California Adult Schools –
What Do They Do?
Toward One Vision, One Voice
Presented by:
Brigitte Marshall, Director
Oakland Adult and Career Education
Oakland Unified School District
Characterizing the Challenge
California adult schools are as varied as the
communities they serve – how do we address:
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Content Standards
Student Outcomes
Program Quality
Data and Anecdotes
Differentiated Funding
Organizational Confusion
Assumptions Behind This Proposed
Vision for Our Future….
• One Vision, One Voice
• Rigorous Instructional Program Content
Standards
• Data Management System
A Request
As you listen…
• Focus on seeing the big picture
– “Squint the details away” for now
– Is the overall proposal coherent?
• Listen “in” your assigned role
• Look for opportunities for inclusion and
safeguarding of all the good things we do
• Monitor reactions, suspend judgment
• Provide constructive feedback
What do California Adult Schools do?
California Adult Schools provide
critically important, high quality
educational programs that:
• Support the development of vibrant and
healthy communities
• Support successful Pre-K through Grade
12 schools
• Support local workforce development
How is a California Adult School
Educational Program Defined?
California Adult School educational programs…
• Are based on state approved standards.
• Provide rigorous training, development and skill
building and
• Demonstrate measurable learning outcomes for all
adult student participants.
California Adult Schools offer…
Educational programs in five different
instructional areas:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Adult Basic Education and Adult Secondary
Education (ABE/ASE)
Career Technical Education (CTE)
Parenting Education (PE)
Education for Independent Living (EIL)
5 Programs Support 3 Goals
(…and Learning for Life!)
Skilled Workforce
Successful Schools
Adult Basic
Education/Adult
Secondary Education
Career
Technical
English as a Second
Language
Education
Parenting
Education
Education for
Independent Living
Vibrant Communities
English as a Second Language:
Educational goals of the Program:
• To promote development of English
language and literacy skills so that adult
refugees and immigrants may achieve
their family, employment, community
integration and lifelong learning goals.
English as a Second Language:
As measured by:
• Demonstrated mastery of competencies
identified in the California Adult Education ESL
Content Standards, Level completion
certification and attainment of Citizenship
• Successful transition to Adult Secondary
Education programs and post secondary
education
• Successful transition to and retention of
employment
English as a Second Language:
English as Second Language includes…
• ESL
• Vocational ESL
• ESL for Citizenship
• English Literacy and Civics Education
• Family Literacy (CBET)
Adult Basic Education and Adult
Secondary Education
Educational goals of the Program:
• To promote the development of elementary
and secondary basic skills for students
pursuing a HS Diploma or GED and those
needing academic remediation.
Adult Basic Education and Adult
Secondary Education
As measured by:
• Demonstrated mastery of competencies identified in
the California Adult Education Basic and Secondary
Skills Content Standards
• Attainment of a California High School Diploma,
including success on the California High School Exit
Exam
• Attainment of the GED Certificate
• Successful transition to Post Secondary Education
• Successful transition to and retention of employment
Adult Basic Education and Adult
Secondary Education
Adult Basic Education and Adult Secondary
Education Includes…
1.
2.
3.
Adult Basic Education
High School Diploma
General Educational Development
Career Technical Education
Educational goals of the Program:
• To promote the development of skills
necessary for successful participation in the
workforce including occupation specific
skills, technical skills and employability skills.
Career Technical Education
As measured by:
• Demonstrated mastery of competencies
identified in the California Adult Career
Technical Education Content Standards
• Attainment of Skills Certifications
• Successful transition to and retention of
employment
Career Technical Education
Career Technical Education Includes…….
1. Sequenced classes in 15 different Industry
Career Clusters
2. Workforce Readiness Skills
3. Workplace Based Training
Parenting Education
Educational goals of the Program:
• To promote development of knowledge and
skills that strengthen effectiveness of
parents/family members and support healthy,
well-functioning families.
Parenting Education
As measured by:
• Demonstrated mastery of
competencies identified in the
California Adult Education Parenting
Education Content Standards
• Completion of Skills Training Certificate
Programs
Parenting Education
Parenting Education Includes……
1) Prenatal/Childbirth Education
2) Effective Parenting Techniques
3) Parenting for Special Needs
4) Family Member Interactions
5) Parenting for Pregnant and Parenting Teens
Education for Independent Living
Educational goals of the Program:
• To promote skill development and life
long learning in order to improve or
sustain health, wellness, mental acuity,
independence and quality of life.
