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CAEP Annual Plan: 2019-20 05 Greater Opportunity Through Adult Learning

Status: Consortium Approved

California Adult Education Program : Annual Plan : 2019-20 Produced: Aug 26, 2019, 11:12 PM UTC Helen Bellonzi

05 Greater Opportunity Through Adult Learning

Plans & Goals - Consortium Approved

Executive Summary
Our 2019-20 Annual Plan is consistent and aligned with GOAL’s 3-Year Plan. The focus for our consortium is on supporting adult education students to advance to employment and/or postsecondary education and on the development of a bridge for transitioning students between the adult education system, college, and/or workforce. We will continue to strengthen the collaboration and partnership among consortia members to one that is cohesive, collaborative, and cooperative and with a focus on student success. We continue to strengthen partnerships with community-based organizations and explore unique new access points in existing service areas. This work will be accomplished by:•Aligning and integrating services by focusing on pathways that serve the primary objectives of adult learners who wish to enter a career, advance in their career, or prepare for higher education within a CTE pathway•Aligning CTE, Basic Skills, and ESL pathways across our member institutions and expand ESL course offerings, including bridge classes, to meet community needs and help students transition to postsecondary or workforce•Articulate pathways in ESL, Basic Skills and CTE•Facilitate improved communication and coordination among transition specialists/counselors/advisors of different consortium members •Development of a comprehensive outreach and counseling plan for adult learners for transitional pathways to postsecondary or workforce/employment. •WASCAE will implement Immigrant Integration Framework within WIOA EL Civics objectives and focus on populations with barriers to economic success. Our efforts and allocations are representative of these efforts. •During the FY 2018-19 WASCAE -Expanded services to the San Lorenzo Valley (HSE) and the North County Coast-Davenport (ESL) -Developed plans to open a HSE class on the Cabrillo College campus in support of AB-705 and the Ability to Benefit (ATB) program •During the FY 2018-2019 -Cabrillo Expanded its NonCredit ESL and CTE offerings -Offered programs off site in community locations -Held its first Adult Registration Fair focused on adult learners and coordinated the event across all consortium members-Added evening counseling and academic support with adult learners as the focus of these expanded services -Advanced ESL alignment conversation among consortium members -Spearheaded internal alignment and sequencing of ESL offering and CASAS adoption. -Taken the lead in developing the Ability to Benefit workgroup at the College and with consortium partners. In addition our Consortium added a new funded partner from within our member Consortia - Santa Cruz County Office of Education that offers education to justice-involved and previously involved young adults through HSE and HSD.
Regional Planning Overview
Multiple strategies and efforts were conducted to understand the needs of the community and the alignment between the two. The first is a focus group study conducted to understand the educational and career goals and aspirations as well as barriers faced by community in meeting those needs. The second was an analysis of course offerings and summary of enrolled student satisfaction surveys from adult education programs and services. Focus Group Study Findings. To understand the needs of adult learners in Santa Cruz County, focus groups were scheduled with the assistance from various community partners. A focus group protocol was developed in collaboration with consortia members. Six 1-hour focus groups were conducted in English or Spanish. Focus groups were held with Migrant Education Parent Leadership Group in Watsonville, Community Action Boards of Davenport and Santa Cruz (Live Oak), Workforce Development Offices in Capitola and Watsonville, and with parents of the community organization Senderos in Santa Cruz. With the integration of a service approach that provides adult education concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation activities are advancing workforce training in in-demand occupational clusters that lead to employment with family-sustaining wages. CTE courses that utilize contextualized instructional strategies such as Integrated Education and Training (IET) models will continue to be piloted and implemented in our consortium. Our consortium intends to accelerate learning and produce college and workforce-ready graduates. CTE courses utilizing accelerated IET curriculum such as and IBEST and IELCE models will continue to be piloted and implemented in our consortium. To support career pathways consortium members will develop career ladders within the adult school that transition to community college or workforce. The GOAL consortium will: •Continue its development of shorter courses and stackable certificates with workforce skill preparation, •Use of common assessment, and contextualized instruction and lesson planning with clear transition pathways. •WASCAE is currently developing/implementing IET courses especially designed for ESL learners who want to further develop their English literacy and communication skills through learning the context of job skills. •Cabrillo College and Career Advancement Charter/SCCOE will explore effective IET/VESL courses•Consortium members will align their CTE and ESL curriculum for acceleration and seamless transition. •Adult school members will focus their basic skills instruction contextualized for a specific occupation or cluster of occupations within an industry or field. •Members will work together to identify CASAS adult literacy levels and workforce preparation necessary to successfully transition into and complete postsecondary education or training across all consortium member institutions is underway. •The Career Advancement Charter is developing and implementing ESL courses at identified sites that are designed to support English learners with the completion of their high school diploma and job skills trainings that lead to career training readiness. Provide instructional supports to students to aid in the transition into post secondary and/or job training opportunities with academic success.•Through meaningful engagement WASCAE, Cabrillo, and SCCOE instructors will share curriculum, analyze literacy levels and needs of students and develop aligned program curriculum and plans. •Develop and implement a writing rubric to agree on writing skill levels; reach consensus on what specific skills constitute the various NRS levels 1-6•Improve data integrity and documenting outcomes utilizing Community Pro and dedicate resources/staffing to maintain of longitudinal tracking and warm handoff referral system•Develop consortium wide strategic grassroots and multi-approach outreach and communication campaign to increase adult education community awareness including vertical alignment and what they mean to the broader community•Implementation of PD around the following: Adult learning theory CASAS Assessment, Growth Mindset, Culturally Responsive Teaching•Implementing ATB across GOAL consortium:•Develop work teams for the design of a Student Support Continuum plan: 1) Transition Specialists team (monthly)2) Guidance team comprised of Counselors (quarterly)3) Admin/staff team (monthly)

