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CAEP Annual Plan: 2019-20 31 Gateway Adult Education Network

Status: Consortium Approved

California Adult Education Program : Annual Plan : 2019-20 Produced: Sep 4, 2019, 08:49 PM UTC Paul Enos

31 Gateway Adult Education Network

Plans & Goals - Consortium Approved

Executive Summary
The Gateway Adult Education Network Consortium (GAEN) is one of the 71 adult education consortia in the state of California. GAEN region consists of a large, but lightly populated area in the San Joaquin Valley and includes Chowchilla (Northern Madera Co.) Mariposa, and Merced counties; an area of mountainous, agricultural, semi-urban, urban and rural communities. Such a diverse area provides opportunities for adult education expansion, but also raises challenges that such a diverse territory encompasses. GAEN regional demographics show that more than 55, 000 out of 206, 907 adults do not possess a high school diploma or equivalent. Merced Community College, Merced County Office of Education and six school districts in the region will continue to assist hundreds of students in becoming educated and career ready through the efforts of GAEN entering 2020. The GAEN consortium top priorities are maintaining and restoring essential education services after many were eliminated. To address the needs of the students within the region, GAEN has created a three-year plan to improve adult education services beyond the year 2020. GAEN has selected goals to focus its efforts on maintaining an active collaborative process, enhancing successful transitions to college and career for students and better serving students with disabilities. The next three-years GAEN will also be implementing new strategies, such as an Individual Learning Plan for all students in the region; the increase of workforce and career services, and strengthening partnerships with local and regional agencies. Realistically, for the next three years, most of the districts in this consortium will be working to continue to develop lasting programs to meet the needs of adult learners.
Regional Planning Overview
GAEN has selected new strategies to be implemented to close any gaps and meet the needs of our students and potential students in our region.1. GAEN consortium plans to work on recruiting more community partner, industry, and educational agencies. These partners will be part of the Advisory Committee that will be meeting at least once per year. During the Advisory Meetings, the partners will have the opportunity to evaluate programs being offered, identify gaps in services, and provide potential solutions.2. GAEN Consortium plans to work on completing an Individualized Learning Plan and Program of Study for every student within the region. This ILP/POS will show aligned and articulated work and the transition from course to course, program to program and post-secondary or the workforce.3. The GAEN consortium will be working with local agencies such as MCOE Special Education Department, MCOE ROP, Central Valley Regional Center, and Department of Rehabilitation to create an educational and career program for Adults with Disabilities. This program is specializing in helping adults with disabilities to learn the necessary skills to work in the food and hospitality industry. The students will earn hands-on customer services, point of sales experience, food preparation, opening and closing procedures, catering, inventory, among other skills that will help the students get a job in the Hospitality Industry.

Meeting Regional Needs

Regional Need #1

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Transportation continues to be a recurring issue for our adult students. Gateway Adult Education Network (GAEN) Needs Assessment shows a significant need for GED/high school diploma classes. Serving our adults with disabilities continues to be a need. As a Consortium, we have developed shared Interests to keep us accountable for the programs being offered and to ensure that CAEP funds are used to meet those needs.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
A comprehensive Needs Assessment was completed in the fall of 2018. Key findings included the need for improvement in communication and collaboration within the consortium; the need for assistance with transportation so students can access and persist in adult education; and the need to improve services to disabled adults. Additionally, consortium members completed a self-assessment and participated in a one-day strategic planning session, each of which helped to confirm the gaps and reach consensus on our priorities.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
GAEN will have at least one advisory meeting per year. All members will have access to the GAEN Individualized Educational Plan (ILP) template. GAEN is working with other agencies that provide services to Adults with Disabilities to plan for a program for adults with disabilities.

