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CAEP Annual Plan: 2019-20 18 Gavilan Regional Adult Career and Education Services

Status: Consortium Approved

California Adult Education Program : Annual Plan : 2019-20 Produced: May 13, 2019, 3:56 PM UTC Elaine Klauer

18 Gavilan Regional Adult Career and Education Services

Plans & Goals - Consortium Approved

Executive Summary
Gavilan Regional Adult and Career Education Services (ACES) plans to take logical next steps to expand existing programs and services and to connect with more community services and businesses. Program areas to be served will continue to be Classes for Immigrants, High School Equivalency/High School Diploma, and Short –Term Vocational Programs. Shifts will occur in numbers served in each program area according to community needs suggested by local data. As first goal, ACES will strive to increase performance in student transitions, completion and activities related to short-term vocational program creation and workforce placement. In order to strengthen transitions, similar forms will be used upon entry and exit to create both “educational plans” and to collect exit data. There will be training for adult education staff to ensure their understanding of community college admissions and financial aid processes, and community college counselors will likewise visit the adult education campuses regularly to create connections with students to facilitate a warm hand off. Newly created ESL curriculum will be reviewed by instructors of both adult education and community college ESL programs in order to align and articulate programs. This alignment will outline the scope and sequence of each program so that gaps can be avoided in linguistic development and preparation. Collaboration with local high schools will continue to create dual enrollment courses and to transition vocational high school students to appropriate college certificate and degree programs. With these systems in place, ACES hopes to create pathways that are clear and followed by students to take them to the next step in their academic and workforce journey. A second goal is to improve completion rates. While many students “stop out” on their educational journey, it will be less likely to occur if ESL programs feature compressed and integrated curriculum; the more quickly students can progress, the less possibility there is for them to leave before completing. Services also assist students on their path to completion: counseling and childcare already exist within our agencies but will be expanded in the second three-year cycle. Newer to the consortium and set to be expanded is the implementation of tutoring for ESL students. An ESL Program Specialist has begun to provide individual and small group tutoring and workshops for the daytime students and evening students will receive extra help before start of evening classes. A third goal is the expansion of short-term vocational programs and complementary services. Curriculum will be developed for classes/programs to begin in our service area. In order to identify the best programs to develop, staff will partner with local businesses to determine local needs for specialized programs and training. As connections deepen, the agencies will seek internships or other partnerships with these and other businesses. Directors will also work with local agencies to offer job placement for students who have completed soft skills and program training.
Regional Planning Overview
The consortium holds regular meetings and has frequent partner updates and discussions regarding collaborative opportunities. The current planning process has laid the foundation for the consortium's three-year plan. The consortium has conducted research, gap analyses, and asset mapping, which has led to highly detailed logic models. All of these efforts will ensure that the next three-year plan will be well-founded and data driven.

Meeting Regional Needs

Regional Need #1

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Gaps in Service / Regional Needs Census data informs us that there is a far greater number of residents who would benefit from consortium programs and services than are currently being served, particularly those in need of the High School Diploma in the central and southern areas. The northern region borders a large city and is a favored suburb of the Silicon Valley. While many years ago, courses for immigrants was quite a strong program, many foreign –born Silicon Valley workers live there now, and the fields of the past have been replaced by concrete and their workers long gone. Moreover, the proportion of the population of individuals without a high school diploma is high in the southern part of the district. Drilling down, Hispanic residents are particularly in need with nearly 40% not having a high school diploma.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
A review of demographic data showed a dramatic need for high school diploma/high school equivalency services particularly in the Southern part of the district and particularly with Hispanic-Americans. In San Benito County, for example, 37 percent of Hispanic males do not have a high school diploma. The consortium used American Community Survey data to look at regional and ethnic sub-groupings The data was very instructive in targeting sub-populations and even neighborhoods for services.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Student diploma and high school equivalency test completion will be tracked to determine the effectiveness of the outreach and programming efforts. These are data that are tracked through the consortium and through statewide tools.

