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G2S Project Code: 2020-FL-84363
State: Florida
Fiscal Year: 2020

Grantee
Broward County Libraries Division

Project Director
Director Name: Tara Zimmermann
Director Phone: 954-357-7386
Director Email: tzimmerm@broward.org

General Information
Title: Career Online High School
State Project Code: 20-LSTA-B-02
Start Date: 10/01/2020
End Date: 09/30/2021
Abstract: Broward County Library’s Career Online High School (COHS) program provided scholarships for thirty-eight (38) eligible adults who want to earn their high school diploma. The program also provided wrap-around services such as the guidance of professional librarians and literacy staff; free resources such as computers, Internet and digital literacy classes, as well as job search and resume writing workshops; and referrals to other community organizations that can help them along the journey of earning an accredited high school diploma that they can use to apply to college or the military, and a career certificate that will help them get a foot in the door to land a job.
State Goal: Goal 1 - Services: Floridians use information and innovative and responsive services from all types of libraries and archives that meet diverse information needs.

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$50,701.00

$0.00

$17,188.16

$67,889.16

Intent(s)
Improve users' formal education.
Employment
Adult Literacy

Activities

Activity Details
Title: Career Online High School program implementation
Narrative: Acquisition of the Career Online High School dashboard. The Collection Management Manager oversaw the acquisition of the COHS dashboard and 38 scholarship awards and directed the placement of the COHS dashboard on the BCL website.

Broward County Library Learning Services Coordinator/COHS Program Manager completed these critical program management tasks daily as needed.

The program manager receives new self-assessment/readiness surveys via email. The COHS self is printed, read and reviewed to determine eligibility. Customers are qualified and sent an email with instructions on how to start the prerequisite (Part 1) or they are sent an email indicating why they were not qualified. If a customer is not qualified due to age, the program manager encourages them to reapply when they turn 19. If they do not qualify for resident, the customer is referred to a high school or GED program in their county. If they cannot make the commitment, the customer is referred to a high school program in their city. If they do not have a library card in good standing or are not willing to get one, the customer is referred to the local adult community school. If they are willing to obtain a library card, they are directed to their neighborhood library to get a card or to obtain an Ecard at the library’s website. If they are not qualified due to the fact that they already have a high school diploma, they are referred to Broward College or the Broward vocational/technical colleges.

The program manager monitors students in the prerequisite phase to identify candidates for the full program. The program manager reviews the “Completed this Week” report from the COHS/Nexport dashboard to see if new students have a finished status for the prerequisite course (Part 1).

Once it is determined that a student has completed the pre-requisite successfully with a score of 70% or higher, an interview is scheduled. The program manager reaches out by phone to conduct the intake interview, to determine if the student is capable of being successful in the scholarship program (Part 2). The student is congratulated for completing the pre-requisite (Part 1) and then the Program manager explains the next steps before a scholarship is awarded. These steps include the interview, the student signing the letter of commitment to the library and proof of identification, which includes proof of address and age. If student is available when the program manager calls, an interview is conducted immediately, if not, an interview is scheduled at a time convenient for the student and staff. Most students make time to be interviewed immediately. After the interview and the program manager decides that the student is a good candidate for the program, an email with letter of commitment and request for a copy of Driver’s License or State ID. In some instances, the ID does not match the address and a bill or lease with the student’s name and address is accepted. Other forms of ID are also accepted, such as passports and work IDs. Once these two documents are received and determined to be verification of the student being a Broward resident and 19 years of age or older. A scholarship is awarded, along with a link to the Broward County Library’s Brainfuse/eTutor Live Homework Help. The student is also informed that they will be monitored for the first thirty days and are expected commit 8- 10 hours per week to complete their career semesters for Part 2. If the student cannot make the 8- 10 hour per week commitment to the program, the program manager refers the student based on city and zip code to a local adult community school to complete their GED. Students who are not Broward residents are referred to GED or online high school programs in their county. Students who already have a high school diploma are referred to Broward College or local vocational/ technical colleges in Broward or their county. Broward.edu

