Produced: Aug 13, 2025, 05:04 PM UTC - By Keith Gonzales
2025-26
Plans & Goals
Assessment
Activities & Outcomes
Objective #1: Address Educational Needs
STUDENT ENROLLMENT
Objective #2: Improve Integration of Services & Transitions
WORKFORCE GOALS
This activity is designed to significantly enhance the workforce success of SVAEC students by achieving a 10% annual increase in the number of students who: (a) acquire essential workforce readiness skills, (b) obtain an occupational skills licensure or certificate, and (c) enter a dedicated job training program. To achieve these targets, SVAEC will implement comprehensive strategies focused on curriculum enhancement, direct skill-building, pathway development, and robust partnerships.
Key components will include:
- Strategic Program Alignment and Enhancement: SVAEC will systematically review, update, and expand its Career Technical Education (CTE) offerings to ensure direct alignment with high-demand local industries such as agriculture/AgTech, healthcare, hospitality, construction/skilled trades, and education/childcare, as identified in the SVAEC 2024-2025 Final Report and regional plans. This includes developing new short-term certificate programs and modularized credentials that are responsive to employer needs and provide quick wins for students. A particular focus for the 2025-26 academic year will be on developing pathways in the healthcare sector, a critical and consistently growing industry in our region.
- Integration of Workforce Readiness Skills: Workforce readiness skills—including digital literacy, critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, and other soft skills—will be explicitly defined and systematically embedded across all core instructional areas (ESL, ABE, ASE) and CTE programs. This ensures foundational employability for all students.
- Pathway Development to Licensure, Certification, and Further Training: SVAEC will strengthen and create clear pathways for students to attain industry-recognized licenses and certifications. This involves curriculum mapping, articulation with postsecondary institutions, and direct support for students navigating these processes. Additionally, SVAEC will enhance collaborations with our WIOA Title II member agencies, the MCWDB and its WIOA Title I services, as well as apprenticeship programs and other job training providers, to facilitate seamless transitions for students into more intensive or specialized training.
- Expanded Work-based Learning and Employer Engagement: SVAEC will increase opportunities for students to gain practical experience and connect with employers through internships, job shadowing, pre-apprenticeships (a noted service gap), and other work-based learning models. Stronger employer partnerships will inform curriculum and create direct hiring pipelines.
- Enhanced Career Counseling and Transition Support: Dedicated resources will help students identify career goals, develop job search strategies, understand pathways to credentials, and successfully enroll in further job training programs.
- Data Tracking and Continuous Improvement: Robust data collection and analysis systems will be utilized to monitor student progress towards these three specific workforce outcomes, identify areas for program improvement, and ensure accountability in meeting the 10% annual growth targets.
This activity directly addresses the career aspirations of SVAEC students and aims to equip them with the skills and credentials necessary for economic self-sufficiency and advancement.
Adult Education Metrics and Student Barriers
- All: Participants (202AE)
- All: Reportable Individuals (200AE)
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (149AE)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (155AE)
Responsible Positions, Responsible Consortium Members, and Proposed Completion Date
| Responsible Position | Responsible Member | Proposed Completion Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ivan Pagan | Hartnell CCD | 06/30/2028 |
| Jose Yañez | North Monterey County Unified | 06/30/2028 |
| Ernesto Vela | Monterey Co. Office of Education | 06/30/2028 |
| Alexander Kirk | Salinas Union High | 06/30/2028 |
| Candice Camacho | Gonzales Unified | 06/30/2028 |
| Francisco Pinedo | Soledad Unified | 06/30/2028 |
| Christian Woods | South Monterey County Joint Union High | 06/30/2028 |
IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION
This activity reaffirms and operationalizes SVAEC's commitment to equity by continuing to increase support and opportunities for immigrant learners through a comprehensive immigrant integration framework, as outlined in the AB2098 Work Group Final Recommendations. A key, measurable objective is to increase the number of students successfully passing an Immigrant Integration Indicator (I-3) by 5% each year. "Passing an I-3 indicator" will be defined as a student being successfully referred to and engaged with a partner agency or resource to address a specific need within one of the ten CAEP immigrant integration goal areas (e.g., Economic Security, Health and Well-being, Education and Career, Civic Participation, Digital Literacy, etc.). For the 2025-26 year, a key implementation of this framework will be to build upon our successful financial literacy pilot program by exploring new partnerships to address the health and well-being of immigrants.
To achieve this, SVAEC will:
- Adopt and Embed the Framework: Formally adopt the AB2098 definition of immigrant integration and systematically embed the ten goal areas into program planning, curriculum development, and student support services across all relevant programs (ESL, ABE, ASE, CTE).