Regional Need #2

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
Like many areas in the industrial marketplace, manufacturing businesses are indicating a great need to fill open positions. Due to there being so many jobs available, there are many options for workers to choose from so the market is changing in what it is requiring from workers as well as what businesses are offering potential new employees. Depending on the task required, some businesses are offering on-site training, more part-time positions, or lowering educational and English proficiency requirements. However, the majority of businesses are still looking for knowledge in basic to intermediate computers, more advanced computer skills in programs like computer aided design (CAD) software or enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, Solid Works, and understanding of how to read blueprints. Even with the current multiple opportunities for employment, market projections see this industry sector continuing to rise as high as 10% in some areas of manufacturing but as high as 15% for computer controlled manufacturing in the next 6 years. Jobs in these fields grew 2.6% in the last year in Santa Clara and San Benito Counties. In a market that is falling in many other industries in the local area, this growth was one of the largest growths seen in all local industries in the last year (March 2019). The Health Care & Social Assistance sector employment numbers (which the listed occupations are a part of) has risen by 2.1% in the last year which demonstrates some growth even in a plateaued economic environment. Overall the rate of change or growth of jobs predicted for the Health Care occupations listed over the 2017-22 time period run from 8.7% for Pharmacy Technicians to 15.6% growth for Phlebotomists and Medical Assistants. Agricultural businesses in both South Santa Clara County and San Benito County are having labor shortages at all skill levels. Regional agricultural businesses continue to face issues that affect California agriculture overall such as: food safety, regulation, weather, and development pressures. As in most industries, prices pressures are constant. Businesses are reporting not being able to fill open positions. There is an increased interest in the creation of partnerships to train existing employees to fill higher level positions. Additionally, employers are looking to our students to fill open positions. San Benito County projects growth for agriculture to be relatively flat at under 2% for the next 10 years. As for labor market growth, it appears as if food safety professionals and food processer positions are both being projected to grow over the next 5 years at over 6%.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
Labor market data was intensively reviewed to identify the sectors that had the most growth potential and employment needs over the next ten years. The consortium members also surveyed local business representatives to better understand current and future labor market conditions. A gap analysis was also used to determine what services were not currently offered.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
Program development will be measured by an increase in the number of short term vocational programs and their enrollments. Student program completion and job placement will be used to determine the effectiveness of the newly developed programs and hubs.

Regional Need #3

Gaps in Service / Regional Needs
As with most adult and high need students, support for student transitions is exceedingly important. The consortium has three partner adult schools each with a limited amount of advisory and/or counseling services. In order to improve students’ movement from adult ed to community college, transitions and more systematic and regular services are needed. Also important are the training of current staff in the K-12 adult programs on enrollment, registration, and financial aid information.
How do you know? What resources did you use to identify these gaps?
These gaps have been identified by our partners. A review of staffing allocated to transition services suggests a need to expand and improve these services.
How will you measure effectiveness / progress towards meeting this need?
One of the new strategies that will be developed over the course of the three-year plan is a student transition tracking process. Currently, the consortium has no way of tracking students’ movement from Adult Education programs to Gavilan College. As this is one of the goals of the long range plan, a system will need to be developed. It is likely that it will include an annual data export and matching process that happens at the consortium level. The success of this effort will be determined by whether or not the data can be used to view transitions. A series of meetings will be used to outline a process and then the process will be tested and then put into place moving forward. Each year the process will be reviewed to determine if it is operating accurately.

Gaps In Service

New Strategies

Strategy #1
There are unmet labor market needs and a lack of short term vocational programs. In order to address these gaps, the consortium will establish and offer more vocational programs which will address labor market and regional employment needs. Regional business partnerships will lead to specialized training for employees.
Strategy #2
In order to support student completion of vocational programs, academic and students support services will be provided. Whole student services such as food, child care, and transportation services will also be offered.
Strategy #3
Students will be provided internship and placement support.

Seamless Transitions

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Consortium member staff will be trained on the opportunities, the processes, and procedures so that students can successfully navigate transitions within and across programs. A common student planning tool will be developed and used across the K-12 Adult Ed programs. Each K-12 Adult School and partner agency will receive regular visits from a Gavilan College Outreach team and counselor.
Strategy #2
Articulation maps will be revised to describe current program-level equivalencies so students can move from program to program. These maps will be used by advisors to properly refer students across programs.
Strategy #3
Joint agreements between high schools, adult schools, and community college will further strengthen the formal connections so that student can make progress and move seamlessly between programs. These agreements will produce dual enrollment and high school-located classes that will encourage student transitions to academic and vocational programs.