Education for Independent Living
As measured by:
• Demonstrated mastery of competencies
identified in the California Adult
Education, Education for Independent
Living Content Standards
• Course Completion Certification
Education for Independent Living
Education for Independent Living Includes…
1. Life Skills and Functional Academics
2. Community Access Skills and Functional
Academics
3. Health and Well Being, Nutrition, and Safety
4. Financial Literacy
5. Life Transitions
6. Creative Expression
Access to Education
• Most classes in California Adult Schools are
offered at no or low cost.
• In addition, California Adult Schools also
offer a rich array of fee-based Community
Interest Classes and Fee For Service
Programs on a contract basis.
Whom Do We Serve?
California Adult Schools
are:
• Student-centered
• Responsive
• Flexible
Particular needs
of specific
populations
Integration of
specific
sub-populations
Student-centered, Responsive, Flexible
English as a Second Language (ESL)
ESL classes specifically designed to:
• provide refugee and immigrant parents with
the skills they need to support the success of
their school age children.
• respond to the challenges faced by older
adults in learning a new language and
culture.
Student-centered, Responsive, Flexible
Adult Basic Education/Adult Secondary
Education (ABE/ASE)
ABE classes specifically designed to support
adults who have:
• developmental delays,
• acquired brain injuries or
• cognitive, mental, emotional and/or physical
disabilities
In the development of basic educational skills.
Student-centered, Responsive, Flexible
Adult Basic Education/Adult
Secondary Education (ABE/ASE)
ASE or GED classes specifically
designed to support adults for
whom English is a second
language.
Student-centered, Responsive, Flexible
Adult Basic Education/Adult
Secondary Education (ABE/ASE)
Adult High School Diploma classes designed
specifically for adults can accommodate high
school students who are at risk of not
graduating with their class by enrolling them
on a concurrent basis to provide them with
an opportunity to recover deficient high
school credits.
Student-centered, Responsive, Flexible
Career Technical Education (CTE)
CTE classes specifically designed to:
• meet the needs of Older Adults who training to reenter the workforce.
• support the development of workforce skills for
adults with:
– developmental delays,
– acquired brain injuries or
– cognitive, mental, emotional and/or physical disabilities.
Student-centered, Responsive, Flexible
Career Technical Education (CTE)
CTE classes specifically designed to:
• support ex-offenders seeking employment
skills to help them successfully re-enter
mainstream society.
• support skills training in a particular
occupational strand for individuals with
limited English.
Student-centered, Responsive, Flexible
Parenting Education (PE)
PE classes specifically designed for
individuals referred by the family court
system – classes designed for parents
who have been mandated to participate in
a parenting education program as part of
a broader social service and/or criminal
proceedings intervention.
Student-centered, Responsive, Flexible
Education for Independent Living (EIL)
EIL classes specifically designed to support the
development of skills needed by adults with:
• developmental delays,
• cognitive, mental and/or emotional impairment,
• physical disabilities or
• acquired brain injuries
So they may pursue the maximum amount of
autonomy, self determination and independence
possible.
Student-centered, Responsive, Flexible
Education for Independent Living
(EIL)
EIL classes specifically designed for Older Adults
support maintenance of:
• cognitive,
• physical,
• mental and
• emotional functionality
for older adults in order that they may pursue
independent, rich and fulfilling lives for as long as
possible.
California Adult Schools
• an essential part of the workforce
development system
• a critical asset to healthy and vibrant
community development
• a fundamental component of pre K
through grade 12 school success
Your tasks…
•
In your assigned role:
Your reflections on the proposal?
•
And… as California Adult School Professionals:
In what ways does this model hold hope for
California Adult Schools and their future?
Why do I believe this model holds
hope for California Adult Schools
and their future?
• It is clean, simple and accessible.
• The mission is clear – 3 critically
important goals
• The structure is clear - 5 high
quality educational programs
Why do I believe this model holds
hope for California Adult Schools
and their future?
• Emphasis on educational program
quality
• Measurable and tangible outcomes
What this model can mean for the future
of California Adult Schools
• Plays to our strengths – flexibility and
responsiveness.
• Holds high quality educational
programming as the one “nonnegotiable”.
• Consistency and integrity.
With responsibility comes
opportunity