- Enhance Needs Assessment: Integrate questions related to the ten immigrant integration goal areas into student intake and counseling processes to identify individual needs and facilitate appropriate referrals. This will help identify students who could benefit from a referral (I-3 outcome).
- Strengthen Community Partnerships: Proactively develop and deepen collaborations with community-based organizations, government agencies, and other service providers that offer resources aligned with the ten immigrant integration goal areas. This is critical for successful I-3 referrals.
- Develop and Contextualize Services: Create or adapt short-term modules, workshops, or contextualized instruction that address specific integration competencies (e.g., navigating the U.S. healthcare system, understanding tenant rights, digital literacy for job searching, civic engagement basics) and can lead to referrals for deeper support.
- Provide Professional Development: Equip SVAEC staff (instructors, counselors, support staff) with training on the immigrant integration framework and cultural competency, identify student needs across the ten goal areas, and effectively make and track referrals to partner agencies.
- Implement Tracking and Data Analysis: Develop a clear system for tracking student referrals to partners (I-3 indicator) and analyzing this data to monitor progress towards the 5% annual increase, identify successful referral pathways, and pinpoint areas needing more partnership development or service enhancement.
- Promote Pathways to Citizenship: For those who qualify for citizenship, our adult schools offer preparation classes for the citizenship exam.
This activity aims to provide immigrants with adequate, culturally relevant, and linguistically accessible programs and services that facilitate upward social and economic mobility, increased civic participation, and multigenerational integration, thus building secure, thriving, and inclusive communities in the Salinas Valley. It acknowledges the diverse needs of immigrant-origin students beyond language acquisition, including those identified in the SVAEC 2024-2025 Final Report.
Adult Education Metrics and Student Barriers
- All: Participants (202AE)
- All: Reportable Individuals (200AE)
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (149AE)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (155AE)
Responsible Positions, Responsible Consortium Members, and Proposed Completion Date
| Responsible Position | Responsible Member | Proposed Completion Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ivan Pagan | Hartnell CCD | 06/30/2028 |
| Jose Yañez | North Monterey County Unified | 06/30/2028 |
| Ernesto Vela | Monterey Co. Office of Education | 06/30/2028 |
| Alexander Kirk | Salinas Union High | 06/30/2028 |
| Candice Camacho | Gonzales Unified | 06/30/2028 |
| Francisco Pinedo | Soledad Unified | 06/30/2028 |
| Christian Woods | South Monterey County Joint Union High | 06/30/2028 |
Objective #3: Improve Effectiveness of Services
EDUCATIONAL GOALS
This activity centers on a core educational objective for SVAEC: ensuring that 35% of enrolled students participating in programs below the postsecondary level achieve a measurable gain of one or more Educational Functioning Levels (EFLs) annually. An EFL gain signifies concrete progress in foundational skills such as literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency, as measured by standardized assessments (e.g., CASAS). This activity is fundamental to SVAEC’s mission of empowering adult learners and directly addresses the primary educational goals identified by many students, such as learning English and improving basic skills. In light of the 2025 community needs assessment data showing a significant increase in adults with very low levels of formal education, a renewed emphasis on foundational ABE and pre-literacy instruction will be a critical component of this objective for the upcoming year.
To achieve this 35% EFL gain target, SVAEC will implement strategies including:
- Enhancing Instructional Excellence: Promoting evidence-based instructional methodologies, differentiated instruction, and contextualized learning within ESL, Adult Basic Education (ABE), and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) programs. Curricula will be closely aligned with EFL descriptors to ensure targeted teaching.
- Strengthening Assessment Practices: Ensuring rigorous and consistent administration of standardized pre- and post-tests (e.g., CASAS) for all eligible students to measure learning gains accurately. This includes timely post-testing upon completion of recommended instructional hours.
- Targeted Professional Development: Providing ongoing training for instructors and staff on effective teaching strategies for adult learners, data literacy (understanding and using EFL gain reports to inform instruction), assessment administration, and curriculum alignment with EFL standards.
- Data-driven Program Improvement: Systematically collecting, analyzing, and utilizing EFL gain data at the class, program, and consortium levels to identify successful instructional approaches, pinpoint improvement areas, and address achievement gaps among different student populations.
- Focused Student Support: Implementing strategies to support student persistence and engagement, such as supplemental instruction, tutoring, and academic counseling, as consistent attendance and effort are crucial for achieving EFL gains. Barriers to attendance identified in the SVAEC 2024-2025 Final Report will be taken into consideration.
