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Strong, mutually beneficial relationships with local schooldistricts and communities are critical to the continuedsustainability of adult schools. Today local boards ofeducation are grappling with how to equitably provide thehighest standards of education and services for all studentswhile facing drastically reduced funding for supportprograms. Adult schools must be part of the solution tothis challenging dilemma.

In June 2009, the Adult Education Administrators Forumheld the "Managing Relationships with Your District andCommunity" webinar. The objectives of this session wereto share strategies for:

1) Communicating with local school districts andboards of education;

2) Communicating with your community advisorycommittee and community at large; and

3) Positioning your adult school for support fromboth the district and the community.

The webinar provided examples of actions and activitiesthat have worked to strengthen relationships with districtsand communities for both a medium and a large adultschool, and discussed what can be done to show the valueof adult schools to local school districts. This articleprovides a summary of the strategies and ideas shared tohelp you build these relationships.

Building Relationships withYour District and Community

by Cherise G. Moore, Ph.D., Director, Burbank Adult School

I N S I D EVolume VIII - Fall 2009

Building Relationships with Your District and Community Cherise G. MooreMessage from the Director Mariann FedeleState of the Field Debra JonesStrategies for Success: Survival in Today’s Business Climate Susan D. HandyPartnerships in Today’s Changing Environment Lori StrumpfSupporting Family Literacy Through Collaborations with Early Childhood Programs Heather QuickStaff Collaborations: In Line with Professional Learning Communities Nancy GeorgeAdult School–University Partnership: Centered on Student Learning Ercilia Zavala DonnellyGEDs to Ph.D.’s: Collaborating to Facilitate Students’ Success at the Postsecondary Level Julie ScoskieHighlights of CALPRO Activities Catherine Green and Amy Park

Strategy 1: Align the goals of the adult school with thoseof the school district

How do the adult school's goals align with those of theschool district? Often adult schools do not see themselvesas part of a larger K-12 district, and work in isolation toaccomplish goals that may not mutually benefit the schooldistrict. To ensure support from the district, adult schoolsshould instead work to understand the goals and prioritiesof the school district and then focus on the areas wheregoals align and deemphasize the areas where they do not.

Most school districts have improved student learning andachievement as primary goals. Most adult schools, on theother hand, have identified expected schoolwide learningresults (ESLRs) as their goals for the school. These oftenfocus on broad goals for students (e.g., lifelong learning)that may be difficult to align with a district goal ofimproving student learning and achievement. While theseare valuable goals for adult schools to have for theirstudents, a goal that more directly addresses improvingstudent outcomes and achievement might align betterwith the district's goals. An example could be the goal ofimproving completion rates of concurrent studentsenrolled at the adult school; this directly relates to thedistrict goal of improving student learning andachievement.

Colleagues, we are pleased to bring you the fall 2009edition of the CALPROgress newsletter. As Debra Jonesnotes in her "State of the Field" column this is a time ofchallenge. So, as we considered the overarching theme ofthis newsletter, we sought examples of adult educationagencies leveraging the resources of other sectors andpartners both to maintain seamless high-quality service fortheir students and communities, and as a means tostrategically position themselves for the future. As wespoke with potential authors, "collaborations" emerged asthe broad, organizing theme for this edition.

The articles are by state and national leaders in adulteducation, and cover a range of perspectives on policy,research, and practice. Article topics include: the role ofadult education as an indispensible partner to districts andcommunities, collaborations between adult schools andcommunity colleges, collaborations with the workforcedevelopment system, and collaborations in professionaldevelopment.

CALPRO has endeavored to enhance our collaborationswith state and national partners. Two such efforts haveincluded the rollout of the Adult Education AdministratorsForum and the partnership between CALPRO and theNational Institute for Literacy (NIFL) to offer Learning toAchieve: A Research Based Training on Learning to ServeAdults with Learning Disabilities. The AdministratorsForum is a joint effort between CALPRO, CASAS, and OTANto provide a professional development venue for adulteducation administrators (see page 11). Articles in thisnewsletter are written by Administrators Forum presentersCherise Moore and Susan Handy. The partnership withNIFL has yielded NIFL-sponsored training for 40 Californiaadult educators on the Learning to Achieve curriculum.

This year CALPRO will be collaborating with the NationalCollege Transition Network to offer professionaldevelopment for programs interested in developing post-secondary transition initiatives (see page 13). We willcontinue to seek out partnerships and collaborations tobring innovative research-based professional developmentto California's adult educators. We hope that the ideas andstrategies shared in this edition will support efforts atprogram innovation and the establishment of strategicpartnerships.

Message from the Director

Mariann FedeleDirector, CALPRO

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2009 Leadership Institute Graduates

After ten days of sessions with seasoned adult educationadministrators for the past two years, 10 newadministrators graduated from the CALPRO AdultEducation Leadership Institute. This cohort of graduatesworked closely together as changes in the state budgetpresented new challenges in administering adulteducation programs. State administrator Debra Jonescongratulated them and presented their certificates onJuly 22. The graduates are

Stephanie Bennett, Fortuna Adult School

Chan Bostwick, LAUSD - Evans Community Adult School

Sue Brittian, Bakersfield Adult School

Michelle Dusel, Milpitas Adult School

Mia Fuhrer, Winterstein Adult Center

Michelle Hutchins, Eureka Adult School

Candace Lee, LAUSD - Evans Community Adult School

Laurel Leonard-Brol, Napa Valley Adult Education

Guy Malain, Shasta Adult School

Blanca Rochin, Downey Adult School

Applications for a new cohort will be available on theCALPRO Web site at www.calpro-online.org.

