CAEP
Annual Plan

Produced: May 29, 2024, 07:48 PM UTC - By Francisco Pinedo

21 Salinas Valley Adult Education Consortium
CONSORTIUM APPROVED

2023-24

Plans & Goals

Executive Summary

Assessment

Overview and Preparation

First, an original needs assessment was conducted. Second, data was gathered to understand the needs of adults in the Salinas Valley.

Regional Alignment and Priorities

The implications of our research include increasing collaboration with workforce professionals, expanding apprenticeship opportunities, and expanding services in our service region.

Educational Needs of Adults in the Region

Our key conclusion is that we don’t provide extensive workforce services, but our partners do. Thus, we should collaborate more with our workforce partners.

Contributions by Entities

Our members participated in an administrators’ retreat, conducted a needs assessment, attended weekly working sessions, and assisted in the collection of data for the three-year plan.

Regional Service Providers

We conducted an inventory of services provided by our 7 member agencies, as well as by 32 other regional service providers with whom we collaborate.

Current Levels and Types of Services

Our services include ESL, Basic English and Spanish literacy, ABE and ASE (including HSD/HSE), EL Civics, K-12 Success, and Workforce Readiness (including digital literacy and CTE).

Metrics

The following metrics were selected by the SVAEC.

CAEP Barriers & Metrics

Student Barriers

  • English Language Learner (AE 305 – Overall)
  • Low Literacy (AE 311 – Overall)

Success

  • Participants who earned a high school diploma or equivalency (AE 633 – Overall)

Consortium Level Metric Targets

  • Number of Adults Served (AE 200 – Overall)
  • English Language Learner (AE 305 – Overall)
  • Low Literacy (AE 311 – Overall)

Member-level Metric Targets

  • Adults Who Became Participants (AE 202 – Overall)
  • Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 – Overall)

Objectives

Objective 1: Increase student enrollment to pre-pandemic levels.

Objective 2: Twenty percent of our completers (students who finish at least one course) will reach their stated workforce goals (includes employment goals).

Objective 3: As part of our commitment to equity, we renew our commitment to applying the immigrant integration framework and increasing support and opportunities for immigrants.

Objective 4: Sixty percent of our students will achieve an educational goal.

Objective 5: Sixty percent of students will stay at least 40 hours in a semester.

Activities and Outcomes

Activity 1: Student Enrollment

Examples of Strategies

  • Develop a new outreach, marketing, and recruitment plan consistent with the results of the needs assessment.
  • Formulate student enrollment plans that correspond with current regional needs.

Activity 2: Workforce Goals

Examples of Strategies

  • Increase career pathways available to adult learners, particularly in business office technology, small business, healthcare, agriculture, and education.
  • Increase access to pathways that lead towards living wage jobs.

Activity 3: Immigrant Integration

Examples of Strategies

  • Research immigrant integration and provide training for Consortium and partners.
  • Explore how we could incorporate social, linguistic, and economic integration into our curricula and practices.

Activity 4: Educational Goals

Examples of Strategies

  • Develop pathways from adult school to community college.
  • Develop new curricula and courses: bridge/transition courses, short‐term certificate programs, contextualized instruction (IET, VESL, Integrated EL Civics), workforce readiness, and CTE (business office technology, small business, healthcare, agriculture, and education).

Activity 5: Persistence

Examples of Strategies

  • Establish spaces at schools that are clearly and consistently dedicated to adult education.
  • Present to local boards the benefits of having AE programs at school sites; foster parent involvement; align plans to LCAP.

Funds Evaluation

In 2023-24, the SVAEC received $4,510,809 as its CAEP allocation. Members leverage and braid funding from many other sources for their adult education programs.  The largest source of braided funding is LCFF funding; the second largest source of braided funds is WIOA Title II funding; finally, the third largest source of braided funds is in-kind contributions. In sum, CAEP accounts for about 60% of our funds, and leveraged funds account for about 40%.  We can also examine SVAEC funding by program area. The top program area is adult basic education (ABE) and adult secondary education (ASE). ESL/EL Civics is in second place. Finally, workforce reentry takes third place.

Vision

All adults in the Salinas Valley will receive equitable access to the education, training, guidance, and support needed to set and achieve their educational and career goals.

Accomplishments in 22-23

  • Providing exceptional adult ed services
  • Improving pathways to workforce (e.g., apprenticeships)
  • Launching immigrant integration project

Focus in 23-24

  • Pilot project in immigrant integration with a focus on financial literacy
  • ECE pre-apprenticeship program
  • Dual enrollment program
  • Expansion of CTE offerings


Regional Planning Overview

Here is how we will implement the three-year plan.

Objective 1: Increase student enrollment to pre-pandemic levels.

Census data and student data show that thousands of community members need our services. Data from the Community Needs Assessment Survey showed that many community members  are still unaware of the adult education programs in the region and/or that they do not know how to access or enroll in the programs. Thus, a primary focus of the SVAEC’s efforts is enrollment. The three main strategies it will use to achieve its enrollment goals are outreach, marketing, and improved access. 

Objective 2: 20% of our completers (students who finish at least one course) will reach their stated workforce goals (includes employment goals).

One of our primary objectives is to help adult learners reach their career goals, and the data shows that adults need access to pathways that lead to living wage jobs and that industry needs a skilled workforce. Our role in meeting these needs is to help adult learners gain the basic skills, employability skills, and technical skills needed to move from unemployment, underemployment, or low-wage jobs into middle-skill, middle-wage jobs. Our aim is to provide instruction, training, and advising to help students reach their career goals.  

Objective 3: As part of our commitment to equity, we renew our commitment to applying the immigrant integration framework and increasing support and opportunities for immigrants.

The goal of applying the immigrant integration framework reflects the SVAEC’s commitment to better serve the immigrant populations in the Salinas Valley by collecting and analyzing relevant data, conducting additional relevant research and needs assessments, and improving programs and services accordingly. The SVAEC will adopt/adapt this Immigrant Integration Framework and use it to develop and implement a Regional Immigrant Integration Plan by (1) conducting further research, (2) forming a professional development plan to ensure that the Consortium’s administrators, teachers, and staff are informed of and versed in immigrant integration, and (3) extending training to stakeholders, who will then be engaged to partner in collaborative planning efforts.

In the first six months of 2023, we have engaged in a planning process with Paul Rosenbloom, a CAEP consultant who, among other areas, specializes in immigrant integration.  The culmination of this process will be a series of financial literacy workshops for immigrants in Salinas and surrounding areas.  We are partnering with the United Way and Santa Cruz Community Ventures to provide these workshops on site at Salinas Adult School.  The pilot will take place in the fall of 2023.  Once data has been analyzed, we will roll out the program at our other adult schools in the spring of 2024.

Objective 4: 60% of our students will achieve an educational goal.

This goal hinges on increased student persistence and success through relevant programming, high-quality instruction, and wrap-around support services. More viable pathways need to be developed for adults to transition from adult schools and other community partner programs into college and the workforce. Those pathways will require new courses and curricula, new instructional models and strategies, and alignment between programs and with academic and industry standards. 

Objective 5: 60% of students will persist at least 40 hours in a semester.

To achieve this goal, advising and individualized career planning services will be made available to all students.  Career advisors, counselors, and staff will provide support to adult education students. Besides the individualized career planning, support services will include providing clear and comprehensive career pathway maps and information for students and providers; job fairs specifically for adult learners and the community; and referrals to job training programs, work-based learning opportunities, and job opportunities.