- Clear Program Pathways: Ensuring students are appropriately placed in programs based on their initial EFL and clearly understand the learning pathway and the importance of EFL gains for their overall educational and career goals.
This activity is crucial for demonstrating program effectiveness, ensuring accountability, and equipping students with the foundational skills necessary for further education, workforce entry or advancement, and more comprehensive community participation.
Adult Education Metrics and Student Barriers
- All: Participants (202AE)
- All: Reportable Individuals (200AE)
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (149AE)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (155AE)
Responsible Positions, Responsible Consortium Members, and Proposed Completion Date
| Responsible Position | Responsible Member | Proposed Completion Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ivan Pagan | Hartnell CCD | 06/30/2028 |
| Jose Yañez | North Monterey County Unified | 06/30/2028 |
| Ernesto Vela | Monterey Co. Office of Education | 06/30/2028 |
| Alexander Kirk | Salinas Union High | 06/30/2028 |
| Candice Camacho | Gonzales Unified | 06/30/2028 |
| Francisco Pinedo | Soledad Unified | 06/30/2028 |
| Christian Woods | South Monterey County Joint Union High | 06/30/2028 |
FOCUS GROUPS
This activity establishes a systematic process for gathering in-depth qualitative feedback directly from students through focus groups to enhance program effectiveness and ensure student-centered services. The objective is: "Over the next three years, each semester, focus groups will be conducted at each agency/program. Each semester, we shall evaluate one of these six major program areas: ESL, HSD/HSE, Basic Computer Skills, Citizenship, CTE, and CSS."
This initiative aims to achieve the following goals:
- Gain Rich Insights: Move beyond quantitative data to understand the "why" behind student experiences, satisfaction levels, perceived strengths and weaknesses of programs, and barriers to success within each specified program area. This aligns with the need to understand student challenges as highlighted in the SVAEC 2024-2025 Final Report.
- Inform Programmatic Improvements: Use the qualitative data gathered to make targeted improvements to curriculum, instructional delivery, student support services, scheduling, resource accessibility, and the overall learning environment for each program area on a rotating basis.
- Enhance Student Voice and Engagement: Provide a structured platform for students to share their perspectives, fostering a sense of ownership and partnership in their educational journey. This directly supports SVAEC's commitment to equity.
- Systematic Evaluation: Ensure that each of the six core program areas undergoes a qualitative review cycle through student feedback over the three years, allowing for comprehensive assessment across the consortium.
- Complement Existing Data: Use focus group findings to triangulate with other data sources (e.g., enrollment data, EFL gains, completion rates, exit surveys) for a more holistic understanding of program performance and student needs.
The operationalization of this activity will involve developing standardized focus group protocols (including a question guide, recruitment strategies, consent forms, and culturally sensitive questioning techniques), systematically recruiting diverse student participants for each focus group, conducting the sessions, transcribing/summarizing findings, and disseminating actionable reports to relevant program staff, administrators, and advisory bodies for review and implementation of recommendations. This continuous feedback loop is crucial for adapting to the evolving needs of adult learners in the Salinas Valley.
Adult Education Metrics and Student Barriers
- All: Participants (202AE)
- All: Reportable Individuals (200AE)
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (149AE)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (155AE)
Responsible Positions, Responsible Consortium Members, and Proposed Completion Date
| Responsible Position | Responsible Member | Proposed Completion Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ivan Pagan | Hartnell CCD | 06/30/2028 |
| Jose Yañez | North Monterey County Unified | 06/30/2028 |
| Ernesto Vela | Monterey Co. Office of Education | 06/30/2028 |
| Alexander Kirk | Salinas Union High | 06/30/2028 |
| Candice Camacho | Gonzales Unified | 06/20/2028 |
| Francisco Pinedo | Soledad Unified | 06/30/2028 |
| Christian Woods | South Monterey County Joint Union High | 06/30/2028 |
Fiscal Management
Alignment & Carryover
The planned usage of allocations for the 2025-2026 program year is directly and strategically aligned with the goals of the Salinas Valley Adult Education Consortium’s (SVAEC) 2025-2028 Three-Year Plan. Our budget is designed to be the implementation engine for the plan's five core objectives, ensuring that every allocated dollar is purposefully directed toward meeting the identified needs of our region's adult learners.
- Supporting Student Enrollment: A significant portion of our allocations will fund the strategies designed to achieve our 5% annual enrollment growth target. This includes funding for targeted, multilingual marketing and outreach campaigns, staff time dedicated to strengthening community and employer partnerships, and resources for barrier-reduction pilots aimed at mitigating obstacles, such as transportation and childcare, identified in our needs assessment.
