students pursuing the GED while enrolled in a CTE program. (Also refer to GED Accelerator #2.)

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13. Is the basic skills instructor required to be an Adult Education Center employee?

No.  The source of funding for the instructors is not relevant.  

AO-K pairs two instructors in the classroom – one to teach career technical education content and the other to teach basic skills in reading, math, writing, and/or English language.  The basic skills instructor needs to have teaching experience in at least two of those basic skills areas, a thorough understanding of adult education procedures, and adequate knowledge of adult education content standards to work with career and technical education faculty to develop contextualized instruction.

In order to ensure that basic skills instructors have the necessary qualifications and the support they need to be effective, basic skills instructors in AO-K need to be approved by the adult education director to teach basic skills in AO-K.  The adult education director will also need to direct the AO-K related activities of the basic skills instructors.

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