Opening Doors, Delivering Success

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Opening Doors, Delivering Success
California Adult Schools
Testimony to the Assembly Select Committee on
Adult Education July 29, 2003
Patrick Ainsworth, Ed.D. Assistant
Superintendent, Director Secondary,
Postsecondary and Adult Leadership
Division California Department of Education
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Agenda
California Adult Schools

• Mission
• Educational Needs
• Resources
• Programs
• California Department of Education Leadership
• Benefits

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California Adult Schools
Mission
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Mission
California Adult Schools

• Provide high quality educational services for
  adults
• Serve adults with lowest literacy levels and
  skills below high school
• Reach the hardest to serve, most in need
• Address national, state, and community needs and
  interests

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Goals
California Adult Schools

• Be accessible and appealing to all adults
• Promote self-worth, self-actualization and a
  positive attitude
• Help build the future with
• Productive citizens
• Skilled workers
• Effective family members
• Technologically proficient adults

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Important for Everyone
California Adult Schools

• Cornerstone of future economic development
• Better wages
• Improves families and communities
• Positive family interaction
• Involvement in community

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California Adult Schools
Educational Needs
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At Risk Adults
California Adult Schools

• 2.4 million adults have less than a 9th grade
  education
• 70 are unemployed or living in poverty
• Hardest to recruit
• Many are post-release from institutions
• Another 2.5 million have some high school but no
  diploma

2000 US Census data 2001-02 student and cost data
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Immigrants
California Adult Schools

• One in four California residents is foreign born
• Many immigrants have little education in their
  native land
• 62 of Hispanic adults in CA have not completed
  high school
• 72 without diplomas are immigrants

2000 US Census data 2001-02 student and cost data
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Resources
California Adult Schools
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Funding Sources
California Adult Schools

• State apportionment from Proposition 98 education
  funds
• Capped at 1978 levels, plus annual growth
• Supplemental federal Workforce Investment Act
  (WIA) Title II
• Federal Carl D. Perkins vocational funds

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2001-02 Adult School Funding
California Adult Schools

• State apportionment
• CalWORKs apportionment
• CalWORKs support services
• Apprenticeship
• Carl D. Perkins
• Federal WIA Title II

562 M 18 M 6 M 15 M 14 M 46 M
Federal funds
2000 US Census data 2001-02 student and cost data
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Structure
California Adult Schools

• 358 districts have adult school programs
• Classes held at thousands of sites
• Employs 15,000 teachers
• Local school boards determine courses based on
  community needs

2000 US Census data 2001-02 student and cost data
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Courses Offered
California Adult Schools

• Locally based needs assessment
• Education Code requires
• Adult Basic Education (ABE)
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Citizenship for Immigrants
• High School Diploma and GED programs
• Job market surveys direct Career Technical
  Education classes

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Student Profile
California Adult Schools

• Over 1 million students attend apportionment
  classes
• Students range from 18 to 100 years old
• 60 are female
• 68 are non-white
• 535,000 Hispanics
• 135,000 Asian
• 58,000 African American
• 76,000 adult students are on public assistance

2000 US Census data 2001-02 student and cost data
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Student Profile
California Adult Schools

• Nearly 500,000 adults learned English
• 180,000 adults worked toward their high school
• diploma or GED
• 160,000 adults learned new job skills
• 55,000 participated in Adult Basic Education
• 45,000 parents attended parent education

2000 US Census data 2001-02 student and cost data
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Programs
California Adult Schools
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Programs
California Adult Schools

• Ten areas authorized for apportionment

• ESL
• High School Diploma
• Vocational Education
• Older Adults
• ABE
• Parent Education

• Adults with
• Disabilities
• Citizenship
• Health and Safety
• Home Economics

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School Profile
California Adult Schools

• Located in urban, rural, and geographically
  remote areas
• Classes are located throughout the community
• Teachers are fully credentialed
• All courses must meet state standards

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Different From High School
California Adult Schools

• Attendance is voluntary
• Classes are open entry/open exit
• Students proceed at their own pace
• Instruction
• addresses multiple learning styles
• uses real-life materials
• focuses on adult roles and responsibilities
• Adult school diploma requirements meet all
  California standards

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Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title II
California Adult Schools

• Federal funds supplement existing adult literacy
  programs
• Adult schools
• Community college non-credit
• Community based organizations (CBO)
• Literacy tutoring programs
• Institutions
• Pay for performance focuses on student outcomes

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California Department of Education Leadership
California Adult Schools
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Californias WIA Title II Goals
California Adult Schools

• Expand citizenship programs
• Expand programs for native English speaking ABE
  students
• Increase student options and choices
• CBO involvement
• Tutoring programs
• Improve students involvement in their families
  and communities

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Compliance
California Adult Schools

• Education Code compliance review
• WIA Title II programs monitored annually
• Technical assistance available to all state and
  federal programs
• Consultation from CDE
• Professional development
• Technology
• Distance learning
• Student assessment and evaluation

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Accountability
California Adult Schools

• Demographic information for all students in all
  programs
• Standardized test data for all students in WIA
  Title II programs
• Outcome information for all students in WIA Title
  II programs
• Californias WIA Title II programs met or
  exceeded all federal goals for 2001-02

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Benefits
California Adult Schools
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Student Benefits
California Adult Schools

• Acquire knowledge and skills for the 21st century
• Doorway to postsecondary education
• Get better jobs, become skilled workers
• Completing high school contributes to earnings
  increases
• Self-worth, self-actualization and a positive
  attitude

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Benefits for Children
California Adult Schools

• Education of a parent contributes to childs
  success
• Parents and children learn to work together
• Parents become role models
• Learn basic information about child development
• Identify their responsibilities

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Workforce Benefits
California Adult Schools

• Respond to workforce needs
• Many programs meet industry-based certification
  standards
• Courses developed quickly based on community
  needs
• Skilled workers
• Technologically proficient adults

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Community Benefits
California Adult Schools

• Active participants in the community
• Knowledgeable citizens
• Positive contribution to economic development

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Summary
California Adult Schools

• Adult schools are responsive to both local and
  state concerns
• Adult schools are highly accountable
• Adult schools provide strong return on investment
• A million adult school students cant be wrong