CAEP Annual Plan: 2020-21 66 Victor Valley Adult Education Regional Consortium

Status: Consortium Approved

California Adult Education Program : Annual Plan : 2020-21 Produced: Aug 14, 2020, 08:47 PM UTC Chad Brooks

66 Victor Valley Adult Education Regional Consortium

Plans & Goals - Consortium Approved

Executive Summary
Victor Valley Adult Education Regional Consortium (VVAERC) will continue to implement a three-year strategy to enhance Adult Education Programs across all member districts. With our 2019-2022 Three-Year Plan serving as the foundation for the development of our goals, during the second year of implementation, we continue to focus on 6 key goals in FY 2020-2021. These six goals are: Improving transitions to post-secondary, Improving transitions to the workforce, Developing a pathway to citizenship, Developing and implementing a continuous quality improvement cycle for curriculum, data, and accountability, Developing a marketing and outreach plan, and to Offer adult education and non-credit CTE courses at each school site. These goals allow us to consistently improve and integrate adult education services in the High Desert region of California, as well as tie into a roadmap for career success. In FY 2019-2020 the VVAERC was able to focus on addressing gaps in service and seamless transitions while striving to strengthen the relationship with community partners in order to leverage existing resources. Counseling services continued to be provided by Victor Valley College (VVC) to each Member district in facilitating the transition from adult school to community college and/or the workforce. Our biannual Adult Education Family Night served over 120 adult education students and their families. Two of our member districts, Snowline Adult School and Victor Valley Adult School, began the process for WASC accreditation. VVC has completed the preliminary planning to offer integrated English Literacy and Civics Education courses during the 2020-21 program year. Members expanded ESL levels and CTE courses. Apple Valley Adult School launched a college articulated Construction technology course where Students earned both high school and college credit and earned a certificate of completion from the Carpenters Union local no.909. Through the research conducted for our Three-Year Plan, VVAERC members identified gaps in services and adjusted programs in order to support career and academic pathways leading to increased wages and/or transitions to post-secondary institutions. The consortium continues to implement a plan of action that will strengthen partnerships within the region, as well as increase access to student services for all adult learners. This plan includes strategic activities designed to ensure our goals are accomplished and evaluating the effectiveness of these goals would be possible, all with the aim to close gaps in adult education. New strategies will be implemented to improve student success by aligning ESL curriculum and assessments between schools and VVC, transitioning HSD students to VVC, leveraging VVC resources, expanding concurrent enrollment opportunities, implementing a continuous quality improvement cycle, and offering articulated CTE courses at adult schools, and more. Lastly, VVAERC envisions creating a region-wide, sustainable model providing career guidance and college counseling by creating a focused Preliminary Educational Plan for graduating adults. VVAERC served 3101 students in 2019-20 and continues to serve a diverse population with data from the 2019-20 year reflecting that 69% of learners are female, Hispanics make up 68% of program enrollees, and 79% of adult learners range in age from 18-54 years old.VVAERC, in response to COVID-19, will continue with distance learning instruction based on recommendations from each Member District and the County Health Department. Our consortium commits to providing students with quality educational and supportive services during the 2020-21 PY. Prior to COVID-19, many of our programs already offered successful distance learning programs. We have expanded the use of online training in support of distance learning provided by the State of California, CAEP, OTAN, and CASAS. The Transition Counselor and member districts provide students information about resources for food, employment, clothing, health, shelter, and public assistance. Additionally, member districts coordinate directly with various community partners to ensure the basic needs of all adult learners are being met. VVAERC will continue to monitor CAEP budget and commits to maintaining level funding for all members.The VVAERC Member Districts are committed to creating an environment that fosters access and success for all students no matter their gender, culture, religion, ethnicity, or any other characteristic. In the 2020-2021 PY, members will evaluate demographics and outcomes to identify and address disproportionately impacted groups. Our consortium strives to understand how we can address inequities thereby allowing us to provide all students a level playing field and opportunity to succeed. Additional training will be offered to staff and administration through each Member District to ensure that all students' academic, social, and emotional needs are met.
Regional Planning Overview
VVAERC is continuously looking towards the future to see how we can best serve the region’s students. Over the past year, the members of the consortium worked diligently to implement the strategies in the 3-year plan while following the guidelines set by the state. The consortium’s implementation plan will focus specifically on the areas that are among VVAERC’s top priorities. VVAERC successfully developed a Three-Year Plan that identified our region’s gaps in services, through which, our members will be able to improve existing programs and create new programs to help support adult education in the region. VVAERC was able to analyze regional WDB and regional LMI data in order to identify long-term trends in high-growth sectors and from this will be able to implement continuous process improvement focusing on closing gaps and working cohesively with community partners to provide high-quality adult education services. Furthermore, during the 2020-2021 FY, our members will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders, including community partners and local businesses to prioritize strategies and identify potential opportunities and partnerships to help address our adult students’ needs during this time of increased need for distance learning.