Meeting Regional Needs

Regional Need #1

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Currently we do not offer specific bridge classes from WASCAE or SCCOE to Cabrillo. This gap in services will be further explored in FY 2019-20. Recent immigrant adult EL’s face significant barriers such as schedule restrictive jobs in field work and construction, low wages and the need for childcare. These students need flexible evening programs with supports in place. The CAC began implantation of an ESL class in Feb 2019 one night per week. Student interest was high however the lack of supports such as childcare and dinner resulted in variable attendance rates more resources are needed to meet the need of the Watsonville English learner community.Day labor worker centers were surveyed expressed high interest in having both ESL and Construction job literacy training classes in the evening. A review of student academic performance indicates that CAC students resemble the surrounding district in that the greatest area of need are in reading and math for most students but especially English Learners.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
GOAL's 3 Year Planning, conversations, focus groups as well as Community Action Board of Santa Cruz county in partnership with the GOAL Consortium, conducted a year long county wide study of adult learners Conclusions of Board members from interacting with key agencies, results of contracted services from Pedroso Consulting, students, and community members; low numbers of students transitioning from adult schools to college. Lack of established structures for outreach and transition support among member entities. Our consortium has not offered opportunities for counselors to meet on a regular basis and to develop common messaging, tools and materials.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Surveying increased awareness of GOAL initiatives; increased # of students enrolled in aligned pathways (ESL, CTE); increased knowledge of on and off ramps between education and career pathways; consistency of messaging through marketing by all consortia members; at least one collaborative (AE/CC) community event promoting educational opportunities for adults and bridges to community college, job training, and employment. Partner with existing counselor conference to add specific breakout sessions for consortia member counselors and transition specialists.Students will graduate from high school with increased math and English proficiency, improved job skills literacy, and greater post secondary opportunities as measured by achievement data, CASAS pre and post testing, Community Pro transition to Cabrillo data. Graduation rates, community college enrollment.

Regional Need #2

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Low number of adult learners transitioning from WASCAE to Cabrillo College. Adult learners need clearer pathways and access points to navigate adult school to college pathways. Articulation between adult schools and college CTE courses is needed. Contextualized learning models will be implemented to create smoother transitions and likelihood for success for adult learners. Contextualized basic skills and language development will be included in CTE specific career pathway courses.CAC is designed to respond to the high educational needs for school re-entry of incarcerated, adjudicated, parenting and/or recovering young adults. Therefore, most CAC students enroll with a literacy level below what is typical for a young adult in school. CAC’s primary goal continues to be assisting students to make progress towards graduation from high school while increasing their English proficiency and maximizing their post secondary opportunities, with a focus on career exploration and job skills literacy
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
Extensive local and regional data, interviews with consortia members, interviews with community partners as well as students and staff from Cabrillo College and WASCAEA review of student academic performance indicates that CAC students resemble the surrounding district in that the greatest area of need are in reading and math for most students but especially English Learners.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Implementation of a co-located HSE class on the Cabrillo campus and tracking transitions to Cabrillo and other postsecondary options for adult learners.

