CAEP
Annual Plan

Produced: Aug 16, 2023, 12:57 AM UTC - By Julio C. Segura

23 Kern Adult Education Consortium
CONSORTIUM APPROVED

2023-24

Plans & Goals

Executive Summary

The Kern Adult Education Consortium will continue its work to support the three-year plan.  The Kern Consortium will continue its work on bridges and pathways to college and careers, comprehensive student support, course alignment, increased accessibility, and increased access to college. Our concentration will focus on expanding existing programs as well as looking at census and employment data in addition to continuing to grow our relationships with industry partners to prepare new career programs to improve and meet the needs of our students. Based off of the CAEP Fact Sheets job data and demographic data, the consortium plans to move toward the refinement of programs, the mindful use of both local and regional data, and the further development of community partnerships.  Members will continue to reach into their local communities to further develop creative partnerships such as the one established between ETR and the KHSD Culinary program, as well as the collocation of programs and services such as the JobSpot in Bakersfield, at Wasco Adult School, and in Inyo County in partnership with Cerro Coso Community College and Inyo County Office of Education.  The Kern Consortium oversees the implementation of CAEP programs as far north as Mammoth Lakes east of the Sierra Nevada’s and Porterville to the west, and as far south as Bakersfield and Sierra Sands to the southeast. Thus, the consortium is divided into four sub-regions. Progress is reported by sub-region: 1) Greater Bakersfield (Kern UHSD, KCCD District Office, and Bakersfield College), 2) North Kern (BC-Delano, Delano JUHSD, McFarland USD, and Wasco UHSD), 3) Porterville (Porterville USD and Porterville College), and 4) Eastern Sierra (Tehachapi USD, Sierra Sands USD, Mojave USD, Muroc JUSD, Mono COE, Inyo COE, and Cerro Coso Community College).  We will continue to use data at our meetings to inform our decisions on how to address issues of systemic racial injustices and how we can best serve all of the students in our community. Using data to inform our decisions has helped us in preparing our metrics to show effectiveness in our three-year plan and beyond.  In terms of funds evaluation, we will follow the upcoming state guidance of requiring our members to only carryover 20% of their current year funding unless there is approval by the board of major projects or purchases that would require more carryover.  We will continue to work as a consortium to ensure that all of our students have access to computers, Chromebooks, the internet, digital literacy training, and distance learning to continue their education.  In addition, we are working on career exploration courses for adult education students throughout the consortium.


Regional Planning Overview

The Kern Adult Education Consortium members will begin to implement the following plans this year to build upon for the following two years.

Kern AEC adult education service providers are fully aligned with the workforce needs of the region. Bakersfield College, Porterville College, and Cerro Coso Community College employ counselors who work with each of the Member District adult schools in their region. These counselors are responsible for guiding adult education students into career pathways that align to the job market, provide family-sustaining wages, meet the individual needs of those seeking adult education services, and facilitate regional collaboration. To achieve this goal, the governing board, leadership committee, governing committees, and counselors utilize the following information:

LaborMarket Information and Trends

Based on data, unemployment is trending closer to the pre-pandemic numbers. The overall labor market in the region continues to grow and is almost aligned with the pre-pandemic numbers of . Economic recovery in the private sector industry jobs is trending in a positive direction but remains several thousand jobs lower than the high. Jobs in the education sector continue to lag significantly behind levels. Government jobs remain strong, with a trend back toward pre-pandemic employment numbers. 

The Workforce Development Board's - Local Plans include specific initiatives that link to adult education service provision. These include:

Themes Pertaining to Adult Education Service Provision

. Continue to identify the skills businesses need most, recognizing that the economic landscape may significantly change and evolve over the next three years and beyond.

. Focus on foundational skills such as communication and mathematics, digital literacy, financial literacy, and workplace behaviors and attitudes.

. Develop new partnerships and expand existing ones to connect to customer groups that are currently underserved.

. Identify system challenges that could be improved by and otherwise benefit from an intensive application of human- centered design approaches that the WIB and system partners have previously used to achieve improvements.

Technology Objective

Technology Support for Remote Access: The consortium focused on three key issues during the pandemic: broadband access; availability of hardware; and residentsʼ digital literacy skills.  KCCD purchased hardware to lend to adult education students in need at all sites throughout the consortium as well as distance learning software (Burlington English) to share throughout the consortium, and our education partners are ramping up digital literacy training, especially for those requiring basic technology skills that will enable them to effectively use web-based services.

