CAEP
Annual Plan

Produced: Aug 10, 2023, 03:45 PM UTC - By Sharon Flores

13 Morongo Basin AEBG Consortium (Copper Mountain)
CONSORTIUM APPROVED

2023-24

Plans & Goals

Executive Summary

The Morongo Basin Consortium continues to be a partnership between Copper Mountain Community College (CMC) and the Morongo Unified School District (MUSD). MUSD will become a non-funded voting member for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. CMC will continue to serve as the Fiscal Agent for 2023-2024.

The three-year plan relied on surveys, ESRI, and ACS data to assess the educational and economic needs of the Morongo Basin, which is comprised of Twentynine Palms, Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Morongo Valley. The 2023-2024 Annual Plan will continue the three-year plan's endeavors in the areas of program expansion, delivery improvement, increased support to students, and addressing the needs of under-served communities.

During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the following goals were accomplished:

1) Service delivery improvement: All of our HS Diploma and GED courses were approved through Curriculum to be delivered online in addition to in-person instruction in the established three sites across the Morongo Basin. Those sites are located in Twentynine Palms, which we lease from MUSD; in Joshua Tree, at our CMC campus; and in Yucca Valley, which is now leased directly from the owners rather than through MUSD. The move from a lease with MUSD to a new lease from the Town Center Mall owners required a capital outlay expense of over $5000 in order to install new air conditioning, new internet service and direct connections to the college, new paint, carpets, furniture, and computers, all of which had previously come with the old lease.

2) Increased support to students: The number of in-person instructors, CMC created online-only instructor positions filled by seasoned faculty from the college’s Adult Ed Program, CMC hired an ACCESS counselor five hours per week, and CMC applied for and was granted the WIOA II AEFLA. As a result, CMC staff attended the CASAS Summer Institute, some in person and some remotely, and are all now certified in CASAS testing and e-testing.

The Consortium’s vision for the 2023-2024 year includes objectives within two main areas from the 3-year plan: program expansion and addressing the needs of our underserved community members. In program expansion, the Consortium will implement more structured in-house HSD instruction; it will introduce Adult Basic Education courses and thus increase transitions from ABE to HSE; it will create non-credit CTE in construction trades; and it will support CTE offerings by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools in cooperation with MUSD for pathways in Criminal Justice and Early Childhood Development. In addressing the needs of our underserved adults, we hope to expand our English Language Learning courses to include more employability, healthcare pathways, and civics courses to better serve the employability needs of our underserved adult community members, 16% of whom are Spanish speaking at home according to the 2021 data from censusreporter.org. The Consortium is also evaluating a change in name to better reflect the region and to help with brand recognition.

Regional Planning Overview

The 3-year plan used surveys, ACS, and ESRI data to determine that the Morongo Basin’s greatest community needs included high school and equivalency degrees, programs to reduce the number of citizens living under the poverty line, and courses to promote integration and employability of our Spanish-speaking adult population. Reevaluations from 2021 data listed on censusreporter.org and datausa confirmed that of the 71,812 residents in the Morongo Basin, 20.2% are below the poverty line; 11% of adults have no high school or equivalency degrees; 16% of adults over 18 speak only Spanish at home; and veterans make up 14.2% of the population—nearly triple the numbers of veterans in either San Bernardino County or throughout the state of California. To develop the 2023-2024 Annual Plan, Consortium Members participated in a retreat during July 2023 to evaluate the current status of program offerings and to revise and update the strategies and goals for the 2023-2024 program year.


Meeting Regional Needs

Regional Need #1

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs

To address the poverty level and the percentage of the community without degrees, the MB Consortium expanded and continues to maintain three sites throughout the Basin as well as online instruction in both the HSD and GED programs. To further address the economic and educational needs of our community, this year’s plan will pursue program expansion in noncredit CTE programs, in more noncredit courses for the ELL students, and also in implementing noncredit Basic Skills courses to promote the employability of both ELL students and veterans.

How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?

Reevaluations from 2021 data listed on censusreporter.org and datausa confirmed that of the 71,812 residents in the Morongo Basin, 20.2% are below the poverty line; 11% of adults have no high school or equivalency degrees; 16% of adults over 18 speak only Spanish at home; and veterans make up 14.2% of the population—nearly triple the numbers of veterans in either San Bernardino County or throughout the state of California.

How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?