- Driving Workforce Success: To achieve our goal of a 10% annual increase in workforce outcomes, funds are prioritized for the development and enhancement of Career Technical Education (CTE) programs in high-demand regional sectors, such as healthcare and agriculture/AgTech. Allocations will support instructor salaries, the acquisition of industry-aligned curriculum and materials, and the expansion of work-based learning opportunities such as pre-apprenticeships.
- Enhancing Immigrant Integration: In alignment with our goal to increase support for immigrants, the budget will support essential professional development for staff on the AB2098 framework, the development of contextualized services, and dedicated staff time allocated for coordinating with community partners. This ensures we can effectively track and increase successful student referrals (the I-3 indicator) to vital wraparound services.
- Increasing Educational Gains: The largest portion of our allocations is dedicated to our core instructional mission: achieving a 35% EFL gain rate. These funds primarily support the salaries of our highly qualified instructors in ESL, ABE, and ASE programs. Additionally, allocations will cover the costs of standardized assessment materials (e.g., CASAS) and professional development focused on data analysis and evidence-based teaching strategies.
- Funding Qualitative Program Evaluation: To support our new objective of gathering deeper student feedback, funds are allocated for the implementation of our systematic focus groups. A consultant will be hired to plan the focus groups, develop protocols, run the focus groups, analyze the data, and report the findings.
In summary, the FY 2025-26 budget is not a standalone document but a direct reflection of our strategic priorities. Each expenditure is designed to fund the specific activities outlined in our Annual Plan, which in turn serve as the foundational steps for realizing the long-term vision of our Three-Year Plan.
While each SVAEC member directs the specific use of its carryover funds, our consortium's collective approach will be to prioritize these limited, one-time resources for strategic investments and pilot projects. This ensures that carryover funds are used to accelerate progress on our 2025-2028 Three-Year Plan objectives and directly address the most critical gaps identified in our 2025 Community Needs Assessment, without creating unsustainable ongoing costs. With this in mind, the following areas would be prioritized if we have carryover funds.
A primary focus for carryover funds will be addressing the digital divide. As our needs assessment consistently identifies a lack of computers and internet access as a key barrier, we will use these funds for one-time investments such as purchasing laptops and hotspots, acquiring or renewing consortium-wide software licenses, and upgrading classroom technology to support hybrid instruction.
Second, carryover funds provide the flexibility to pilot innovative solutions for systemic access barriers. The 2025 Community Needs Assessment identified the location of classes, transportation, and childcare as top obstacles. Carryover can support pilot programs like a transportation assistance initiative for our rural South County students or a childcare voucher program in partnership with a local CBO. These pilots will allow us to test the efficacy of different support models before seeking long-term funding.
Third, these funds are ideal for seeding new program development aligned with our workforce goals. Starting a new CTE or pre-apprenticeship program often involves significant one-time costs. Carryover funds will be utilized to support the initial purchase of equipment, curriculum development, and materials for new pathways in high-demand sectors, including healthcare, construction, and agricultural technology.
Finally, we will direct funds toward intensive, high-impact professional development opportunities for our staff, such as bringing in expert consultants for training on AI in education or data-driven instruction.
This strategic approach ensures carryover funds are not merely spent, but invested in innovation, barrier removal, and capacity building. By using them to pilot new ideas and make critical one-time purchases, we enhance the long-term effectiveness and reach of our core, ongoing programs.
This proactive planning ensures that any carryover funds are used promptly and strategically, keeping the consortium well within the 20% limit mandated by the Education Code.
Usage
The Salinas Valley Adult Education Consortium's (SVAEC) financial plan for the 2025-26 program year is strategically allocated to support the core instructional mission while simultaneously funding key initiatives designed to enhance access, workforce outcomes, and program effectiveness, in direct alignment with the 2025-2028 Three-Year Plan.
The largest portion of our funding will continue to support existing adult education programs by covering the teaching and staff salaries necessary to deliver high-quality instruction in our foundational programs: ESL, Adult Basic Education (ABE), and Adult Secondary Education (ASE). This core investment is essential for achieving our objective of a 35% gain in Educational Functioning Level (EFL) and is supported by allocations for program materials and assessment software.
To advance our workforce goals, funds will be used to fund new adult education programs, specifically short-term CTE courses in high-demand fields like healthcare and agriculture, as identified in our regional needs assessments. This includes purchasing necessary equipment and curriculum for these new programs, as well as strengthening existing activities through industry partnerships and work-based learning opportunities, such as pre-apprenticeships.