Workforce Development Board's Local Plan WIOA II Alignment

WIOA Title II – Adult Education and Literacy: The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of WIOA, focuses on helping adults to increase their basic education skills; gain support in attaining a secondary school diploma or prepare for an equivalency exam; and, for English language learners, improving reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension skills in English. The Kern, Tulare, Inyo, and Mono Counties education agencies that are WIOA Title II grantees are partners of the four local adult education consortia. The WDB, AJCC, and local career service providers are consortium partners. Coordination comes in the form of cross-referrals between workforce and education partners, with Title II grantees serving as the primary resource for remedial and basic education and related programs.

Individuals Who Are Basic Skills Deficient: Priority for individuals in this category is established at the time of eligibility determination and does not change during participation. Basic skills deficiency criteria include:

• Lacks HS Diploma or equivalency and is not enrolled in postsecondary education;• Enrolled in Title II Adult Education/Literacy program;• English, reading, writing, or computing skills below grade level;• Determined to be limited English skills proficient through staff-documented observations; or• A standardized test may be used to assess basic skills that include reading, writing, or computing skills.

In addition, the career exploration courses will provide adult education students the opportunity to not only explore potential careers in their regions, but to also explore the career pathways through the adult schools and community colleges.  This, in addition to the revamping of our adult education consortium website, will increase our outreach to the adult education population and the industry partners in our regions.



Meeting Regional Needs

Regional Need #1

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs

Educated, certified and trained employees to fill gaps of retired persons

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

Meetings and communications with employers in our region.

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

Effectiveness will be measured by tracking students' completion of programs and employment.

Regional Need #2

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs

The Kern AEC 16+ age group in our consortium region has a 26.6% population that does not have a high school diploma, 28% population that doesn't not speak English well, and 5.2% population that is unemployed with 54.8% of the unemployed being Hispanic, 64.2% being male, and 26.2% being 50 years old or older.  We also have 5,462 disconnected youth in our region.  Our consortium currently has a majority of female students at 58.5% and also has 13% of the student population being 50 and older.  We hope to find ways to reach more unemployed male and 50 and older groups moving forward.  Our consortium currently serves a majority of Hispanic students at 73.1%.  The Kern Adult Education Consortium sees 22% of our students transition to post-secondary school, 15% transition to CTE programs, and 5% transition to non-developmental credit college courses.  The transition to post-secondary is 3% higher than the state average, the transition to CTE is 2% higher than the state average, and the transition to non-developmental credit college courses is 2% lower than the state average.  Our Hispanic students fall below those percentages in each category at 19%, 13%, and 4% respectively.  Our Asian students fall below the transition to post-secondary at 18%.  All other student race groups post higher than the averages.  Our male students have higher percentages for transitions than our female students at 28% to 18% for post-secondary transitions, 18% to 13% for CTE transitions, and 6% to 4% for transitions to credit college.  In terms of transitions by age group, the younger the age group, the higher the transitions to each category.

For job growth in our regions, we found that Kern and Tulare county would see a large growth in healthcare, government work, education, construction and transportation.  Inyo and Mono county would see growth in the same fields with the exception of agriculture and with the addition of hospitality growth as well.  

The Kern AEC will continue to look at data to make informed decisions about the direction of our consortium and sites.  We will continue to focus on our strengths and areas that we are exceeding state averages to develop ideas and plans to bolster the areas that we are falling behind in.  We have always had great team-work and rapport within our consortium, and this will be essential in ensuring that all of us are sharing ideas and resources to ensure that the adult education students throughout our consortium have access to top quality education and career training as well as support services to achieve their goals.


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

The Kern AEC spent each of our meetings the previous year looking at workforce data projections for our region, student surveys, staff and faculty surveys, and our student data in TOPS and the MIS system to determine what areas needed to be addressed.  We will continue to look at these data sources to determine the effectiveness of our plans and to see if we need to make any necessary changes to improve our effectiveness in bridging the gaps for our clients.

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

As part of the three-year planning process, the Kern AEC determined percentages of growth for our student outcomes, retention, and other areas of effectiveness.  We will use the measurements that we put in place for our first year to determine effectiveness of members and the consortium as a whole.

Address Educational Needs

2023-24 Strategies

Student Goal Setting HSD

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Goal - Setting (High School Diploma)

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ASE (AE 400 - ASE)
  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)

BAS is incorporating Goals setting school-wide as a strategy to increase persistence (Table 4) as well as the number of High School Diplomas/GEDs earned. BAS (Table 4) data will be compared year over year for improvement of persistence and outcomes.


Student Goal Setting ESL

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Goal - Setting (ESL)

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ASE (AE 400 - ASE)

BAS is incorporating Goals setting school-wide as a strategy to increase persistence (Table 4) as well as the number of High School Diplomas/GEDs earned. BAS (Table 4) data will be compared year over year for improvement of persistence and outcomes.


Short-term and Long-term Goals

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Graduation Rate Increase

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)

BAS will utilize goal setting curriculum.  Teachers will assist students in setting both short and long term goals and evaluate their progress.  