Meeting Regional Needs

Regional Need #1

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Need to improve adult student transitions to Post-Secondary opportunities.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
There is opportunity to improve transition rates from adult schools to community college, or other post-secondary opportunities.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Through our new College Transition Counselor, we will be able to provide more services to students desiring to enroll in college, and by tracking the number of students who transition to college, we will be able to determine our success in fulfilling this need.

Regional Need #2

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Need to improve adult student transitions to the workforce.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
BW Research Partnership compiled a report that states our region’s unemployment rate is higher than the state average, and our average salary is also below state and national averages. However, our overall employment growth, which is an indicator of economic health, remains higher than the state average. Hence, our region’s adult population could benefit from career-specific training and education to move them into a career pathway and enter the local workforce.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Effectiveness and progress will be measured by the reporting of the number of students enrolled in career option workshops or speaking to career counselors/job developers/transition specialists, Tracking employment rates and continuing education of current and former students.

Regional Need #3

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Need to develop a pathway to citizenship.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
Through the California Community College Chancellor's Office’s Regional Fact Sheet, it has been determined that our region has a high immigrant population and could benefit from not only an increase in introductory ESL classes but also a distinct pathway to citizenship.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
To measure our progress towards meeting this need, we will create citizenship preparation classes, and/or partner with agencies that provide citizenship preparation classes and offer a VESL course at VVC. We will track enrollment numbers in these courses throughout the year. Furthermore, we will also provide professional development on a high-quality citizenship preparation curriculum to our staff to ensure that we are meeting this regional need.

Regional Need #4

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Need to increase the number of CTE courses leading to industry-recognized certifications across the region.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
Through ample data collection and analysis, we have determined that there is a distinct need for more specific, short-term training that leads to career opportunities and/or high-wage attainment for our students. Resources include Labor Market Information supplied by the San Bernardino Workforce Development Board, our Victor Valley Report prepared by BW Research Partnership, and California Community College Chancellor's Office Economic Indicators and Labor Market Research state that our region has more than 168,600 potential CTE students.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
VVAERC member districts will evaluate effectiveness by increasing our overall number of CTE course offerings to help the successful transition to VVC and/or career. We plan to propose adult education CTE courses for any schools without one. For existing CTE courses, we plan on collecting data on enrollment, attendance, student persistence, and program completion.

Gaps In Service

New Strategies

Strategy #1
VVAERC will conduct ESL curriculum alignment by holding quarterly staff meetings between VVC and local Adult Education ESL programs. This will help determine our ESL students’ needs in terms of levels, curriculum, and length of classes to be offered.
Strategy #2
VVAERC will align and/or articulate ESL programs. At member district request, VVC may provide ESL Levels courses not offered at the adult school to member districts in order to address gaps as needed. This will ensure all levels of ESL are offered throughout the region.
Strategy #3
VVAERC will develop a marketing and outreach plan including strategies on using social media, radio advertisements, printed marketing collateral, and the use of a consortia level website. These advertisements will be marketed through our WIOA partner agencies, libraries and public transportation in order to better target specific populations.
Strategy #4
VVAERC will implement a strategy to increase articulated CTE courses at all adult schools, which will create more career opportunities for our adult students and make stronger connections with our region’s employers.
Strategy #5
VVAERC will implement a continuous quality improvement cycle for curriculum, data, and accountability by including adult education faculty to curriculum alignment meetings with high school and college faculty, holding quarterly data meetings, and piloting first year WASC accreditations at Snowline Adult School and Victor Valley Adult School.
Strategy #6
VVAERC will provide citizenship preparation classes to increase the number of students undertaking the naturalization process which should help with increased employment, wage gain and transitioning to higher levels of education and/or post-secondary education.

Seamless Transitions

New Strategies

Strategy #1
VVAERC will implement a strategy to transition High School Diploma/High School Equivalency students to Victor Valley College in order to meet the goal of helping students attend college and to assist in that process. We will implement the services of the VVC Transition Counselor who will schedule meetings with Adult Education students who are interested in becoming a VVC student, where they will understand the steps to enrollment and the matriculation process to.
Strategy #2
Students preparing to complete their High School Diploma Program or equivalency will be able to meet with the Transition Counselor to develop their Transition Plan including a Preliminary Educational Plan to discuss college and career goals. The Transition Plan will include identifying special programs such as former Foster Youth, CalWORKS, EOPS, ACCESS and other specialized student support services.
Strategy #3
VVAERC will promote America’s Job Center of California workshops and services to adult education students to increase employment opportunities.
Strategy #4
VVAERC will track students enrolled in articulated CTE courses, in order to grant them college credit.
Strategy #5
VVAERC will partner with the Mountain Desert Career Pathways Region Consortium (MDCP), which solidifies all articulation efforts with VVC, as there is a MOU that states that when a K-12 CTE course is articulated with VVC, then the same Adult School CTE course is also articulated.
Strategy #6
Create adult education student pathways to support AB540 and AB705.
Strategy #7
Transitional counselor to collaborate with member districts to develop a transition boot camp for adult education students transitioning to post-secondary.

Student Acceleration

New Strategies

Strategy #1
VVAERC will develop, expand, and encourage dual enrollment opportunities on both the college and adult school campuses. Dual enrollment partnerships provide critical support for underachieving students, those from groups underrepresented in postsecondary education, those who are seeking advanced studies while completing a high school diploma, and those seeking a career technical education credential or certificate.
Strategy #2
VVAERC members will explore models of acceleration including blended learning models of instruction
Strategy #3
Develop a Peer Mentor Program for adult students transitioning to the college.
Strategy #4
VVAERC members will use google classroom, Canvas, or similar models of online instruction to deliver individualized instruction to students.

Professional Development

New Strategies

Strategy #1
VVAERC will initiate a shared delivery of professional development training throughout the consortium to strengthen collaborative efforts. These training programs will be promoted to all VVAERC faculty and staff.
Strategy #2
Professional development will be held on the best practices for closing the achievement gap with a focus on transitioning from adult school to college.
Strategy #3
Professional development will be held on developing the Citizenship Preparation curriculum for staff.
Strategy #4
VVAERC Member Districts will participate in regional, state and national conferences pertaining to the AEP's identified program areas; ABE/ASE, HSD/HSE, ESL, adults with disabilities, and CTE. These include, but are not limited to: CASAS Summer Institute, CCAE, CAEAA, GED Annual Conference, Non-Credit Institute, CWA, COABE, CAROCP etc. In addition, members will attend regional AEP consortium and TAP AEP training.

Leveraging Resources

New Strategies

Strategy #1
VVAERC adult schools will continue to promote active student participation in VVC’s open houses, college and program tours, and utilize VVC staff including counselors, financial aid officers, instructors, and Rambassadors. The consortium will continue to host a joint regional Adult Education graduation ceremony.
Strategy #2
VVAERC will leverage existing relationships with workforce, nonprofits, and Community-Based Organizations to increase entry into ESL and citizenship programs.
Strategy #3
VVAERC will leverage the resources of the MDCP, which has numerous connections with industry. Since, three of our adult school administrators participate in this consortium, we will be able to access and utilize this database to help build and/or expand adult school CTE offerings.
Strategy #4
VVAERC will track students who take a CTE course in an adult school and then continue their CTE pathway at VVC. This program will give our consortium an avenue to build and/or expand adult school CTE offerings.
Strategy #5
VVAERC will strengthen the relationship with community partners to improve the access to supportive services for adult learners and participate in any community partner events.
Strategy #6
VVAERC will partner with organizations, such as TODEC and Catholic Charities that provide citizenship preparation, workshops and classes, and legal immigration services.
Strategy #7
VVAERC will continue to support the transition counselor hired and housed at VVC to provide transition services to all member adult schools.

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.
VVAERC will engage members in the ongoing analysis of program data, outcomes, and budget reports to ensure that allocations and Annual Plan strategies are consistent with both the AEP Objectives & Program Areas and the consortium's approved Three-Year Plan.
An approach to incorporating remaining carry-over funds from prior year(s) into strategies planned for 2020-21.
Member Districts participate in meetings to examine budgetary and regional needs and make recommendations to the Executive Board. The Fiscal Agent completed the close out reporting for Data & Accountability Funds. Member districts will be financially responsible for purchases previously made using Data & Accountability Funding as this fund source is not being renewed.

Certification

Apple Valley Unified - Member Representative

Approved by adele mcclain 9857218

08/14/2020 01:19 PM PDT

Hesperia Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Kim Walker

08/14/2020 01:15 PM PDT

Lucerne Valley Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Douglas Beaton

08/14/2020 12:49 PM PDT

Snowline Joint Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Chad Brooks

08/14/2020 01:47 PM PDT

Victor Valley CCD - Member Representative

  • Todd Scott
  • Dean, Health Sciences, Public Safety, and Industrial Technology
  • todd.scott@vvc.edu
  • (760) 245-4271 ext: 2412
Approved by Martha Mendez

08/14/2020 12:39 PM PDT

Victor Valley Union High - Member Representative

Approved by Dr. Lorraine Collins

08/14/2020 01:46 PM PDT