CAEP
Annual Plan

Produced: Aug 8, 2024, 08:36 PM UTC - By Richard Lawrence

32 Coastal North County Adult Education Consortium
CONSORTIUM APPROVED

2024-25

Plans & Goals

Executive Summary

The Coastal North County Adult Education Consortium (CNCAEC) was established in 2014. Through the Consortium, K-12 school districts with MiraCosta Community College District (MCCD) collaborate to serve the educational needs of adults in our region. The CNCAEC members are MCCD, Oceanside Unified School District (OUSD), and San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD). The CNCAEC Board includes partner representation from the San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP) and the Alliance for Regional Solutions (Alliance). While the MiraCosta Community College District serves the communities of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, and Carmel Valley, all programs offered by the college (credit and noncredit) are open to the public, regardless of the city of residence. 

The CNCAEC continues its endeavor to increase and improve adult education opportunities for North San Diego County residents. During 2024-25, planned allocations are consistent with our current three-year adult education plan, as all strategies and activities align directly with our three-year plan and directly address our regional needs.  

The CNCAEC 2022-2025 Three-Year Plan identified the following strategies to address CAEP’s Three Priority Objectives:

Address Educational Needs

  • Develop ideas for additional college and career preparatory skills courses and certificates
  • Identify and define methods for more effectively promoting learning gains and advancement through educational pathways
  • Engage in robust marketing and outreach by amplifying our efforts toward student recruitment through a comprehensive marketing design
  • Improve communication with students and collaboration with stakeholders to increase student success

Improve Integration of Services & Transitions

  • Better integrate district-wide support services for students
  • Build on our success in defining ESL pathways maps by creating versions for our other adult education programs

Improve Effectiveness of Services

  • Expand effective use of data for program improvement
  • Improve physical and technological resources for students
  • Increase faculty professional development opportunities and develop accountability tools to evaluate professional development activities

For 2024-2025, the CNCAEC will continue its efforts to implement digital credentials for students and create student educational maps in all four of our academic areas. We began coordinating our professional development tracking with systems used by our institution and will continue to improve the implementation in the coming year. We also successfully expanded the use of data in presentations and professional learning and seek to grow these efforts this year. Furthermore, we continue to integrate district-wide support services for students. 

CNCAEC members are committed to ensuring learners throughout our region have access to equitable Adult Education programs, enabling all students to improve their opportunities for better jobs and lives. MCCD respectfully serves our diverse community of lifelong learners by providing holistic learning opportunities, enabling and empowering learners to live successfully today and in the future. MCCD offers tuition-free noncredit courses and programs in the following four academic areas:

  • Adult High School
  • English as a Second Language and Citizenship
  • Adults with Disabilities
  • Short–Term Vocational & Workforce Preparation
Regional Planning Overview

By focusing on aligning with our region’s needs, the CNCAEC continues to execute our three-year plan through our strong partnerships with education, workforce, and community partners, thereby serving the diverse needs of the Coastal North San Diego County community. To accomplish this, the CNCAEC will implement the following strategies from our three-year plan for 2024-2025.  

Strategies to Address Educational Needs

  • Engage in robust marketing and outreach by amplifying our efforts toward student recruitment through a comprehensive marketing design.
  • Identify and define methods for more effectively promoting learning gains and advancement through educational pathways.

Progress Indicators:

  1. By June 2025, a marketing and outreach plan will be completed.
  2. By June 2025, a digital credentialing platform will have been integrated into Canvas LMS with a pilot group.


Strategies to Improve Integration of Services & Transitions

  • Create educational maps for our adult education programs.

Progress Indicators:

  1. By June 2025, educational maps will be developed for each of the four program areas that can be used to promote program opportunities to current and prospective students.


Strategies to Improve Effectiveness of Services

  • Expand effective use of data for program improvement.
  • Increase faculty professional development opportunities and develop accountability tools to evaluate professional development activities.

Progress Indicators:

  1. By June 2025, multiple staff members will have been trained to examine data from both MIS and TOPSPro and utilize this data to form hypotheses about future program goals.
  2. By June 2025, there will be a 15% increase in participation in adult education-related professional development opportunities.