Regional Need #3

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
The top ten occupations in Santa Cruz County do not require Post-Secondary education. While these jobs provide needed income for local families, the community would be well served if there were more middle skill jobs available. Adult learners need clearer pathways and access points to navigate adult school to college pathways. Articulation between adult schools and college CTE courses is needed. Development of short stackable CTE credit and noncredit courses in high and in demand jobs to help adult learners transition to the workforce and post secondary studies.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
By analyzing EMSI Labor Market Analytics economic scan by employment for Santa Cruz County we see that we have an active job market with 31,257 unique jobs posted in the last 12 months (April 2018 to March 2019). The University of California posted the most with 1,254 unique postings. The vast majority of jobs are located in Santa Cruz at 46% with Watsonville in a distant second place at 18%.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Measure the progress towards the development of NonCredit CTE courses focused in high in demand sectors in the Santa Cruz Region, # of students that transition from adult school to Cabrillo's CTE courses

Regional Need #4

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Data systems across GOAL members are not aligned to ensure quality data in decision-making, understanding, and acknowledgement of program needs across the region. We need a robust and dynamic data systems to ensure quality data and accountability in tracking student progress, transitions, and decision making in our consortium.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
Lack of data systems to measure student transition and tracking to support student learning and success. Through working leadership meetings and dialog among GOAL consortium members, it was apparent that data systems across the consortium are not consistent. In preparing the 3 year plan, a specific focus and request was made when analyzing regional needs and data. The plan revealed that there were gaps in how services were provided and captured across consortium member systems.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Meeting objectives, frequency, timeline, and outcomes will be reviewed regularly. An established system to continuously review of data and the regional impact will be developed. This established process will facilitate the aligning of the data collection across the consortium. As a result, consortium members will have an aligned data system that will allow agencies to have a better understanding of gaps in data collection. Additionally, data quality and procedures will be developed and implemented.

Gaps In Service

New Strategies

Strategy #1
With the adoption of CASAS by all members including the community college we will continue towards program alignment and seamless transitions. This will support a smoother transition from students from the adult school to the college without having to retest students. We will use Community Pro to share student information as necessary to ease their transition.
Strategy #2
Utilize tools such as Community Pro to close gaps of service and create a safety net for students. Other strategies planned through WASCAE include new Security position in Santa Cruz sites, IT infrastructure in Santa Cruz and software which may include: APEX, Cyber High, MS-Office 2019, and accreditation expenses
Strategy #3
Aligning ESL program levels will help us address the need for English as a Second Language services, address gaps in our County and determine best how to allocate resources.
Strategy #4
The American Community Survey data and the Workforce Development report noted the large number of adult learners with less than a high school diploma. Currently, GOAL serves 2,850 adult learners. There are over 27,800 residents 18 or older with less than a high school diploma or equivalency. GOAL services approximately 10% of the those who could benefit from GED/HiSET services. Additionally, GED courses in Spanish exist but, as noted in the focus group, few are aware of these courses or aware of GOAL services and resources overall. The adults we surveyed face significant berries that suppress their ability to enroll. To increase the number of adult learners served, GOAL should continue to build its marketing and outreach campaign to ensure targeted communities are informed and aware of GOAL’s services and resources.
Strategy #5
Our consortium intends to accelerate learning and produce college and workforce-ready graduates. CTE courses utilizing accelerated IET curriculum such as and IBEST and IELCE models, will continue to be piloted and implemented in our consortium. To address the need to create bridge programs and develop pathways to college and workforce, we propose to pilot career pathways from the adult school to the college. The GOAL consortium will continue its development of shorter courses and stackable certificates with workforce skill preparation, use of common assessment, and contextualized instruction and lesson planning with clear transition pathways. NonCredit and Credit programs that address adult education and literacy workforce preparation and workforce training for obtaining industry recognized and academic credentials will support our efforts. These industry sectors have been identified through LMI data and have demonstrable labor force needs/gaps. Our consortium hopes to leverage other services from the LWDB and CBOs supporting recruitment, wrap-around support services, and navigation to facilitate transition and track outcomes supporting these additional bridge programs. The key points that were considered for these career oriented pathways were the identification of current pathway alignment and/or integration of the two systems and how to expedite the transition of adult learners to postsecondary education or into the workforce. Faculty from both systems are learning about the existence of various programs in each of the respective programs, the unique challenges facing both and how to design and coordinate the planning process to better serve students. Strategies•Co-location of classes that support co-enrollment and bridges between AS and CC - Expand CTE program by leveraging member resources and facilities, including community college, adult school facilities and staff. Analysis of our work plans and current levels or service show a need to increase CTE offerings in the northern part of our region. This provides an opportunity to increase collaboration between the adult school and community college.•Integrate IET and other contextualized learning models such as IBEST, I-DEA to create bridge programs and develop Adult Career Pathways to college and workforce •Development of secondary and ESL bridges at AE that can support CTE at post-secondary as part of a transition strategy •Review existing CTE programs of study to identify potential links and alignment. •Programs of study without a postsecondary link should be evaluated for relevance and with the state’s larger workforce priorities

