CAEP
Annual Plan

Produced: Aug 11, 2025, 04:42 PM UTC - By Melissa Freeman

37 North Orange County Regional Consortium for Adult Education (NOCRC)
CONSORTIUM APPROVED

2025-26

Plans & Goals

Executive Summary

The North Orange County Regional Consortium for Adult Education (NOCRC) remains committed to its vision of delivering inclusive, innovative, and responsive adult education programs that equip learners with the skills, credentials, and support needed to achieve their academic, career, and personal goals. During the 2024–25 program year, NOCRC and its funded members, North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE), North Orange Regional Occupational Program (NOCROP), and Garden Grove Adult Education (GGAE) made meaningful progress on the goals outlined in the 2022–2025 Three-Year Plan by expanding access, improving retention, creating new pathways, strengthening community partnerships, and supporting students through key transitions, from foundational skills to higher education and employment. 

Below is a summary of NOCRC’s key accomplishments in 2024-25:

• The Basic Skills Program extended contracts for instructional staff, which enabled year-round support, resulting in a 33% increase in high school lab participation and a significant rise in summer CASAS testing (131 students in July 2024 vs 0 students in July 2023). The program also advanced reengagement strategies through targeted postcard mailings and laid the groundwork for GED voucher distribution to reduce financial barriers for students.

• In Career Technical Education (CTE), NOCE upgraded staffing and student resources, including revitalizing the Helping Hands Closet and hiring a new instructional assistant in the Career Skills and Resource Lab. NOCROP introduced new CTE pathways, launching courses like Anatomy & Physiology and preparing for the Sterile Processing Technician program, which is designed to meet growing workforce demand in healthcare.

• NOCE’s Disability Support Services (DSS) program developed new workforce certificate programs through collaboration with CTE, creating pathways into career training and employment. The DSS program also piloted the Inclusion Ally initiative in partnership with local credit colleges to promote inclusive practices and strengthen support services for students with disabilities. 

• Both NOCE and GGAE increased student access and outcomes within the English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. Despite staffing challenges, NOCE ESL expanded offsite offerings and partnered with NOCROP to offer workforce preparation courses at the NOCROP site. Due to the effective implementation of Burlington English, GGAE’s ESL program saw notable growth in Educational Functioning Level (EFL) gains, with a 4% increase at the literacy level and an 11% increase at the advanced level.

• The Parenting (K–12 Student Success) Program increased visibility and partnerships through new outreach events and dedicated staffing.

• Student Services for Transition program launched the Student Success Navigator Program, which logged over 4,500 direct student engagements between August 2024 and March 2025. 

As the consortium transitions to the 2025-2028 Three-Year Plan, in the 2025-26 program year, NOCRC will focus on expanding access, creating new career pathways, improving student retention, strengthening transitions, and increasing the effectiveness of services. To meet these goals, NOCE, NOCROP, and GGAE will implement the following targeted strategies within their institutions: 

• NOCE will focus on advancing the DSS Pathways and Persistence strategy, which aims to expand academic instruction, enhance ARISE Lab services, and provide individualized employment preparation for students with disabilities. 

• NOCROP will launch the Sterile Processing Technician program, align curriculum with current healthcare standards, and develop clinical partnerships with hospitals for externships and job placements. 

• GGAE will continue integrating Burlington English at all ESL levels to support digital literacy, language development, and persistence.

• To further improve integration of services and transitions, NOCE will scale its online tutoring strategy by implementing the Pisces platform and supporting the faculty in integrating the new platform into their instructional practices. 

• NOCE’s K–12 Student Success program will expand trauma-informed outreach through events like the Parenting Liaison Luncheon and Building Trauma-Informed Communities (BTIC) Conference, engaging K-12 and community partners. 

• Through its Counseling Services for Transition strategy, NOCE will expand the Student Success Navigator Program, increase counseling services, and focus outreach efforts on underserved populations. 

In accordance with NOCRC’s budget development cycle, all CAEP funded activities for 2025-26 are aligned with the approved strategies and activities within the 2025-28 Three Year Plan. NOCRC’s strategic use of CAEP resources is grounded in data and community needs and reflects NOCRC’s commitment to building inclusive, high-impact programs that empower adult learners to persist, complete, and transition successfully to higher education and employment.

