By the end of this level, learners will have worked on and attained competency in the following areas:

1. Communication
   1. Demonstrate good comprehension during a variety of conversations by verbally and nonverbally responding.

                                                    i.     Provide appropriate verbal and nonverbal feedback in face-to-face conversations

                                                   ii.     Use language appropriate to situations

1.     social, academic, employment

                                                 iii.     Gender and cultural bias issues and concerns

                                                 iv.     Appropriate voice volume

2. Use responsive listening.

                                                    i.     Paraphrase

                                                   ii.     Summarize

                                                 iii.     Elaborate

                                                 iv.     Clarify

                                                  v.     Ask relevant questions

                                                 vi.     Make relevant comments

2. Consumer Economics
   1. Reconcile a bank statement and use appropriate banking terms when inquiring about banking services.

                                                    i.     Reconcile a bank statement

                                                   ii.     Overage, surcharge, default, shortage, NSF, non-sufficient funds

2. Develop and use a monthly budget.
2. Community Resources
   1. Identify community resources for mental and physical health problems.

                                                    i.     Treatment centers, AA or NA meetings, domestic violence shelters, hotlines, suicide prevention hotlines

2. Communicate with personnel at a child’s school.

                                                    i.     Write notes to a child’s teacher

1.     explain absence

2.     request information about child’s performance

                                                   ii.     Orally discuss child’s school progress

1.     grades, grade point average, effort, mid-term, final exam, fail, detention, suspension, expulsion, principal, vice-principal, dean, counselor

3. Understand how to access a variety of children’s education programs.

                                                    i.     Before and after school care

                                                   ii.     Early Childhood Family Education

                                                 iii.     Special education

                                                 iv.     Gifted and Talented

                                                  v.     Extracurricular activities

1.     Sports, clubs, drama, music

                                                 vi.     English-as-a-Second Language

1.     ESL, ELL, ESOL

                                                vii.     Title I

4. Health
   1. Recognize problems related to nutrition and substance abuse and mental health.

                                                    i.     Nutritional

1.     anorexia, bulimia, obesity, lack of vitamins, lack of minerals, over eating, binge, purge

                                                   ii.     Substance abuse

1.     alcoholism, AA, Alcoholics Anonymous, drug abuse, dependency, NA, Narcotics Anonymous, rehabilitation, alcoholic, addict, addict, treatment centers

                                                 iii.     Mental health

1.     insane, depression, psychiatrist, psychologist, suicide, phobia, mental illness

2. Ask for and give advice on good nutrition and health habits.

                                                    i.     Hygiene

                                                   ii.     Balanced diet

                                                 iii.     Preventive medical care

1.     immunizations

2.     physical

3.     eye exam

4.     dental exam

5. Employment
   1. Understand how to obtain a job through want ads, job announcements, and networking.

                                                    i.     Read and interpret all kinds of wants ads

                                                   ii.     Read and interpret printed and internet job announcements

                                                 iii.     Networking—what is it, how can it get you a job

2. Ask and answer a variety of questions in a job interview and follow-up call.

                                                    i.     Ask and answer a variety of questions

                                                   ii.     Place a follow up phone call

                                                 iii.     Ask and answer questions during the phone call

                                                 iv.     Exhibit appropriate interpersonal behavior during the interview

3. Understand job specifications, policies, and standards.

                                                    i.     Read and understand a job description

                                                   ii.     Read and understand a performance evaluation

                                                 iii.     Read and understand policy manuals

4. Read, understand, and compare information about benefit options.

                                                    i.     Compare and contrast benefit plans

1.     costs

2.     levels of care

3.     co-pays

4.     limits

5.     types of coverage

6.     locations of coverage

                                                   ii.     Complete applications for benefits

5. Read, understand, and complete federal employment forms.

1.     W-2, I-9, W-4

6. Communicate with supervisor and co-workers orally and in writing.

                                                    i.     Written

1.     memos and reports to supervisors and co-workers

a.     describing outcome of a process or problem

b.     explaining a problem

c.     identify a problem, solution, and/or consequences

d.     requesting assistance, time off, training

e.     production results

f.      instructions on how to do a process

2.     forms

a.     accident reports

b.     training requests

c.     safety reports

d.     vacation requests

                                                   ii.     Orally to and from supervisors and co-workers

a.     identify a problem, solution, and/or consequences

b.     instructions on how to do a process

c.     request assistance, time off, training

d.     report harassment

e.     give criticism

f.      respond to criticism

g.     give and accept an apologies

7. Demonstrate understanding of and discuss workers’ rights.

                                                    i.     Compensation

1.     minimum wage, overtime, double time, sick leave, severance

                                                   ii.     Unionization

1.     bargaining, collective bargaining, contract, union steward, strike, picket, scab

                                                 iii.     Right to work

                                                 iv.     Worker’s compensation

                                                  v.     Unemployment compensation

8. Demonstrate an understanding of safety procedures.

                                                    i.     Right to Know, OSHA, hazardous substance, asbestos, biochemical hazard

                                                   ii.     Locate information on OSHA standards

                                                 iii.     Know how to report a safety problem to OSHA and/or employer

6. Government and Law
   1. Demonstrate an understanding of the American system of government.

                                                    i.     Three branches—legislative, executive, judicial

                                                   ii.     Federal, state, and local government

                                                 iii.     President, Vice-President, Governor, Senator, Congressman, Representative, State Senator, State Representative, State Legislator, Mayor, Councilperson, School Board member

                                                 iv.     Legislature, city council, school board

2. Understand the US election process.

                                                    i.     Voting requirements

                                                   ii.     Voter registration card

                                                 iii.     Candidates, ballot, parties, democrat, republican, independent, primary, caucus, electoral college, campaigning

7. Learning to Learn
   1. Identify bias, prejudice, or propaganda in oral messages and print materials.

                                                    i.     Gender, cultural, racial

                                                   ii.     Harassment

                                                 iii.     Bandwagon, celebrity endorsement, experts

2. Use a dictionary, thesaurus, and internet search engines.

                                                    i.     Dictionary and thesaurus

1.     uses, formatting

                                                   ii.     Internet search engines

3. Comprehend, interpret, and summarize fiction, newspaper articles, information articles, and policy manuals.

                                                    i.     Fiction (short story and novel), newspaper articles, informational pieces, policy manuals

1.     preview and predict

2.     recognize and restate sequence

3.     distinguish fact and opinion

4.     draw inferences

5.     draw conclusions

6.     summarize

4. Obtain information from diagrams, tables, graphs, and schedules.

                                                    i.     Draw inferences and conclusions

                                                   ii.     Summarize

                                                 iii.     Identify bias

                                                    i.     Introduction, body, conclusion

                                                   ii.     Follow a writing process

1.     select and use prewriting strategies

2.     develop an outline or organizational plan

3.     draft and revise

                                                 iii.     Edit for spelling, punctuation, and grammar

                                                 iv.     Demonstrate effective word choice

                                                  v.     Employ varied and appropriate sentence structure