Once students are in the scholarship program (Part 2) they receive a welcome call and email from Smart Horizons Career Online Education/COHS academic coach. The academic coach also reminds them of the 30-day timeline and the 8-10 hour weekly commitment. The academic coach also provides their contact information to the student at this time. The academic coach checks if the student has started after two days of the award, monitors the student’s status at day 15 and confirms that the student is more than 75% complete by day 25. If the student is good to continue, the academic coach will communicate with the student and program manager to award the scholarship on day 30. If the student is not meeting the demands of the scholarship, the academic coach will communicate with the student and program manager to determine if the student scholarship is cancelled. If a student's scholarship is cancelled, the program manager will contact the student and recommend other high school diploma options. The program manager will also inform the student that this may not be the right time for the Library’s COHS program and encourage the student reapply when their situation changes. The academic coach will return the scholarship to the library. If the student is successful in completing the requirements the scholarship is awarded.

Students in the scholarship (Part 2) full program are monitored by the COHS Program manager via the Nexport dashboard, which provides information on what course the student is actively working on and percentage of the program that the student has completed, as well as high school transcript credits and GED subject test credit. Communication with student and academic coach is on an as-needed basis. Students who are using the library public computers at BCL branches are provided with the library literacy contact at their neighborhood branch for support and for more computer time if necessary.

Intent: Improve users' formal education.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: Virtual

Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 2,550
Number of presentations/performances administered: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 38

Partner Information

Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No

Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
For what age groups: 18-25 years
26-49 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: Yes: adults without high school diploma

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: BROWARD COUNTY LIBRARIES DIVISION
Address: 100 S. ANDREWS AVE
City: FORT LAUDERDALE
State: FL
Zip: 33301

Activity Details
Title: Program evaluation
Narrative: The evaluation tools that were used by the program manager of BCL COHS were feedback collected from program participants and information gathered from Smart Horizons Career Online Education. The evaluation process continued throughout the grant period so that staff were able to immediately respond to ideas and concerns expressed in the surveys. The surveys gauged overall student experience and satisfaction with the program as well as feedback on what library staff can do to support the students to ensure program completion. After each student graduated, they were contacted and asked a list of questions, which included - what is your next step? Will you participate in the graduation ceremony? How can BCL help them to reach their continuing academic and career goals?

Intent: Improve users' formal education.

Activity: Planning & Evaluation
Mode: Retrospective
Format: In-house

Quantity
Number of evaluations and/or plans funded: 38
Number of funded evaluation and/or plans completed: 38

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
For what age groups: 18-25 years
26-49 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: Yes: adults without a high school diploma

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: BROWARD COUNTY LIBRARIES DIVISION
Address: 100 S. ANDREWS AVE
City: FORT LAUDERDALE
State: FL
Zip: 33301