Plans & Goals

How (if at all) do the consortium’s previous program year goals differ from the current year’s goals?

Goals have changed or new goals have emerged for the upcoming year

Why have the consortium’s goals changed for the upcoming year?

Not Entered
How much progress did the consortium make towards its previous program year goals?

A good deal of progress - most goals were met

There are many success stories to proudly highlight from various programs that achieved notable progress toward their goals in the 2024-25 program year. For example, one of the key accomplishments of the Basic Skills program includes extending the Instructional Assistant and Aide contracts from an 11-month to a 12-month position. This has contributed to a greater level of support for a larger number of students in the high school labs. In addition, academic support throughout the year has enabled continuous student engagement and diploma completion. Hiring professional experts to administer CASAS during the evening hours at various sites remotely has provided flexible schedules to those students with other obligations. To highlight the comparison,131 CASAS were administered to students in July 2024 compared to zero in July 2023. In addition, 367 more students were served in the high school labs in July 2024 compared to 2023. Furthermore, the CAEP funded permanent Classified Manager and Administrative Assistant I positions have been instrumental in supporting the department across many areas contributing directly to program and student success. These funded positions played a key role in improving operational efficiency, supporting retention efforts, and enhancing communication with students and staff regarding deadlines, events, and available support services. 

GGAE's ESL program also demonstrated success through its ongoing use of Burlington English licenses, completely funded by NOCRC. This has led to the ongoing success of students. To provide context, the Beginning ESL Literacy students achieved a 4% increase, and the Advanced ESL students achieved an 11% increase in EFL gains, including a 5% increase in attendance hours (and engagement). In addition, an 8% increase in career services was reported. 

NOCE's ESL program established the summer-only ESL Community Engagement Team to fill gap between Spring and Fall terms, to ensure properly outreach and promotion for Fall semester as well as the new off-site community partnership and facility agreement with North Orange County Regional Occupational Program (NOCROP). NOCE ESL will begin offering workforce preparation class on site at the NOCROP Career Training Center starting in Fall 2025 ("ESL for Work: U.S. Workplace Culture & Etiquette). In these 6-week sections, vocational students who are English language learners will further develop their language skills while also learning the soft skills necessary to effectively navigate the U.S. workplace. This new partnership marks an important step in linking ESL instruction to career readiness, thus making significant progress toward the consortium's goal of aligning adult education with regional workforce needs.

What barriers did the consortium face in making progress towards its previous program year goals?

While significant progress was made in advancing consortium goals, several challenges impacted the timely implementation of planned activities during the 2024-25 program year. In the Basic Skills program, one of the attempts to overcome a financial barrier includes providing GED Test vouchers to students; however, due to limited customer support from the vendor in terms of linking the new NOCE Basic Skills account under the NOCCCD account took a considerable amount of time. This step was necessary for this current purchase and future GED voucher purchases to be processed via Line of Credit and Purchase Order. As a result, there was a delay in the implementation and distribution of GED vouchers. The issue has been resolved, and the process has been streamlined for future purposes, starting with the launch in Fall 2025.

In the ESL program, the biggest challenge was related to staffing. The classification for ESL Community Engagement Coordinator (Program Coordinator) was not effective in attracting a permanent employee to oversee the CE Team.  This inconsistency in leadership resulted in increased workload for the IMS and delay in plans to expand partnerships throughout North Orange County.  The position was restructured as a Student Services Coordinator, which more closely aligns with the responsibilities of the ESL CE Coordinator and will help yield a solid and consistent leader for the CE Team and plans. 

What are the goals for the consortium for the current program year?

All of the goals checked above align with each of the program's efforts to engage, improve, implement and increase necessary workforce and manpower to help with the success and goals of each program. All of the programs, including K-12, CTE, Basic Skills, DSS, Transition strategies, NOCROP and GGAE implemented programs and services as outlined in the annual plan that includes new program offerings, addressing gaps in order to improve services, developing career pathways, and expanding program offerings to further engage students and outreach to community partnerships to meet NOCE's vision and goals. One example of the Basic Skills program as outlined previously includes the extension of positions to cover the whole year as well as new program offerings that allow further student engagement and outreach. All these efforts are evident in the data showing an increase in enrollment and success of student accomplishments.  

How will the consortium measure progress towards the goals set for the current program year?

The consortium will continue to use a consistent, data-informed approach to measure progress towards its goals for the 2025-26 program year. One of the efforts includes ongoing analysis of the data from DataVista, which provides consortium-wide insight into students served and their outcomes. While DataVista data will be reviewed to evaluate year-to-year progress on CAEP outcomes, activity-level analyses will be conducted with the support of the program leads to provide more timely insights. For example, each activity is assessed to determine the number of adults served, and its effectiveness is measured by examining corresponding student outcomes. Tracking student enrollment, utilization of services offered, such as time spent on certain software, and other short- and long-term impacts are all tracked and summarized to ensure the consortium stay in line with the target goals. 

Assessment

Regional Needs Assessment

Please identify the categories of needs in your region.

Please identify resources used to identify these gaps.

To measure effectiveness and progress toward meeting consortium goals in 2025–26, NOCRC will continue to implement a comprehensive, data-informed approach that integrates both CAEP-mandated outcomes and locally defined indicators. This method ensures accountability, tracks student success across member institutions, and aligns with the priorities of the 2025–2028 Three-Year Plan.

Each year, NOCRC’s Senior Research and Planning Analyst conducts an internal evaluation of all CAEP-funded strategies and activities. This evaluation uses student-level data to assess enrollment, retention, completion, and transition. Key local indicators include unduplicated student headcount, enrollment across CAEP program areas, completion of workforce preparation programs, CDCP certificates, and high school diploma, and transition into noncredit CTE or credit-bearing programs within the North Orange County Community College District. To provide broader context, CAEP outcome data from DataVista is also reviewed to compare NOCRC outcomes with state and regional benchmarks.

Data is also reviewed at the individual strategy level to evaluate impact more granularly. Each activity is assessed to determine the number of adults served, and its effectiveness is measured by examining corresponding student outcomes. For example, GGAE monitors Burlington English usage by tracking number of students utilizing the software, time spent using the software, and corresponding gains in Educational Functioning Levels. These strategy-level metrics help assess the short- and long-term impacts of CAEP-funded strategies. Findings from this annual evaluation are summarized in a report presented to the NOCRC Executive Committee and shared with consortium stakeholders.

Student feedback is another critical component of NOCRC’s evaluation process. As the largest provider within the consortium, NOCE conducts institutional surveys to capture insights into student experience, support services, and barriers to participation. GGAE and NOCROP also collect student feedback locally to help assess satisfaction and identify areas for program improvement.

Furthermore, monthly Executive Committee meetings include dedicated time for program leads to share updates on strategy implementation, including emerging successes and challenges. These updates are further discussed in monthly and quarterly advisory group meetings, which provide a collaborative space for strategy updates and discussion of emerging needs. 

This data-informed approach allows NOCRC to monitor the effectiveness of CAEP-funded activities and ensure they align with the consortium’s goals of improving access and outcomes for adult learners.

For the 2025-2028 Three Year Plan, which informs the current annual plan, adult education needs within the North Orange County region were identified through the examination of multiple sources. Population demographic data and regional labor market trends were reviewed using the CAEP Fact Sheet and Orange County Community Indicators Report. Regional education and workforce plans were also analyzed to identify any gaps between adult education offerings and labor market demands. Qualitative input was gathered through institutional student surveys and ongoing engagement with community partners during the monthly Executive Committee meetings and advisory group meetings. In addition, student-level data from funded-member institutions along with CAEP LaunchBoard/DataVista metrics, were examined to assess adults served, progress, and outcomes.

One area of growing need is the increasing population of foreign-born residents in Orange County. Many face challenges such as limited familiarity with U.S. educational and workforce systems, language barriers, and competing responsibilities such as work and childcare. To address this, NOCE has expanded community-based ESL instruction at accessible locations, such as K–12 schools, churches, and community centers. These efforts are further supported by a collaboration between NOCE ESL and NOCROP, where a new workforce preparation course is offered at the NOCROP Career Training Center, titled “ESL for Work: U.S. Workplace Culture & Etiquette,” which integrates language development with soft skills necessary for the workplace. GGAE continues to support English learners through Burlington English, a digital platform that only help students improve English language proficiency but also offers contextualized digital literacy skills and prepares adult learners about career pathways and career clusters.

The need for short-term CTE programming remains significant, particularly as adults seek to upskill or reskill due to shift in the labor market. NOCE and NOCROP are addressing this need by offering programs aligned with current industry demands. For example, NOCROP has launched a new Sterile Processing Technician pathway and is expanding clinical partnerships and job readiness services to ensure students gain technical training and access to externships. These efforts aim to improve access to high-demand healthcare careers and help students meet licensure and workforce readiness requirements. Furthermore, to meet labor market needs for adults with disabilities, NOCE’s DSS Pathways and Persistence strategy provides individualized academic and employment support, including one-on-one job development services. Students receive assistance with resume writing, interview preparation, and job placement, ensuring they are better prepared to transition into employment. These supports are complemented by academic skill-building and career readiness instruction that promote both educational and workforce success.

These strategies reflect NOCRC’s efforts to respond to the region’s adult education needs through locally accessible programming and support services. Ongoing data collection and evaluation will continue to ensure alignment with both adult leaner needs and local workforce demands.

Activities & Outcomes

Objective #1: Address Educational Needs

DSS Pathways and Persistence (NOCE)

THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28

This activity will supplement instruction and student services that support pathways and persistence into higher education and employment for students who have disabilities.

  • Instructional Programming & Curriculum Development – Supporting basic academic skills, employability skills, and independent living skills to prepare students to transition from DSS classes to Workforce Certificates (CDCP), noncredit CTE, credit instruction, and employment.
  • Student Persistence & Retention – providing targeted services such as ARISE Labs, which offer executive functioning support to help students manage challenges and persist in their programs. The labs serve all students and provide a space for students to decompress, access small groups, and receive support from counselors.
  • Transition to Employment – Offering one-on-one job development support to help students create resumes, build portfolios, practice interview skills, and secure job placements.
  • Community Partnerships - collaborating with industry and community organizations to expand job opportunities and develop workforce certificate programs tailored to high-demand fields.

Adult Education Metrics and Student Barriers

  • All: Reportable Individuals (200AE)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (155AE)

Responsible Positions, Responsible Consortium Members, and Proposed Completion Date

Responsible PositionResponsible MemberProposed Completion Date
DSS Associate Dean (Adam Gottdank)North Orange County CCD06/30/2028

Accountability, Outreach, and Pathway Development

THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28

Accountability, Outreach, and Pathway Development (NOCROP)

  • Curriculum Development - Design a comprehensive curriculum aligned with industry standards and certification requirements. Ensure compliance with healthcare regulations and best practices in sterile processing
  • Establish partnerships with local hospitals, surgical centers, and healthcare facilities for clinical externships or internships.
  • Offer career counseling, job placement assistance, and certification exam preparation to support student success.

Adult Education Metrics and Student Barriers

  • All: Participants (202AE)
  • All: Reportable Individuals (200AE)

Responsible Positions, Responsible Consortium Members, and Proposed Completion Date

Responsible PositionResponsible MemberProposed Completion Date
Administrator, Instructional ProgramsNorth Orange County ROP06/30/2028
TOSA, Outreach and Pathway DevelopmentNorth Orange County ROP06/30/2028
Manager, Facilities & OperationsNorth Orange County ROP06/30/2028
Instructional Programs Administrative AssistantNorth Orange County ROP06/30/2028
Student Services AssistantNorth Orange County ROP06/30/2028
Student Support SpecialistNorth Orange County ROP06/30/2028

ESL Lit. Gains, Increas Pers. Rate & Wrkforce Prep

THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28

ESL Literacy Gains, Increased Persister Rate, and Workforce Prep (GGAE)

  • Burlington English (BE) licenses to be used in all ESL levels to support curriculum, student engagement, and digital skills.
  • BE content improves students’ pronunciation, comprehension, and literacy gains.
  • Offering BE licenses to all ESL students results in greater persistence to support WIOA Title II outcomes. Students must be actively enrolled in GGAE to have continued access to BE for both in school and at home should equate to higher rate of persistence.

Adult Education Metrics and Student Barriers

  • All: Participants (202AE)
  • All: Reportable Individuals (200AE)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (155AE)

Responsible Positions, Responsible Consortium Members, and Proposed Completion Date

Responsible PositionResponsible MemberProposed Completion Date
AdminGarden Grove Unified06/30/2028
TOSAsGarden Grove Unified06/30/2028
TeachersGarden Grove Unified06/30/2028
Data TeamGarden Grove Unified06/30/2028

Objective #2: Improve Integration of Services & Transitions

Online Tutoring Platform Implementation (NOCE)

THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
  • Implement the Pisces online tutoring platform to provide students with a more user-friendly and efficient virtual tutoring experience.
  • Support faculty in mastering and integrating the new platform navigation into their instructional support practices.
  • Assess long-term sustainability of the new platform within our budget.

Adult Education Metrics and Student Barriers

  • All: Participants (202AE)
  • All: Reportable Individuals (200AE)
  • Student Barriers: Low Literacy (155AE)

Responsible Positions, Responsible Consortium Members, and Proposed Completion Date

Responsible PositionResponsible MemberProposed Completion Date
Basic Skills Associate DeanNorth Orange County CCD06/30/2028

Expand Trauma-Informed Train & Outreach for Prov.

THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28

Expand Trauma-Informed Training and Outreach for Education Providers (NOCE)

Through our Building Trauma-Informed Communities events such as the Parenting Liaison Luncheon and BTIC Annual Conference, we will help inform local education providers from partnering K-12 institutions and community centers about the importance of being trauma-informed in the work that they do. These events also encourage partners to share information with those who may become Parenting students.

Adult Education Metrics and Student Barriers

  • All: Participants (202AE)
  • All: Reportable Individuals (200AE)

Responsible Positions, Responsible Consortium Members, and Proposed Completion Date

Responsible PositionResponsible MemberProposed Completion Date
Associate DeanNorth Orange County CCD06/30/2028
CTE & CTE ManagerNorth Orange County CCD06/30/2028

Objective #3: Improve Effectiveness of Services

Student Services Coord. for Student Engagement

THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28

Student Services Coordinator for Student Engagement (NOCE)

  • Support for Undocumented Students – Providing leadership and oversight for the NOCE Grads to Be Program, ensuring undocumented students have access to specialized support, resources, and advocacy.
  • Student Leadership Development – Managing the Student Leadership Program and Student Trustee election process to encourage student participation in governance and foster leadership skills.
  • Expanding the Student Success Navigator Program – Enhancing the Student Success Navigator program to provide peer mentoring, guidance, and support for students as they navigate their educational journey.
  • Foreign Transcript evaluation program to support retention and completion.

Adult Education Metrics and Student Barriers

  • All: Participants (202AE)
  • All: Reportable Individuals (200AE)

Responsible Positions, Responsible Consortium Members, and Proposed Completion Date

Responsible PositionResponsible MemberProposed Completion Date
Director, Student Equity and Success (Deb Perkins)North Orange County CCD06/30/2028
CSS Student Services Coordinator (Maria HernandezNorth Orange County CCD06/30/2028

Counseling Lead for Transitional Activities (NOCE)

THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
  • Expanded Counseling Services - increase availability of Student Education Plan (SEP) appointments, ensuring more students have clear academic and career pathways.
  • Increased Awareness and Support for Underserved Populations – Focused outreach and guidance for undocumented students, formerly incarcerated students, and other disproportionately impacted populations, including financial aid and transfer considerations.
  • Stronger Pathways to College & Career Programs – Facilitating student referrals to Grads to Be, EOPS, Fullerton College Promise, and the Charger Experience Program to increase student transition rates to Fullerton and Cypress Colleges.
  • Regional Collaboration & Funding Support – Partnering with the CAEP NOCRC Student Services for Transition Advisory Group to align efforts across the region and secure additional resources.