Bakersfield Adult School will continue to utilize seamless transitions to assist students in obtaining their personal goal. Whether their goal is employment, completing adult secondary education, continuing their education at a community college or earning stackable CTE credentials.



Partnerships

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Consortium-Wide Survey Development

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)

Build Partnerships between larger regional employers, local Community College centers and AEP to identify educational needs and implement courses and programs to address those needs. Continue with internship and apprenticeship programs.


Online Instruction

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Online Instruction Effectiveness

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ESL (AE 400 - ESL)
  • Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)

Use in person and online curriculum that fills education gaps while teaching ESL.


Consortium-Wide Survey Development

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Consortium-Wide Survey Development

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ASE (AE 400 - ASE)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ESL (AE 400 - ESL)
  • Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)

Deeper annual survey to gain feedback from students to address the barriers and needs in our regions.  This will help boost persistence rates as well as student outcomes and success.  Developed consortium surveys for all sites to use for annual evaluations.



Graduation Rate Increase

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Graduation Rate Increase

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)

Work to develop PLC groups amongst staff at our sites to analyze data and use of effective support and instructional strategies as identified by students in their exit surveys.


Improve Integration of Services & Transitions

2023-24 Strategies

Student Transitions

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Graduation Rate Increase

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)

BAS-Continue performance outcomes that support students transitioning to either employment or community college through collaboration with county agencies and community partner agencies.BAS- will continue to work with partners, including BC, in order to maintain current level of service. Additionally, BAS will further collaborate with multiple service providers to reach the homeless population providing education and job training. BAS will continue to partner with AJCC to provide assistance to students with Individual Training Agreements.

In order to assist more ESL students in transitioning to HSD, GED, Bilingual GED and/or work/college, BAS has strategically hired an ESL counselor with extensive ESL instructional experience as well as the knowledge of translating foreign transcripts.

Moreover, in an effort to reach more students, increase diversity of staff and students, BAS has hired an experienced Punjabi speaking certificated ESL teacher. 



Goal Setting ESL

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Goal - Setting (ESL)

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ASE (AE 400 - ASE)
  • Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)

Kern AEC will focus on goal-setting with all ESL students who come through our programs.  This will be done via faculty and/or counseling staff to ensure that each of our ESL students has a clear short-term and long-term goal in mind while attending our schools.  With goal-setting, it is believed that our persistence rates will increase.  All ESL students will have clear goals established upon entering our programs.  This should include updates on their goals at the end of each academic year.



Goal Setting HSD

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Goal - Setting (High School Diploma)

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ASE (AE 400 - ASE)
  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)

Kern AEC will focus on goal-setting with all HSD students who come through our programs.  This will be done via faculty and/or counseling staff to ensure that each of our HSD students has a clear short-term and long-term goal in mind while attending our schools.  With goal-setting, it is believed that our persistence rates will increase.  

All  students will have clear goals established upon entering our programs.  This should include updates on their goals at the end of each academic year.


Improve Effectiveness of Services

2023-24 Strategies

Building Partnerships

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Consortium-Wide Survey Development

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ASE (AE 400 - ASE)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ESL (AE 400 - ESL)
  • Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)

Build Partnerships between larger regional employers, local Community College Center and AEP to identify educational needs and implement courses and programs to address those needs. Continue with internship and apprenticeship programs. (

Use in-person and online curriculum that fills education gaps while teaching ESL. 



Online Instruction Effectiveness

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Online Instruction Effectiveness

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ASE (AE 400 - ASE)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ESL (AE 400 - ESL)
  • Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)

Kern AEC will implement research-based instructional strategies for online teaching and learning such as SAMR Model of Technology Integration and the ISTE Standards.  Many ABE, ASE, and ESL students will be enrolled in a digital learning platform such as Aztec, Edgenuity, Burlington English, or Google Classroom. Technology will be used toassess, provide feedback, and provide data-informed instruction with the goal of increasing student learning outcomes.

  

Increased access to distance learning software for all members of the consortium.  We will focus on providing access to online learning software at all of our sites for ABE, ASE, and ESL.  



Data Sub-Committee

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Data Sub-Committee

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
  • All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ASE (AE 400 - ASE)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ESL (AE 400 - ESL)
  • Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
  • Success: Participants Who Earn a High School Diploma or Equivalency (AE 633 - Overall)

Kern AEC will collaborate to develop a comprehensive assessment process to collect data from multiple sources including CASAS and MIS data, analyze the data, and utilize the information to effectively evaluate programs and refine instruction and services. Kern AEC will target agency performance at or below the identified WIOA II statewide quarter as well as CAEP averages.

Kern AEC will establish a Data Sub-Committee with a data manager representative from each sub-region (Porterville, Eastern Sierra, North Kern, Bakersfield) and with college and K-12/COE partners.