In 2023-2024, the Consortium is putting together work groups consisting of part-time instructors, counselors, and assistant staff to create a number of valuable surveys that will be sent by email as SurveyMonkeys, posted on the Consortium Facebook page, and mailed to current addresses confirmed by telephone from students within the last two years. The surveys will ask what courses the students took with us, what degrees or certificates they earned, and what transitions occurred afterward, such as employment and/or entrance to post-secondary programs.

The Consortium also engages in both fiscal and student data reviews on a quarterly basis, allowing the voting Board to make program decisions and adjust services as needed. Included in these reviews are per-pupil-spend evaluations, enrollment figures, and completion rates across all CAEP program areas.

Improve Integration of Services & Transitions

2023-24 Strategies

Professional Development--Data and Reporting

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Clarify CMC COMIS data source and reporting

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)

After being granted WIOA Title II, the entire CMC AEP staff attended the CASAS Summer Institute, whether virtually or in person, and are now all trained in CASAS in-person and e-testing. Beginning Fall 2023, all students will be tested upon entry into all existing classes: HSD, GED, and ELL. This will go far in clarifying our positive attendance, transitions, and service hours data. CAEP funding will be used to support data entry staff. This strategy supports the CAEP State Priority of Program Evaluation.


Student Acceleration--Expand Curricular Integration

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Expand offerings to better serve the community

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Employment and Earnings: Median Change in Earnings (AE 801 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
  • Transition: Participants with Transition to Postsecondary (CTE) (AE 636 - Overall)

CMC’s program will follow through on incorporating new courses in Basic Skills, such as college preparation reading skills and college preparation math skills that were historically taught on the military base in Twentynine Palms (and will still be taught at the college) but have now been put through new COR approval in Curriculum as online and hybrid courses that CMC can offer our Adult Education student population at all three sites and online. These courses will benefit the integration, transition, and employment efforts of our under-represented community members in the Spanish-speaking and veteran communities. The implementation of ABE will also contribute to greater transitions into CMC’s HSE and HSD programs and into credit courses at the college, thus serving our strategy of greater integration of services and transitions. This strategy aligns to the CAEP State Priority of Program Development/ Curriculum/ Classroom.


Gaps in Service--New Courses

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Expand offerings to better serve the community

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Employment and Earnings: Median Change in Earnings (AE 801 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)

The Consortium will expand course and service offerings to better serve the community based on information gathered via community outreach, surveys, and labor market data. These could include noncredit for ELL, ABE, HSE/D, CTE, or employability workshops. This strategy aligns to the CAEP State Priorities of Equity, Program Development/Curriculum/Classroom, and Program Evaluation.


Gaps in Service--Service Hours

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Expand curricular integration

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)
  • Transition: Participants with Transition to Postsecondary (credit college) (AE 637 - Overall)

The Consortium will explore adding staff/faculty and expanding hours for current counselors and instructional staff with the goal of providing more specialty counseling for transitions, citizenship, job applications, and other training. This strategy aligns with the CAEP State Priority to support Learner Transitions and Equity.

Address Educational Needs

2023-24 Strategies

Leveraging Resources--Expand Outreach and Marketing

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Expand outreach and marketing

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)

CMC has established three accessible sites and online/distance implementation of the HSD and GED programs, and with the implementation of ABE courses and greater ELL offerings this year, CMC is ready to advertise and expand marketing and outreach efforts. As such, the Consortium will work with the college (CMC) for approval for greater AEP advertising so that new sites will have signage, a website, social media pages, possibly a logo, and to deploy radio announcements and TV ads. The Consortium staff will also work with MUSD to continue our awareness of and attendance at community events. This strategy aligns with the CAEP State Priorities of Marketing and Technology/Distance Learning.


Leveraging Resources--Expand Offerings to Better Serve the Community

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Expand offerings to better serve the community

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Employment and Earnings: Median Change in Earnings (AE 801 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)

The Consortium will explore housing in-person and online-delivery noncredit OSHA trainings for certifications. To this end, OSHA competency requirements must be reviewed and discussed in CMC’s curriculum development. Should this be an obtainable goal, it would serve several of the under-represented needs and barriers in the Morongo Basin, including increased incomes, increased employment, the number of adults pursuing certifications and trainings, and transitions from ABE to certification courses. This strategy addresses the CAEP State Priorities of Equity and Program Evaluation.


