The Charboneau Learning Center

A Program of The Literacy Project

15 Bank Row, Suite D

Greenfield, MA 01302

413-774-3935

www.literacyproject.org/charboneau.html

September 2006

Successes/Highlights

Amber Publishes a Book!

Working closely with the Franklin County CDC, Amber was the key point person in developing "Plan For Success:

Information and Resources to Help Your Business."

Amber did all the interviews, research, and writing. She was also intimately involved in all the planning and layout.

It is a 38 page booklet with information and activities covering all aspects of starting and running a small business.

These books are available in the Town Halls of four communities: Heath, Colrain, Montague, and Orange. It is also

available in the libraries and banks of those communities. It was funded by a Community Development Block Grant

for those communities with funding also from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community

Development with administrative support provided by Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment

Authority.

and . . .

Achievements by Learners

3 learners Applied for a Job

2 learners Completed Assessed Math Unit

10 learners Completed Essay/Significant writing project

1 learner Enlisted Supportive/Safety Services

3 learners Enrolled-academic/post-secondary education

1 learner Got a learner's permit to drive

1 learner Increased Civic Participation

1 learner Increased Computer Literacy

2 learners Interviewed for job

2 learners Obtained Stable Housing

5 learners Passed GED

1 learner Passed some GED tests

1 learner Read a book

1 learner Registered at/Visited Career Center

1 learner Registered for GED Test

3 learners Registered to vote

1 learner Completed a Resume

1 learner Retained new job for 9+months

1 learner started a business

1 learner Voted municipal/state/federal election

Challenges

Maintaining our Transitions Programs after December?

The P-21 Older Youth Workforce Development monies *may* provide some "Bridge Funding" for our Transitions

Programs after the Greenfield Block Grant expires at the end of December. We have been working with the Career

Center and it's P-21 planning group to along those lines, but there are no guarantees.

Our Site Board and Jennifer McKenna have also been focusing on this issue which is a top priority for Charboneau.

Jennifer is currently drafting language for two grants geared to the "Transitions to College" component of our

programming. Once those are submitted we are hopeful that there will be funding sources found for the "Job

Readiness" and "Employment Transitions" for learners currently not interested in college.

Louise has also been working with Even Start, GCC and the Career Center on the next GED Graduation to be held at

GCC on October 12. All of these organizations are concerned about the possible loss (or interruption) of our Transitions

Program and are lending support where they can.

Class Activities

Louise has introduced a Journal Writing requirement to her Morning ABE Class. To her

surprise and delight she has had 100% compliance with the challenge to write at least 7

entries per week. Obviously, there is a wide variance in the quantity and structural

development of these entries, but everyone is feeling affirmed and productive. Louise and

her volunteer, Nancy Considine, have also began a new creative writing program on

Wednesdays which has generated a lot of enthusiasm and participation so far. Louise has also

introduced a weekly vocabulary activity involving investigating random words found in the

dictionary. (There are a lot of very strange words in the English language!)

On a different note, Louise is also seriously attending to the standards (beyond comportment

and attendance) necessary to justify a student's continued placement in an ABE class.

Joe's Morning Pre-GED class started the month by deciding that the two most important

elements to a worthwhile classroom experience were: 1. Being surrounded by busy and

serious people, and 2) Getting Good Feedback. Other elements such as the balance between

Group Instruction, Individual Learning Time, and One-on-One Assistance were considered

very important but were judged to be of secondary importance compared to the two priorities.

This class continues to explore the Industrial Revolution. Currently they are looking at the

Great Depression through the eyes of the Bonus Marchers of 1931-32. Joe has also

introduced a new component to his Math Tracking and Assessment program and the results so

far are encouraging.

Neither attendance nor enrollment has yet picked up to appropriate levels in the Afternoon or

Evening GED classes. Still, we have been doing a lot of intakes, and many of the current

members of these classes are demonstrating gratifying levels of seriousness and dedication.

We have begun the MAPT (OWL) Testing and, whatever their validity or reliability, their ease

of administration is almost thrilling compared to our experiences with the TABE. Students

seem to actually enjoy taking them - especially now that they get immediate feedback with

scores they can print out. If anything, the tests are too easy. One young student was

somewhat crushed when he saw low scores on his Official Practice GED Tests, after the MAPT

had put him above their GED level (as an "ADEPT") in both Math and Reading.

Four learners were suspended for erratic attendance. One of them has chosen probation.

Four other learners were issued Warning Letters for attendance below 75%.

Additional Information:

15 days of classes Class Contact Hours: 761.00 50.7 hours per day (about 21 learners in classes per day)

Inquiries and Others Served: 18 Learners with 24 or more Hours: 15

The majority of inquiries have been from 16-18 year olds

				ATTENDANCE
				12+ hours	22	63%
				2-11 hours	9	26%
				<2 hours	4	11%
					35
ETHNICITY	Intakes	Enrolled					REFERRALS	Intakes	Enrolled
AmerInd/Alaskan	0	0	0%				Career Center	2	4	11%
Asian	0	1	3%				Community College	0	3	9%
Black	1	3	9%				Employer	0	1	3%
Cape Verdean	0	0	0%				Flyers/Publicity	0	2	6%
Haitian	0	1	3%				Library	0	0	0%
Hawaiian/PI	0	0	0%				Court/Probation	0	2	6%
Hispanic	2	2	6%				Public School	0	3	9%
IndianSub	0