Meeting Regional Needs

Regional Need #1

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs

We have identified gaps in CAREER READINESS AND TRANSFERABLE SKILLS in the following areas:

  • Leadership Development
    • Consortium-level student council
    • Student-run newsletter
    • Student mentors/ambassadors/volunteers/digital navigators
    • Training opportunities through colleges
  • Career Readiness Skills
    • Office Skills
    • Soft Skills

In the following paragraphs, each of these is explored in more detail.

In the area of leadership development, we have the following gaps:

Consortium-level student council: Only one of our schools, Salinas Adult School, has a student council; however, we have no formal mechanism for students to provide their input at the level of the consortium.  Of course, students are welcome to attend our steering committee meetings and offer their feedback, but this might be difficult for ELL students.  It may be worthwhile to establish a consortium-level student council that would (a) take into account students’ mastery of English, (b) provide students with an opportunity to learn about how adult education is organized and administered, and (c) give students experience with the decision-making process at public meetings

Student-run newsletter: The consortium recently started a monthly newsletter.  Creating a student-run newsletter (or column within the consortium’s newsletter) may be a good way for students to (a) gain leadership experience, (b) form community, (c) negotiate content, (d) practice writing, and (e) gain experience with the publication process.

Student mentors/ambassadors/volunteers/digital navigators: These types of programs would have many of the same advantages mentioned in the previous paragraph, but perhaps the most important one is that it would help students to feel like they are part of the school’s community.  These are ways for students to get involved, help others, gain confidence, develop work experience, and form lasting relationships.  Mentors would help their peers (e.g., help a student fill out an enrollment form). Ambassadors would be assembled for specific purposes (e.g., a fundraiser for a local organization).  Volunteers would help in the office (e.g., filing, shredding, copying).  Digital navigators would help students with technology (e.g., completing an assignment on Canvas).

Training opportunities through colleges: Some of the local colleges may provide free training for community members, and we would like our students to take advantage of these opportunities. 

In the area of career readiness skills, we have the following:

  • Office skills: Here are some of the office skills that local employers desire:
    • Proficiency with key programs such as Word and Excel.
    • Proficiency with office suites such as Microsoft Office or Google Workspace.
    • Data entry skills
    • Scheduling skills.
    • Filing skills.
    • Proficiency in a second language.
  • Soft skills: Although students may have mastered their office skills, employers often indicate that students lack the following soft skills:
    • The ability to multitask.
    • Time management skills.
    • Attention to detail.
    • Customer service skills.
    • Organization skills.
    • Conflict resolution skills.
    • The ability to work on a team.
    • The ability to interact (e.g., eye contact, hand shaking, personal space, body language, etc.)

Pathways to post-secondary education and employment:  Our consortium is strong in providing adult education services, but it could do a better job of providing paths to post-secondary education and employment.  In this regard, programs like entrepreneurship, dual enrollment for adult students, and pre-apprenticeship to apprenticeship programs may be useful.  For example, for undocumented immigrants, entrepreneurship can be a pathway to financial independence.  However, many lack the knowledge and skills to walk down this path.  As another example, the SVAEC, in partnership with Hartnell College, recently started an ECE pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship pathway.  However, to participate, one needs the right to work.  In our initial recruitment effort, approximately 50% of interested participants were undocumented, so nearly half of interested adults did not qualify for the apprenticeship program.

How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
  • Public records
  • Instructors’ first-hand experience
  • Students’ first-hand experience
  • Annual planning retreat
  • Needs assessments
  • Student surveys and interviews (pre- and post-)
  • WIOA II Wages & Earnings Survey
  • Student data in TE
  • Student outreach
  • Student referrals
  • Student/community member participation in workshops/events
  • Student use of technical assistance
  • Student data LMI – especially unemployment data
  • Assessments in workforce readiness classes


How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
  • MSGs in relevant areas are noted
  • Availability of resources for students has improved
  • Needs assessments indicate improvement in above areas
  • Offerings have improved
  • Increases in enrollment in the aforementioned services
  • Number of students receiving technical assistance has increased
  • Number of students receiving referrals for the above has increased


Regional Need #2

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs

We have identified gaps in service in IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION.

The Alliance for Language Learners’ Integration, Education and Success (ALLIES) drove much of the work in immigrant integration in CA.  Although the organization no longer exists, their work continues to serve as an inspiration for organizations interested in immigrant integration.  Their model is data driven, well respected, and well documented.

ALLIES identified three general areas where gaps exist: linguistic integration, social integration, and economic integration.  These areas, however, are much too broad to serve as guideposts for a project.  Thus, a framework was developed to include ten specific goal areas that are, in one way or another, connected to the three principal areas of immigrant integration:

  1. English Proficiency: Ability to communicate in English for all aspects of work, family, and community.
  2. First Language Proficiency: Ability to speak, read and write at standard level in first language spoken.
  3. Credentials and Residency: Ability to acquire necessary/available credential
  4. Health and Well-being: Ability to access health care.
  5. Education and Career: Ability to navigate K-16 education system; ability to navigate labor market and workforce system.
  6. Children and Family: Ability to care for oneself and one’s family.
  7. Civic and Community Participation: Ability to participate in, or create opportunities to participate in, a welcoming community.
  8. Digital Literacy: Ability to navigate the digital world effectively.
  9. Self-efficacy and System Navigation: Ability to identify, access, and navigate resources and systems.
  10. Economic Security: Ability of a person to support the individual and family’s growth and economic success.

For each of these ten areas, ALLIES developed a goal map that defines the area in more detail, identifies strategies for meeting that goal, states specific objectives related to each strategy, and suggests metrics for measuring progress.

The ALLIES framework is ambitious and comprehensive.  Since it is not practical to focus on all ten areas, in the next section, we describe how we came to focus on financial literacy as the focus of our immigrant integration project.


How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
  • Public records
  • Instructors’ first-hand experience
  • Students’ first-hand experience
  • Annual planning retreat
  • Needs assessments
  • Student surveys and interviews (pre- and post-)
  • Student data in TE
  • Student outreach
  • Student referrals
  • Student/community member participation in workshops/events
  • Student use of technical assistance
  • Regional data

In addition to these sources of information, we went through an extensive six-month journey to select financial literacy as the focus of our immigrant integration project.

Phase 1: Education and Awareness (January - February, 2023) 

During this phase, a subcommittee including the consortium director and three member representatives will meet twice to review and build a shared understanding of the Immigrant Integration Framework and implementation options. The subcommittee will review the 10 Immigrant Integration Goal Areas and the varied settings where these goals can be worked towards. Key resources to review will include: 

●  SVAEC 3-Year Plan Immigrant Integration Content 

●  Allies Immigrant Integration Framework 

●  AB 2098 Work Group Report 

●  California EL Civics Civic Objectives and Immigrant Integration Goal Area Crosswalk 

In addition to these resources, we will review how the model is currently being applied in California and possibly hear from implementation leaders such as Ilse Pollet from the South Bay Consortium for Adult Education. 

Phase 2: Plan Development (March - May, 2023) 

Between March and May, the subcommittee will meet three times to provide input to the draft plan. The plan will identify implementation options and timing in the context of the Immigrant Integration framework and will integrate the SVAEC 3-Year Plan Immigrant Integration strategies. The draft plan will be presented to the SVAEC Steering Committee before the end of the 22-23 academic year for review and input and to set the stage for planned implementation, monitoring, and evaluation during the 23-24 school year.