Gaps In Service

New Strategies

Strategy #1
GAEN will be inviting community partners, K-12 districts, businesses/industry, and current and potential Adult Students to participate in our Advisory Committee.
Strategy #2
GAEN members are developing a consortium-wide Individualized Learning Plan(ILP) to help adult students reach their educational and career goals.
Strategy #3
GAEN is working in partnership with Central Valley Regional Center (CVRC), Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), Merced County Office of Education Special Education Department, MCOE ROP, Merced County WorkNet and other local businesses to plan for paid employment for students in the adults with disabilities program.

Seamless Transitions

New Strategies

Strategy #1
GAEN will continue articulation work with K-12 and Community Colleges to add more or create new courses /programs for adult students.
Strategy #2
GAEN is planning to create new adult basic education and VESL courses in CTE pathways.

Student Acceleration

New Strategies

Strategy #1
GAEN will be creating contextualized necessary skills courses and mirrored courses that will allow them to obtain college equivalency, saving time and money. In addition to the classes that are articulated with Merced Community College that help the students to earn college credits while attending Adult School. Continued articulation with Merced College allows students to leave the Foundations in Early Education class with up to 9 units towards their Teacher’s Permit.

Professional Development

New Strategies

Strategy #1
GAEN is planning an all-staff training involving front-line staff to understand the role of the Consortium in the community and the various services being offered.
Strategy #2
GAEN will continue planning consortium-wide training with assistance from TAP.

Leveraging Resources

New Strategies

Strategy #1
GAEN, Merced County Worknet, Merced County Office of Education (MCOE) Special Education Department, MCOE ROP, Department of rehabilitation, Central Valley Opportunity Center, and Merced County Worknet to develop education and career opportunities for Adults with Disabilities in our region.
Strategy #2
GAEN and K-12 districts collaborate to provide Adult Education services at different K-12 schools within our region. The K-12 schools provide In-Kind contribution to Adult Education services with classroom space, utilities, equipment, etc.. These contributions help our efforts to reach as many adults as possible.

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 Fiscal Agent is requesting quarterly Financial Status Reports (FSRs) from its members. The FSRs are reviewed for completeness of appropriate support documentation and ensuring it is consistent with the submitted work plans. Once reviewed by the Accounting Technician, they are routed to the Fiscal Agent's Certifying Official for additional review. The FSRs are routed back to Fiscal for record-keeping. The Fiscal Agent then reviews the reported expenditures against the approved member's budgets. The members complete a Budget Modification Request Form that is then routed for approval at the GAEN Board Meeting. The Fiscal Agent receives all approved Budget Modification Request Forms and updates members' budgets as applicable. Each Consortium Member provides expenditure reports by object code to the fiscal agent, which is then validated and combined for the Consortia to be reported to the State. Consensus and approval for the programs to be served in our Consortium were agreed upon at the April 12th, 2019 GAEN Board Meeting. All members' work plans include details as to the populations to be served, and the work plans were approved at such meeting. As a Consortium, we serve within all seven categories, based on the needs of the region. As it relates to the 5 percent for administrative costs, the Fiscal Agent has agreed not to charge more than 5% of the AB104 funds allocated to the Consortium for administrative responsibilities. The Fiscal Agent will track hours spent for managerial procedures and only actual charge expenses, not to exceed 5% of the award amount.
An approach to incorporating remaining carry-over funds from prior year(s) into strategies planned for 2019-20.
GAEN members go over the Carryover Proposal Modification to use the carryover funds on one time student-centered projects.

Certification

Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Frank Lemos

2019-09-04

Gustine Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Gustine Adult School Denise Rivera-Pantoja

2019-09-04

Le Grand Union High - Member Representative

Approved by Donna Alley

2019-09-04

Los Banos Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Los Banos Unified School District Paul Enos

2019-09-04

Mariposa County Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Kierstin Wight

2019-09-04

Merced CCD - Member Representative

Approved by Jessica Moran

2019-09-04

Merced Co. Office of Education - Member Representative

Approved by Mary Whited

2019-09-04

Merced Union High - Member Representative

Approved by Steven Hobbs

2019-09-04