nova-logo-final2

CAEP Annual Plan: 2019-20 24 Lake Tahoe Adult Education Consortium

Status: Consortium Approved

California Adult Education Program : Annual Plan : 2019-20 Produced: Aug 19, 2019, 3:36 PM UTC Brad Deeds

24 Lake Tahoe Adult Education Consortium

Plans & Goals - Consortium Approved

Executive Summary
From the beginning, the consortium (ADVANCE) has worked to serve the broad needs of the community and all of the members. This has allowed for: More rapid program incubation and deployment (as in the case of boot camp style offerings in partnership with local industry), local access for programs that support adult learners (as in the case of establishing the first HSE testing center in the community), and providing services that reach across members, sectors, and partners (as in the case of Transition Navigator positions that provide holistic case management and systems navigation support to individuals). We will continue to: Serve as an incubator of programs and services which can transition to other partners better equipped for long-term sustainable delivery, broaden access and support to those community members who are difficult to reach for a number of reasons (including, working multiple jobs, inadequate local housing, language or basic skills gaps), provide outreach and expansion of our work in Alpine County (which includes the Hung A Lel Ti Washoe community), increase opportunities and earlier transition connections with our local corrections populations, provide enhanced opportunities for non-native English speakers, and better serve adults with disabilities.This will include ongoing review and evolution of membership, governance, and processes to ensure all learners in our unique mountain/resort community thrive.
Regional Planning Overview
Because we are constantly looking three years out - that is, as we near the end of PY 2019-20 we will refine the specifics of the PY 2020-21 plan, revisit the PY 2021-22 plan, and sketch out the beginnings of PY 22-23, we have built our system to operate in an ongoing 3-year approach. Rolling into the "new" three-year plan is, for us, just another year of evolution and ongoing implementation. Not only does this mean we can more rapidly respond to state requirements around plan submission but we are more attuned to the needs of our learners, industry partners, and community which means we remain more responsive and flexible in a dynamic environment.

Meeting Regional Needs

Regional Need #1

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
It is important to note that prior to the establishment of our program (ADVANCE), access to high school equivalency testing was 60-90 miles away, support for learners at lower skill levels was non-existent, and even access to WIOA Title I job services was limited by weather and no more then weekly availability of case managers who would drive up form Placerville to wait for clients (weather permitting), and on and on. By partnering with local agencies, employers, and even the Workforce Development Board, we have closed many of the critical of the service gaps. What really remains (and the work we continue to focus on) within our community (outside of housing and public transportation - that is, issues we can continue to help address but are outside of our direct control) are gaps in access to those existing and evolving services. As we continue to work on more real-time shared case management (including identification of need(s)/eligibility), broaden our use and integration of innovative service models (such as on-boarding and transitional navigation support services offered directly at the work site and/or more effective integration of technology) these access gaps will continue to shrink.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
Through ongoing review and evaluation at partner/network meetings, work group meetings, participant input/feed and the three-year pre-planning assessment process/tool. in addition, we are able to access zip code specific labor market information (LMI) for all of the communities in the Tahoe Basin, on both sides of the state border. This continues to be critical due to the fluid nature of employment and housing in our tourism-centric region.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Effectiveness continues to be measured primarily by participant and community outcomes. This includes completion of high school credentials (HSE and diplomas), access and skill gain in basic skills, especially improving ESL gains, entry to post-secondary education and training and successful completion of same. Local "brand" recognition and identification as the leader in transition navigation services for our community as evidenced by studnet feedback and referral numbers/sources. Increased access to training, and outcomes for, targeted populations remains a priority measure.

Gaps In Service

New Strategies

Strategy #1
in collaboration with Alpine County Unified School District, coordinate transportation form Alpine County to Lake Tahoe Community College during fall and spring terms to increase access to post-secondary education and training on campus.
Strategy #2
Continue to serve as an incubator for new services and industry specific training beyond culinary and hospitality based on LMI and local industry leader input. Because we can rapidly deploy services, our time from design to delivery is relatively short - programs can be researched, designed, and implemented and proven quickly. At that point they "enter" the K-12 or CCC approval process where they can become self-sustaining. Proof of concept is achieved while the community has access to an immediate need while still working through the approval and eventual hand off of programs to the most appropriate educational entity.

Seamless Transitions

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Look to expand or partnership with Golden Sierra Job Training Agency and Nevada Works to ensure more consistent service for Basin residents. We are truly a bi-state community with significant Nevada companies employing large numbers of California residents and vice-versa (though to a somewhat smaller degree). This also builds off the work of LTCC and the LTCC Foundation which has secured funding to create the Tahoe Basin Promise program which would serve any resident who resides in the Basin that first-time, full time support.
Strategy #2
Continue to work with the Tahoe Chamber to increase employer referrals to program services as well as provide on-site transition navigation services to reduce the barriers for working adults to programs.

Student Acceleration

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Expand a competency-based approach that allows adult learners to be awarded "credit" (read value) for learning that happens outside of traditional classes - even traditional adult education classes. Build upon early success that saw us integrate the use of the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for Adult Education as well as the Equipped for the Future Standards (a research-based set of standards that define the skills adults need to be successful). This includes looking at a more robust (and authentic) approach to assessment of prior learning at not only the secondary level, but the post-secondary level as well. One of the barriers to accelerated completion of high school credentials and post-secondary certificates and degrees is the expectation that older, working adults can dedicate the same amount of time per week (and/or the same number of consecutive years) to earning those credentials as an 18 year old out straight out of high school. Documenting, evaluating, and valuing experience outside of the classroom can have a significant impact on adult completion and we will continue to push our local institutions in that direction.

Professional Development

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Continue to participate in ongoing local opportunities with all community partners that includes bringing subject-mater experts for shared training events to our mountain community. In the past, this has included training on 21st Century employability skills, leadership development aimed at community service and social agency staff, and will include program staff participation in trainings hosted by partner agencies, like Leadership Tahoe through the Tahoe Chamber.

Leveraging Resources

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Connect the use of Community Pro Suites with the recently implemented Unite Us Behavioral health network to improve referrals and access to critical physical and mental health related services and supports. The ability to directly and rapidly address potential crisis (or even better, prevent crises from developing) remains critical in our work - the potential to integrate these two systems could have an immediate impact on our work in Tahoe.

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.
All allocations are reviewed against the vision/mission of the partnership as well as the 3-year and 1-year plans during the CFAD process and again during the annual planning and budgeting process. This has been challenging at times in the past but as NOVA allows for a more discreet listing of partners (funded and unfunded) this will become even more effective.
An approach to incorporating remaining carry-over funds from prior year(s) into strategies planned for 2019-20.
As in previous years, carry forward funds not expended by members revert to the consortium for incorporation into one-time expenses during 2019-20. This will include some piloted service offerings and expansion of materials. In addition, members who may have had multiple years of significant carry forward have already voluntarily reduced or eliminated allocations for this year and will have the consortium (ADVANCE) staff provide those services on their behalf - most notably in terms of Alpine County which, as a very small rural district and community, had struggled to find the band-width to design, implement and oversee adult focused programming.

Certification

Alpine County Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Frank Gerdeman

2019-08-16

El Dorado Co. Office of Education - Member Representative

Approved by Gary Sutherland

2019-08-16

Lake Tahoe CCD - Member Representative

  • Brad Deeds
  • Dean of Workforce Development and Instruction
  • deeds@ltcc.edu
  • (530) 541-4660 ext: 225
Approved by Brad Deeds

2019-08-19

Lake Tahoe Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Frank Gerdeman

2019-08-16