The field of adult education in California is facingunprecedented challenges and pressures. At the same time,opportunities are unfolding. The California Department ofEducation (CDE) and the Leadership Projects—CASAS,CALPRO, and OTAN—have undertaken a number ofinitiatives and projects to meet these challenges.

One of these projects is the Adult Education Strategic Plan,being created with the support and expertise of WestEd.The process of creating the plan is well underway: thesteering committee has met several times, information hasbeen presented at numerous conferences, national adulteducation directors have been interviewed, stakeholdersand expert panelists have provided input for the needsassessment, and information from the field has beengathered via interviews and a survey. The plan is to becompleted by September 2010. The draft of the needsassessment is currently being reviewed and edited; it will beposted when complete. More information about thestrategic plan can be found at www.otan.us/strategicPlanning/index.html.

In addition, CDE is responding to a growing focus within theU.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational andAdult Education on transitions to postsecondary trainingand to the workplace. The CDE is hosting events, activities,and pilots that support these priorities. For example,agencies participating in the Adult Basic Education (ABE)Initiative will come together in October for two days toreceive training from CDE, CALPRO, CASAS, and OTAN. ACollege Transition Institute and Summit will take place inlate October, led by CALPRO in collaboration with theNational College Transitions Network. There is also a pilotunderway that focuses on the alignment of the WorkforceInvestment Act (WIA) Title I and WIA Title II. Look forcontinued collaborations as California aligns with this shift infederal priorities.

The continuing challenge for CDE is to be responsive to theemerging needs of our students and the field, especiallyduring this time of transition. The Leadership Projects areworking to provide the field with resources to strengthenthe capacity of agencies as they experience staff turnoverand unexpected challenges. For example, as a result of thehigh rate of turnover of adult school administrators this year,CDE consultants are working to plan an administrators'

State of the FieldDebra Jones

Administrator, Adult Education Office

orientation in early November; more information will beavailable soon.

Another challenge we are facing at CDE is the impact thebudget has had on our ability to travel. We must learn newways to communicate with you, to hear from you, and togive you information. We are working to utilize technologythat enables us to have the rich dialogues that are thecatalyst for real and sustainable change in adult education. Itis also important for educators and administrators in thefield to communicate with each other; on this front, theAdult Education Administrators Forum offers a venue foryou to share valuable resources, ideas, and strategies witheach other.

As we move forward in building a sustainable system, wemust honor the people and work that have contributed tothe 150-year history of adult education. The successes of thepast and the infrastructure and institutional knowledge theyhave left will help in weathering this storm. At the sametime, California adult education must build a new road map.I am hopeful that together we will position adult educationto meet the state's growing demand for an educatedworkforce. The challenges are new and sometimesunexpected; at the same time there are surprisingopportunities. Let us not lose sight of the possibilities andpotential we have to define the future of California's adulteducation system.

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CALPRO is a state leadership project of the CaliforniaDepartment of Education (CDE), Adult Education Office,www.cde.ca.gov. The CDE contracts with the AmericanInstitutes for Research, www.air.org, to fund CALPROactivities.

The CALPROgress newsletter is published twice a yearand features issues related to adult education andliteracy. It contains news about local programs inCalifornia and CALPRO services that supportprofessional development to enhance adult learning.

CALPRO invites readers to send their articles related toprofessional development in adult education andliteracy to Amy Park at apark@air.org.

Read CALPROgress online at www.calpro-online.org.

Strategies for Success: Survival in Today'sBusiness Climate

by Susan D. Handy, M.S., R.N., P.H.N., Principal, Bakersfield Adult School

COL-LAB'O-RATE' v. to work together, to cooperate with

The fact is that collaboration and partnerships will be thedriving force for the success of adult education as we respondto a declining economy. No longer can adult educators "teach"the approved curriculum and send students on their waythinking that we have done our job. Today's educator musttake an active role in the community and get the communityinvolved with adult education. Survival depends on it!

An Education-Business Collaboration

At Bakersfield Adult School, the Job Shadow Program is a"School to Career" project that bridges the gap for adultstudents to the "real work world." They experience firsthandthe job environment and have opportunities to ask specificquestions of employees that will help students understand theexpectations of the workplace and the qualifications needed.

The Job Shadow Student Guide* details the program andstudent expectations. Students prepare by developingpersonal career goals and writing a resume. Students "roleplay" the job interview and review attire, attitude, andteamwork. The Job Shadow Program culminates with half aday spent job shadowing an actual employee at a partnerworksite. Students attend a debriefing the next day discussingtheir experience and writing thank-you notes to their jobshadow partner. The benefit to the partner is to actuallycontribute to an educational experience and make an imprinton the future workforce.

Partners of the Job Shadow Program are represented on theBakersfield Adult School Community Advisory Council.Members of the advisory council include State Farm, a localcredit union, the Department of Human Services, BakersfieldCity Schools, and many, many more. The partnership for theprogram began after building a relationship with the CEO ofState Farm and discussing the need for our learners to getexposure to different job environments.

How Do You Get "Them"?

There are specific steps for convincing the industry partnerthat the "collaboration" is a worthwhile partnership.Members of the community are often overburdened withunmanageable workloads and lots of paperwork. They need to

understand that a partnership will provide benefits that equalthe effect required.

