Produced: Aug 15, 2024, 01:20 PM UTC - By Luis Medina
2024-25
Plans & Goals
- Executive Summary
Since its inception in 2015, the ABOUT STUDENTS Consortium for Adult Education has been instrumental in shaping adult education services in the Riverside region. Comprising eight Local Educational Agencies—including six unified school districts, a community college district, and the county office of education—the consortium leverages a collaborative approach to meet the diverse needs of adult learners in their communities.
The consortium’s ongoing Three-Year Plan, effective through June 2025, outlines strategic improvements aimed at enhancing both consortium-wide initiatives and individual school programs. Central to these efforts are commitments to maintain robust partnerships, engage in continual progress monitoring, enhance data collection practices to optimize student success and facilitate seamless transitions into the workforce or postsecondary education.
Key areas of focus for the ABOUT STUDENTS Consortium include expanding basic and secondary skills education, English as a Second Language (ESL) and immigrant services, and short-term Career Technical Education (CTE). The consortium has implemented numerous activities to strengthen student connections and support their pursuit of success. These initiatives include intensified community outreach, advocacy efforts, and collaboration with local legislators, regional educational leaders, and community partners to refine service offerings.
Achievements over the past year reflect the consortium’s dynamic response to evolving educational demands, with enrollment numbers rebounding to near pre-pandemic levels and marked improvements in academic gains. Additionally, the consortium has reactivated its Data Team, which meets regularly to scrutinize educational data and provide support to member institutions. The CAEP Data Team meetings convene representatives from various adult schools to enhance data collection processes as part of the ABOUT STUDENTS Consortium’s CAEP/WIOA best practices project. These collaborative sessions are essential for refining data methodologies, aligning with consortium goals, and improving overall program effectiveness and student outcomes.
Responding to a significant regional need for expanded CTE programs, the consortium has also engaged with the Governor’s Care Economy Workforce Development Package under the 2022-2023 Budget Act. This initiative includes a one-time allocation of $130 million from Proposition 98 funds, aimed at developing healthcare-focused vocational pathways for English Language Learners (ELLs) at all levels of English proficiency. This three-year investment supports the creation of comprehensive healthcare vocational programs, including bridge programs, tailored to meet both the educational needs of adult learners and the healthcare demands of the region. Consortium members actively pursuing this opportunity collaborated in applying for the grant, highlighting a unified effort to enhance vocational training and educational outcomes.
In addition, one agency applied for the Employment Development Department grant and obtained funds to start certified nursing, medical assistant and vocational nursing classes to serve the community's growing needs for healthcare workers, which adds to the efforts to expand the industry recognized short term CTE offerings in the region.
- Regional Planning Overview
The ABOUT STUDENTS Consortium is dedicated to meeting regional educational needs through the strategic implementation of its Three-Year Plan (2022-2025). This plan focuses on defining clear goals, assigning specific roles, and delineating responsibilities to ensure effective progress monitoring and continuous support tailored to the needs of the region.
Key goals of the ABOUT STUDENTS Consortium include:
A. Strengthening Partnerships: Cultivating mutually beneficial relationships with industry and community partners to create meaningful opportunities and pathways for students.
B. Boosting Enrollment: Expanding and maintaining student enrollment across all program areas to reflect the community’s needs.
C. Enhancing Educational Quality: Providing equitable, inclusive, and high-quality instruction and support services that maximize student achievement and success.
D. Promoting Organizational Excellence: Fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement within the organization.
E. Developing Staff and Administration: Attracting, retaining, and developing skilled, dedicated, student-centered staff and administrators who are encouraged to employ forward-thinking and creative strategies to enhance student success.
The consortium’s vision is to share, continue, and expand successful practices that strengthen adult education programs within the region. For the 2024-2025 period, primary goals include increasing student enrollment, enhancing college enrollment and transitions from K-12 Adult Ed to the College and from College Non-Credit to credit programs, and continuing to collaborate with the RWDB, EDD, Chamber of Commerce, and local businesses to facilitate referrals. This collaborative and strategic approach is aimed at achieving the outlined objectives and ensuring the sustainable growth and effectiveness of the consortium’s educational initiatives.
Meeting Regional Needs
Regional Need #1
- Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
The ABOUT STUDENTS Consortium is committed to expanding and maintaining program enrollment across all areas, responding effectively to community needs. While the consortium and its members already employ a variety of strategies to attract students, there is consensus that further actions are necessary to assist students in achieving their goals. To enhance student enrollment, the consortium members have debated a range of approaches, ultimately agreeing on five key strategies that are both suitable and practical for their respective educational environments:
1. Data-Driven Enhancements: Analyze student performance data to pinpoint needs, and provide continuous professional development to enrich the classroom experience for both students and staff.
2. Community and Logistical Support: Collaborate with local communities, districts, or counties to offer essential services like childcare and transportation, along with workshops aimed at student success.
3. Multilingual Advertising: Implement advertising strategies in various languages to reach a broader audience.
4. Strengthening Partnerships: Further develop relationships with RWDB, EDD, the Chamber of Commerce, and local businesses by involving them in school events and participating in their monthly activities to boost referrals.
5. Streamlining Processes:Provide professional development and training for faculty and staff to ensure that registration and enrollment procedures are efficient and effective.
These initiatives will be pursued both at individual school levels and across the consortium. Progress will be monitored and reviewed at monthly consortium business meetings.
- How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
To streamline the planning process for the Three-Year Plan, the ABOUT STUDENTS Consortium leveraged the Strategic Planning Briefing Book (SPBB), developed in collaboration with a third-party consultant. The SPBB was structured into six comprehensive sections: Introduction, Pre-Work Instructions, Situation Assessment, Stakeholders' Views, Environmental Scan, and SWOT Analysis.
The Environmental Scan was particularly instrumental, aggregating critical data sources that allowed consortium members to thoroughly analyze and evaluate current trends and dynamics within the consortium. This robust information gathering was pivotal for informed decision-making.
Moreover, the inclusion of a diverse range of stakeholders—students, school staff, district administration, and community partners—was essential. Their perspectives enriched the planning process, particularly in the gap analysis phase, where it was possible to pinpoint service priorities and address the specific needs of the consortium members collectively. This comprehensive approach ensured that all voices were heard and contributed to a well-rounded and effective strategic plan.
- How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
By integrating a range of strategies, the ABOUT STUDENTS Consortium aims to fulfill short, medium, and long-term objectives concerning student enrollment. By the end of Year 3, the consortium is targeting a 10% increase in both unduplicated enrollments and persistence rates. Central to these outcomes is the imperative for consistently collected and accurately reported data, which will enable precise year-to-year evaluations.
Enhanced accuracy in data collection and reporting is not only a short-term goal but also fundamental to increasing student success. This focus aligns with the consortium's broader objectives and responds to the pressing needs identified within the region, ensuring that data-driven insights continue to inform and improve educational strategies and outcomes.
Address Educational Needs
2024-25 Strategies
Improve Integration of Services & Transitions
2024-25 Strategies
Continue to develop partnerships and engage with our local AJCCs, Chamber of Commerce, EDD, RWDB and
Activity that Applies to this Strategy
Industry/Community Partnerships
Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy
- All: Number of Adults Served (AE 200 - Overall)
The ABOUT STUDENTS Consortium will continue efforts in developing partnerships with other agencies that provide services to adults including America’s Job Center of California, Riverside Workforce Development Board, Economic Development Department,Chamber of Commerce, and local businesses. This will be accomplished by inviting members of these agencies and businesses to involve themselves in consortium events and activities. Consortium members will volunteer to participate in activities sponsored by these other agencies or serve on boards as appropriate. The consortium will evaluate the progress and effectiveness of this strategy through the number of student referrals received and or sent to and from these other agencies and the increase in program offerings that were a direct result of these interactions.
Improve Effectiveness of Services
2024-25 Strategies
Provide equitable, inclusive, and quality instruction and support services for student success
Activity that Applies to this Strategy
Student Success/Goals
Metrics that Apply to this Activity/Strategy
- All: Adults who Became Participants (AE 202 - Overall)
The ABOUT STUDENTS Consortium members have identified the tremendous need to increase the number of adult students who transfer to the community college from the other member schools. There is also an interest in expanding the number of students who dual enroll.
Our consortium members are in the process of collaborating with the colleges to determine how we may be able to increase, or make more consistent, the hours of educational advisors on the campuses of the consortium 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.
The ABOUT STUDENTS Consortium strategically utilizes its allocated resources to deliver instruction and support services that comply with CAEP guidelines. These allocations are meticulously aligned with the objectives outlined in the 2024-25 Annual and Three-Year Plans. The majority of these funds are earmarked for personnel, program development, and expansion, focusing on enhancing educational offerings and broadening program reach.
The consortium prioritizes the use of these financial resources to equip students for academic advancement, successful transitions, or entry into the workforce. Key initiatives funded include increasing student persistence and retention and expanding community engagement through outreach and comprehensive student support services. All spending is strictly dedicated to the activities specified, which are integral to achieving the consortium’s overarching goals of preparing students for higher education and employment opportunities.
All consortium members allocate their CAEP funds specifically to provide essential instruction and support services across several program areas, including basic skills, secondary education, English as a Second Language (ESL), and short-term Career Technical Education (CTE). This targeted funding approach ensures that resources directly contribute to the educational success and career readiness of students.
- An approach to incorporating remaining carry-over funds from prior year(s) into strategies planned for 2024-25.
To ensure that consortium carryover is within the limits established by EC 84914 and associated CAEP guidance, The ABOUT Students consortium has strengthened its monitoring of individual school and consortium-wide expenditures. Each quarter, members receive regional reports that inform them of the percentage of annual expenditures by the agency to assist with fiscal management and reduction of carryover funds. As directed by the CAEP Office, members expend funds with the “first in, first out” process. As a result of the new emphasis on carryover monitoring, the consortium members elected to reallocate a portion of the Leadership carryover to the members who expressed a desire to receive additional funding. A total of $150,000 carryover will be divided equally among the six members who requested to be included. This is one-time money and will not permanently change any school’s base allocation. Members will be receiving their carryover share during FY 24-25.
Certification
Alvord Unified - Member Representative
Luis Medina - High School Principal
- luis.medina@alvordschools.org
- (951) 358-1715 ext: 601102
Corona-Norco Unified - Member Representative
Thoibi Rublaitus - Director
- trublaitus@cnusd.k12.ca.us
- (951) 736-3325 ext: 29111
Jurupa Unified - Member Representative
Annamarie Montanez - annamarie_montanez@jusd.k12.ca.us
- (951) 222-7739
Moreno Valley Unified - Member Representative
Elsa Magana - Principal
- emagana@mvusd.net
- (951) 571-4790 ext: 64801
Riverside CCD - Member Representative
Michael Peterson - Executive Director, Adult Education & Community Initiatives
- michael.peterson@rccd.edu
- (951) 222-8265
Riverside Co. Office of Education - Member Representative
Lucie Gonzalez - Principal
- lmgonzalez@rcoe.us
- (951) 922-7362
Riverside Unified - Member Representative
Rachel Bramlett - Director
- rbramlett@riversideunified.org
- (951) 788-7185 ext: 68200
Val Verde Unified - Member Representative
John Parker - Principal
- jparker@valverde.edu
- (951) 940-8542