Produced: Aug 5, 2024, 04:53 PM UTC - By Amy Woods
2024-25
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 remain a non-funded voting member for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. CMC will continue to serve as the Fiscal Agent for 2024-2025.
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 2024-2025 Annual Plan will continue the three-year plan's endeavors in the areas of program expansion, new courses, expanding curricular integration, increased outreach and marketing, expanding partnerships with the community, and addressing the needs of under-served communities with greater offerings toward seamless transitions to credit classes, CTE programs, and employability.
During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the following goals were accomplished:
1) Service delivery improvement: The number of ESL courses doubled, as did our ESL faculty, who teach face-to-face courses at all sites across the Basin.2) Expanded Curricular Integration: The Consortium created new ABE English and Math courses and hired faculty who teach them at all sites across the Basin, thus allowing greater transitions to HSE programs. The Consortium also integrated dual-enrollment credit courses at Copper Mountain College to replace noncredit coursework in the HSD program, thus allowing greater transitions to post-secondary education while fulfilling secondary educational requirements.
3) Gaps in Service: The Consortium adopted a new Citizenship Preparation course that is available to students remotely and face-to-face.
4) Increased support to students: The Consortium hired a new Student Support Specialist, a part-time ACCESS counselor, and a Research and Data Planning Specialist for the Adult Education Program. All CMC Adult Education staff and faculty attended the CASAS Summer Institute, some in person and some remotely, and are certified in CASAS test proctoring.
5) Expanded Outreach and Marketing: The Consortium hired an advertising company and sent blanket mailer campaigns Basin-wide twice in 2023-2024, and a new CMC Adult Education Program sign was commissioned and installed at our newest site in the Town Center Mall in Yucca Valley.
6) Professional Development: The Consortium's ESL instructors attended regular online trainings, attained the CASAS proctoring certificates, and began instituting CASAS testing in the ESL classes; the Program Coordinator attended mandatory reporting training and received the certificate for California Accountability WIOA, Title II: AEFLA Data and Accountability - SI 2024.
7) Data and Reporting: The Consortium began CASAS testing and its implementation and reporting.
The Consortium’s vision for the 2024-2025 year includes objectives within two main intrinsically linked areas from the 3-year plan: expanded partnerships and program expansion. The Consortium will partner with CMC's credit instructors to explore and expand basic course offerings that would promote seamless transitions to CTE certifications; it will partner with Career Services to explore and identify career readiness workshops and certificates; it will partner with entities serving the justice-engaged populations to expand existing programs that create transitions to HSE, CTE, and basic education needs for the under-served and the justice-involved; it will partner within the Consortium as well, exploring ways that MUSD and CMC can identify and expand English Language Learning programs in family literacy and healthcare pathways to better serve the employability needs of our under-served adult community members, 18% of whom speak a language other than English at home according to the 2022 data on Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley from the United States Census Bureau (www.census.gov).
- 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 non-English-speaking adult population. Reevaluations of 2022 data for the Twentynine Palms – Yucca Valley Census County Division (CCD) listed on censusreporter.org confirmed that of the 72,000+ (when adding the Homestead Valleys) residents in the Morongo Basin, 20% are below the poverty line; 11% of adults have no high school or equivalency degrees; 18% of adults over 18 speak a language other than English at home; and veterans make up 12% of the population, which is double the number of veterans in either San Bernardino County or throughout the state of California. To develop the 2024-2025 Annual Plan, Consortium Members revised and updated the strategies and goals from the previous 2023-2024 program year and from the 2022-2025 Three-Year Plan as a whole.
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 maintains two brick-and-mortar sites on opposite ends of the Basin, but on the bus routes, and 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 explore and identify noncredit offerings that ease transitions into CTE certifications, post-secondary programs, and employability workshops and certifications. The MB Consortium will also explore noncredit offerings in basic education work skills, such as keyboarding, digital citizenship, and computer literacy 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 of 2022 data for the Twentynine Palms – Yucca Valley Census County Division (CCD) listed on censusreporter.org confirmed that of the 72,000+ (when adding the Homestead Valleys) residents in the Morongo Basin, 20% are below the poverty line; 11% of adults have no high school or equivalency degrees; 18% of adults over 18 speak a language other than English at home; and veterans make up 12% of the population, which is double 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 2024-2025, the MB Consortium will implement program-wide CASAS testing, which we began at the end of the last fiscal year, to determine the effectiveness of our course offerings; it will regularly send out WIOA-mandated employment and earnings surveys to measure the effectiveness of our employability workshops and course offerings; and it will conduct entrance and exit surveys to measure the effectiveness of our efforts in easing transitions to post-secondary education, CTE certification programs, and employment.