You must begin with strong goals, performance, and values.Do what you say you will do! Your leadership must provideenergy and enthusiasm, build confidence, and build integrity.There are four steps to successful collaboration:

1. Select a coordinator – This is the "key" to success. Who are the movers and shakers? Look at the Boardof Supervisors, City Council, Economic Development,Workforce Investment Board, Department of PublicHealth, Department of Human Services, Chamber ofCommerce, volunteer organizations, privatebusinesses, school districts, and community colleges.The coordinator must be motivated, knowledgeable,and committed to the adult school. The coordinatorwill be responsible for contacting organizations andbusinesses and seeking their commitment. Thecoordinator should be familiar with the adult school'svision, mission, and goals.

2. Network – "Visibility"You have to "be there." Work the room. Introduceyourself to everyone. Soon you will be the face thatthey recognize, the face of adult education.Remember, it is not always what you know, but whoyou know. Have you attended the local WorkforceInvestment Board (WIB), Board of Supervisors, or CityCouncil meetings? Most meetings are open; showyour interest, and give valuable input andrecommendations.

3. Propose a partnership – "What's the nitty gritty?"a. Find out who the "movers and shakers" are in

your community. Contact them!b. You will have to "show" the benefit to the

partner—a stronger, skilled, and motivatedworkforce.

c. Know what you are asking for. What exactlyare the resources and services the partnercan offer? For example – validatingcurriculum, providing a facility, or giving inputon changing job requirements.

d. Share information – Keep them informed.

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Thank you notes, informational fliers,summaries of meeting notes, pictures,pictures, and more pictures! It is true; apicture is worth a thousand words.

e. Remember your role – be clear, be motivated,and be a good listener.

4. Catch the energyYour success depends on imagination, creativity, andan ability to see things that could work! You must bea "positive partner" through involving the community,sharing ideas, and "being there!"

Survival in today's business climate requires collaborations andpartnerships. Sell yourself! Sell your program! Let them knowthat you can do the job! Make them feel involved. You have to"toot your own horn!"

Community Advisory Council

The Bakersfield Adult School Community Advisory Council*has grown from 20 members to over 100. The members arehandpicked. Who needs to be part of the Council, and who willwant to be a part? Common goals, clear direction, andimportant work to do drive the success of this council. Adulteducation needs local community support. The more weinvolve them and share what we do, the more ourcommunities will look to adult education as an importantresource. Sharing student success stories from studentsthemselves will shout our accomplishments. The "flesh toflesh" in-person meetings allow us to spread the enthusiasm.The community will buy in and feel like part of the equation.Make them say "WOW"—one interaction at a time.

The Community Advisory Council meets twice a year, withsmaller "focus" groups (The Lunch Bunch) meeting quarterly.The fall meeting includes all members as we share the visionand mission of Bakersfield Adult School. The five-year plan isreviewed and tables network and give input. The CareerPathways staff schedules the spring meeting. Memberschoose which meeting to attend.

None of us is as smart as all of us! Today you will start workingtogether in successful partnerships that will increase studentsuccess and address the workforce needs of your community

and the economy of the state. No longer can we work in a silo.We are part of a greater picture-so get involved. Challengeswill continue, but clearly adult schools that have communitybuy-in and support will survive and thrive!

Visit Bakersfield Adult school at www.khsd.k12.ca.us/bas

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*Resources from Bakersfield Adult SchoolStudent Job Shadow GuideTeacher Job Shadow Guide

Community Advisory HandbookAvailable upon request from Susan Handy at

shandy@kernhigh.org

Resources on Career AwarenessIntegrating Career Awareness into the ABE & ESOL Classroom:

Curriculum Guidehttp://collegetransition.org/careerawareness.html

Calendar of Events

ACSA Adult EducationConferenceSeptember 23-25, San Diegowww.acsa.org

CATESOL Regional ConferencesOctober 17, San DiegoNovember 7, ConcordNovember 21, Los Angeleswww.catesol.org

California College TransitionInstitute and Summit MeetingOctober 28-29 & 29-30,Sacramentowww.calpro-online.org

CCAE Regional ConferenceNovember 20-21, Palm Springswww.ccaestate.org

COABE/ProLiteracy NationalConferenceMarch 16-19, Chicagowww.coabe.org

CATESOL State ConferenceApril 22-25, Santa Clarawww.catesol.org

CCAE State ConferenceMay 6-8, Palm Springswww.ccaestate.org

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Partnerships—working together toward a common end orgoal. Sounds easy; two or more people or organizationsneed to get something done and figure it should be easyto get together with another entity with the sameobjective. So why is it often so difficult to identify, build,develop, and sustain strategic alliances, partnerships, andcollaborations? Partnerships* have tremendous potentialto help all parties survive and thrive while fulfilling theirvision and objectives cost effectively. Everyone needs todo more and work more effectively, with fewer resources.In a competitive funding environment, partnering canpresent a new way of operating that puts nonprofitagencies and their public and private sector partners onthe same side. From simple agreements to complexcontracts, partnerships can promote organizationaleffectiveness.

A successful partnership takes time to achieve. Alliancessucceed when they are tied to specific short-term, single-focus projects and/or to attaining an organization'sstrategic goals. A partnership is a voluntary andcollaborative joining of two or more entities; allparticipants must work together toward a commonpurpose. In working together, partners will, to varyingdegrees, share risks, responsibilities, resources, andcompetencies. The relationship's underlying purpose is toextend resources, improve work capacity, or grow someaspect of each partner to its benefit.

Partnering is characterized by mutual cooperation andresponsibility; the purpose is to achieve a pre-specifiedgoal. Good partnerships have a clearly defined expectationfor outcomes of the relationship and an understanding ofthe processes and work that will be required to achieve itsgoals. These need to be in place before work begins.Organizations must be deliberate and intentional inselecting partners and collaborative efforts forpartnerships to succeed.