Recognizing the significant barriers our students face, a key strategy is to use funds to enhance access and support enrollment. We will enhance marketing and outreach efforts to increase awareness of our services, particularly in rural and underserved areas of the valley. Furthermore, allocations will be used to provide new/additional wraparound services through pilot programs targeting critical barriers, such as transportation and childcare. We will also continue to improve technology by investing in laptops and hotspots for our student loaner program to bridge the digital divide.
Ultimately, funds will be allocated to enhance the overall effectiveness of our services. This includes providing robust staff professional development on key initiatives, such as the Immigrant Integration framework. It also includes resourcing our new program evaluation activities, specifically the systematic implementation of student focus groups, which will provide invaluable qualitative data for continuous program improvement.
Consortium Objectives & Activities Overview
Objectives & Activities
| Activity | Origin | Included in Annual Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Objective #1: Address Educational Needs | ||
| STUDENT ENROLLMENT | THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28 | |
| Objective #2: Improve Integration of Services & Transitions | ||
| IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION | THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28 | |
| WORKFORCE GOALS | THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28 | |
| Objective #3: Improve Effectiveness of Services | ||
| EDUCATIONAL GOALS | THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28 | |
| FOCUS GROUPS | THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28 |
Certification
Gonzales Unified - Member Representative
Candice Camacho - c.camacho@gonzales.k12.ca.us
- (831) 675-0100 ext: 8117
Angela Rodriguez - Assistant Superintendent, CBO
- angrodriguez@gonzales.k12.ca.us
- (831) 675-8105
Guadalupe Reyes - Director of Fiscal Services
- greyes@gonzales.k12.ca.us
- (831) 675-0100 ext: 8104
Hartnell CCD - Member Representative
Juan Gonzalez - Dean of CTE & Workforce Development
- juangonzalez@hartnell.edu
- (831) 755-6702
Laura Zavala - HSI Director
- lzavala@hartnell.edu
David Techaira - Executive Director of Fiscal and Auxiliary Services
- dtechair@hartnell.edu
- (831) 755-6835
Ivan Pagan - Director of SVAEC
- ipagan@hartnell.edu
- (831) 759-6021
Monterey Co. Office of Education - Member Representative
Ernesto Vela - Assistant Superintendent
- evela@montereycoe.org
- (831) 755-1405
Telisa Rios - Accountant
- trios@montereycoe.org
Keith Gonzales - Accountant
- kgonzales@montereycoe.org
- (831) 755-0835
Brenda Ramirez - Accountant
- bramirez@montereycoe.org
- (831) 755-0327
North Monterey County Unified - Member Representative
Jose Yanez - Special Program Coordinator
- jyanez@nmcusd.org
- (831) 633-3343 ext: 1601
Brenda Ramirez - brenda_ramirez@nmcusd.org
- (831) 682-7967
Reyanna Flores - Director of Fiscal Services
- reyanna_flores@nmcusd.org
- (831) 682-8092
Rosie Avila - Accountant
- rosie_avila@nmcusd.org
- (831) 633-3343 ext: 1206
Salinas Union High - Member Representative
Ana Mendoza - ESL Program Specialist
- ana.mendozasantiago@salinasuhsd.org
- (559) 871-0012
Burr Guthrie - Director Adult Education
- burr.guthrie@salinasuhsd.org
- (831) 796-6900 ext: 1378
Ana Aguillon - CBO
- ana.aguillon@salinasuhsd.org
Tracy Yamamoto - Accountant
- tracy.yamamoto@salinasuhsd.org
Graciela Hidalgo - Fiscal Manager
- graciela.hidalgo@salinasuhsd.org
- (831) 796-7016 ext: 1006
Alexander Kirk - Director
- alexander.kirk@salinasuhsd.org
- (831) 796-6900 ext: 1378
Soledad Unified - Member Representative
Francisco Pinedo - Adult Education Lead Instructor
- fpinedo@soledad.k12.ca.us
- (831) 229-8236
Virginia Arreola - Sec III
- varreola@soledad.k12.ca.us
- (831) 678-6300
Shann Chu - schu@soledad.k12.ca.us
South Monterey County Joint Union High - Member Representative
Christian Woods - Asst. Principal
- cwoods@smcjuhsd.org
- (831) 385-4661 ext: 3200
Roseanna Guerrero - rguerrero@smcjuhsd.org
Sherrie Castellanos - Chief Business Official
- scastellanos@smcjuhsd.org
- (831) 385-0606 ext: 4338
Yvette Adams - yadams@smcjuhsd.org
Cristina Jimenez - Chief Technology Officer
- cjimenez@smcjuhsd.org