Seamless Transitions

New Strategies

Strategy #1
With the adoption of CASAS by all members including the community college we will continue towards program alignment and seamless transitions. This will support a smoother transition from students from the adult school to the college without having to retest students. We will use Community Pro to share student information as necessary to ease their transition.
Strategy #2
Collaborative work groups will identify gaps and patterns and develop effective practices for addressing these in order to seamless transition students and incentivize acceleration of student progress. For the purpose of creating a seamless career pathway for adult education students transitioning to community college we will utilize multiples measures for course placement as part of Cabrillo’s matriculation process for adult education ESL students arriving at the College. By avoiding over-testing of students (such as CASAS and the self-guided placement at Cabrillo) and building upon the students’ existing test results and academic accomplishments, the use of multiple measures to inform placement of students in courses provides a seamless transition into Cabrillo’s ESL program.
Strategy #3
For the purpose of creating a seamless career pathway for adult education students transitioning to community college we will utilize multiples measures for course placement as part of Cabrillo’s matriculation process for adult education ESL students arriving at the College. By avoiding over-testing of students (such as CASAS and the self-guided placement at Cabrillo) and building upon the students’ existing test results and academic accomplishments, the use of multiple measures to inform placement of students in courses provides a seamless transition into Cabrillo’s ESL program. By developing eligible career pathway programs that facilitate concurrent enrollment in connected adult education eligible postsecondary programs, our two institutions will build bridges to facilitate our students’ journey toward English acquisition and career development. It will broaden and deepen the working relationship among ESL professionals at both immigrant-serving institutions. and fill in possible support gaps to assist to students that are eligible for AB540. Finally, it will address an important goal of California Adult Education Program (AB86); that of opening doors of educational opportunity and access for our most vulnerable student populations.
Strategy #4
Member agencies will develop a plan for colocation of classes to support seamless transition for students. Members will adopt common assessment as the Adult School and SCCOE to help student with a seamless transition between agencies.
Strategy #5
Expand educational interventions and will provide a broader scope of support services to include implementation of career exploration learning, college counseling, registration, financial aid, job literacy growth assessment.

Student Acceleration

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Consortium members will align their ESL curriculum for acceleration and seamless transition. Collaborative work groups will identify gaps and patterns and develop effective practices for addressing these in order to seamlessly transition students and incentivize acceleration of student progress.
Strategy #2
With the integration of a service approach that provides adult education concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation activities, we will advance workforce training in in-demand occupational clusters that lead to employment with family-sustaining wages. CTE courses that utilize contextualized instructional strategies such as Integrated Education and Training (IET) models, will continue to be piloted and implemented in our consortium as a vehicle Student Acceleration.
Strategy #3
Development of short term stackable certificates

Professional Development

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Through collaboration, planning, and Board meetings our consortium has reached consensus that the outlined professional development strategies will benefit adult learners’ progress through K12 adult education towards postsecondary and workforce milestones. Much of our discussion and work around professional development is a result of statewide best practices and our own successes with agency level initiatives. Protective factors that may enable the success of our shared professional development initiatives include positive communication and agreement, planning for activities and shared resources. Barriers could include incongruent scheduling and meeting plans, faulty communications, and/or inability to compensate participants. We expect that by collaborating on shared professional development objectives and activities our consortium partners change the awareness, knowledge and skills of Human Centered Design (HCD), Community Pro, Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Integrated Education and Training serves as a precondition for intermediate and long term outcomes.Implementation of PD around the following: Adult learning theory CASAS Assessment Growth Mindset Culturally Responsive TeachingSimilar to immediate outcomes of collaborating on professional development objectives (to help adult learners transition toward positive outcomes), we expect changes in behavior, decision-making and policies of our consortium that create a seamless system for adult students to progress through adult schools to postsecondary and/or workforce.
Strategy #2
Continue to build super regional efforts with neighboring Consortia. We will leverage Super- Regional efforts with Salinas Valley Adult Education Consortium, Monterey Peninsula Adult Education Consortia, and Gilroy ACE Adult Education Consortium in Training, coaching, and support on adult learning theories, pedagogy, and IET.
Strategy #3
Aligning our respective ESL programs will allow us to better address ESL professional development needs and to address student needs based on their goals and demographics. Attending conferences and workshops and visiting other consortia to learn about best practices. Conferences include: CAEP Summit, CATESOL, CAEAA, CCAE, CCCAOE, and others

