Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Higher Education Coordination Commission

Adult Basic Skills (ABS) Professional Development

Oregon community college partners and other Adult Basic Skills (ABS) providers can find information here on professional development resources. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) Office of Community Colleges and Workforce Development (CCWD) is committed to providing research-based professional development that will assist Oregon’s ABS programs in meeting their educational and career development goals.

Learn more about the HECC’s support and coordination of ABS here.

Background and Calendar

Professional development for ABS faculty, staff, and administrators is available on a local, state, and national level. Our approach is evidence-based and centered on collaboration between providers, the state, and other Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) partners. Our goal is improving the quality of instruction and subsequent student outcomes within WIOA programs across the state. Learn more in our plan, framework, and calendar of trainings below.

2022-2027 ABS Professional Development Plan and FrameworkOregon ABS Professional Development Calendar Program Year 2023-2024 (Facilitated Trainings)

Oregon's ABS Learning Standards are the Oregon Adult College and Career Readiness Standards (OACCRS) and the Oregon Adult English Language Proficiency Standards (OAELPS).

Professional Development Resources

​​The Learning Standards Foundation Training is a required training comprised of two modules: 
  1. OACCRS/OAELPS Orientation Module
  2. Adult Education Module
Facilitated workshops are offered for the Orientation Module only. Check the ABS Professional Development Calendar for dates and registration information.

Self-study versions of both modules are available on Canvas LMS. Email ashley.garrigan@hecc.oregon.gov​ to enroll.

​Facilitated trainings for additional learning standards modules are offered throughout the program year by ABS instructors who are also state learning standards trainers. Self-study versions of the modules are available on the Canvas Learning Management System. 

The OACCRS/OAELPS Orientation Module provides a vital baseline knowledge of the standards that. Completing the Orientation Module is necessary to participate in the modules below. Participants must complete the Orientation Module before taking additional modules or participating in a standards-based Professional Learning Community (PLC).

It is recommended, but not required, that participants take the modules in order.

PLC activities related to the module topics are available in the "Professional Learning Communities" section.

Register for facilitated trainings on the ABS Professional Development Calendar​ or email ashley.garrigan@hecc.oregon.gov for access to the modules on Canvas.​
  • ​​​​Math Module 1: The Key Shifts​​. Learn about the Key Shifts in content and instruction that underlie the standards: Focus, Rigor, and Coherence.​​
  • Math Module 2: The Mathematical Standards of Practice. Learn about the 8 Standards of Mathematical Practice: essential habits of mind and action that describe student behaviors, ensure an understanding of math, and focus on developing reasoning and building mathematical communication.
  • Math Module 3: The Mathematical Standards of Content. Use a variety of tools to develop their understanding of the Standards for Mathematical Content and begin to apply these standards to your practice.
  • Math Module 4: Integrating the Key Shifts, Standards for Mathematical Practice, and Standards for Mathematical Content. Bring it all together and practice applying all the components of the standards to your own practice.
Please note that the Language Arts (LA)/English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Modules below incorporate both OACCRS-LA and OAELPS, with an opportunity for participants to engage with whichever set of standards meets their needs.
  • ​LA/ESOL Module 1: The Four Dimensions and Process Skills. Learn About The Four Dimensions of Performance and The Process Skills through guided activities and discussions.
  • LA/ESOL Module 2: Planning Instruction - Starting From an Anchor. Experiment with creating a standards-aligned lesson plan starting from an anchor.
  • LA/ESOL ​Module 3: Planning Instruction - Starting From a Task. Experiment with creating a standards-aligned lesson plan starting from a task.​​
  • LA/ESOL Module 4: The Key Advances With a Focus on Text Complexity. Use a variety of methods to evaluate text complexity for use in instruction and learn why Key Advance #1 is essential to college and career readiness. Key Advances #2 and #3 will also be addressed.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Standards-based Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a requirement for ABS program directors/coordinators, instructors, and data professionals. Taking the Orientation module is a pre-requisite for participation in a standards-based PLC.​ ​
In PY23-24, there will be two Statewide PLCs offered during Winter/Spring. Click the links below to view flyers for these PLCs.
Sample activities for PLCs have been provided below and will continue to be added on an ongoing basis.​
​​In Program Year 2023-2024, Oregon ABS programs continue their use of BurlingtonEnglish (BE) to support its English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students and programs. 

Administrators and instructors using BE are required to participate in quarterly professional development. New instructors are required to take several additional self-study modules. 

Registration links for BE trainings are available in the ABS PD Calendar as well as in the second document below.

​Professional Learning Communities (PLC) activities related to Teaching Skills That Matter (TSTM) are available in the "Professional Learning Communities"​ section.


​​The Community of Practice (COP) is a place for ABS members across the state to engage with peers about adult education practices and access high-quality ABS resources. In Program Year 2023-2024, the COP was moved from Basecamp to Canvas.

Participants can engage in a variety of topics, including the Lesson Plan Bank, ABE/GED, ESOL, Distance Learning & Digital Literacy, Program & Student Data, Professional Development, and more. Recordings and materials from From the Field instructor-led professional development sessions are also available on the COP.

Synchronous activities are also advertised on the COP.

​​