Community Services Agency: "Speaking of Math"  

Funded through a grant from the Community Foundation of the National Capital Area. Goals are to help Limited English Proficiency (LEP) workers succeed and advance in the trades by expanding the availability of ESL classes for LEP workers, by developing a construction math curriculum that meets the needs of all trades to the extent possible, and by leveraging existing and new resources to sustain and expand the program.

Year 1 Accomplishments (2005)

• Developed a construction math-based curriculum in consultation with several area apprenticeship programs.
  
• Pilot tested the curriculum in classes for 30 Limited English Proficiency (LEP) apprentices.
  
• Initiated the development of a training curriculum for teachers on use of the student curriculum.

Year 2 Assignments (2006)

• Conducted classes for 120 area LEP apprentices using new curriculum and measure improvements in students’ abilities.
  
• Explored modifying existing OSHA curricula to add to the training.
  
• Trained 5 additional teachers on the use of the new curriculum.
  
• Trained JATC instructors on how to incorporate the new curriculum into existing training to ensure sustainability.
  
• Identified new resources for expansion of classes and maximize use of JATCs’ existing resources.
  
• Built a union consortium to further the longer term goals of this project.

Year 3 (2007)

• Consolidate the working consortium to continue the project.
  
• Identify sustainable funding.
  
• Conduct the week-long credit course, “VESL: Principles and Practice for Trades Instructors” at the National Labor College for local and national instructor staffs Fall 2007.
  
• Continue rolling out “Speaking of Math” curriculum in the form of additional classes for workers and training on its use for other community-based organizations.