Leveraging Resources

New Strategies

Strategy #1
WASCAE continues to collaborate with key partners to leverage and braid existing resources in order to better serve our community. As a WASC accredited agency and a WIOA Title II participant, WASCAE has aligned consortium goals with those plans provided and mandated by their accrediting body and the Local Workforce Development Board. WASCAE is working to align certain member program areas they have identified capacity to do so and the current effort is to align ESL classes across the consortium region. Through our partnerships with Condensed Curriculum, The Monterey Bay Central Labor Council and The Monterey Bay Optometry Society WASCAE is able to offer internships (and externships which are not paid) with known employers including pharmacies, construction industry contractors and optometrists. Several local skilled nursing facilities host our nursing assistant student to complete their required clinical rotations at their sites.
Strategy #2
Our consortium hopes to leverage other services from the LWDB and CBOs supporting recruitment, wrap-around support services, and navigation to facilitate transition and track outcomes supporting these additional bridge programs. The key points that were considered for these career oriented pathways were the identification of current pathway alignment and/or integration of the two systems and how to expedite the transition of adult learners to postsecondary education or into the workforce. Faculty from both systems are learning about the existence of various programs in each of the respective programs, the unique challenges facing both and how to design and coordinate the planning process to better serve students. Strategies include: •Co-location of classes that support co-enrollment and bridges between AS and CC - Expand CTE program by leveraging member resources and facilities, including community college, adult school facilities and staff. Analysis of our work plans and current levels or service show a need to increase CTE offerings in the northern part of our region. This provides an opportunity to increase collaboration between the adult school and community college.•Integrate IET and other contextualized learning models such as IBEST, I-DEA to create bridge programs and develop Adult Career Pathways to college and workforce•Development of secondary and ESL bridges at AE that can support CTE at post-secondary as part of a transition strategy•Review existing CTE programs of study to identify potential links and alignment.•Programs of study without a postsecondary link should be evaluated for relevance and with the state’s larger workforce priorities
Strategy #3
Adult Learner Registration Fairs – Fairs will be conducted by leveraging the staffing capabilities of community college, adult school, COE, WDB in order to enhance community presence. Fairs will have a focus on adult immigrants and coordinated in an adult learner friendly environment with opportunities to make connections with instructors, counselors, and financial aid staff

Fiscal Management

A narrative justifying how the planned allocations are consistent with the annual adult education plan which is based on your CAEP 3-year plan.
This 2019-2020 Annual Plan derives from GOAL's 3-Year Plan which was created through a variety of steps that included the inventory of current adult education programs and services offered within the Consortium region. Additionally, the Consortium members completed the Self-Assessment worksheet identifying areas in need of governance, policy and consensus. The Consortium student survey was administered to 99 students enrolled in ABE, ESL, GED, CTE, and CAEP classes. Focus groups where held with adult learners in our community to assess their educational and workforce needs, obstacles and barriers. From this, the consortium created a summary of recommendations. It is from this data that the 2019-2020 Annual Plan was created.
An approach to incorporating remaining carry-over funds from prior year(s) into strategies planned for 2019-20.
Any unexpended awards will be used to further goals, activities, and outcomes as outlined in GOAL’s 3 Year Plan. Remaining carry-over funds from prior-years will be reviewed by consortium members to examine possibilities for applying them to the 2019-2020 strategies.

Certification

Cabrillo CCD - Member Representative

Approved by Dr. Matthew Wetstein

2019-08-22

Pajaro Valley Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Helen Bellonzi

2019-08-26

Santa Cruz City High - Member Representative

Approved by Kris Munro

2019-08-22

Santa Cruz Co. Office of Education - Member Representative

Approved by Dr. Faris Sabbah

2019-08-26

Santa Cruz Workforce Development Board - Member Representative

Approved by Andy Stone

2019-08-26