Gaps in Service--Seamless Transitions; CTE

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Provide for core basic and educational needs

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)

CMC will explore creating more CTE offerings and counseling toward seamless transitions from HSE or ABE to CTE and employment of post-secondary. LMI data will be used to identify high-growth sectors and to determine programs of study to meet regional needs. This strategy aligns to the CAEP State Priorities of Program Evaluation and Program Development/Curriculum/Classroom.

Improve Effectiveness of Services

2023-24 Strategies

Leveraging Resources--Expand Partnerships with the Community

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Expand partnerships within the community

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)

The Consortium plans to reach out and form collaborations with community entities including Workforce Development, Veterans’ Services, Justice-Involved institutions, and local clubs such as the Elks, the Rotary, and others, in order to get a better sense of our community’s needs. These collaborations can be great resources for introducing new courses and certifications as well as for making partnerships toward internships and Adult Ed employment opportunities. This strategy aligns with the CAEP State Priorities of Program Evaluation, Leadership, and Program Development/Curriculum/Classroom.


Leveraging Resources--Engage Justice-Involved Populations

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Engaged Justice Involved Populations

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)

The Consortium will investigate how to engage with the justice-involved community to promote their ability to get diplomas and certifications, including but not limited to the local drug infraction courts who are interested in setting up stations for High School Diploma programs. The Consortium can also engage and collaborate with other community entities to introduce internships and employment for the justice-involved across local partners and businesses. This strategy aligns with the CAEP State Priority of Equity.


Gaps in Service--Community and Employer Surveys

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Expand offerings to better serve the community

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)

The Consortium will conduct surveys among the community stakeholders to determine educational, transitions, and employment needs, and also work with the CMC Career Services Coordinator to research opportunities for Adult Education students. Both CMC and MUSD will implement surveys to identify community needs. This strategy aligns with the CAEP State Priorities of Leadership, Equity, and Program Evaluation.


Student Acceleration--WASC Accreditation

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Clarify CMC COMIS data source and reporting

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)

CMC will explore WASC accreditation status for adult education programs and look toward implementing an inclusive “collective impact” model across agencies. The Consortium understands the need to collaborate across Member Agencies and with community partners and endorses a collective impact approach. This strategy aligns with the CAEP State Priority of Leadership.


Professional Development--Program Area Training

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Expand services for EL students

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)

Consortium Member Districts will increase professional development attendance across our various staff positions to better serve the community. Consortium Member Districts will participate in Program Area training specific to the identified CAEP program areas. This includes attending regional, state, and national conferences, online training sessions, and other types of professional development. This strategy aligns to the CAEP State Priority of Professional Development.


Professional Development--Data Training

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Clarify CMC COMIS data source and reporting

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)

Consortium Member Districts will attend ongoing data and accountability trainings in both student data/interpretation and fiscal reporting. This strategy aligns to the CAEP State Priority of Program Evaluation.

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.

Copper Mountain College is the Fiscal Agent for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The 2023-2024 Annual Plan represents the Consortium's outline for how Member Districts will use the CAEP allocations. The planned strategies are consistent with the objectives laid out in the Three-Year Plan, and adhere to the approved programs within CAEP Guidance. As such, CMC remains the fiscal agent for the 2023-2024 fiscal year and will continue to lease the AEP site in Twentynine Palms while maintaining a new lease for the "West" site at the Town Center Mall in Yucca Valley from the mall owners. All sites are open to all Adult Education students, and the hours run from 9am-7pm five days a week. This year, CMC will be expanding ELL, ABE, and in-house instruction (in addition to all online instruction) of our GED and HSD programs, with the goal of adding CTE certifications and pathways. The Consortium will expand partnerships and collaborations with community entities to explore how to further serve the under-represented in our community, based on data, including Spanish-speaking adults, veterans, and the justice-involved. The Consortium projects that the funds required for implementation of all of these endeavors will meet our needs.

An approach to incorporating remaining carry-over funds from prior year(s) into strategies planned for 2023-24.

The Consortium will maintain a maximum carryover of 20% to maintain all programs and services per AB1491. All funds previously allocated to MUSD have been reallocated to CMC via a NOVA allocation amendment. MUSD strives to return to funded Member status during the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

Certification

Copper Mountain CCD - Member Representative

  • Dean - Instruction, Distance Education, and Learning Resources
  • rabrego@cmccd.edu
  • (773) 895-8809
Approved by Ramon Abrego III

07/31/2023 12:13 PM PDT

Morongo Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Sharon Flores

08/10/2023 08:45 AM PDT