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
During the grant period: 121 of the 144 potential students were qualified and were sent a link to the COHS prerequisite Part 1. 40 of the 121 completed the prerequisite successfully. 37 of the 40 were interviewed. 35 of the 37 were awarded scholarships. 4 students have completed the COHS program and graduated. 3 students completed the program in less than four months. 2 students did not pass the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) when they were in high school. 1 student wanted to obtain her high school diploma before her son, who is a senior in high school and is scheduled to graduate June 2022. 1 student was the recipient of a second COHS award. 3 of the 35 scholarships were cancelled due to students not being able to keep up with the program pace. The COHS academic coaches and Library program manager communicated with the students several times before canceling the student scholarship. All three students were referred to their local adult community schools to enroll in a GED program. The scholarships were returned to the library. 7 individuals who completed the prerequisite were withdrawn. Two have a high school diploma from Jamaica. Five COHS participants completed the prerequisite but were withdrawn because they have not responded to phone calls or emails. 23 of the 144 self–assessment/survey respondents were not qualified for the Broward County Library COHS program. Six of the 23 were not qualified due to not being residents of Broward County. Nine were not qualified because they already have an accredited high school diploma or GED. Two were not qualified because they could not make the time commitment of 8-10 hours per week. Two more were not qualified because they did not have a library card and were not willing to get one. Three were not qualified due to their age; they were under the required age of 19. Five previous BCL COHS students have requested their second award (scholarship). One student lost his job due to the decline in car sales at the dealership where he worked. Another student became the primary caretaker for his father, who died. One student who has requested a second scholarship is a mother of ten children of which eight are school–age who were all home due to school closings. Once the schools resumed in-person classes, she was able to focus on her COHS coursework. One student had technical problems and had to find alternatives for accessing a computer and the internet. The student was referred to their local library to access a computer and internet or to check out a Chromebook or tablet with a hot spot. One student has a learning disability and needs more time to complete each assignment. All five previous students were re-interviewed by the Library Program Manager to determine how they plan to be successful this time around. Each student provided details on how he or she plans to finish the program. All five students were awarded scholarships. One student who received a second award completed the program and graduated in June 2021. He plans to obtain his Commercial Driving License (CDL) and start his own trucking business. The student was referred to Sheridan Technical College in Broward for the Commercial Vehicle Driving certificate program. The other four-second award recipients are 85%, 70%, 62%, and 52% complete. Broward County Public Schools, one of BCL’s COHS partners, serves a diverse population of students from 177 countries who speak 151 languages. Career Online High School in Broward reaches a multi-cultural population and many of the participants are from other countries. Students of Jamaican and Haitian heritage make up the majority of our active students. A few Latin countries are also well represented-Peru, Colombia and Cuba. The top languages spoken at home other than English are Haitian –Creole, Spanish and Portuguese. Nearly half of the 32 scholarship recipients are interested in pursuing a career in the health field.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
One important finding that will be considered for future program planning is that only 33% of the participants will successfully complete the pre-requisite (Part 1). Therefore, to ensure that all scholarships are awarded, Broward County Library will market the program continuously throughout the community to increase the number of customers who enroll in the program. BCL will saturate the community with COHS marketing materials through all platforms. Another important finding that will be considered for future program planning is the time allotted to complete the program. Broward COHS program awarded five of the 32 participants a second scholarship. Broward COHS students are different and they have unique strengths and weakness. Each student has a preferred learning style and pace. Some students completed the program in less than the allotted 18 months. However, others need more time. The Broward COHS program can provide partial scholarships to students who are not able to complete the program in the 18 months. Smart Horizons offers partial scholarships for purchase at a pro-rated fee. In addition, Broward COHS program will also consider marketing at local elementary, middle and high schools to parents who have completed some high school. Because of the findings that 19 of the 32 COHS students indicated in their interview that their children are the factors in their life that will contribute the most to their success in the program. One student indicated that knowing that they had a little one looking up to them, was all the motivation they needed to get up, and get on the computer and do their coursework. Thirty of the 32 participants completed one year of high school and 21 completed the 11th grade. Broward COHS students who completed the 11th grade have had the greatest success with this program. Broward will consider all of the above when marketing the COHS program, but will also consider these demographics when determining the success of the students and the program.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
The program manager identified two very significant lessons for others wanting to adopt this project. 1) The COHS students who had the most success in completing their high school diploma and career certificate had these common factors: They completed 11th grade, were female, African-American or Black, in 30s age group, were parents and employed. Almost 66% percent of the 32 scholarship recipients completed the 11th grade in high school. Five completed 10th grade, four completed 9th grade and one completed 8th grade according to their self –assessment/survey. Twenty-two of the 32 students who have been awarded scholarships are female and 10 are male. Twenty-three of the scholarship recipients are African- American or Black. Five are Hispanic or Latino. Three recipients are Caucasian or White. One award recipient identifies as Asian/Pacific Islander. The age of the 32 students is represented as follows; nine are in their 20s, 13 are in their 30s, seven are in their 40s, and three are in their 50s. Seventeen of the 32 are employed and 15 are unemployed. 2) Each COHS student is unique and his or her circumstances are very different. Some students need more time than others to complete the program. Each student learns differently and at his or her own pace. Three students completed the program in less than four months. In addition, one student who had a second scholarship needed more than the 18 months to complete the full program. Five of the 32 recipients received a second award. The significant lesson learned is to recommend that there be an option for a partial scholarship. Smart Horizons offers partial scholarships for purchase at a pro-rated fee.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:

Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative

Project Tags: