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CAEP Annual Plan: 2021-22 54 Santa Barbara Adult Education Consortium

Status: Consortium Approved

California Adult Education Program : Annual Plan : 2021-22 Produced: Oct 23, 2021, 04:14 PM UTC Raymond L. McDonald

54 Santa Barbara Adult Education Consortium

Plans & Goals - Consortium Approved

Executive Summary
Vision: To advance and design new programs tailored for adults in our region using data-driven decision-making, and an inclusive, collaborative and coordinated approach with stakeholders, program leaders, and public feedback. Goals include increasing the development of more pathways from noncredit to credit programs, diversifying educational programming which addresses current gaps and needs, and working in tandem with WIOA, Guided Pathways, Vision for Success, and Strong Workforce objectives. In addition to our ten existing CAEP Programs, the Consortium recently increased its programming and modified its programming in the sixth-year cycle with the following: (1) In response to the impact of COVID-19, the School of Extended Learning transitioned 100% of all CAEP program course offerings and services to live videoconferencing. (2) In response to the impact of COVID-19, the School of Extended Learning Career Skills Institute developed a career recovery Back-to-Work Program to offer job seekers the opportunity to improve their skill sets, pursue a new career, and rapidly re-enter the workforce.(3) The merging of the following existing CAEP programs to enhance partnerships and the leveraging of funds (i.e. Strong Workforce, WIOA II): 1) Noncredit Career Skills Institute with the Noncredit Inmate Transitions Program 2) Noncredit Student Support Services with the Noncredit Career Skills Institute: Employment Center 3) Noncredit Career Skills Institute with the Adults with Disabilities Work Readiness and Career Planning Program. Based on the 2019-2020 SBCC School of Extended Learning Economic and Workforce Gap Analysis for Adult Education Regional Report and the 2020-2021 Centers for Excellence for Labor Market Research Reports for the South Central region and CAEP State objectives, the Consortium's focus for the 2021-­2022 selection of CAEP programs will need to continue enhancing educational programming in the following areas:(1) Short‐Term CTE in career skills training courses(2) Short-­Term CTE with a focus in areas such as Health Care and Health Training services(3) Noncredit Adult High School/GED(4) Noncredit English as a Second Language(5) Noncredit Adults with Disabilities(6) Entry or reentry into Workforce programs(7) Student Support Services to ensure students can navigate through the SBCC system from noncredit to credit and help students plan their educational and vocational objectives. Primary SBAEC Goals for Upcoming 2021-2022(1) Continue to support our noncredit faculty in building pathways to credit for existing and new CAEP programs; (2) Support new activity resulting from AB705 implementation (focused on mathematics, English, and ESL);(3) Support dual enrollment programs to engage high school students completing their degrees to begin their journey to transition to college, job search training and placement (SB-554);(4) Continue to partner with the local Santa Barbara Workforce One-Stop operator and other agencies for career training initiatives;(5) Continue to cross-pollinate CAEP initiatives with WIOA, Guided Pathways, Vision for Success, and Strong Workforce initiatives;(6) Continue to support our existing SBCC programs that are aligned with the CAEP initiatives;(7) Strengthen and support the Noncredit Student Support Services (SSS) Program to provide advising and career counseling, improved orientation to noncredit programs, and transitional support to jobs/careers or credit opportunities;(8) Work in collaboration with the SBCC Admissions Office to strengthen and support the noncredit registration process; (9) Support distance learning (live videoconferencing) initiatives and provide, where feasible, professional development training for faculty and staff in CAEP program areas;(10) Develop a strategic plan that addresses systemic racial injustices within our membership, partners and programs.(11) Collaborate with local Workforce to increase Adult Learner support systems (housing, foodbank resources, and public assistance programs);(12) Develop a Noncredit Data Collection task force/workgroup that is committed to the collection of accurate data and analytics for all CAEP programs and services;(13) Address newly added CAEP State Priorities: Equity, Leadership, Learner Transition, Marketing, Program Development Curriculum/Classroom, Program Evaluation, and Technology & Distance Learning;(14) Extend programming and services in all of Santa Barbara south county with an emphasis in Carpinteria and Goleta
Regional Planning Overview
Regional Planning OverviewOur Consortium supports educational programs that can be integrated into the regional initiatives and/or part of the regional conversation. The SBAE Chair is actively engaged with the South Central Coast Regional Consortium, and the Executive Director of the Workforce Development Board is a SBAE Consortium member. This helps us stay regionally connected and collaborative. The South Central Coast Regional Consortium Director also participates in our Public Meetings and provides feedback on our CAEP plans. The strategy to incorporate the three-year planning work into our public meeting process, during the six-months prior to submission is a useful mechanism for feedback from the public, SBCC students, faculty and administrators, and other community-based partners. The Consortium will continue refining regional programs and services for students in alignment with Statewide initiatives and federally funding initiatives. To ensure each CAEP Program and Partner successfully stays on track and implements their program's plans, the Consortium requires each program to complete quarterly reports which include timelines for expenditures, programmatic benchmarks, and efforts in transitioning students to credit courses or employment. This strategy has been in place for the past six grant cycles and has yielded effective results.

Meeting Regional Needs

Regional Need #1

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Professional Development Certificates (Employability Skills): Technology and Health Sectors
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
We engaged a researcher to conduct an Economic and Workforce Gap Analysis for Adult Education students in our region. The results of the research were that employers deemed the above-referenced gaps as most desirable skills to be competitive in securing employment, particularly in the areas in the North and Central sub-regions of the county where more employers and entry-level job seekers are found.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Success will be measured by the creation of Career-specific certificates as well as the number of students completing these courses and certificates. Effectiveness will also be measured on how many are utilizing the newly established CAEP Career Recovery Program designed for those recently unemployed due to COVID-19.

Gaps In Service

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Professional Development Certificates (Employability Skills): Technology and Health SectorsHow do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?We engaged a researcher to conduct an Economic and Workforce Gap Analysis for Adult Education students in our region. The results of the research were that employers deemed the above-referenced gaps as most desirable skills to be competitive in securing employment, particularly in the areas in the North and Central sub-regions of the county where more employers and entry-level job seekers are found.How will you measure effectiveness/ progress towards meeting this need?Success will be measured by the creation of Career-specific certificates as well as the number of students completing these courses and certificates. Effectiveness will also be measured on how many are utilizing the newly established CAEP Career Recovery Program designed for those recently unemployed due to COVID-19.
Strategy #2
Improve pathways from noncredit to credit programs. How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?This gap was identified based on ongoing SBCC noncredit and credit faculty, students, and staff feedback, as well as the researcher who was employed to do an Economic and Workforce Gap Analysis for Adult Education students in our region. The results of the gap analysis were that employers deemed that clearer educational pathways were needed in the areas of Construction, Culinary, Technology, and Healthcare careers.How will you measure effectiveness/ progress towards meeting this need?Effectiveness will be measured by building upon and enhancing existing noncredit SBCC programs and certificates and developing more introductory courses in these cutting-edge fields that lead to credit programs.
Strategy #3
Data collection from external partners and entities. How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?The MIS, CASAS, TopsPro data that currently exists does not offer an accurate picture of our data.How will you measure effectiveness/ progress towards meeting this need?The Consortium will establish a Noncredit Data Collection workgroup for all SBAE Partners and Programs and will include the SBCC Office of Institutional Research and the SBCC Admissions Office to help calibrate our CAEP/ WIOA / CASAS/ TopsPro data points. Data from our external partners and entities will also be collected.
Strategy #4
Job Placement Assistance. A fully integrated Employment Center for job placement, internships, and /or apprenticeships for noncredit students does not exist. In 2019, the Consortium implemented the first phase of a program of this nature with the creation of the first noncredit SBCC Community Education Center Study-to -Work CAEP Program. Progress will continue into phase II of this program by integrating with the newly formed Career Skills Institute Ready.Match.Hire! Program. It will be fully integrated into our existing CAEP program and external Partner and Entity programming. Effectiveness will be measured by 1) the collection of the number of students receiving referrals from SBCC to an outside partner; 2) The collection of data from our external partners providing these services that show how many students have been served with job placement assistance; 3) Integration of the local Workforce referral system with current CAEP programs.
Strategy #5
The need to support efforts resulting from the new AB705 legislation. How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?We are working with our credit partners to identify specific needs that noncredit programming can fill. Noncredit guidelines are currently underway both at the local and State level.How will you measure effectiveness/ progress towards meeting this need?The number of courses developed to support AB705. Eventually, the total number of students served by supportive noncredit courses.
Strategy #6
Noncredit Student Support Services in Carpinteria, specifically for currently enrolled high school students seeking transition into SBCC credit programs and/or noncredit certificate programs.How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?At present the noncredit Student Support Services program needs to extend its services to this region. Both the 2019 BW Research Partnership study on the local Economic and Workforce Gap Analysis for Adult Education Students and Carpinteria school district representative have outlined the need for these services. How will you measure effectiveness/ progress towards meeting this need?The number of referrals to the noncredit or credit programs.
Strategy #7
A comprehensive Adult Learner support systems and services referral system. How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?There is no formal referral system within the noncredit Student Support Services program and the SBCC Community Education Center; only the leveraging of partnerships. How will you measure effectiveness/ progress towards meeting this need?The establishment of a comprehensive community resource listing of services that includes housing, foodbank resources, and public assistance programs that complement existing Workforce and Social Services resource directories. It will be used by SBCC staff members in the noncredit Student Support Services program and be part of the School of Extended Learning marketing initiative in aiding our adult learners.
Strategy #8
A comprehensive Consortium plan that addresses systemic racial injustices. How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?It does not exist.How will you measure effectiveness/ progress towards meeting this need?The development of a Consortium-focused resolution which consists of achievable action items and one that complements both the local district’s resolution and the CCCCO’s call to action. In Summer 2021, the Consortium began diversity and equity training hosted by CALPRO. These efforts wil continue to be part of the Consortuim's equity plan.
Strategy #9
a) Distance and online learning for students; b) Professional development for instructors to teach in a distance or online learning format; c) Information for collecting distance learning hours and data collection.How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?a) While all existing CAEP existing programs have fully transitioned to online learning and services, there is no formal protocol or metric in place that ensures that hardware and online resources are reaching the marginalized populations in our community. Online learning is new to the SBCC School of Extended Learning and program offerings. b) Professional development in distance or online learning training is offered through the SBCC credit campus, however, there is continued demand by noncredit instructors and CAEP partners to increase training in this area beyond the basic skills level. c) There has been a need for effective data collection and collecting data under distance learning has become a greater challenge.How will you measure effectiveness/ progress towards meeting this need?a) Effectiveness will be measured by student and instructor feedback on usability and increased skill level. b) Progress towards meeting this need will be measured by data collection accuracy in student enrollments and learning hours.

Seamless Transitions

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Job Placement Assistance. An Employment Center for job placement, internships, and /or apprenticeships for noncredit students is currently underway. Founded by the Career Skills Institute in Fall 2020 its goal is to assist adult learners in securing employment. It will be fully integrated into our existing CAEP programming. Effectiveness will be measured by 1) the collection of the number of students receiving referrals from SBCC to an outside partner; 2) The collection of data from our external partners providing these services that show how many students have been served with job placement assistance; 3) Integration of the local Workforce referral system with current CAEP programs; 4) the number of students who secured employment
Strategy #2
Provide Noncredit Student Support Services in Carpinteria, specifically for currently enrolled high school students seeking transition into SBCC credit programs and/or noncredit certificate programs. At present the noncredit Student Support Services program needs to extend its services to this region. Both the 2019 BW Research Partnership study on the local Economic and Workforce Gap Analysis for Adult Education Students and Carpinteria school district representative have outlined the need for these services. How will you measure effectiveness/ progress towards meeting this need? The number of referrals to the noncredit or credit programs.
Strategy #3
A comprehensive Adult Learner support systems and services referral system. There is no formal referral system within the noncredit Student Support Services program and the SBCC Community Education Center; only the leveraging of partnerships. How will you measure effectiveness/ progress towards meeting this need? The establishment of a comprehensive community resource listing of services that includes housing, foodbank resources, and public assistance programs that complement existing Workforce and Social Services resource directories. It will be used by SBCC staff members in the noncredit Student Support Services program and be part of the School of Extended Learning marketing initiative in aiding our adult learners.

Student Acceleration

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Accelerate Completion and Retention. Our Adult High School, ESL, Career Skills Institute, and Inmate programs are supported by CAEP to implement acceleration options for students, either through a pedagogical and curriculum approach, or through course scheduling strategies. For example, we offer open entry/open exit options for some programs. The faculty is continuing to address an accelerated option and other motivations to keep students engaged for longer, to improve their accelerated completion of either the GED or a diploma, and improve retention.
Strategy #2
Improve Basic Skills for English Language Learners. Our noncredit English as a Second Language program is supported by CAEP to revise curriculum, with an emphasis on vocational opportunities, and is working to support vocational programs with topic­ based English Language skills. These initiatives will work toward accelerating student completion of not only the ESL program but also other vocational certificate offerings. Additionally, the Santa Barbara Public Library CAEP Pre-English Program leverages resources to accelerate completion.
Strategy #3
In 2020, the noncredit SBCC Student Support Services (SSS) completed Phase I of acquiring and utilizing new and current database platforms (i.e. Starfish) currently used by the SBCC credit campus in order to enhance a smoother transition and acceleration into the credit program. While Phase I included staff training to utilize this platform, Phase II will include expanding this platform to noncredit faculty to become fully interactive and integrated with the SBCC credit campus. It will also be used to analyze SSS reports to guide Consortium programming efforts.

Professional Development

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Synchronous Learning with a focus on live videoconferencing professional development for program faculty and leaders. Program Leaders and Program faculty and classroom aids will attend professional development training and conferences such as CASAS training, California Workforce Association, and California Chancellor’s Office conferences such as CCCAOE, in addition to any required CAEP training and webinars.
Strategy #2
Diversity and Antiracism Training. A focus has been placed on diversity and antiracism training to better teach and serve marginalized populations. Trainings will include Immigration Forums, expert-led Diversity, and Antiracism Workshops, and pedagogical revisions to address diversity gaps in existing curriculum.

Leveraging Resources

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Leverage resources to improve job placement assistance. We have leveraged the local Santa Barbara Workforce One-Stop, the County of Santa Barbara, and other external partners for job placement and internship assistance. More specifically, the Workforce and Career Skills Institute have plans to braid funding to service adults currently incarcerated to attain employment via a Department of Labor grant awarded to the local Workforce. SBCC continues to have an active presence inside the One-Stop operator by offering SBCC Career Skills Institute courses at their location.
Strategy #2
We continue to leverage the resources of all of our externally funded partners (County of Santa Barbara, Workforce Development Board, Department of Rehabilitation, Santa Barbara Public Library, Goleta Valley Library, UCP, EqualiTech, etc.) and are continuing to work this upcoming year to integrate all external partnerships in a co-branded marketing effort to improve program awareness.

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 overarching goals of our Consortium's three-year plan are to provide excellence in adult education programming in order to accelerate transitions to transfer or career success. In addition, we continue to set these specific annual goals: 1) Continue to support our noncredit faculty in building bridges to credit for existing and new CAEP programs; 2) Continue to fill gaps in areas illustrated by BW Research study on the local Workforce Gap Analysis specific to the Santa Barbara Community;3) Support new activity resulting from AB705 implementation (focused on mathematics, English, and ESL);4) Continue the implementation of the Adults with Disability Career Planning and Training Program serving as preparation for further career technical and/or job placement assistance;5) Continue to partner with local Santa Barbara One-Stop operator and other agencies for career training initiatives; 6) Continue to cross-pollinate CAEP initiatives with WIOA and Strong Workforce initiatives;7) A commitment to the collection of accurate data and analytics for all CAEP programs and services; 8) Continue to support our Student Support Services to help transition students from noncredit to credit or jobs/careers;9) Continue to support our existing SBCC programs that are aligned with the CAEP initiatives; 10) Support job placement assistance efforts where feasible and allowable;ll) Build awareness of our CAEP and noncredit tuition-free offerings though a robust marketing plan.To this end, the Consortium uses a request for proposal model (with a required timeline and activity chart), to encourage internal and external partners to submit proposals for alignment not only with our Consortium goals, mission, and vision but also in alignment with the CAEP allowable programs and objectives. After proposals are received, using a Consortium-specific rubric, the Consortium carefully vets these proposals to ensure alignment with the annual plan, the Three-year plan, and the statewide goals of CAEP, and only chooses to fund those that are in alignment, include only allowable expenditures, and that work to accomplish our objectives and commit to partnering and leveraging resources. The CAEP Director is responsible for tracking the approved budget and all expenditures related to all program areas. Each program area has a program lead that reports expenditures directly to the CAEP Director. The Director verifies the Consortium approved expenditure(s), obtains approval by the CAEP Chair, and submits for payment by the fiscal agent. The fiscal agent has created a CAEP account for each year of funding that reflects each Consortium approved expenditure and certifies those expenditures. This process is aligned with our governance documents.
An approach to incorporating remaining carry-over funds from prior year(s) into strategies planned for 2021-22.
Our Consortium's approach to incorporating carry-over funds from prior years into planned activities for 2021-2022 is built into our successful process established from the beginning of Year 1. The Consortium has a Request for Proposal process, which includes documenting the timeline and activities for expenditures for each program and prior allocations. Once allocated through this process (as referenced above), funding recipients must expend in accordance with their submitted Timeline and Activity Chart and the deadlines set for that year's funding or incorporate into their next year's expenditure plan. As a result, each program has an approved and tailored plan to expend funds timely. These plans, activities, and expenditures are monitored by our CAEP Director. If a program lead wishes to change activities or allocate differently than what was originally approved by the Consortium, they are required to petition for a change to the Consortium. In certain circumstances, if there are any unspent funds from a prior allocation for whatever reason (e.g., a program has completed its initiatives and spent less than expected, or the program has been terminated), the Consortium has discretion to recapture those funds and solicits a new public Request for Proposal with an adjusted deadline to ensure expenditures for those carry-over funds are expedited and timely.

Certification

Carpinteria Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Gerardo Cornejo

08/13/2021 09:02 AM PDT

Santa Barbara CCD - Member Representative

Approved by Corlei Prieto

08/12/2021 03:53 PM PDT

Santa Barbara Co. Office of Education - Member Representative

Approved by Noelle Barthel

08/12/2021 03:57 PM PDT

Santa Barbara County Workforce Dev. Board - Member Representative

Approved by Raymond L. McDonald

10/23/2021 09:14 AM PDT