Getting Ready

Partnerships offer great potential to expand your agency'sbase of funding and support, with an important caveat.Never approach partnering with a "What can you do forme?" attitude. There is no faster way to push a potentialpartner away. Effective partners ask: "How can ourpartnership help meet your needs as well as mine?" Thismindset will make you a partner of choice. Establishingpartnerships and being a good partner takes internalcommitment. There are several things you shouldconsider doing internally before inviting other entities topartner with you. These include:

• Clearly identifying what collaborative opportunitiesare available and what the outcome of thecollaborative effort will be;

• Aligning partnering opportunities to yourorganizational strategy;

• Assessing your own organizational culture; and • Assessing staff competencies for collaborative and

team-based approaches.

Benefits and Risks

Concentrate on the "added value" that working inpartnership brings. Partnerships sometimes falter for lackof a clear focus on this—the benefits that partners canachieve that they cannot by acting on their own. Benefitsinclude:

o Greater impacto New and better wayso Spread-out riskso Reduced/shared costs o More resources

Assessing risk includes thinking about the risks associatedwith making the right decisions about the value of thepartnership and the risks tied to partner sophisticationregarding the process itself. Some groups lack experiencein partnering and are unprepared to carry their ownweight, which requires others to absorb more than wasoriginally envisioned. Examples of specific risk factorsinclude:

o Entered into the relationship for the wrongreasons.

o Unprepared to engage in the give-and-take ofworking together.

o Did not provide sufficient structural support for theform the partnership takes.

Partnerships in Today’s Changing Environment

by Lori Strumpf, President, Strumpf Associates: Center for Strategic Change

* The difference between strategic alliances, collaborations,and partnerships has to do with level of engagement and theformality and codification of the relationship. However, forthe purposes of this short article they will be usedsynonymously.

This article is adapted from Klubnik, J. & Strumpf, L. (2009).PARTNERSHIPS: Working Together in Today's Environment.Strumpf Associates. For more information go tohttp://www.strumpfassociates.com/store/Workbooks/

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o Poorly designed and implemented processes—within the existing partner organizations or in thosedesigned specifically for the new relationship.

o Lacked the guidance of a knowledgeable facilitator(either internal or external).

When risks are not pre-identified and addressed, thepartnership is less likely to achieve pre-defined outcomes.The fallout of a negative relationship can include damagedrelationships and networks, unflattering publicity, and lostresources (e.g., time, money).

Finding the Right Partner

Finding a partner that will fit with your organizationrequires:

• Defining what your customers'/students' needs are(both current and future);

• Determining what organizations currently haveresources that you would like to provide to yourcustomers;

• Looking for organizations or groups that align withyour mission, vision, objectives, and organizationalculture; and

• Looking beyond traditional pairing. Be creative inwho you approach. Don't be afraid to look atnontraditional organizations such as faith-basedcommunities. You want your partnership to bediverse and reflect the community you serve.

When you have targeted an organization as a potentialpartner, assess for:

• Their reputation • Enthusiasm quotient • Passion around vision/needs • Ability to complement • Accessibility to talent • Past experience with partnering

Four Keys for Partnerships that Work

Successful partnerships require leadership, trust, learning,

and managing for performance. A structure must be put inplace that provides organizations and their leaders avenue through which they can develop a collaborativevision, for both the partnership and the project; canestablish trust that they can 'count on each other'; canlearn from mistakes and make improvements both to howthey operate and the means (strategies) they are using toaccomplish the intended result (ends); and can developmetrics that they agree will measure theiraccomplishments. With these four keys in place, thepartnership becomes smarter over time, the relationshipsbecome more meaningful, and the outcomes becomemore sustainable.

Is Partnering Right for Your Organization?

The right partnership for the right reasons provides astrategic advantage to your organization. The wrongcollaboration for the wrong reasons is wasted time andenergy. Determine whether your organization canaccomplish its mission better through partnering. Ask thefollowing:

• Is a partnership the most effective way to achieveyour vision and deliver products and services?

• Will partners enable you to reach your targetedcustomers more efficiently and effectively?

• Do potential partners have invaluable insights,experience, knowledge, and contacts they cancontribute to help you better achieve yourmission?

Now is the time to think strategically about how to getready to become a good partner, what you and yourorganization can bring to the table to add value to apartnership, and what you are trying to achieve for yourorganization, your students, and your community throughpartnerships.

Visit Strumpf Associates at www.strumpfassociates.com

Throughout the state, adult education programs arecollaborating with early childhood education programs toengage adults and children in learning together—a modelcalled family literacy. The theory behind family literacy and theintegration of services for all members of the family—oftenprovided by multiple agencies—is that the cycle of poverty andilliteracy can be broken if attacked at multiple entry points.Through family literacy, adults and children learn, and adultsalso learn to support their children's learning over time. Asshown in the model below, family literacy programs directlysupport children's learning outcomes and adult learningoutcomes. In addition, they support children's learningoutcomes through adult learning outcomes.

Since 2002, the American Institutes for Research (AIR), incollaboration with partners at the Center for Improving ChildCare Quality at UCLA, has been conducting an evaluation of acountywide family literacy initiative funded by First 5 LA toexamine the implementation of this model in high-needcommunities in Los Angeles. The study has explored a varietyof implementation issues, including the challenges of bridgingservices across multiple agencies with different goals toachieve desired outcomes for adults and children.