Adult Education Metrics and Student Barriers

  • All: Reportable Individuals (200AE)

Responsible Positions, Responsible Consortium Members, and Proposed Completion Date

Responsible PositionResponsible MemberProposed Completion Date
Director, Student Equity and Success (Deb Perkins)North Orange County CCD06/30/2028
FT counselor for Transition (Anacany Torres)North Orange County CCD06/30/2028
Deb PerkinsNorth Orange County CCD06/30/2028

Fiscal Management

Alignment & Carryover

According to the established NOCRC budget development cycle, the allocation of all CAEP funds—including those for 2025–26—is aligned with the approved three-year strategies and activities. The annual NOCRC budget is organized around these strategies, with an activity code assigned to each one to demonstrate alignment and ensure accurate expense tracking.

Each April, the leaders of the consortium’s advisory groups—comprising NOCRC members—present any proposed changes to the approved strategies that would require a budget adjustment. These proposals are discussed at a regularly scheduled NOCRC Executive Committee (EC) meeting. The EC members then vote to approve the full annual budget at the May meeting

As mentioned above, all NOCRC CAEP funds, including prior-year carryover, are allocated according to the approved three-year planning strategies. Consortium members may reallocate their carryover funds twice a year—first in April during the development of the budget for the upcoming year, and then throughout the year if it becomes clear that funds will not be spent as originally planned. In such cases, members must present an information item for reallocations up to $60,000, and an action item for amounts exceeding $60,000. The member requesting reallocation must identify the approved strategies from which and to which the funds are being moved.

Usage

How does the consortium plan to use allocated funds in the upcoming year?

Not Entered

Consortium Objectives & Activities Overview

Objectives & Activities

= consortium has included this activity in an Annual Plan from the 2025-28 Three-Year Plan
= consortium has NOT selected this activity in an Annual Plan from the 2025-28 Three-Year Plan
ActivityOriginIncluded in Annual Plan
Objective #1: Address Educational Needs
Accountability, Outreach, and Pathway Development
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
DSS Pathways and Persistence (NOCE)
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
Direct Student Support and Targeted Marketing
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
ESL Lit. Gains, Increas Pers. Rate & Wrkforce Prep
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
ESL Outreach and Community Engagement (NOCE)
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
Focus on Student Success and Completion (NOCE)
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
Increase Kindergarten-Aged Offerings (NOCE)
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
Objective #2: Improve Integration of Services & Transitions
Accountability, Outreach, and Pathway Development
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
ESL Lit. Gains, Increas Pers. Rate & Wrkforce Prep
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
Expand Trauma-Informed Train & Outreach for Prov.
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
Online Tutoring Platform Implementation (NOCE)
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
Objective #3: Improve Effectiveness of Services
Accountability, Outreach, and Pathway Development
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
Counseling Lead for Transitional Activities (NOCE)
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
Enhance Student Persistence (NOCE)
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
GED Exam Vouchers and Faculty Professional Dev.
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28
Student Services Coord. for Student Engagement
THREE-YEAR PLAN 2025-28

Certification

Fullerton Joint Union High - Member Representative

Approved by Melissa Freeman Ed.D.

08/11/2025 09:42 AM PDT

Garden Grove Unified - Member Representative

  • Director of Adult & Alternative Education
  • aavina@ggusd.us
  • (714) 663-6291
Approved by Dr Amy Avina

07/28/2025 02:28 PM PDT

Los Alamitos Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Mrs. cara Vienna

08/04/2025 10:37 AM PDT

North Orange County CCD - Member Representative

Approved by Karen Bautista

07/28/2025 12:58 PM PDT

North Orange County ROP - Member Representative

Approved by Jennifer Pesavento Ed.D.

07/28/2025 11:27 AM PDT

Orange County Department of Education - Member Representative

Approved by Fatinah Judeh

07/25/2025 08:26 PM PDT

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Rebecca Allen

08/11/2025 09:21 AM PDT