Phase 3: Implementation (June - August, 2023) 

The subcommittee will meet three times between June and August to initiate targeted plan implementation. This could include a community needs assessment, partner engagement and/or a specific immigrant integration project such as the Campbell Adult and Community Education (CACE) Health Insurance Enrollment Campaign - a partnership with Gardner Family Health Network that resulted in 44 students signing up for health insurance. The timing of the implementation phase intentionally spans the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years to build and sustain project momentum. 

Phase 4: Monitoring and Evaluation (Beginning in September, 2023) 

In the fall, the subcommittee will meet a final time with a focus on monitoring and evaluation. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are essential to sustained implementation. The monitoring process will evaluate progress to date and identify next steps for ongoing implementation, including agency, partner, and consortium-wide roles and responsibilities. Following this meeting, the subcommittee will provide an update to the SVAEC Steering Committee. 

To arrive at a focus on financial literacy, we first surveyed the directors of our adult education programs to identify the goal areas in which the need is greatest.  This narrowed down the goal areas from ten to four: 

  • Economic Security
  • Health and Well-being
  • Education and Career
  • Children and Family

Thereafter, the immigrant integration subcommittee discussed the merits of these goal areas and narrowed them down to two:

  • Health and Well-being
  • Economic Security

Finally, two projects were proposed to our steering committee, one focusing on food security (health and well-being) and one focusing on financial literacy (economic security).  Although both projects have merit, the steering committee chose financial literacy as the focus of our immigrant integration pilot program, which will be launched in the fall of 2023.


How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
  • MSGs in relevant areas are noted
  • Availability of resources for students has improved
  • Needs assessments indicate improvement in above areas
  • Offerings have improved
  • Increases in enrollment in the aforementioned services
  • Number of students receiving technical assistance has increased
  • Number of students receiving referrals for the above has increased

We are still in the planning stages of the pilot financial literacy program.  By the end of the summer, we expect to develop specific measures relating to the pilot, which may include some of the following:

  • Number of students participating in the workshops.
  • Percentage of students participating in workshops that identified as immigrants.
  • Number of students expressing satisfaction with the workshops.
  • Number of students who demonstrated improvement in the pre- and post-test.
  • Number of students who demonstrated MSGs in related COAAPs.
  • Number of students who were referred to related services (i.e., other services related to economic security such as rental assistance programs, guaranteed income programs, childcare, etc.).
  • Number of students who were referred to other services.
  • Number of students who complete milestones in the program:
    • Opening a checking account
    • Opening a savings account
    • Taking out a debit card or credit card
    • Completing an activity on a banking app
      • Mobile deposit
      • Sending someone money
    • Making a budget
      • Addressing seasonal cash flow situations
      • Trimming a budget
    • Knowledge of related apps (e.g., Uber, Safeway)
    • Using coupons (physical and electronic)
    • Increasing awareness of financial aid options
    • Responsibly using credit
      • Understanding your credit score
      • Building your credit score
      • Avoiding predatory lending



Regional Need #3

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs

We have identified gaps in SERVICES in the following areas:

  • Job & Career Fair
  • Career Counseling
  • Testing Centers
  • Services for adults with disabilities
  • Online offerings, including utilization of additional modalities such as HyFlex
  • Space
  • Basic needs services/wraparound services

In the following paragraphs, each of these is explored in more detail.

Job & Career Fair: Every year, the Salinas Adult School sponsors a Job & Career Fair.  The last one attracted about 40 employers and approximately 400 participants (employers, students, instructors, staff, community members, etc.).  Although the event is successful, it only reaches students from Salinas Adult School and the surrounding areas.  We’d like to find a way to expand this opportunity to students from King City to Castroville.

Career Counseling: The only program in our consortium that offers career counseling services is Salinas Adult School.  A counselor is available to help students explore careers, identify their interests & skills, create their résumé, apply for jobs, prepare for job interviews, apply to college or vocational schools, apply for college financial aid, and connect with other community services and resources.  We’d like to expand this service to our other programs.

Testing Centers: The availability of places to test is a continual challenge. Some community centers, such as public libraries, allow us to test at their sites.  While useful, this presents other challenges such as the suitability of their computer equipment, the availability of computers, privacy, noise, the hours of operation, the location, and so on.

Services for adults with disabilities: Aside from referring adults to other programs available in the community, the consortium doesn’t offer any services to adults with disabilities.  Two needs that we’d like to be able to meet are (1) the assessment of disabilities, and (2) accommodations for adults with disabilities.

Online offerings, including utilization of additional modalities such as HyFlex: Before the pandemic, online offerings were the exception.  During the pandemic, all courses were offered online.  After the pandemic, the pendulum may have swung too far back in the direction of in-person classes.  Once students got used to online classes, they came to see the value and convenience of them.  Now we don’t have enough online offerings to meet demand.  HyFlex might be a way of accommodating the needs of both students who prefer online classes and students who prefer in-person classes.

Space: Adult Ed is part of the K12 system.  As such, whenever space is short, districts prioritize K12 over adult ed.  Consequently, many adult ed programs have had their space reduced year after year, or programs have been relegated to less ideal space such as portables.  The bottom line of this trend is that service to adult ed students has suffered.

Basic needs services/wraparound services: We know that students’ academic challenges often have nothing to do with their ability.  Life gets in the way.  A family can’t meet rent or can’t afford to buy food.  A mother can’t find childcare.  A father lacks transportation.  A grandmother can’t work because she must care for her disabled daughter and her children.  The more we can address the basic needs of our adults by providing wraparound services, the more successful our students will be.

How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
  • Public records
  • Instructors’ first-hand experience
  • Students’ first-hand experience
  • Annual planning retreat
  • Needs assessments
  • Student surveys and interviews (pre- and post-)
  • WIOA II Wages & Earnings Survey
  • Student data in TE
  • Student outreach
  • Student referrals
  • Student/community member participation in workshops/events
  • Student use of technical assistance
  • Regional data related to unemployment, housing/homelessness, food insecurity, public health, etc.
  • Student data LMI – especially unemployment data
  • Assessments in workforce readiness classes


How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
  • Waiting lists for services get smaller or are eliminated
  • MSGs in relevant areas are noted
  • Availability of testing resources for students has improved
  • Needs assessments indicate improvement in above areas
  • Offerings have improved, particularly with online offerings and other modalities
  • Increases in enrollment in the aforementioned services
  • Number of students receiving technical assistance has increased
  • Number of students receiving referrals for basic/wraparound services has increased

Regional Need #4

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs

We have identified gaps in ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND OFFERINGS in the following areas:

  • HSD/HSE
  • CTE/IET/IELCE
  • Basic Literacy (including literacy in native language)
  • Digital Literacy
  • Financial Literacy

In the following paragraphs, each of these is explored in more detail.

High School Diploma/High School Equivalency (HSD/HSE):  Although HSD/HSE is one of our bread-and-butter programs, we know there is still unmet need in this area:

  • In the Salinas Valley, over 50% of the population has not obtained their HSD/HSE.
  • Unfortunately, we have a lack of capacity in this area. For example, Hartnell’s HEP program has a capacity of 125 students but gets many more applicants, and many of our adult schools experience a similar phenomenon.  Furthermore, some of our programs, such as Greenfield, are currently at full capacity.
  • We are finding it difficult to find HSD/HSE teachers.  This, in turn, makes it difficult to offer additional HSD/HSE classes.
  • We need more technology.  
    • For example, some of our programs could use AZTEC or APEX.  On the other hand, funding to purchase software may be limited.
    • Additionally, many of our students primarily depend on their smartphones to access the internet, which isn’t always ideal for education.  Thus, students need access to Chromebooks/laptops and high speed internet (hotspots or broadband access).
  • Schools don’t have scholarships to help pay students’ fees for testing.  One of our programs offers a partial scholarship.  Unfortunately, CAEP funds cannot be used for this purpose; however, we could use other funding sources to offer these scholarships.