Meeting Regional Needs

Regional Need #1

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs

According to data provided by the 2021 CAEP Fact Sheet, there are slightly more than 320,478 adult residents in the CNCAEC service area. Among those adults are 32,843 individuals without a high school diploma, 31,196 living near or in poverty, and nearly 20,000 with limited English. Adults with disabilities account for just under 32,000 students and include anyone over the age of 18 with any self-care difficulty, hearing difficulty, vision difficulty, independent living difficulty, ambulatory difficulty, a veteran service-connected disability, and/or cognitive disability (US Census).

Furthermore, up to 25 percent of adults in our area are in need of educational opportunities in order to prepare for college or new jobs/careers.  MiraCosta College is the only comprehensive adult education provider in coastal north San Diego County, so it is crucial that we expand our presence and accessibility in the region to meet the high demand for adult education. In particular, we aim to refine and expand our programming pertaining to:

  • English language acquisition
  • Adult high school diploma or high school equivalency
  • Job and career training courses and programs
  • Workforce skills preparation
  • Educational opportunities for an aging population
  • Engagement of adults with disabilities
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?

As part of the latest 3-year planning process, the CNCAEC identified needs in the region we serve as well as areas for improvement within MiraCosta College to better meet those needs. The regional data continue to demonstrate a substantial need for high school diploma preparation, English language acquisition, job skills training for entry-level employment, and instructional programs for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. These are the instructional areas where the CNCAEC, through its only education provider – MiraCosta College – has concentrated its efforts since the inception of adult education consortia in 2015.

In addition to reviewing data provided by the CAEP office, the CNCAEC continues to engage in rigorous dialogues with adult education practitioners at MiraCosta College and representatives from the region’s K-12 districts, workforce development board, and NGOs whose missions are aligned with the goals of the California Adult Education Program.  These planning meetings resulted in the development of three specific goals that will expand awareness of educational opportunities through more effective marketing, provide clearly defined pathways for individuals to attain their educational goals, and ensure the rigor and relevance of the educational opportunities through curriculum development informed by our stakeholders. Furthermore, we have surveyed current and potential noncredit students via phone calls and electronic surveys to identify the extent of technological and support needs.

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

Progress will be measured with quantitative enrollment data, progress, transition, and completion for students in the CNCAEC region. These areas will be directly impacted by improved marketing, clear academic maps, and robust course offerings. In addition, a new digital marketing campaign will be monitored to determine the increase in interest in adult education programs. Finally, we will continue to monitor the retention of students receiving technological and wrap-around services to measure effectiveness.

Address Educational Needs

2024-25 Strategies

Increase Marketing and Outreach

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Marketing Plan to Improve Student Recruitment

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)

CNCAEC plans on engaging robust marketing and outreach by amplifying our efforts toward student recruitment through a comprehensive marketing design. We are finalizing a draft marketing and outreach plan that seeks to increase awareness of AE programs for internal and external partners. This comprehensive plan will provide inclusive and equitable materials for the populations represented in our service area. This effort will be led by MiraCosta College’s Noncredit and Adult Education Programs but in partnership with our Public Information Office, our Outreach Department, and an outside marketing consulting firm. With their support, we seek to define our brand better to expand awareness, increase enrollment, and improve student retention/persistence.

As a result of this activity, we will provide innovative approaches for presenting our academic programs to the community and local entities, including expanding outreach opportunities within the local area. Further, we will be able to track analytics for our digital marketing efforts. Overall, having a comprehensive marketing and outreach plan better defines our integration with other departments on campus and other agencies in the community. We will use data and analytics from the use of digital and print materials to measure and improve how effectively our programs are targeted to the English language learner.

By the end of 2024/25, we will have a completed plan and will have begun collecting supplemental information from students regarding the effectiveness of our marketing techniques.

Progress Update:

  • To help create and initiate the marketing plan, MiraCosta College contracted a professional marketing firm.
  • MiraCosta College has developed more detailed and informative marketing materials that are more professional, specifically targeted to our student population, and represent all adult education non-credit programs.
  • Accessibility has been increased by producing bilingual materials in both English and Spanish.
  • Focus groups were conducted with students from all programs and the general public, as well as with different offices and departments, including student services, counseling, and all other groups representing non-credit Adult Education. Based on input from these focus groups and analyzed data, we revamped our website to improve user experience and accessibility.
  • We implemented the Ocelot chatbot system to facilitate easier communication and accessibility for students.
  • Brain Flavor was integrated into our website, adding a prominent "search for open classes" button. This feature was designed based on input from students and staff who had complained about the difficulty in finding classes with available seats. The AI assistant search feature now provides information about class availability.

Implementation of Digital Credentials

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Marketing Plan to Improve Student Recruitment

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)

CNCAEC will begin to implement digital credentials awarded to students through our Canvas learning management system (LMS), which will more effectively promote student learning gains and advancement through educational pathways, thereby increasing recruitment, enrollment, and retention.  Through digital credentials, students will receive intermediate recognition through their educational pathway, which has been proven to increase retention.  Furthermore, digital credentials can be used to recruit students who are more interested in receiving short-term specific knowledge to help themselves in their careers rather than pursue a degree in the long term.  We will promote digital credentials as part of our comprehensive marketing design.

By the end of 2024/25, our digital credentialing platform will have been established and integrated with Canvas LMS, and a pilot group of students and faculty members will be actively involved.

Progress Update:

  • A detailed project map with a timeline has been developed to visualize all phases of implementation. This map starts from Summer 2024 and extends beyond five years, providing a clear roadmap for the entire project.
  • We have become familiar with the Accredible dashboard and identified the areas that still need more information. This step ensures that we have a comprehensive understanding of the platform's capabilities and requirements.
  • Onboarding training has been completed with Accredible technical advisors. 
  • The key players, including the Steering Committee and System Administrators, have been determined. Their roles and responsibilities have been clearly defined to ensure a smooth implementation process.
  • Our department staff have collaborated with the MiraCosta College Public Information Office (PIO) for the creation of our digital badge designs.This step ensures that the digital credentials will have a professional and cohesive appearance that aligns with our college's branding.

In the next few months, we plan to launch the pilot process with the badges that have already been created. During this pilot phase, we will collect feedback from participants to identify any areas for improvement and make the necessary adjustments. Additionally, we will coordinate with the admissions and records department to automate the awarding of credentials for degrees and certificates, streamlining the process and ensuring efficiency. These initial steps are crucial for setting a solid foundation for the full implementation of digital credentials at MCC.

Improve Integration of Services & Transitions

2024-25 Strategies

Student Educational Maps

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Create Educational Maps

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)

CNCAEC will build on our success in defining ESL Pathway Maps by creating additional Educational Maps for our other adult education programs. Students will use individualized education maps that outline pathways to education and careers. With clearer educational pathways, the established time to program completion is reduced.

By the end of 2024/25, each department will have developed educational maps that demonstrate typical educational pathways through their programs. Multiple educational maps will be established for each of the four program areas. Education maps will be used to promote program opportunities to prospective students. Instructors and counselors will be trained to create program maps, and students and counselors will begin designing individualized education maps. More students will connect to additional educational pathways or jobs related to their course of study.

Progress Update:

  • The Adult High School (HS) program is currently undergoing a comprehensive redesign and restructuring of its curriculum. This redesign aims to include work skills preparation, incorporate credit for prior learning, and make the program more student-friendly by addressing their needs. The new structure will offer more accessible electives, reducing the number of academic classes students need to earn their high school diploma. As a result, the completion of the educational mapping for the Adult HS program will be deferred until this redesign process is finalized.
  • The educational mapping for the ESL program has been completed. However, we remain open to updates as needed to ensure the maps continue to meet the evolving needs of our students.
  • The mapping for short-term CTE certificates has been completed. Our course catalog shows which courses are needed to complete a certificate, and they are currently available to guide students through their educational pathways effectively.

Improve Effectiveness of Services

2024-25 Strategies

Develop Professional Development Accountability Tools

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Develop Accountability Tools to Evaluate PD

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)

Currently, all faculty participate in professional development activities as part of their contract with the college. However, many of these activities may not be related to adult education. Our goal is to develop an organizational/tracking structure for adult education-related professional development and to curate the available opportunities for faculty. 

By the end of 2024/25, MiraCosta College will have developed an online tracking system and have created a working group of faculty to assess learning opportunities. 

Progress Update:

  • The strategy to develop Professional Development Accountability Tools is currently in its initial stages. We have successfully identified the lead faculty members who will spearhead this initiative. 
  • The identified lead faculty members will be instrumental in driving this project forward. They will collaborate to develop an online tracking system that will monitor and document faculty participation in professional development activities related to adult education. Additionally, they will form a working group to assess and curate high-quality learning opportunities tailored to the needs of adult education instructors.

Effectively Use Data for Program Improvement

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Develop Accountability Tools to Evaluate PD

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)

To use data more effectively for program improvement, CNCAEC will provide professional development opportunities for faculty that are focused on examining data from both MIS and TOPSPro and then how best to utilize data to form hypotheses about future program goals. By the end of 2024/25, these opportunities will have been created, made available, promoted to, and attended by our staff.

Progress Update:

  • Our efforts to effectively use data for program improvement have made significant strides. The WASC accreditation process has become more data-driven compared to previous years, leading to the creation of comprehensive dashboards. These dashboards display critical metrics such as student progress, completion, retention, enrollment, and other outcomes, providing valuable insights for program enhancement.
  • Faculty members are now equipped with TOPSPro reports to measure student progress more accurately. These reports help assess students' reading, listening, math, etc. levels, enabling more informed instructional decisions.
  • We are in the initial stages of introducing faculty to the teacher’s portal in TOPSPro, which will further enhance their ability to monitor student progress. One faculty member has already been trained on this portal and will be responsible for training other faculty members, ensuring a broader adoption of this powerful tool.

These updates reflect our commitment to leveraging data for continuous program improvement, ultimately enhancing the educational experience and outcomes for our students.


Increase Faculty Professional Development Opportunities

Activity that Applies to this Strategy

Develop Accountability Tools to Evaluate PD

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)

By creating a more organized and curated collection of adult education professional development opportunities, our courses and programs will be more effective at delivering instruction and services tailored to the adult learner. By creating a working group of faculty to assess learning opportunities and utilizing a professional development online tracking system, we expect an increase in the number of adult education-related professional development opportunities, thus increasing the number of faculty participating by 15%. 

Progress Update:

  • Significant progress has been made in increasing professional development (PD) opportunities for our faculty. A dedicated faculty workgroup on professional development opportunities has been established, which has been instrumental in identifying and promoting various PD activities.
  • Faculty members are now being offered a greater number of professional development opportunities. These include not only district-wide programs but also a range of external professional development activities. This expansion ensures that our faculty have access to diverse learning experiences and resources, allowing them to enhance their skills and knowledge effectively.

These efforts demonstrate our commitment to supporting faculty growth and development, ultimately leading to improved instructional quality and student outcomes.

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.

MiraCosta College is the only education provider in the CNCAEC based on MOUs with the three-member high school districts. Therefore, 100% of the funds are allocated to MiraCosta College. Our planned allocations and budget planning process are in alignment with our 3-year plan, and therefore, our strategies and activities planned for this year are as well.

An approach to incorporating remaining carry-over funds from prior year(s) into strategies planned for 2024-25.

Our 2024-25 Annual Plan provides a framework for the strategies and activities we will pursue this year and is consistent with our 2022-25 Three-Year Plan. As such, all remaining funds from previous years will carry over to support continued and related work in the current year’s plan while maintaining no more than a 20% carryover budget.  CNCAEC aims to improve our carryover rate by 2% each year.

Certification

Alliance For Regional Solutions, North County Works - Member Representative

Approved by Marylynn McCorkle

07/31/2024 08:51 AM PDT

MiraCosta CCD - Member Representative

  • Dean, Community Learning Center, Continuing and Community Education
  • jmakevich@miracosta.edu
  • (760) 795-8701
Approved by John Makevich

07/30/2024 01:05 PM PDT

Oceanside Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Richard Lawrence

08/08/2024 01:35 PM PDT

San Diego Workforce Partnership - Member Representative

Approved by Ana Quezada

07/30/2024 12:11 PM PDT

San Dieguito Union High - Member Representative

Approved by Manuel Zapata

07/30/2024 04:49 PM PDT