Quarterly Report 25: October 1 - December 31, 2021

In Jamaica, the team continues to focus on institutionalization of best practices and modernization at selected campuses, including finalizing learning labs and student services spaces and working with institutional leadership to revise administrative processes and operational procedures. In the Dominican Republic, Advance focused on finalizing diagnostic studies and needs assessments to better understand institutional needs in relation to student and faculty support and career services. These activities included conducting site visits to understand the needs of hospitals where students will conduct their internships to prioritize Project CURE donations and analyzing student test data identifying specific gaps in core subjects such as Mathematics and Spanish language in order to design a remedial program for students at risk of falling behind. Curriculum and pedagogy & faculty and staff professional development were key areas of focus for Advance this quarter. In the Dominican Republic, Advance started the curriculum revisions process, conducting more than 20 meetings with curriculum task forces at each partner institution to review the fundamental competencies of the supported degree programs. This review and mapping process included classroom observations for the Nursing degree program at ITSC to observe instruction and use of technology for practical and theoretical courses. In professional development, the Program prioritized experiential methods to better support teachers imparting courses through virtual learning, conducting trainings on methodologies such as flipped classroom, among others, with the participation of over 100 faculty staff from both institutions. In Jamaica, Advance finalized and presented CCCJ with a training kit to help teachers effectively teach the 23 courses in Agro-processing & Business Management and Health & Wellness Tourism that the team converted last year. Based on lessons from that process, Advance worked with CCCJ to create the onboarding kit to help faculty navigate the online content, which includes videos on expectations, where to find resources such as lesson plans, and guidance for conducting online assessments. Labor bridging was another key area of focus for Advance this quarter. In the Dominican Republic, Advance finalized a report on the theoretical, contextual, and regulatory framework of labor intermediation for technical education in the country, which includes specific policies and details on the career services and labor bridging services of ITLA and ITSC. The Program also created a simple database of employers to support job placement of current and future graduates of supported careers. In relation to Project CURE, the Program coordinated multiple site visits with the authorities of the National Health Service and ITSC staff to gather pertinent information on the current needs of hospitals regarding COVID-19 and other areas. In Jamaica, Advance helped student entrepreneurs to start and formalize their businesses and provided other students with job readiness support. Six current and past students received individual and group coaching on topics such as business accounting, marketing, and customer service, which helped students to be better positioned to launch their businesses. Advance handed over hard copies and digital versions of the Employability Guide, and Portmore Community College uploaded the World of Work e-course to their learning management system, making it available to students. Graduations, student support, and scholarships were also key areas of focus for Advance this quarter. In the Dominican Republic, 304 students from five Advance-supported degree programs at ITLA and ITSC graduated this quarter. Advance also finalized its analysis of available institutional and national test data of students to better understand student learning results in Mathematics and Spanish Language, which will be used to determine the existing gaps to address in the remedial program for students falling behind on coursework that will be implemented in Year 7. In Jamaica, eight students completed the Fashion Styling & Image Consulting program at UTECH this quarter, and 18 students completed their final semester of the Entertainment Design, Production & Technology program. VTDI also shared an increased focus on student retention, considering recent dropouts, and requested further assistance on these areas, along with support to strengthen the school’s online course offerings. The Program supports a total of 2 countries, 5 institutions, and 12 degree programs, with a focus on vocational and technical education. The Program is in the process of evaluating and selecting a third institution to join the partnership.