Improve Integration of Services & Transitions
2024-25 Strategies
Surveys
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)
The Consortium has hired part-time Research and Planning specialist and Student Support Specialist staff, who will assist in conducting community surveys that will inform programmatic needs. In addition to community surveys, the Consortium staff will ensure the timely submission of WIOA Title II earnings and income surveys, technology intake surveys, and internal student surveys to help direct programmatic needs of our ELL, justice-involved, and veteran students. This strategy supports the CAEP State Priority of Program Evaluation and Program Development/Curriculum/Classroom.
Student Acceleration
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 work with CTE and Career Services departments at CMC to develop noncredit courses in our brick-and-mortar sites and online in keyboarding, digital literacy, and employability that will ease the transitions into post-secondary education, CTE certification programs, and employment. 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 these courses will also contribute to greater transitions into the Consortium's HSE and HSD programs and into dual enrollment 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.
Address Educational Needs
2024-25 Strategies
Gaps in Service
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)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
- Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - 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 support courses in reading and literacy for ELL, ABE, HSE/D, and CTE students. This strategy aligns to the CAEP State Priorities of Equity, Program Development/Curriculum/Classroom, and Program Evaluation.
Gaps in Service
Activity that Applies to this Strategy
Expand curricular integration
Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy
- Transition: Participants with Transition to Postsecondary (credit college) (AE 637 - Overall)
The Consortium will align with SB554 Public Schools: Adult School Students - Advanced Scholastic and
Vocational Training Program to expand the requirements for HSD with more credit courses at CMC. Dual-enrollment in the Adult Education Program will support advancement in post-secondary credit coursework. The Consortium began this process in 2023-2024, with four of the 92 active students participating, and the hope is to increase the percentage of participants to 10% of actively enrolled HSD students. This strategy aligns to the CAEP State Priorities to Support Learner Transitions and of Program Development/Curriculum/Classroom, and Program Evaluation.
Improve Effectiveness of Services
2024-25 Strategies
Leveraging Resources
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: 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. 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, Learner Transitions, and Equity.
Gaps in Service
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)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
- Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)
The Consortium will explore creating a full-time Adult Education Program General Counseling position and more part-time counseling positions toward seamless transitions from HSE or ABE to CTE, employment, or post-secondary programs. This strategy aligns with the CAEP State Priorities of Program Evaluation and Program Development/Curriculum/Classroom.
Leveraging Resources
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)
- Employment and Earnings: Median Change in Earnings (AE 801 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - 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 and the Joshua Tree Probation Office. 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.
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 2024-2025 fiscal year. The 2024-2025 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 2024-2025 fiscal year and will continue to lease the AEP site in Twentynine Palms and the AEP site in Yucca Valley in the Town Center Mall. All sites are open to all Adult Education students, and the hours run from 9am-7pm five days a week between the two sites. This year, CMC will be expanding ELL, ABE, workshops, and in-house instruction, with the goal of identifying transition courses for CTE certifications and post-secondary education pathways as well as basic work skills classes and certifications. 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 non-English-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 2024-25.
The Consortium will maintain a maximum carryover of 20% to maintain all programs and services per AB1491. MUSD strives to return to funded Member status during the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
Certification
Copper Mountain CCD - Member Representative
Meredith Plummer - Chief Business Officer
- mplummer@cmccd.edu
- (760) 366-3791
Ramon Abrego - Dean - Instruction, Distance Education, and Learning Resources
- rabrego@cmccd.edu
- (773) 895-8809
Morongo Unified - Member Representative
Sharon Flores - Assistant Superintendent, Business Services
- sharon_flores@morongo.k12.ca.us
- (760) 367-9191 ext: 4251
Amy Woods - amy.woods@morongo.k12.ca.us