ACES / Transitions

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The goal of ACES (Academic, Career & Employability Skills) is to support instructors in teaching the hard-to-define, yet make-or-break skills needed to succeed in the workplace, college, and community.

Transitions Integration Framework (TIF)

The Transitions Integration Framework (TIF) is the cornerstone of ACES, and it is one of three documents comprising the state-adopted content standards for Minnesota Adult Education. Visit the CCR Standards page to see how ACES fits into the broader content standards for ABE, including the College & Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRS).

The TIF was designed to provide ABE programs and instructors with guidance on the effective integration of transitions skills (also known as soft skills or professional skills) into instruction at all levels of ABE.

The TIF includes six categories of skills:

  1. Critical Thinking
  2. Developing a Future Pathway
  3. Effective Communication
  4. Learning Strategies
  5. Navigating Systems
  6. Self-Management

Want more information on implementing the TIF in your own practice? Check out the ACES resource library!

Webinars & Workshops

Facilitated by the ACES Coordinator and Minnesota ABE teachers and administrators statewide, webinars are offered throughout the year to keep adult educators up to speed on ACES work and keep these important transitions skills fresh in educators’ minds. To increase their applicability, ACES webinars are often combined with other content areas and initiatives, such as the College & Career Readiness Standards (CCRS), Northstar Digital Literacy, and adult career pathways.

ATLAS also offers ACES-related workshops at Fall and Spring Regionals across Minnesota.

For information on upcoming opportunities, check the Events calendar.

Online Courses

ACES/TIF Foundations

This free online course on the Canvas platform provides a thorough introduction on how to integrate academic, career, and employability skills (ACES) into your instructional context through the use of the Transitions Integration Framework (TIF). Participants can earn 6 CEUs for successful completion of the course.

Study Circles

ACES Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

ACES professional learning communities (PLCs) provide teachers with the opportunity to examine their roles as adult educators in a “transitions” landscape; explore and practice integrating transitions (TIF) skills into their lessons, materials and instructional settings; and work collaboratively with colleagues to reflect on and develop their teaching practice.

New ACES Resources

Social and Emotional Learning for Adult Multilingual Learners Toolkit

The Social and Emotional Learning for Adult Multilingual Learners Toolkit was created to “offer explanations, tips, materials, and links to help ESOL teachers and programs better understand and integrate social-emotional learning [SEL] into the adult English language classroom.” It also helps adult education instructors understand the connections between ABE and SEL. Although this resource was developed to be used with non-native speakers of English, the information and activities could be used with any adult learner.

Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility

Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility is being added to the Featured Resources as part of our effort to look at ACES/TIF through the important lens of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and social emotional learning (SEL). Part of how they fulfill this mission is by sharing a robust collection of classroom resources that focuses on helping people understand current issues, celebrate diversity, and explore intersectionality. The lesson collection is very well-organized and can be searched using key terms and/or by applying various filters.  

TIF 2.0 Lessons

This folder contains new example TIF lesson plans that were updated in 2023 as part of the TIF 2.0 project, using a newly designed lesson plan template. They include ideas for incorporating important topics like DEI (Diversity/Equity/Inclusion) and SEL (Social Emotional Learning), as well as strategies for adapting the lessons to a variety of delivery models.
ACES

ACES Resource Library »

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Latest ACES/Transitions Articles

Information/Media Literacy: More Important Than Ever!

Don't believe everything you read! Information is coming at our students at a very rapid pace from many different sources. With that in mind, it is more important than ever to give them the strategies and tools to effectively analyze and evaluate all of this data. Read More

Unlocking Safe Food Handling: Navigating Minnesota’s Certified Food Protection Manager Requirements

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) oversees the Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) program, setting rigorous standards to uphold food safety. Aspiring CFPMs must complete an accredited training course and pass an approved certification exam to earn the credential. Read more about this potential credential for your ACP. Read More

Upcoming ABE Events

April 26, 2024 9:00 am–12:00 pm
Burlington English
Online

CASAS STEPS and Burlington English Prep Virtual Conference

Online

Registration Deadline: FRI. 4/26/24 Come learn about the new CASAS STEPS assessment and the new BurlingtonEnglish CASAS preparation materials. We’ll collaborate together in person, sharing strategies learned from states who have already adopted the new CASAS Steps assessment, gaining confidence with the English Language Proficiency standards, and receive… Learn More

Online
April 26, 2024 1:00 pm–3:00 pm
Literacy Minnesota
Online

Working with Literacy and Beginning Level ESL Learners

Online

Registration Deadline: FRI. 4/26/24 Learners with limited English and literacy skills have unique needs for in-person and remote instruction. Participants will learn best practices and tips for success at this level. They’ll also get several ideas for routines, activities and resources to use in their classes and tutoring… Learn More

Online
April 29, 2024 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Literacy Minnesota
Online

Teaching Intermediate Alphabetics

Online

Registration Deadline: MON. 4/29/24 Teaching intermediate alphabetics (syllables, prefixes, suffixes, root words) is a great way to help students build their decoding and comprehension skills. Come learn a variety of fun and easy-to-use routines and activities for helping intermediate-level readers develop these important tools. Learn More

Online