In each year of the study, we have observed significant growthamong adult participants on the CASAS reading assessment.For example, in 2007–2008, average scores for adultsattending at least 100 hours increased from 212 to 219,moving adults from the low end to the high end of the LowIntermediate ESL range (211–220). Greater gains on the CASASwere observed for adults who attended more hours of adulteducation through their family literacy program. Gainingapproximately two points on average for every 100 hours ofservice, adults who participated fully in the program(approximately 430 hours) scored in the Advanced ESL range at224 points, on average, by the end of the year.

In addition, we have seen statistically significant growth on avariety of assessments of children's development and schoolreadiness. For example, compared to the beginning of theprogram year, by the end of the year, 4- and 5-year-old childrenstudied were able to identify more letters (13, on average, upfrom nine), more colors (eight, up from seven), and morenumbers (six, up from four). Children also showed growth on

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Supporting Family Literacy through Collaborations withEarly Childhood Programs: Evidence of Adult Learning fromthe First 5 LA Family Literacy Initiative Evaluation

Comprehensive four-component family literacy programs,typically targeted toward low-income, high-need families,provide adults with opportunities to acquire knowledge andskills to foster self-sufficiency through classes such as Englishas a second language (ESL) classes, General EducationalDevelopment (GED) classes, and vocational education classes,and to enhance their ability to support their children's learningover time through parenting education classes. At the sametime, family literacy programs provide children with earlychildhood education, including preschool classes to preparechildren for success in school.

The fourth component of family literacy brings adults and theirchildren together to engage in interactive literacy activities,encouraging families to spend quality time together whilegiving adults much-needed opportunities to practice their newskills in supporting their child's learning and receive feedbackfrom qualified parent educators or early childhood teachers. Inaddition to the four central components, programs also oftenprovide additional support services to families, such ascounseling and referrals, to ensure that basic needs are met sothat learning may occur.

What is Family Literacy?

receptive vocabulary, English language proficiency, andemergent literacy skills, suggesting that both adults and theirchildren are learning.

In addition to measuring outcomes for children and familiesseparately, we also observed adults and children reading achildren's book together and analyzed their interactions. Wefound some evidence that adults' basic skill learning wasassociated with their ability to support their children'slearning. In particular, adults who attended more hours ofadult education classes through family literacy programs wereobserved to read more of the story aloud to their child,perhaps indicating increased ability and confidence in theirreading skills. In addition, these adults elaborated more ontheir children's questions and responses, an effective strategyfor supporting children's language development. As themodel suggests, adult learning appears to be supportingchildren's learning opportunities.

As noted above, the integration of family literacy services iskey to a seamless service delivery system. While approachesto the integration of services vary widely from program toprogram, some successful strategies include:

• Using common curricular themes in adult education andearly childhood programs so that parents (through ESL)and children are learning similar vocabulary to facilitateconversations to reinforce learning. Examples includethemes such as the ocean, the postal system, orsummertime, for which both parents and children learncommon concepts and vocabulary, and may evenparticipate in related field trips together to reinforce theirlearning about the curricular theme.

• Building in joint planning time or integration meetings forteachers across the four components to ensure that allteachers are emphasizing similar core messages andworking toward common goals for families. For example,joint planning meetings might encourage the use ofcommon concepts/vocabulary or take a "casemanagement" approach to meeting families' needs,discussing how teachers from each program componentmight support particular families or family members in acoordinated way.

Integrated, coordinated, interdisciplinary, family-centeredservices are known to be effective—particularly in earlyintervention, where the family as a whole is the focus. Ourfindings suggest it is more challenging for adult educators andearly childhood/parent educators to actively integrate theirservices. Different agencies working together to provide familyliteracy services often have different priorities, schedules,curricula, and requirements, for example. However, betteroutcomes are expected to come with better integration ofprogram components (i.e., the whole is greater than the sumof its parts), and we find some evidence for this. For example,adults show greater growth in parenting skills when parenteducators are in better communication with adult educationteachers and early childhood teachers. In addition, adultsshow greater growth on reading skills when their teachershave more opportunities for integrating with the rest of thefamily literacy program—that is, when they have moreexperience working in a family literacy context and when theyhave a greater proportion of family literacy students in theclassroom. This may also suggest the importance of peersupport for adult learning outcomes among parents whoparticipate in family literacy programs.

The evaluation of the family literacy initiative in Los Angelescontinues through 2010, and will include following up withadults who have graduated from family literacy programs toexplore longer-term results for adults and families. Moreinformation about the study, including the most recent reportof our findings, can be found at www.first5la.org.

Visit American Institutes for Research at www.air.org

Resources on Family Literacy Collaborations

Family Literacy Support Network (FLSN) in California http://dsi.lacoe.edu/flsn

National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL)www.famlit.org

9by Heather Quick, Ph.D., Principal Research Scientist,American Institutes for Research

Staff Collaborations: In Line with ProfessionalLearning Communities

by Nancy George, Director of Adult Education and Intervention Services, New Haven Adult School

The popular movement in education toward professionallearning communities (PLCs) may look new, but it is reallybased on a time-tested concept: collaboration. When youwork collaboratively, you learn from each other and the endproduct is simply better than if you did it alone. A professionallearning community focuses on learning (rather thanteaching), working collaboratively, and holding ourselvesaccountable for results. Our agency embarked on creatingprofessional learning communities across all programs thispast year and learned a great deal along the way. All of ourwork was driven by our recently created, collaborativelydeveloped site strategic plan. The plan revolved around thesefour questions taken from the work of DuFour, DuFour, andEaker:

1) What do we want each student to learn? 2) How will we know when they have learned it? 3) How will we respond when they do not learn?4) How will we respond when they already know it?

Our first step on this journey was to make sure that all staff hadan opportunity to be introduced to the "big ideas"—the coreprinciples of professional learning communities. Trainingswere scheduled and staff were strongly encouraged to attend.We worked hard to involve all staff and to build a commonlanguage and clear message that our culture was shifting andthat improving student learning would be our relentless focus.

One of the best decisions we made was to select a staffmember to serve as the process lead for our agency. Thisperson's job was to be a process expert, coach the facilitators,and work with leadership to ensure that the PLC work wasimplemented effectively. We determined that the best way toapproach setting up the collaborative teams was by programarea. In an effort to ensure that all staff members were focusedon student learning, we chose to include an officeclerical/custodial team and a family services team for childcarestaff. We then selected a facilitator for each program area PLCand provided facilitator training in group process skills. Withour limited funding in mind, a schedule was set up for each PLC

team to meet a minimum of two hours per month. The firsttask for each team was to identify the essential learning forstudents in their programs.

Once the work began, we experienced a number of challenges.Scheduling meetings was difficult due to varying schedules.We gathered input from participants and scheduled meetingsat times that worked for the largest majority. In the end, veryfew staff members were unable to participate. We decidedthat funding the additional time needed to be a priority. Thiswas initially a concern, but we discovered as we movedforward that it created very little new expense because westopped paying for staff development that did not have a clearconnection to the work we were doing.

One of the first big hurdles was convincing some of ourskeptics that this was the right process to use. Collaboration ishard work, especially for those who are more comfortableworking in isolation. It was necessary to give direction whilenot being overly directive. This was hard and sometimesgrueling work. In the beginning, as everyone was learning theprocesses at the same time they were doing the work, it wasslow and time consuming. Getting to know standards andlooking at them in a much deeper way is tedious work,especially when there is a dearth of research and clearstandards in some program areas. As ownership of thecollaborative work deepened, consensus became moredifficult. Staff realized they would be living with the results ofthe decisions made in the PLC teams and were not all thrilledwith giving up some of the autonomy they had previouslyexperienced. We had many complaints that things weremoving too slow. We had to remain relentless in our focus andconsistently encourage everyone to stick with the work andbelieve in the process.

On the flipside, the benefits were plentiful. Staff membersgrew professionally and personally as they struggled to figurethings out. Professional knowledge increased throughreflection and the exchange of ideas. Meaningfulconversations about student learning became a critical part of

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the culture of the teams. Knowing that the greatest beneficiaryof all of this hard work would be our students wasinspirational.

The collaborative nature of PLCs and the focus on results hasserved us well by providing clarity and alignment to our work.The importance of being clear about what we want students tolearn cannot be emphasized enough. It has resulted in a sharedpurpose that has brought the school together as a whole. Asfunds have been shrinking, it has given us clarity on whereremaining funds must be focused. Expenditures and resourcesare prioritized based on how they will impact students'learning. All staff development activities are required to alignwith the work the PLCs are doing. It has given us a commonlanguage that everyone is privy to and a part of, from the officeto the classroom. We are united in our desire to improveresults for students. If anyone were to ask about the secret toour success with professional learning communities, I wouldsay it is having an unwavering, relentless focus on studentlearning. When we stick to that, everything else falls in line.

Visit New Haven Adult School atwww.nhusd.k12.ca.us/adult/adult.html

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Professional Development Optionsby State Leadership Projects

Professional Learning Communities Institute

Over the past four years, 31 agencies have participated inCALPRO’s Learning Communities initiative to provide site-based professional development opportunities. This year,CALPRO will assist agencies in establishing ProfessionalLearning Communities (PLC). CALPRO offers intensive, multi-session training to learn to establish a PLC among staff andassess student needs. Participating agencies will be invited tosend its agency director and one lead teacher or coordinator,designated to serve as a professional developmentpractitioner, to participate. CALPRO will provide a stipend of$1,500 to each agency.

Applications for the CALPRO Professional LearningCommunities Institute will be posted at www.calpro-online.org/News.asp.

FALL 2009

The Administrators Forum Fall Webinar SeriesRegister at www.caadultedtraining.org

The Adult School Administrator as Business ManagerNancy Compton, Charles A. Jones Skills Center,Sacramento City SchoolsSeptember 22, 2009, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Strategic Planning for a Sustainable Adult EducationProgramBrigitte Marshall, Director of Adult Education, OaklandAdult SchoolOctober 13, 2009, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Managing Relations with Your District and CommunityDr. Cherise Moore, Director, Burbank Adult SchoolCyndi Parulan-Colfer, Associate Superintendent,Hacienda La Puente Unified School DistrictNovember 3, 2009, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

CASAS Regional and Online TrainingsCASAS announces Fall 2009 Statewide Regional and Web-based Trainings available for all WIA Title II 225/231 andEL Civics funded agencies. Attendance options are: 1) Inperson at a regional training and 2) Online Web session.There is no fee. Visit the CASAS Online Registration Website at www.casas.org for more information.

OTAN Online WorkshopsTechnology Plan Online Training available in September,see http://bit.ly/2nZbfh. Technology online workshopsavailable this fall. Go to www.otan.us and chooseTraining at the bottom of the home page.

CALPRO Online and Face-to-Face WorkshopsCALPRO offers both online courses and face-to-faceworkshops. Titles include Designing Programs for Adultswith Learning Disabilities, Session 1: Awareness for AdultEducators; Effective Lesson Planning; Enhancing LearnerPersistence; and Managing the ESL Multilevel Class. Visitthe Events Calendar at www.calpro-online.org for details.

Partnerships Can Save the Day

In a changing economy, when there is less money and moreaccountability, partnerships can save the day. Monterey AdultSchool has teamed up in a collaborative effort with the Centerof Immigrant and Refugee Community Literacy Education(CIRCLE) at San Francisco State University; the Center forVulnerable Populations at the University of California SanFrancisco (UCSF); and Literacyworks, an educational non-profit. The project focuses on how residents and healthcareprofessionals can work together to address lead poisoning inthe community.

Supported by a grant from The Public Health Trust, MontereyAdult School will implement study circle sessions andclassroom action research as part of its English as secondlanguage (ESL) program. The partnership provides stipends forteachers as well as learners and offers staff developmentopportunities for teachers.

Benefits to the Partnership

At the heart of this collaboration is student learning. MontereyAdult School teachers will use the study circle to present andreview the curriculum together. Teachers will engage inconversations about learner-centered curriculum. Studentswill learn about issues affecting their community and health,and acquire English language skills. Classroom action researchwill allow teachers and students to become co-participants inbringing about change in the community. This fall the studentsat Monterey Adult School will investigate the reasons lead isaffecting their community. Students will discuss readingsrelated to immigrant health. They will be directly involved inthe development of the action research focused on leadpoisoning prevention and related health topics. Students willacquire health literacy, expand their vocabulary, and takeownership for their own learning while developing researchskills. In turn, the collaborative will have data generated by thestudents regarding the issue of lead poisoning that can beincorporated into community-based prevention messages.

Starting the Partnership

The partnership came about after a phone call from aconcerned professor at San Francisco State University to thedirector of the Monterey Adult School. The professor wantedto explore the idea of a partnership with the adult school toaddress the issue of lead poisoning. A series of investigationsconducted by Dr. Margaret Handley, a public health

epidemiologist at UCSF; Celeste Hall, a Monterey Countynurse; and Dr. Eric Sanford, a community clinician in Seaside,documented the following problems:

• Monterey County lead poisoning cases stand out amongall counties in California.

• The city of Seaside (the location of Monterey AdultSchool's largest ESL program) alone has more casesthan many counties in California.

• Seaside and Salinas have the largest number of cases inall of Monterey County.

Initial discussions between the adult school and the universityquickly led to an agreement to create a partnership to addressthis question: What can we do about the lead problem inMonterey County? Utilizing each organization's resources, themembers created a strategic plan to combat lead poisoning inSeaside.

Recommendations for Adult School-University Partnerships

• Build a relationship with a local research university.Professors conduct research on various topicsthroughout the year. Find a research professor who isseeking teachers and students to participate in astudy. Their research grant usually budgets a stipendfor participants.

• Be prepared to present data. An assessment ofcommunity needs can compel separate communityentities to come together. Partners also need to showdata to their funders and colleagues to justify theirparticipation in a project.

• Offer your program as a resource. Articulate how youradult school or program benefits the community.Describe your program's activities and services, andthe number of students served.

Starting a partnership can be a long, hard process, but rewardsto the learners and teachers can greatly outweigh thedifficulties.

R E F E R E N C E S

Handley, M., Hall, C., Sanford, E., Diaz, E., Gonzalez-Mendez,E., Drace, K., et al. (2007). Globalization, binationalcommunities, and imported food risks: Results of an outbreakinvestigation of lead poisoning in Monterey County, California.American Journal of Public Health, 97(5), 900-906.

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Adult School-University Partnership:Centered on Student Learning

by Ercilia Zavala Donnelly, Ed.D.,Vice Principal, Monterey Adult School

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In Kentucky, state and community leaders were keenlyaware something had to be done to increase educationalattainment across the board in order to remaincompetitive in the 21st century economy. The state calledfor a seamless, integrated system of adult education andservices that would result in greater numbers of adultsreceiving General Educational Development (GEDs) andentering postsecondary education and/or training. BothAdult Education and the Community College system werecharged with meeting aggressive enrollment andeducational attainment goals, including a charge toincrease access and affordability for students.

There were several very compelling reasons for change,including Kentucky's low national ranking in educationalattainment, the high percentage of students enteringcommunity college needing remediation, poor retention oflower-level students, and limited resources. Visionaryleaders in the community started asking critical questionsregarding how services to students could be improved.

Leaders at Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) AdultEducation and at Jefferson Community and TechnicalCollege (JCTC) collaborated in developing a program toaddress the challenges faced by students. The mantra—Increasing Educational Attainment from GEDs to Ph.D.’s—was adopted by the community. Joint marketing effortsincluded the slogan, "First your GED, then JCTC."

The result is the nationally recognized EducationalEnrichment Services (EES—pronounced "ease") TransitionProgram. Launched in fall 2003 and funded by KentuckyAdult Education, EES provides classes to students free ofcharge through a rebranded Adult Education Program. It isdesigned to assist students whose college entrance examscores fall below a designated level. JCTC uses theCOMPASS entry exam. These students are registered in EESclasses housed at the JCTC campus. Most students areconcurrently enrolled in other courses at the college; thus,the college has not suffered financial repercussions andhas improved retention rates of these at-risk students. Theprogram is designed in conjunction with college staff tomirror the schedule, design, and curriculum of core collegeclasses so that students can flow seamlessly from EES intoother courses.

Since the program's inception, more than 6,500 studentshave been concurrently enrolled. The EES coursecompletion rate (approximately 80 percent) and collegeretention rate (70 percent versus 53 percent for JCTC

students not requiring EES) continues to be veryimpressive. The program helps increase access to collegeand helps address affordability issues. Each academic year,students are able to save more than $400,000 by accessingAdult Education services preparing them for the next levelof developmental classes or bypassing these to enter coreclasses.

The Adult Education Program helps GED studentstransition to postsecondary education by offering "GEDexpress" classes designed to enable higher-level studentsto earning their GED in 50 hours of instruction. "CollegeBound" lets students earn the first college credit hour freeof charge. In addition, JCTC provides a full scholarship toone outstanding GED student at the GED graduationceremony each year.

The partnership between JCPS Adult Education and JCTChas resulted in many other benefits to both the studentsand the organizations themselves. Instead of "competing"for students, the organizations collaborate, sharingphysical resources, computers, registration systems, andstaff development opportunities. Constant communicationand individuals who are passionate about doing what is inthe best interest of the students have been keycomponents of the program's success.

Visit Jefferson County Public Schools Workforce Services,EES/Transitions, at www.workforcetraining4u.com

CA College Transition Institute and Summit Meeting

October 28-29 & October 29-30, 2009, Sacramento

In partnership with the National College TransitionNetwork (NCTN) and the California Department ofEducation, CALPRO is offering two, two-day institutes.At this event, California's adult educationadministrators and policy leaders will learn aboutmodels and methods for developing college pathwayprograms and forming partnerships and collaborationsto enhance transitions for California's adult studentsfrom basic education to college.

The registration deadline is September 28, 2009. Formore information, visit the News and Events page atwww.calpro-online.org/News.asp.

GEDs to Ph.D.’s: Collaborating to FacilitateStudents’ Success at the Postsecondary Level

By Julie Scoskie, Director,Jefferson County Public Schools Adult Education

Strategy 2: Promote a "K-adult" education in your schooldistrict

What adult school programs and offerings are critical inproviding positive impacts on K-12 education? Connectingthe success of students in K-12 to adult school programswill show the inherent connections between the two. Themost obvious example is the many high school concurrentstudents who would not be able to graduate on timewithout the support of the adult school. But adult schoolsalso offer many other vital connections to K-12 and theschool district at large that must be recognized as relevantto the success of K-12 students and the district.

Adult schools must therefore collect and share data onhow they play a vital role in the district's overall successand must regularly present this information to thesuperintendent and board of education. Examples includeshowing the impacts of the Community-Based EnglishTutoring (CBET) program on elementary studentsthroughout the district, showing the cost savings of havingthe adult school provide professional development forteachers and classified staff, and sharing the value ofproviding parent education for parents of district students.

Strategy 3: Involve your superintendent and board ofeducation in the activities of the adult school

How much does your local board of education know aboutyour adult education program? Have you ever invited themto attend one of your school activities? These experiencesmake an impact on the district staff and the board ofeducation. The more you involve your superintendent andboard of education in your school activities, the strongerthe relationship becomes between the adult school andthe district.

Relationships are built on connections and commoninterest. If your superintendent and board of educationspend time at your school they will get to know yourschool, your programs, and your students, and they willbegin to feel connected to your schools' successes.Invitations to adult school activities should not only comeat graduation, but for back-to-school nights, open houses,honor society inductions, school spirit days, and anyactivities where you have a chance to show the positiveeducational activities of your adult school. And remember,invite not only the superintendent and board of education,

but those district-level staff members who also play acritical role in your school's success, such as the businessdirector, maintenance and operations director, and humanresources director. Involving district staff and the board ofeducation in the activities of the adult school will makethem your biggest cheerleader.

Strategy 4: Communicate with and educate your fiscaldepartment

How often do you meet with your fiscal department staff?Adult education is a very difficult program for most fiscaldepartments to manage because they do not grasp all ofthe nuances of the many resources possible in the adulteducation fund. At minimum, adult school resources willinclude the state revenue limit entitlement funding and231 federal Workforce Investment Act funding. Manyprograms also have state funding from the lottery, andapprenticeship, CBET, CalWORKS, and excess revenue limitfunding. In addition to this, adult school programs mayhave several other federal resources, such as EL Civics andPerkins. Then there are the numerous local revenueresources that adult schools may have from fees, grants,and contracts. Often, each of the various revenue sourceshas different rules and reporting guidelines that make itcritically important for the adult school to communicatewith and educate their fiscal staff. Make it a goal todevelop personal relationships with those who need tounderstand your program and how it works.

Strategy 5: Utilize the leadership of the communityadvisory committee

What is the most important role of your communityadvisory committee? There may be many responses to thisquestion, but in the big picture, the most important role ofthe community advisory committee is to have communityleaders serve as ambassadors for the adult school. Adultschools have the luxury of choosing members for theircommunity advisory committee that will best serve theinterests of the school, instead of needing to follow thestrict guidelines required for a K-12 school site council. Thisflexibility provides a unique opportunity to establish andcultivate relationships with key community leaders. Atmany adult schools, the members of the communityadvisory committee represent the "movers and shakers" inthe community, as well as students, school alumni, anddistrict representation.

14Continued from page 1Building Relationships

Where there are obvious gaps in the needed communitysupport for the adult school, there are opportunities toidentify and recruit community advisory committeemembers who can best fill these gaps. Involving thecommunity advisory committee in the activities and eventsof the adult school will strengthen their connection to theschool, as with the superintendent and board ofeducation. