Produced: Aug 8, 2023, 04:51 PM UTC - By Rhonda Balmain
2023-24
Plans & Goals
- Executive Summary
The Capital Adult Education Regional Consortium’s (CAERC) 2023-24 planning period continues to focus on restoring and expanding adult education programs and services across the region. As enrollments reach pre-pandemic levels, the consortium looks for flexible instructional options to help students persist and meet their educational needs and career goals. CAERC’s annual planning process involved the review of the consortium’s goals and nine regional strategies from the 2022-25 Three-Year Plan, analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, and the assessment of the current levels of adult education needs and offerings. Participating members also evaluated the progress of the consortium’s short-term outcomes from the three-year plan. They made recommendations regarding CAERC’s intermediate objectives and regional strategies for the current planning cycle.
Key Accomplishments in 2022-23
CAERC Short-Term Outcomes from 2022-25 Plan
Target (increase by)
22-23 Outcome
Increase enrollments across the seven program areas
5%
+12%
Increase the number of students that become participants (+12 hours) across the seven program areas
5%
No change
Increase persistence rates (students with pre & post-tests) across the seven program areas
5%
+6%
Increase the number of students entering employment across the seven program areas
3%
+3%
Increase the number of students transitioning to secondary or post-secondary education or training
3%
+4%
Increase enrollments in career pathways (including Career Technical Education, Workforce Preparation, and Pre-Apprenticeship programs)
2%
-9%
CAERC’s key accomplishments for the previous program year focused on enrollment recovery and transitions. CAERC enrollments across the seven program areas went from 9,750 in 2021-22 to 10,918 in 2022-23 resulting in a 12% increase. Although the consortium did not meet the target for increasing the percentage of students that became participants, the consortium’s rate of 83% is holding steady and is above the state average. Additionally, the rate of students with paired pre and post-tests (persistence) increased by 6%, surpassing the short-term target. Regarding transitions to secondary, post-secondary education and training, and entering employment, CAERC’s members met the short-term target set in the three-year plan.
The consortium’s effort to strengthen transitions to community colleges and expand support services for this population of students was demonstrated by the collaboration between the Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD) and CAERC, resulting in two small pilot programs. The first pilot provided the opportunity for adult education ASE students to co-enroll in for-credit community college courses while they worked on their secondary credentials; five students from San Juan Adult Education’s secondary education program participated. The second pilot supported the co-enrollment of CAERC’s ESL students in one of several LRCCD’s for-credit virtual and in-person ESL Labs; three students from the consortium participated. While both cohorts were small, the benefits were considerable, and plans are to continue collaborations with LRCCD for the current program year and expand interest in these opportunities. Finally, CAERC’s Transition Navigator’s Hub is nearing completion and will be launched in the fall 2023-24 program year.
The focus for the 2023-24 annual plan will align with CAERC’s regional strategies and intermediate outcomes from the current three-year plan. In addition, CAERC will re-examine strategies to increase student participation rates across the seven program areas and continue offering professional development to build strong career pathways, including collaborations with WestEd and CALPRO already scheduled for the program year.
- Regional Planning Overview
CAERC members will continue to sustain, expand, refine, and offer high-quality courses and services that provide the region’s adult learners with the academic and employability skills needed to identify and meet their personal, educational, and career goals. In support of these objectives, CAERC will align and strengthen the development of courses and services to enable transitions and expand career pathways that correspond to high-demand labor needs in the area. CAERC will also focus on support for high-level English learners to transition to secondary programs and career training courses and enable equitable access to instruction via participation in the California Distance Learning Cooperative. Members will collaborate to strengthen regional partnerships to increase funding and leverage existing structures and expertise to benefit adult learners in the region. Data collection and reporting efforts will continue to improve with the overall goal of aligning outcomes and improving the accuracy of self-reported data.
Meeting Regional Needs
Regional Need #1
- Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Enrollment Recovery: During the CAEP 2022-25 planning process, CAERC members identified student enrollment recovery and outreach as a regional need. The consortium saw overall enrollments increase substantially in the 2022-23 program year. However, an analysis of enrollments by program areas exposed opportunities for growth in adult basic and secondary education and career technical education. Enrollments in these programs fell by several percentage points.
- How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
The data sources for the 2022-23 program year include the following:
- CAEP- Summary Table (TOPSPro Enterprise - TE)
- CAEP Outcomes Report (TE)
- CAEP Enrollees by Hours (TE)
- Barriers to Employment Report (TE)
- Student Registration Information
- Marketing Engagement (via social media tracking and analytics)
- How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Progress will be assessed by tracking enrollments as measured by TE data with the goal of increasing this indicator by 5-7% from the 2021-22 consortium level base (intermediate outcome from 2022-25 Plan). In addition, the consortium will develop a marketing action plan and expand awareness of and use of the Capital Adult Education Asset Map tool among regional service providers and the adult population. This metric will be measured by the number of inquiries submitted to capitaladulted.org.
Regional Need #2
- Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Transitions: In 2022, CAERC members examined the consortium’s capacity to support adult learners’ transitions via the self-assessment tool provided by CAEP. On a scale of 1 – 5, with five being the highest score, members rated the consortium, and areas of growth were identified for the following indicators:
- Entry: 3.63
- Progress: 3.60
- Completion/Transition: 3.87
Although CAERC met and surpassed its short-term outcome for transitions to post-secondary education or training (see key accomplishments in the Executive Summary) in 2022-23, the consortium is slightly below the state average.
- How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
The data sources for the 2022-23 program year include the following:
- CAEP- Summary Table (TOPSPro Enterprise - TE)
- CAEP Outcomes Report (TE)
- CAEP Fact Sheet 2021 (data from 2020) https://caladulted.org/2021FactSheets
- California Adult Education Pipeline: https://www.calpassplus.org/Launchboard/Adult-Education-Pipeline.aspx
- How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Progress will be measured by student outcomes and transitions to secondary or post-secondary. The goal is to increase these progress indicators by 5% from the 2021-22 consortium level base (intermediate outcome from 2022-25 Plan) and continue facilitating the implementation of Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) across the consortium.
Address Educational Needs
2023-24 Strategies
RS-2: Coordinate and expand marketing and outreach efforts
Activity that Applies to this Strategy
Coordinate/expand marketing and outreach efforts
Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
- Coordinate and facilitate workgroup meetings to identify and execute specific marketing strategies (targeted social media posts, asset map, etc.)
- Maintain a schedule for members' submissions for promising practices and student success stories
- Create Social Media Content for marketing purposes and outreach
- Share and promote guidelines and recommendations for effective social media use
- Continue social media presence to promote CAERC course offerings and services
- Provide one-on-one support to assist members with marketing needs and Social Media presence
- Develop and print promotion materials, including infographics
- Develop and publish two issues of the CAERC Community Newsletter
- Research PR marketing for the consortium
We expect these activities will result in increased student success story postings on social media, continued contributions of articles to the CAERC Community newsletter, and the launching of a consortium-level promotional campaign.
RS-3: Host, support, expand use, and promote the regional asset map
Activity that Applies to this Strategy
Host, support, expand use of Regional Asset Map
Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
- Update, maintain, support, and host the regional asset map website
- Offer one-on-one assistance for members to update their course offerings and information
- Continue providing training to Transition Navigators on the use of asset map
- Facilitate monthly/quarterly discussions on course offerings and revise infographics posted on the asset map
We expect these activities will increase the use of the online tool for identifying course and program offerings across the region by navigators and students and produce an updated and improved asset map tool.
Improve Integration of Services & Transitions
2023-24 Strategies
RS 4: Align and strengthen the development of courses to support transitions from ESL/ABE to ASE and
Activity that Applies to this Strategy
Align & strengthen transitions from ESL/ABE to ASE
Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
- Support the use of Canvas across the consortium
- Support members participating in the California Distance Learning Cooperative via workgroup
- Continue with the identified Subject Matter Expert to lead the consortium Canvas workgroup
- Provide Canvas one-on-one support to members as needed
- Explore adult education Canvas shells to facilitate use with member agencies utilizing the LMS
- Support and enable member agencies to pilot Canvas with at least one adult education class
- Fund additional Canvas seats for members to pilot additional classes
- Identify a Subject Matter Expert to develop CASAS EL Civics Exchange materials that are 508 compliant and aligned to CTE/IET offerings
We expect these activities will produce equitable access to quality content and instruction, increase transitions to secondary, and enable adult learners’ development of college readiness skills.
RS-5: Strengthen the development of transitional activities and services that support ESL/ABE to ASE
Activity that Applies to this Strategy
Strengthen transitions to post-secondary or work
Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
- Continue transitions workgroup meetings and engage in activities to share information and develop resources
- Provide information and support member institutions with case management support for adult learners transitioning to post-secondary or workforce
- Develop a system to track students identified as transitional candidates who move along identified pathways within the consortium
- Workgroup to engage in activities to build consortium-wide capacity
- Maintain the Transition Navigator Resource Hub website and link to capitaladulted.org
- Continue collaboration with Los Rios/ARC to identify steps to implement SB554 (Dual Enrollment)
- Continue partnership with Rios Los to co-enroll consortium ESL students at the intermediate high and advanced levels
- Continue collaboration with Los Rios to co-enroll consortium HSD students through Advanced Education
- Participate in CALPRO Supporting Student Transitions through Post-Secondary Education Workforce Clinic to align transition support across the consortium
We expect these activities will result in targeted support services that address the academic needs of students, provide resources to support agencies’ Transition Navigators and increase knowledge of post-secondary or employment options.
RS-6 Expand career pathway courses to align with high-demand markets in the region
Activity that Applies to this Strategy
Expand career pathway courses
Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
- Establish a career pathway workgroup to identify industry sectors and continue collaboration with LRCCD
- Evaluate available VESL Health Care, Soft Skills, Workforce Readiness, and Business Technology curriculum and opportunities
- Consortium leads to continue collaboration with Los Rios American River Community College Training Grant Project to support curriculum alignment for Public Sector Pathways and Refugee Career Pathways
- Contribute to current projects between LRCCD and K12 adult education in the areas of supporting refugees through CTE and ASE
- Coordinate Labor Market Training and Professional Development (CAEP TAP, West Ed)
We expect these activities to produce a program of action that results in more adults in the region achieving their educational and employment goals.
Improve Effectiveness of Services
2023-24 Strategies
RS-7: Offer Professional Development to support regional strategies
Activity that Applies to this Strategy
Offer PD to support regional strategies
Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
- Facilitate discussions to identify specific consortium-wide professional development topics and activities
- Provide PD for administrators on key TE reports
- Compile a list of trainers on topics of interest for site-level PD (equity, blended learning, etc.)
- Coordinate professional development on identified topics, including all program areas
- Attend professional development to support program development and expansion as well as the implementation of regional strategies; share CAERC’s promising practices
- Coordinate a Consortium-Wide Professional Development Day
We expect these activities to produce increased knowledge and understanding of topics related to the consortium’s goals.
RS-8 Strengthen Regional Partnerships to increase funding and leverage existing structures and exper
Activity that Applies to this Strategy
Strengthen regional partnerships
Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
- Facilitate discussions and collaboration during meetings
- Facilitate the development of new administration onboarding materials
- Continue developing and updating fact sheets for each member and consortium as a whole
- Update CAERC Shared Fiscal and Budget Agreement Policy to align with AB 1491 Carry-over guidance
- Facilitate the establishment of a formula for future allocations of new funds as needed
- Report to the Leadership Oversight Panel through letters and face-to-face meetings (with the CAERC Director) and seek guidance
- Maintain, update, and host the CAERC website
We expect these activities will result in joint planning, implementation, and evaluation of program actions to increase services to adult learners in the region.
RS-9 Strengthen and support data collection and reporting efforts
Activity that Applies to this Strategy
Strengthen/support data collection and reporting
Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy
- Student Barriers: English Language Learner (AE 305 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Income (AE 310 - Overall)
- Student Barriers: Low Literacy (AE 311 - Overall)
- Coordinate and facilitate monthly/quarterly workgroup meetings
- Updated intake tools to more accurately identify student goals and barriers to align to support services across the consortium
- Support the development of a common assessment policy to guide both non-WIOA and WIOA members
- Refine program year checklist/workflow for data managers and administrators.
- Develop Update-guidelines to enable consistent data collection and outcomes reporting
- Develop and share resources to support the use of CASAS reports to inform classroom instruction and provide training to teachers
- Pay annual CASAS support fee, record management fee, and e-tests for non-WIOA members
- Provide TE and ASAP site support to CAERC members
- Continue monthly CAERC E-Newsletter
- Continue to provide SME support to data and accountability workgroup participants and member agencies
We expect these activities will produce accurate outcomes data showing adult education’s value to legislators, funders, partners, and members.
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.
For each CAEP Fund annual allocation from the state, CAERC first determines the cost for services as a Program Manager and Fiscal Agent. This consortium-level annual budget consists of staff salaries and other associated expenses for the following services:
- Facilitating and carrying out consortium business and working meetings
- Facilitating and carrying out the work defined by members under annual regional strategies
- Facilitating annual and strategic planning processes
- Leveraging regional resources and activities for the benefit of the adult learners
- Carrying out administrative work in support of the overall activities
For each CAEP Fund annual allocation from the state, members receive the base allocation from the previous year. Education Code 84914 guides the allocation process for all members as follows. As a condition of receipt of an apportionment from the program, a consortium shall approve a distribution schedule that includes both of the following:
1. The amount of funds to be distributed to each member of the consortium for that fiscal year.
2. A narrative justifying how the planned allocations are consistent with the adult education plan.
For any fiscal year for which the Chancellor and the Superintendent allocate an amount of funds to the consortium greater than the amount allocated in the prior fiscal year, the amount of funds to be distributed to a member of that consortium shall be equal to or greater than the amount distributed in the prior fiscal year, unless the consortium makes at least one of the following findings related to the member for which the distribution would be reduced:
1. The member no longer wishes to provide services consistent with the adult education plan.
2. The members cannot provide services that address the needs identified in the adult education plan.
3. The members have been consistently ineffective in providing services that address the needs identified in the adult education plan and reasonable interventions have not resulted in improvements.
