Definitions of Terms Related to the Performance Accountability System

  • Common Exit - occurs when a participant, enrolled in multiple partner programs, has not received services from any DOL-administered program in which the participant is enrolled, to which the common exit policy applies, for at least 90 days, and no future services are planned.
  • Competitive Integrated Employment - in general, for individuals with disabilities, work performed by an individual on a part-time or full-time basis, including self-employment within an integrated setting within the community. The individual must be compensated at minimum wage or higher, using the higher of the Federal, State, or local rate, and at a rate comparable to the wage paid to non-disabled workers performing the same tasks, including receiving the same benefits and opportunities for advancement.
  • Customized Training - is training that:
    • is designed to meet the specific requirements of an employer (including a group of employers);
    • is conducted with a commitment by the employer to employ an individual upon successful completion of the training; and
    • for which the employer pays---(i) a significant portion of the cost of training, as determined by the local board involved, taking into account the size of the employer and such other factors as the local board determines to be appropriate, which may include the number of employees participating in training, wage and benefit levels of those employees (at present and anticipated upon completion of the training), relation of the training to the competitiveness of a participant, and other employer-provided training and advancement opportunities; and (ii) in the case of customized training involving an employer located in multiple local areas in the State, a significant portion of the cost of the training, as determined by the Governor of the State, taking into account the size of the employer and such other factors as the Governor determines to be appropriate.
  • Employment - Describes when an individual is working in a paid, unsubsidized job or, for participants in titles I, II, or III, working 15 hours or more a week in an unpaid job on a farm or business operated by a family member or participant. A participant enrolled in the title IV VR program must be employed in a job that meets the definition of competitive integrated employment, as defined in 34 CFR § 361.5(c)(9) (including customized employment, self-employment, telecommuting, or business ownership), or supported employment, as defined in 34 CFR 361.5(c)(53), in competitive integrated employment that is individualized and customized, consistent with the unique strengths, abilities, interests, and informed choice of the individual, and includes ongoing support services for individuals with the most significant disabilities.

  • Exit - As defined for the purpose of performance calculations, exit is the point after which a participant who has received services through any program meets the following criteria:

    (1) For the adult, dislocated worker, and youth programs authorized under WIOA title I, the AEFLA program authorized under WIOA title II, and the Employment Service program authorized under the Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended by WIOA title III, exit date is the last date of service.

    (i) The last day of service cannot be determined until at least 90 days have elapsed since the participant last received services; services do not include self-service, information-only services, activities, or follow-up services. This also requires that there are no plans to provide the participant with future services.

    (2)(i) For the VR program authorized under title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by WIOA title IV (VR program):

    (A) The participant's record of service is closed in accordance with 34 CFR 361.56 because the participant has achieved an employment outcome; or

    (B) The participant's service record is closed because the individual has not achieved an employment outcome or the individual has been determined ineligible after receiving services in accordance with 34 CFR 361.43.

    (ii) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a participant will not be considered as meeting the definition of exit from the VR program if the participant's service record is closed because the participant has achieved a supported employment outcome in an integrated setting but not in competitive integrated employment.

    (3)(i) A State may implement a common exit policy for all or some of the core programs in WIOA title I and the Employment Service program authorized under the Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended by WIOA title III, and any additional required partner program(s) listed in sec. 121(b)(1)(B) of WIOA that is under the authority of the Department of Labor (DOL).

        (ii) If a State chooses to implement a common exit policy, the policy must require that a participant is exited only when all of the criteria in paragraph (c)(1) of this section are met for the WIOA title I core programs and the Employment Service program authorized under the Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended by WIOA title III, as well as any additional required partner programs listed in sec. 121(b)(1)(B) of WIOA under the authority of the DOL to which the common exit policy applies in which the participant is enrolled.

  • Incumbent Worker - To qualify as an incumbent worker, the individual worker needs to be employed in a situation that meets the Fair Labor Standards Act requirements for an employer-employee relationship, and have an established employment history with the employer for 6 months or more, with the following exception: in the event that the incumbent worker training is being provided to a cohort of employees, not every employee in the cohort must have an established employment history with the employer for 6 months or more as long as a majority of those employees being trained do meet the employment history requirement. An incumbent worker does not have to meet the eligibility requirements for career and training services for Adults and Dislocated Workers under WIOA, unless they also are enrolled as a participant in the WIOA Adult or Dislocated Worker program.
  • Integrated Education and Training Program (IET) - a service approach that provides adult education and literacy activities concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation activities and workforce training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster for the purpose of educational and career advancement.

  • Participant - For the WIOA title I Adult, title I Dislocated Worker, title II, and title III programs, a participant is a reportable individual who has received services other than the services described in 20 CFR § 677.150(a)(3) (or 34 CFR § 463.150(a)(3), as applicable), after satisfying all applicable programmatic requirements for the provision of services, such as eligibility determination.

    As set forth in more detail in section 677.150 (or 34 CFR § 463.150, as applicable), the following individuals are not participants:

    • Individuals in an AEFLA program who have not completed at least 12 contact hours;
    • Individuals who only use the self-service system; and
    • Individuals who receive information-only services or activities, which provide readily available information that does not require an assessment by a staff member of the individual's skills, education, or career objectives.
    For the title I Youth program, a participant is a reportable individual who has satisfied all applicable program requirements for the provision of services, including eligibility determination, an objective assessment, and development of an individual service strategy, and received 1 of the 14 WIOA Youth program elements identified in sec. 129(c)(2) of WIOA. For the title IV VR programs, a participant is a reportable individual who has applied and been determined eligible for VR services, has an approved and signed IPE, and has begun to receive services under the IPE.
  • Participant Individual Record Layout (PIRL) - the data layout that provides a standardized set of data elements, definitions, and reporting instructions that will be used to describe the characteristics, activities, and outcomes of WIOA participants.
  • Period of Participation - for all indicators, except Measurable Skill Gains, a period of participation refers to the period of time beginning when an individual becomes a participant and ending on the participant's date of exit from the program.

  • Reportable Individual - an individual who has taken action that demonstrates an intent to use program services and who meets specific reporting criteria of the program, including:

    1)  Individuals who provide identifying information;
    2)  Individuals who only use the self-service system;
    3)  Individuals who only receive information-only services or activities; or
    4)  For the purposes of the title IV VR program only, a student with a disability who solely receives pre-employment transition services, and who has not applied or been determined eligible for VR services and who does not have an approved and signed IPE.
  • Secondary School Diploma -a high school diploma recognized by a State and that is included for accountability purposes under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
  • Unsubsidized Employment - employment in the private sector or public sector for which the employer does not receive a subsidy from public funds to offset all or a part of the wages and costs of employing an individual.