Student Acceleration

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Consortium members will implement acceleration approaches to move students more quickly through their chosen program. The College ESL program has submitted a major redesign of its course sequence in order to compress the number of levels. The compression will also include integrated rather than discreet skill course work. More grammar instruction will be provided via workshops and instructional support services.

Professional Development

New Strategies

Strategy #1
Each year the consortium offers a 3-day professional development symposium for all partners and their staff. Sessions have included training in Mental Health, Department of Rehabilitation resources, disability identification and services, instructional technology, and math and English curriculum alignment. Periodically, the consortia of the super-region (Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Southern Santa Clara Counties) collaborate to host a regional event. When one of the partners offers training, it is common to invite the staff of the consortium members. For example, the Community College often has trainings and events and this information is passed on to partners. Each semester the CC provides a lesson sharing event where instructors can share their favorite practice. Another partner offers monthly seminars of varying topics.

Leveraging Resources

New Strategies

Strategy #1
There are a number of community partners who offer instruction, mainly ESL, in the area; most classes are multi-level and conversational or provide literacy. These classes are given in apartment buildings, center classrooms and in libraries. Future Teachers of America Club students act as aides in evening ESL classes hosted at the local high school and taught by community college instructors. HiSET classes are given at the jail and at a local nonprofit organization. Citizenship events are hosted by one non-profit partner to inform students of the process of citizenship acquisition. A 10-week Entrepreneurship class is offered by another nonprofit partner, and as students write their business plans, they may make use of their building to produce their products. A number of services are delivered: Counseling is provided through the community college at the adult schools and in the jail and transition centers. CalWORKS counselors also provide services to assist students in staying on track and completing their programs of study. Childcare is provided in three towns by federal and state agencies and for-profit programs and school districts. To combat food insecurity, two local food pantries supply students with bags of food on a regular basis, while one member agency provides both food and toys to students for the holidays, and a nonprofit supplies additional food. Medical health screenings are accessible onsite on a monthly basis in two locations, and monthly workshops are provided to students on topics such as fair and equal housing at one location. Housing agencies and non-profits provide housing support as well. A number of state and local non-profits provide support for career exploration, counseling, job preparation and job placement, while one non-profit offers interview clothing. Two local companies give workplace tours, encourage job shadowing, and offer jobs to students. Recent relationship building with a local service club led to work (construction and painting) being donated to one of the adult schools. Via one district grant, a job fair for local students will be hosted as well. Many of the partnerships listed above are not one-way. Facilities partnerships, in particular, have been mutually beneficial as the user has provided in kind to location needs.

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.
Planned allocations in the following areas will extend the work of the prior plan: Disability services: testing and assistance with HiSET accommodations, and providing additional services to ESL students. Vocational programming: Development of new collaborations and programs in high need areas. Whole student services: Provision of food, child care, and transportation vouchers. Addressing gaps in services: A marketing campaign will target Spanish-speaking residents without HS diplomas. Seamless pathways: Regular meetings will occur with administrative leaders and counselors/advisers which will assist with articulation and student transitions. Acceleration: Gavilan ESL course sequence will be compressed. Academic support: More systematic embedded academic support will be developed for students in the ESL course sequence. Professional Development: In addition to the extensive professional development currently provided, new training for those who work with incarcerated students will be offered. Leveraging: Continue to work with partners including an increased presence at county workforce development agencies and county corrections. Increase partnerships with local business to develop and offer training programs.
An approach to incorporating remaining carry-over funds from prior year(s) into strategies planned for 2019-20.
As done previously, the consortium plans to use rollover funds for one-time expenditures such as facility and equipment upgrades, instructional supplies, and curriculum and program development.

Certification

Gavilan Joint CCD - Member Representative

Approved by Randy Brown

2019-05-13

Gilroy Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Greg Camacho-Light

2019-05-10

Morgan Hill Unified - Member Representative

Approved by Shannon Lane

2019-05-13

San Benito High - Member Representative

Approved by Elaine Klauer

2019-05-13