Career & Technical Education (CTE) /Integrated Education and Training (IET)/Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE).  We don’t have many offerings in these areas for several reasons.

  • Cost: These programs sometimes require special facilities and/or special equipment that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  • Lack of teachers: Instructors in this area are difficult to find, particularly since they might only be teaching a single course at our centers.

Basic Literacy (including literacy in native language): Basic literacy is a foundational skill.  Thus, sometimes we must help an adult attain literacy skills in their native language before we start working on English.  In addition, we have a growing population of indigenous Mexican immigrants who may/may not speak Spanish.  In this area, we have many of the same challenges mentioned in HSD/HSE:

  • Lack of capacity.
  • Lack of instructors.
  • Need for additional technology.

Financial Literacy: In a joint report, UC Santa Cruz Blum Center and Santa Cruz Community Ventures identified the following as barriers to accessing mainstream financial services:

  • Punitive fees, unclear policies, and poor communication.
  • Institutional distrust.
  • Limited cultural competence.
  • Limited policies to support immigrant populations.
  • Bias based on race and low-income status.
  • Asset limits for assistance programs.
  • Housing costs and low wages.

Digital Literacy: Along with basic literacy, this is another foundational skill.

  • We continually encounter adults that need help with basic tasks of daily living (e.g., printing a boarding ticket, applying for services online, and accessing their bank records).
  • We lack equipment.
    • We don’t have enough computers to meet students’ needs.
    • Students often rely on their smartphones.
    • Students lack internet access.
  • The availability of digital literacy classes is limited.
  • Classes are often available only in English.
  • Finding bilingual instructors is a challenge in our community.
  • Digital literacy classes are often too advanced for our students; they need basic classes.
  • We lack the capacity to offer digital literacy classes; we would need to sacrifice something else so that we could offer digital literacy.


How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
  • Public records
  • Instructors’ first-hand experience
  • Students’ first-hand experience
  • Annual planning retreat
  • Needs assessments
  • Survey of offerings
  • Enrollment data
  • Number of devices lent out and used
  • Number of students receiving technical assistance
  • Assessments of digital literacy skills

Much of the following data will also support the other gaps mentioned below, so this data shall henceforth be referred to as “public record data.” People often compare Monterey County with the Salinas Valley; however, this underestimates the difference between the two since Monterey County includes the Salinas Valley.  Thus, the proper point of comparison should be between the residents of the Salinas Valley with the residents Monterey County excluding those in the Salinas Valley.  Compared to other Monterey County residents, Salinas Valley residents are …

  • More than twice as likely to be Latino.
  • Almost twice as likely to be an immigrant.
  • Almost 7 times less likely to have a BA.
  • Much less likely to have a high school diploma.
  • More than twice as likely to speak a language other than English at home.
  • Less likely to have a computer at home.
  • Less likely to have broadband access at home.
  • More likely to be in poverty.

We would also like to highlight data from the needs assessment performed as part of the three-year plan.  Here are highlights from that report:

The topmost commonly reported educational goals were as follows:

  • Enrolled students
    • Learn English (73%)
    • Improve English literacy (45%)
    • Earn a certificate (36%)
    • Learn a new skill (30%)
  • Community members
    • Learn English (47%)
    • Improve computer skills (46%)
    • Learn a new skill (38%)
    • Learn how to use a computer (35%)

The topmost commonly reported courses of interest were as follows:

  • Enrolled students
    • English as a second language (87%)
    • Basic computer skills (68%)
    • English literacy (67%)
    • Basic math skills (51%)
  • Community members 
  • English as second language (57%)
  • Basic computer skills (65%)
  • English literacy (51%)
  • Family literacy (44%)

We also asked students about educational barriers.  Across both groups, time of classes was the most reported barrier. However, among community members, an almost equal percentage (between 30% and 33%) indicated the following as barriers: cost of classes, can’t take time off work, access to childcare, and lack of a computer.   In contrast, among enrolled students, 23% reported access to childcare and can’t take time off work, and only 18% reported cost of classes. Both groups were consistent in reporting their most significant barriers, which included the following: can’t take time off work, access to childcare, time of classes, and costs of classes. 


How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
  • Waiting lists get smaller or are eliminated
  • MSGs with digital and financial literacy
  • Availability of computer resources for students has improved
  • Increases in basic literacy graduates
  • Increases in HSD/HSE graduates
  • Increases in financial literacy graduates
  • Needs assessments indicate improvement in above areas
  • Offerings have improved
  • Increases in enrollment in the aforementioned classes
  • Number of devices lent out and used has increased
  • Number of students receiving technical assistance has increased


Address Educational Needs

2023-24 Strategies

Enhance academic programs and offerings

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

EDUCATIONAL GOALS

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 Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)

We will implement the following strategies to enhance our academic programs and offerings.

Enhance HSD/HSE offerings.

  • Obtain additional funds for programs like AZTEC that will permit us to serve more students.
  • Would allow us to more effectively serve students who are at different levels.
  • Helps with scaffolding the students and the curriculum.
  • Allows them to have more access at more times.
  • Provides 24/7 access to instruction.
  • Provide consortium-level tutoring.
  • Subscribe to a 24/7 online tutoring service.
  • Obtain additional funds for teachers.
  • Develop more creative methods for recruiting qualified teachers.
  • Make the job more attractive for teachers.
  • Four-day work week.
  • Morning only or evening only work shift.

Enhance CTE/IET/IELCE offerings.

  • Conduct community surveys to determine the CTE pathways of greatest interest in our community.
  • Examine LMI data to determine areas where there may be greater need.
  • Survey local employers to determine their needs.
  • Study reports by the MCWDB to determine areas of need.
  • On the basis of the above, make a short list of the CTE areas of priority in our area.
  • Select 1-3 areas of focus for our consortium.
  • Determine which of our members is best suited to offer these new courses.
  • Develop an implementation plan for these courses.
  • Engage in outreach and recruitment efforts that prioritize these new CTE offerings.
  • Develop more creative methods for recruiting qualified teachers who have the certifications in these areas.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the new offerings and make adjustments as needed.

Notes:

  • Salinas Adult School is expanding offerings into these areas: Tax Preparer Class, Phlebotomy Technician, Billing and Coding Specialist, Medical Assistant, and EKG Technician.
  • The new Health Pathways Grant may provide opportunities for funding additional CTE pathways in the health area.

Enhance Basic Literacy offerings.

  • Survey the community to determine the areas of greatest need: reading, writing, numeracy, literacy in native language
  • Survey the community to determine why the community is interested in attaining basic literacy skills:
  • to improve their employment situation (e.g., qualify for a higher position)
  • to improve their personal situation (e.g., help their children with homework)
  • to become a more active citizen (e.g., volunteer in a community organization)
  • Select 1-2 areas of focus for our consortium.
  • Determine which of our members is best suited to offer these new courses.
  • Develop an implementation plan for these courses.
  • Engage in outreach and recruitment efforts that prioritize these new basic literacy offerings.
  • Develop more creative methods for recruiting qualified teachers who have the certifications in these areas.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the new offerings and make adjustments as needed.

Enhance Digital Literacy offerings.

  • Survey the community to determine the areas of greatest need.  These may include, but may not be limited to, the following:
  • Understanding digital devices (e.g., how to turn devices on/off)
  • Navigating interfaces (e.g., how to access the internet)
  • Basic production skills (e.g., how to write an email)
  • Basic search skills (e.g., how do I find information on X?)
  • Evaluating information (e.g., how do I narrow down my results?)
  • Digital citizenship (e.g., how do I avoid fraud?)
  • Digital profile (e.g., how do I communicate with friends and family?)
  • Analyze the results of the survey.
  • Determine which of our members is best suited to offer a digital literacy course.
  • Either plan a course with the assistance of our instructors or select a community partner that could provide instruction (e.g., Loaves, Fishes & Computers).
  • Engage in outreach and recruitment efforts that prioritizes the new digital literacy offerings.
  • Develop more creative methods for recruiting qualified teachers who have the certifications in digital literacy.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the new offerings and make adjustments as needed.

Enhance Financial Literacy offerings.

  • Select a community partner to work with us on the development of the financial literacy program.  We selected Ventures and United Way.
  • Negotiate with our partners the logistics of the programs:
  • What will be covered?
  • Will you offer one-time or multiple workshops?
  • Will you give pre- and post-tests?  If so, what will you measure?
  • What will be the date, time, and location of the workshop(s)?
  • How will we assess the effectiveness of the workshops?
  • Will we do any co-curricular activities in our classes in conjunction with your workshop(s)?
  • Will we coordinate your workshops with any of our COAAPs?
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the workshops and make adjustments as needed.

Notes:

  • The above describes a pilot project in financial literacy that will take place at Salinas Adult School in the fall of 2023.
  • Depending on the results, the project will be implemented at other adult schools in the spring of 2024.



Enhance services

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

PERSISTENCE

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 Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)

We will implement the following strategies to enhance our services.

  • Enhance our Job & Career Fair.
  • Conduct community surveys to determine the career pathways of greatest interest in our community.
  • Examine LMI data to determine areas where there may be greater need.
  • Survey local employers to determine their needs.
  • Study reports by the MCWDB to determine areas of need.
  • On the basis of the above, determine which employers we might wish to invite to our Job & Career Fair.
  • Coordinate the recruitment and scheduling of employers.
  • Conduct community surveys to determine which of the following areas are of greatest interest to adults in our area: job opportunities, résumé reviews, mock interviews, workshops, career counseling, skill development, meet and greet with employers, meet and greet with local educational institutions, networking opportunities, meet and greet with industry leaders, resource centers (e.g., job search strategies), professional development (e.g., career advancement strategies), panel discussions (e.g., AI and the workforce).
  • Conduct community surveys of community organizations and employers to develop a directory of career-related training and employment opportunities such as job shadowing programs, internships, and apprenticeships.
  • Coordinate the recruitment and scheduling of community partners that could help with the areas of interest to our adults.
  • Form a team to plan and execute the career fair and job fair.
  • Evaluate the career and job fair and make adjustments as necessary.

Notes:

  • Currently, the Salinas Adult School runs a very successful Career and Job Fair.
  • Our goal is to mirror that success at a South County site either through a concurrent or an independent event.

Enhance Career Counseling services.

  • Conduct community surveys to determine the career services of greatest interest in our community.  These might include, but not be limited to, the following: skill assessments, career exploration, résumé building, job search strategies, interview preparation, mock interviews, career transitions (i.e., how to switch careers), networking skills, continuing education and training, work-life balance, and career advancement.
  • Conduct community surveys to determine where, when, and how services could be provided to best meet the needs of adults in the community.  Examples:
  • Would adults perhaps prefer evening and weekend workshops?
  • Would they prefer scheduled activities, open office hours, or both?
  • Use the needs assessment to develop a job description for the consortium-level career counselor.
  • Recruit, hire, and train the career counselor.
  • Recruit community partners that could provide ancillary support in some of these areas.
  • Evaluate the career and job fair and make adjustments as necessary.

Notes:

  • Currently, the Salinas Adult School has a very successful career counselor.
  • Our goal is to mirror that success through a consortium-level counselor that could provide similar services to students at our other sites.

Enhance our Testing Capabilities, especially in South County.

  • Explore the use of digital assessment tools that would require little or no human assessment or intervention.
  • Offer remote testing options so that students wouldn’t have to come in and use our limited lab space.
  • Establish Pop-up sites where students could do testing.
  • Purchase a mobile testing center that could go to remote locations.
  • Establish standardized testing practices and professional development for staff that could improve the efficiency and effectiveness of testing.
  • Collaborate with external partners (e.g., libraries) that could support and supplement our testing efforts.
  • Wherever possible, leverage the power of technology enhance testing (e.g., technologies that would permit students to test at home without sacrificing the integrity of the testing process).
  • Streamline the administration of tests.
  • Test scheduling.
  • Collection and analysis of results.
  • Record keeping.
  • Regularly review testing procedures to ensure that we are engaging in continuous improvement.

Enhance our services for adults with disabilities.

  • Ensure that all school facilities, resources, and materials are accessible to individuals with disabilities.
  • Train all staff on disability awareness and sensitivity.
  • Compete for grant funding for testing and accommodations.
  • Partner with other agencies that could help with diagnosis, evaluation, and accommodations..
  • Advocate for students with disabilities with programs like HEP/HiSET/GED.
  • Conduct individualized assessments to ensure that students are evaluated fairly.
  • Use inclusive assessment tools that account for different learning styles and abilities.
  • Encourage early identification of disabilities (e.g., pre-enrollment assessments).
  • Use flexible learning formats (e.g., online and HyFlex)
  • Employ assistive technology.
  • Establish student support teams.
  • Maintain regular and open communication with the student.
  • Advocate for disability rights.
  • Regularly review policies and procedures for students with disabilities and make necessary adjustments.



Enhance career readiness and transferable skills

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

WORKFORCE GOALS

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 Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)

We will implement the following strategies to enhance career readiness and transferable skills.

Enhance the Leadership Development Skills of the adult students.

  • Develop a consortium-level student council.  
    • Identify 1-2 students per school who would like to participate.
    • Conduct an orientation session to explain the purpose of the council and how it will function.
    • Assign a mentor to the group.
    • Assist the students to create a meeting schedule.
      • Do not schedule meetings during class if possible!
    • Pay the students a stipend for participating on the council.
    • Invite the council to present to the SVAEC’s Steering Committee periodically.
    • Organize Q&A sessions so that  the council has the opportunity to question the Steering Committee.
    • Provide funding so that members of the council can attend conferences.
    • Encourage council members to present at a conference.
  • Student-run newsletter
    • Hold an interest session for students and explain the various roles involved in producing the newsletter (e.g., writers, photographers, videographers, digital designers, outreach, marketing, etc.).
    • Recruit and interview students who are interested in participating.
    • Select a team of students.
    • Assign a staff member that will work with the students on the following:
      • Make fundamental decisions about the purpose of the newsletter, the name of the publication, the target audience, the types of articles, the publication schedule, etc.
      • Define roles for producing articles, editing, layout, distribution, etc.
      • Set the budget for all activities related to the newsletter.
    • Assign roles and responsibilities.
    • Produce and distribute the newsletter.
    • Gather feedback on the newsletter and make adjustments as necessary.
  • Student mentors/ambassadors/volunteers
    • Create a student mentoring program: Mentors are more advanced peers who help less advanced peers on a variety of tasks.
    • Create a student ambassador program: Ambassadors are students who are called upon to help with short-term projects (e.g., a fundraiser)
  • Training opportunities through colleges
    • Develop a list of free trainings held by the local community colleges, and share these with adult students.
      • If possible, plan to attend the training with a group of adult students.
      • If possible, conduct a debrief with the student after the trainings.
    • Develop a list of free programs sponsored by local community colleges, and share these with adult students who are thinking of continuing to post-secondary education.  These would be programs that are only accessible to community college students.

Enhance the Career Readiness Skills of the adult students.

  • Office Skills. These skills may include, but are not limited to, computer and digital literacy, organizational skills, multitasking, attention to detail, and professionalism.
    • Identify local community organizations that provide free training in office skills.
    • Alternatively, develop in-house workshops on office skills.
    • Recruit students for the workshops.
    • Evaluate the effectiveness of the workshops.
    • Plan at least one workshop to take place right before the Career & Job Fair.
  • Soft Skills.  These skills may include, but are not limited to, communication skills, teamwork, adaptability, customer service, and resilience.
    • Identify local community organizations that provide free training in soft skills.
    • Alternatively, develop in-house workshops on soft skills.
    • Recruit students for the workshops.
    • Evaluate the effectiveness of the workshops.
    • Plan at least one workshop to take place right before the Career & Job Fair.
  • Northstar Digital Literacy
    • Promote Northstar as a tool for developing computer and digital literacy.
    • Organize interest sessions for students that include live demonstrations.
    • Provide coaching and support for students who may require additional assistance.
  • Monterey County Workforce Development Board (MCWDB)
    • Contact the One-stop Operator to determine areas of common interest and points of collaboration.
    • Attend monthly WIOA Partner meetings to network with other providers, determine areas of common interest, and identify points of collaboration.

Notes:

Northstar Digital Literacy is an online platform that provides self-paced instruction in computer and digital literacy.  Topics include the following:

  • Essential Computer Skills - Basic Computer Skills, Internet Basics, Using Email, Windows OS, Mac OS
  • Essential Software Skills – Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs
  • Using Technology in Daily Life - Social Media, Information Literacy, Career Search Skills, Accessing Telehealth Appointments, Supporting K-12 Distance Learning, Your Digital Footprint.


Improve Integration of Services & Transitions

2023-24 Strategies

Improve services that ease transitions to employment and education

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

PERSISTENCE

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 Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)

We will implement the following strategies for improving services that ease transitions to employment and education.  Most if not all of these strategies have already been mentioned in previous sections, so the emphasis here is on how these strategies relate to transitions to employment and education.

CTE/IET/IELCE

  • CTE
    • Training is aligned with specific industries or career paths.
    • Adults gain skills in a particular field.
    • Adults are more employable at the conclusion of a program.
    • Adults enter the workforce with relevant qualifications.
  • IET
    • English language instruction is specific to industry.
    • Adults obtain industry-specific skills.
    • Adults are better prepared for employment opportunities.
  • IELCE
    • Empowers immigrants to more easily integrate into American society.
    • Adults are better prepared to participate in their communities.
    • Enhances the adults’ employability by enhancing their English and civic skills.

Career Development: Empower adult students with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to transition to employment.

  • Career Counseling
    • Career assessments help students to identify their strengths, interests, and goals.
    • Helps students to align their skills with potential career paths.
  • Transitions to post-secondary education: In some cases, an adult’s chosen career path may require post-secondary education.  In this case, the career counselor can help adults with this transition.
  • Résumés and Cover Letters: Maximizes adults’ chances of obtaining their first job.
  • Job Search Strategies: Ensures that adults are not missing out on potential job opportunities.
  • Interview Preparation: All the education in the world will be for naught if an adult does not interview well!
  • Skill Enhancement: Employers often complain that adults come to the job lacking office skills and soft skills.
  • Career Transitions: Especially after the pandemic, many adults are transitioning from one career to another.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills: These skills are highly valued in industry.  Thus, these can play an essential role in helping adults transition to employment.  SEL can help adults with the following:

  • Develop self-awareness, a critical part of early learning and development in a new job.
  • Manage the stress and anxiety that is often associated with a new job.
  • Develop self-confidence, which is essential to obtaining a job and advancing in a career.
  • Manage emotions effectively, which can help adults to make better decisions and handle conflict effectively.
  • Foster effective communications skills such as active listening, empathy, and assertiveness.
  • Promote critical thinking and problem solving skills, which are essential in today’s ever-changing industries.

Assessment of Learning Disabilities: We’ve previously discussed how the assessment of learning disabilities can enhance learning.  Here the emphasis is on how this service can ease transitions to employment:

  • Choose a suitable career path.
    • Use career assessment tools to identify career paths that
      • Align with the adults’ strengths.
      • Minimize the impact of their disability.
    • Identify career paths in which their skills and abilities can shine.
  • Create supportive work environments: Work hand in hand with employers to create positive, supportive, and productive work environments.
  • Use appropriate placement and job matching services: Use a service that matches adults with disabilities to jobs that play on their strengths and provide equitable accommodations.
  • Have a career plan: Adults with disabilities can often get stuck in a menial position.  Create a plan that provides adults with disabilities with challenges and opportunities for growth.
  • Increase workplace awareness: Work with organizations that provide training to employers so that they can provide adults with disabilities with the proper support.

Wraparound Services: If an adult does not complete a class or make a job interview, it may not have anything to do with their ability to complete the class or with a lack of job skills.  On the other hand, it may have to do with a lack of wraparound services (e.g., lack of transportation, childcare, rent security, food security, etc.)  Our schools make every effort to provide wraparound services.For example, at NMC, they are in the process of implementing 4 community schools, and adults can also use the Family Resource Center.

Leadership Opportunities: Opportunities such as student councils, ambassadors, or volunteers can help students to develop the leadership skills that will give them an edge as they transition to post-secondary education or employment.  Adults that have taken advantage of these opportunities have reported that they have made a difference in obtaining their first professional job.

Employer Engagement: We could engage employers more intentionally and ask them to work with us on the following:

  • Speak to students about your company and how to get a job there.
  • Create job opportunities suitable for adult students (e.g., internships and externships)
  • Advise us on our curriculum so that it more closely matches your needs.



Improve programs that ease transitions to employment and education

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

WORKFORCE GOALS

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 Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)

We will implement the following strategies for improving programs that ease transitions to employment and education.  Most if not all of these strategies have already been mentioned in previous sections, so the emphasis here is on how these strategies relate to transitions to employment and education.

Entrepreneurship: This can provide adults with opportunities for self-employment and career development.

  • How entrepreneurship can help with transitions to employment:
    • Creation of jobs (self-employment)
    • Development of business skills
    • Networking opportunities
    • Building confidence and resilience
    • Enhancing business skills
    • Enhancing employability (should the adult decide for more traditional employment)
    • Promoting a growth mindset
  • Potential partners with entrepreneurship program:
    • MCWDB offers a module on entrepreneurship. 
    • SBDC can assist businesses to start and succeed.
    • Immigrants Rising (a program of MiCASA at Hartnell College) has a hub on “how to make money” for immigrants 
    • ALBA focuses on entrepreneurship and businesses related to agriculture.
    • Pajaro CDC is providing entrepreneurship training for immigrant women.
    • Santa Cruz Community Ventures also helps immigrants to start businesses through its Futuro and Alcanza programs.

Dual Enrollment: This is a model that has been proven to ease transitions to post-secondary learning and increase post-secondary completion rates. 

  • Several districts already have agreements with Hartnell College to provide dual enrollment classes for high school students.
  • We want to develop agreements for dual enrollment for adult students.
    • We have extended the agreement with the Salinas district to include adults.
    • We are working to extend the agreement with Solead to include adults.
  • We want to develop pathways for students.
    • The most logical starting point would be a general education pathway.
    • Many students have an interest in CTE, so perhaps a CTE pathway could be developed.
    • Computer skills are also popular (basic computer classes or business classes).
    • The focus should be on career and major readiness.

Apprenticeship Programs

  • We currently have an ECE apprenticeship program that provides for various transitions to employment.
    • The ECE pre-apprenticeship program eases transitions through the following strategies:
      • Integrating English and ECE instruction.
      • Providing foundational knowledge in collaboration with Parent Infant Toddler Care (PITC).
      • Providing a bridge experience to Hartnell College through a college success seminar.
      • Assisting students with wraparound services (personal and academic) through a success coach.
    • The ECE apprenticeship program eases transitions to employment through the following strategies:
      • Creating a curriculum with the input of industry.
      • Providing students with professional mentors.
      • Providing students with a paid apprenticeship experience.
      • Guaranteeing a job upon successful completion of the apprenticeship.
      • Assisting students with wraparound services (personal and academic) through a success coach.
    • We also have a parallel path for undocumented students who lack work authorization and cannot participate in the apprenticeship.
      • Fellowship Program: Provides fellows the opportunity to gain on-the-job experience in exchange for a stipend.
      • Cooperative Enterprise Program: Will provide adults with the training needed for undocumented adults to open their own ECE enterprise as co-owners and co-workers.
  • Potential future apprenticeship programs
  • MCWDB has a relationship with the building trades, including a pre-apprenticeship to prepare people for any career related to the trades.
  • Given the new Health Pathways Grant, this could be an ideal time to develop another apprenticeship program in the health field.

Externships

  • How externships help students to transition to employment:
    • Making students more competitive
    • Providing them with networking opportunities
    • Enhancing their résumé
    • Developing their skills
    • Providing them with references and recommendations
    • Helping them understand workplace culture
    • Helping them align their skills with their career goals
  • How we could promote externships:
    • Engage with employers to expand the list of potential externship sites.
    • Forge agreements to take on students in externship capacity.
    • Forge agreements to offer employment to students at the conclusion of the externship.
    • Encourage adults who transition to Hartell to connect with the Career Hub, for it offers externship opportunities, as well as many other types of career experiences.


Improve Effectiveness of Services

2023-24 Strategies

Improve the effectiveness of immigrant integration services

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION

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 Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)

We will implement the following strategies to improve the effectiveness of immigrant integration services.

  • Develop a needs assessment and regular data check-ins to monitor the effectiveness of the pilot.
    • Measure how well we are serving immigrants now.  Conduct a survey to determine (a) what are the needs of immigrants in our community, and (b) how well we are meeting those needs.
    • Establish benchmark data.  Using the ALLIES framework as a base, establish benchmarks for the 10 immigrant integration goal areas in the framework.
    • Look at benchmarks in TE that we could use: immigrant integration COAAPs, EL Civics Immigrant Integration Indicators (I-3) report, immigrant integration outcomes, immigrant integration services, and the CAEP Summary report.
  • Adopt culturally sensitive approaches to immigrant integration.  Establish a community of caring.
  • Include language support within our immigrant integration program. For example, start a multilingual and multicultural digital navigators program.
  • Provide immigrants with access to information on programs, resources, etc.  For example, create a resource directory of community resources available to immigrants.
  • Provide immigrants with the knowledge and skills they need to integrate into society. For example, provide training on how to obtain healthcare.
  • Provide specialized support for immigrants seeking employment (e.g., employment opportunities for immigrants without work authorization). 
  • Help immigrants understand the financial system in this country.  For example, provide training on how credit scores work and how they can be increased.
  • Integrate civics education throughout the curriculum.  
  • Provide immigrants with student advisors,  mentors, and networking opportunities.
  • Help students to form study groups or self-help groups.
    • Help students by pairing up more advanced students with less advanced ones.
    • Assign students a peer mentor.
    • Utilize peer tutors.
    • Help students to form multicultural groups across different languages.
  • Provide immigrants with leadership opportunities.  For example, establish a student council.
  • Organize events that encourage immigrants’ involvement in the community.  For example, help immigrants to organize a fundraiser for a local organization that serves immigrants.
  • Collaborate with other agencies in the Salinas Valley that work with immigrants.  For example, we will be collaborating with United Way and Santa Cruz Ventures to provide financial literacy workshops for immigrants.
  • Get feedback from immigrants to assess the effectiveness of our programs.  Make adjustments as necessary.
  • Improve access to technology so that students can use the tools available to them.
    • Working wifi.
    • Access to computers.
    • Access to broadband.
  • Find local resources for translation.
    • Example: Use high school students who speak other languages to serve as assistants for our students (translation, testing, etc.).
      • Be aware and sensitive to concerns about putting students/minors in the role of translators.  For example, there may be legal concerns with doing this, and students may have socioemotional issues as a result of being placed in these roles.
      • Establish strict rules for how we would utilize student translators/helpers so as to protect the youth as much as possible.
    • Find ways of collaborating with high school programs that require students to complete community service hours.
    • Adult school students may also have a community service requirement.



Improve the effectiveness of overall services

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

STUDENT ENROLLMENT

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 Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)

We will implement the following strategies to improve the effectiveness of overall services.  Many of the services mentioned below have already been discussed in detail in other sections of the annual plan, so they are only mentioned briefly here.

  • Expand online offerings
    • Conduct surveys to determine if and when students would like additional online offerings. For example, students may like more evening and weekend online classes, as well as classes offered during nonstandard schedules.
    • Expand online offerings accordingly.
    • Consider union restrictions that may be in place from site to site.
    • Utilize additional modalities like HyFlex.
  • Provide services for students with disabilities.  These services may include assessments and accommodations. 
  • Enhance the students’ digital literacy skills.  This may include the following skills:
    • Essential computer skills: basic computer skills, internet basics, using email, Windows, Mac OS.
    • Essential software skills: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs.
    • Using technology in daily life: social media, information literacy, career search skills, accessing appointments, your digital footprint, distance learning
  • Obtain more space/more adequate space.  Unfortunately, adult education tends to get squeezed out by both K12 and the community college system.The first way that this is often felt is by space being taken away.  Thus, adult ed must engage in greater advocacy to ensure that more adequate space is obtained for our services, particularly as we are being asked to do more (e.g., the health pathways grant).
  • Expand basic Needs Services/Wraparound Services
    • Basic Needs Center at Hartnell: Adult students who transition to Hartnell should be informed about the new Basic Needs Center at Hartnell.
    • Smart Referral Network: All adult schools should form part of the United Way’s Smart Referral Network.
    • Sun Street: Provide referrals for education, prevention, treatment and recovery to individuals and families regardless of income level.
    • Dept. of Social Services: Includes community benefits, CalWORKS employment services, family and children’s services, and aging and adult services
    • Behavioral Health: Includes ACCESS, adult services, children & adolescent services, alcohol & substance use services, crisis services, Prop 47, transitional aged youth, and wellness4us.org
    • LGBTQ+ services: Includes the Family Acceptance Project, Somos Familia, Salinas Valley Pride, and Monterey Peninsula Pride
    • Homelessness: Monterey County’s Coalition of Homeless Service Providers (have information on homeless resources and information about homeless issues in Monterey County.
    • Childcare: Monterey County Childcare has a number of partner organizations that work on the childcare issue: MCOE, United Way, Quality Matters, Bright Beginnings, First Five, MAOF, Childcare Planning Council, and First Five.  Monterey County Childcare features eligibility and enrollment information for eight reputable local providers.
    • Transportation: Monterey County offers special transportation services to seniors and persons with disabilities.
    • Financial Aid: The SVAEC’s Outreach Coordinator helps educate adult students transitioning to post-secondary education about their financial aid options.
    • Other community agencies: Of course, the above is only a small sample of the wraparound services that our adults require.
  • Offer flexible course offerings
    • in person vs. online
    • day/night
    • weekday/weekend
    • regular schedule/odd schedules
    • structured/independently-paced
    • offering late morning/early afternoon classes to accommodate students that have late schedules and can’t come early
    • asynchronous classes
    • recording classes so that students wouldn’t fall behind
      • could be a union issue  
      • could modify contracts to allow for more flexibility
  • Create individualized learning plans
  • Integrate new technology
    • Smart screens (e.g., Salinas has adopted these)
    • Smart courses (that adapt according to student’s performance)
  • Help students align their education with their career goals (career counseling)
  • Help students form a lifelong career/education plan
  • Collaborate with local employers and community agencies.
  • Engage in marketing and outreach.
  • Conduct a needs assessment to determine additional areas where we might need to improve the effectiveness of overall services.  Make changes accordingly.

Notes:

  • Childcare continues to be a barrier for our students.
  • Finding childcare is difficult due to understaffed centers with long wait lists.
  • Although providing in-house care at our adult schools seems like a practical solution, finding partners who are willing to do this is a challenge:
    • Many providers are unwilling to provide care off site.
    • Many providers are unwilling to provide care evenings and weekends.
    • Some providers are unwilling to touch children, which is problematic with very young children that require hands-on care
  • The most practical solution for this problem seems to be finding grants that we could use to give students childcare stipends.

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.

Activities in the three-year plan, the SVAEC’s annual plan, and individual member district work plans all align, and all budgets align with the strategies and activities in the plans.  Consistent with the three-year plan, this year we shall focus on the objectives listed below, with a special emphasis on the ECE pre-apprenticeship program, dual enrollment for adult students, an immigrant integration project focused on financial literacy, new CTE offerings, and the new Health Pathways initiative.  Through these programs and initiatives, our funding will be used to meet our objectives.

Objective 1: Increase student enrollment to pre-pandemic levels.

Census data and student data show that thousands of community members need our services. Data from the Community Needs Assessment Survey showed that many community members  are still unaware of the adult education programs in the region and/or that they do not know how to access or enroll in the programs. Thus, a primary focus of the SVAEC’s efforts is enrollment. The three main strategies it will use to achieve its enrollment goals are outreach, marketing, and improved access. 

Objective 2: 20% of our completers (students who finish at least one course) will reach their stated workforce goals (includes employment goals).

One of our primary objectives is to help adult learners reach their career goals, and the data shows that adults need access to pathways that lead to living wage jobs and that industry needs a skilled workforce. Our role in meeting these needs is to help adult learners gain the basic skills, employability skills, and technical skills needed to move from unemployment, underemployment, or low-wage jobs into middle-skill, middle-wage jobs. Our aim is to provide instruction, training, and advising to help students reach their career goals.  

Objective 3: As part of our commitment to equity, we renew our commitment to applying the immigrant integration framework and increasing support and opportunities for immigrants.

The goal of applying the immigrant integration framework reflects the SVAEC’s commitment to better serve the immigrant populations in the Salinas Valley by collecting and analyzing relevant data, conducting additional relevant research and needs assessments, and improving programs and services accordingly. The SVAEC will adopt/adapt this Immigrant Integration Framework and use it to develop and implement a Regional Immigrant Integration Plan by (1) conducting further research, (2) forming a professional development plan to ensure that the Consortium’s administrators, teachers, and staff are informed of and versed in immigrant integration, and (3) extending training to stakeholders, who will then be engaged to partner in collaborative planning efforts.

In the first six months of 2023, we have engaged in a planning process with Paul Rosenbloom, a CAEP consultant who, among other areas, specializes in immigrant integration.  The culmination of this process will be a series of financial literacy workshops for immigrants in Salinas and surrounding areas. We are partnering with the United Way and Santa Cruz Community Ventures to provide these workshops on site at Salinas Adult School.  The pilot will take place in the fall of 2023.  Once data has been analyzed, we will roll out the program at our other adult schools in the spring of 2024.

Objective 4: 60% of our students will achieve an educational goal.

This goal hinges on increased student persistence and success through relevant programming, high-quality instruction, and wrap-around support services. More viable pathways need to be developed for adults to transition from adult schools and other community partner programs into college and the workforce. Those pathways will require new courses and curricula, new instructional models and strategies, and alignment between programs and with academic and industry standards. 

Objective 5: 60% of students will persist at least 40 hours in a semester.

To achieve this goal, advising and individualized career planning services will be made available to all students.  Career advisors, counselors, and staff will provide support to adult education students. Besides the individualized career planning, support services will include providing clear and comprehensive career pathway maps and information for students and providers; job fairs specifically for adult learners and the community; and referrals to job training programs, work-based learning opportunities, and job opportunities.


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

Here are ways that we could incorporate remaining carryover funds from prior years into strategies planned for FY 23-24:

  • Equipment (online classes/hybrid/hyflex)
  • Bus passes
  • Hotspots
  • Licenses (e.g., Burlington): Buy consortium-level licenses as we do with Northstar Digital Literacy. 
  • Conferences/Certifications
  • ICEV
  • Additional clerical support*
  • Roaming clerks*
  • Training for staff for working with students with learning disabilities
  • Assessments for learning disabilities
  • Retreats
  • Supporting member growth
  • Supporting additional personnel*
  • Have a North County and South County counselor to support students’ transition to post secondary-employment*
  • Materials & supplies
  • Upgrade furniture (e.g., tables and chairs) to improve ergonomic support and the efficiency and effectiveness of classrooms.
  • Invest in new initiatives: dual enrollment for adult students, ECE pre-apprenticeship, immigrant integration financial literacy project, new CTE offerings, new health pathways, etc.

Notes:

*Supporting additional personnel:  A word of caution is due here.  It can be tempting to hire new personnel in a year in which one has excessive carryover; however, one must keep in mind that the new staff member’s salary and benefits will have to be paid in perpetuity.  One may have the money to pay for the additional salary and benefits in the year of the carryover, but will one continue to have the extra funds to pay for the additional salary and benefits in future years?  This must be carefully analyzed and considered before adding additional personnel.


Certification

Gonzales Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Candice Camacho

08/15/2023 01:17 PM PDT

Hartnell CCD - Member Representative

Approved by Mostafa Ghous

08/15/2023 12:36 PM PDT

Monterey Co. Office of Education - Member Representative

Approved by Mike Kim

08/15/2023 01:34 PM PDT

North Monterey County Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Sandra Cuevas

08/15/2023 01:27 PM PDT

Salinas Union High - Member Representative

Approved by Burr Guthrie

08/15/2023 12:50 PM PDT

Soledad Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Francisco Pinedo Jr

08/15/2023 02:18 PM PDT

South Monterey County Joint Union High - Member Representative

Approved by Paige Leebrick South Monterey County Joint Union High School District

08/15/2023 12:57 PM PDT