Pre/Post Testing

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Pre/Post Testing

Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy

  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ASE (AE 400 - ASE)
  • Progress: Participants with Educational Functioning Levels Gains ESL (AE 400 - ESL)
  • Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)

Kern AEC will increase the number of ABE/ASE and ESL students with a pre/post pair by 3% each year compared to the prior years CAEP Data Integrity Report.  We will start with 2019-2020 baseline data for the 2022-2023 academic year, and we are now using the previous year's data for the 2023-2024 academic year.

The data sub-committee of Kern AEC will focus on our pre/post test data of ESL, ABE, and ASE students.  Sites will be contacted to focus on this data if their percentages and numbers are falling behind.


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.

The following details funding allocation by each member and consortium wide efforts to address educational needs of adults in the region:

  • K-12 and COE partners will use funding to staff and provide the appropriate technology and educational materials to students to be successful in various models of instruction, whether it be in-person or in a virtual classroom. They will use funds to align with and to support consortium objectives as well as to support student academic, transition and support service needs particular to our site. CAEP funding will be used to cover staff and programming in ESL, Citizenship, ABE and ASE. They will also use CAEP funding to provide staff and programming in K-12 Success and in AWD.

  • BC, CCCC, and PC will continue to grow and develop their ESL programs and CTE pathways to help pipeline students into college level English courses or to obtain the skill level to join the job market. CAEP funds will be used to help strengthen pathways from our Adult School partners to degrees and certificates at the colleges. We will look to expand our current non-credit offerings to broaden our reach to meet our student needs. CAEP funds will also be used on a strategic marketing plan to help students return to the classroom.

  • All members will continue to use multiple data sources to allocate resources including student learning data and community demographics. We will continue with programming and will amplify our work for our ESL, HSD/HSE, and CTE students. All members will use CAEP funds to add new, relevant CTE programming in Tech related courses and pathways.

Members will collaborate to develop outreach and marketing efforts to increase awareness of adult school offerings and resources across the consortium. When unused funds are available, members will pool them to meet strategic planning goals and objectives.

Many members also receive additional funding including WIOA and Perkins to provide classroom supplies and materials, curriculum support and professional development, and to purchase tech devices and educational software. Members will continue to leverage these funds to provide necessary educational and workforce training. In addition, members will examine ways to increase outside funding sources. KCCD received a Perkins Reserve Grant of $300,000 to braid with CAEP funding to provide “Get Focused, Stay Focused” curriculum and career training through distance and virtual classrooms to our adult education students in rural areas throughout the consortium.  These courses have begun consortia-wide.


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

The Kern Adult Education Consortium will continue to work with the 20% carryover allowance that was approved by the state.  Any member will create a plan to spend down their carry-over amounts in a responsible and timely manner that will be approved by the consortium.  If a member cannot spend down their funds, those funds will be available for other members to propose ideas to spend down on their sites.  After members have presented their ideas for using the carry-over funds, the consortium will vote to divide any remaining carry-over funds.


Certification

Delano Joint Union High - Member Representative

Approved by Julio C. Segura

08/15/2023 05:57 PM PDT

Inyo Co. Office of Education - Member Representative

Approved by Randy Cook

08/15/2023 05:50 AM PDT

Kern CCD - Member Representative

  • Associate Vice Chancellor, Economic and Workforce Development
  • trudy.gerald@kccd.edu
  • (661) 336-5012
Approved by Thatcher Weldon

08/14/2023 08:33 PM PDT

Kern Co. Office of Education - Member Representative

  • Director College and Career Programs
  • kiwebb@kern.org
  • (661) 852-5799
Approved by Dr. Chris Persons

08/15/2023 08:01 AM PDT

Kern High - Member Representative

  • Principal/ Director Bakersfield Adult School & Regional Occupational Center
  • mark_wyatt@kernhigh.org
  • (661) 835-1855
Approved by Mark Wyatt Mr

08/14/2023 08:46 PM PDT

McFarland Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Lori Schultz

08/15/2023 05:04 PM PDT

Mojave Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Victoria Davis

08/15/2023 05:55 PM PDT

Mono Co. Office of Education - Member Representative

Approved by Stacey Adler

08/15/2023 09:48 AM PDT

Muroc Joint Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Cynthia Bryan

08/15/2023 08:57 AM PDT

Porterville Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Dr. Larriann Torrez Porterville Adult School

08/15/2023 05:45 PM PDT

Sierra Sands Unified - Member Representative

Approved by John Cosner

08/15/2023 07:57 AM PDT

Tehachapi Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Dr. Bonny Porter

08/15/2023 08:06 AM PDT

Wasco Union High - Member Representative

Approved by Marleni Maston

08/14/2023 09:01 PM PDT