For any year for which the Chancellor and the Superintendent allocate an amount of funds to the consortium less than the amount allocated in the prior year, the amount of funds to be distributed to a member of that consortium shall not be reduced by a percentage greater than the percentage by which the total amount of funds allocated to the consortium.
For each CAEP Fund annual allocation from the state, the members may opt in or opt out of receiving one-time additional allocations and reallocations of funds as described in the section titled “Reallocation of Unspent Funds Policy”.
- An approach to incorporating remaining carry-over funds from prior year(s) into strategies planned for 2023-24.
The Capital Adult Education Regional Consortium will take a dual-tiered approach to reallocate unspent funds:
TIER 1: CONSORTIUM-LEVEL UNSPENT FUNDS
- Identify funded strategies that can benefit from an increased allocation and reallocate unspent funds
- Identify unfunded strategies that can be funded and reallocate unspent funds
- Reallocated funds must be spent as stated in Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
TIER 2: REMAINING CONSORTIUM-LEVEL UNSPENT FUNDS AND MEMBER-LEVEL UNSPENT FUNDS
- Members who have spent down 100% of their consortium allocation will be eligible for the reallocation funds
- Eligible members may opt-in or opt-out of accepting reallocation funds
- Distribution will be based on CAERC’s 2015-16 allocation funding formula in proportionate to percentage received with the number of members who opt-in
- Members opting-in can elect to accept funds in full amount or partial amount based on CAERC’s 2015-16 allocation funding formula
- Reallocated funds must be spent as stated in the original Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
- Members must return unspent funds within 30 days of notice
- The consortium will not distribute reallocation funds until all unspent funds are returned
- Members who have not returned unspent funds will have all future allocations withheld by the consortium until funds are received
Certification
Amador County Unified - Member Representative
Kelly Hunkins - Principal
- khunkins@acusd.org
- (209) 257-5154
Davis Joint Unified - Member Representative
Grace Sauser - Principal
- gsauser@djusd.net
- (530) 757-5380
El Dorado Co. Office of Education - Member Representative
Michael Gillespie - millespie@edcoe.org
Carey Buchanan - cbuchanan@edcoe.org
- (530) 295-2320 ext: 2320
Elk Grove Unified - Member Representative
Angela Rodriguez - Principal
- ajrodrig@egusd.net
- (916) 793-2288
Folsom-Cordova Unified - Member Representative
Rhonda Balmain - Principal
- rbalmain@fcusd.org
- (916) 294-9106 ext: 840151
Galt Joint Union High - Member Representative
Joe Schallberger - Principal
- jschallberger@ghsd.k12.ca.us
- (209) 745-2167 ext: 4008
Lisa Pettis - lpettis@ghsd.k12.ca.us
- (209) 745-3081
Brenda Avalos - Administrative Assistant
- bavalos@ghsd.k12.ca.us
- (209) 745-5852 ext: 7004
Los Rios CCD - Member Representative
Jamey Nye - NyeJ@losrios.edu
- (916) 568-3031
Natomas Unified - Member Representative
David Rodriguez - Assistant Superintendent/Principal
- davidrodriguez@natomasunified.org
- (916) 926-8833
Sacramento City Unified - Member Representative
Sue Lytle Gilmore - Director Adult Education
- gilmores@scusd.edu
- (916) 395-5788
Angela Hatter - Site Administrator
- angela-hatter@scusd.edu
- (916) 395-5800 ext: 701011
Sacramento Co. Office of Education - Member Representative
Renee Collins - Director of Adult Education
- rcollins@scoe.net
San Juan Unified - Member Representative
Brett Wolfe - Director
- brett.wolfe@sanjuan.edu
- (916) 971-7163
Richard Judge - Principal
- rjudge@sanjuan.edu
- (916) 971-7654
Matthew Strinden - Vice Principal
- matthew.strinden@sanjuan.edu
- (916) 971-7654
Twin Rivers Unified - Member Representative
Tanya Praest - Principal
- tanya.praest@twinriversusd.org
- (916) 566-2785 ext: 25141
Washington Unified - Member Representative
Stephanie Groat - sgroat@wusd.k12.ca.us
- (916) 375-7600 ext: 1048
Justin Young - jyoung@wusd.k12.ca.us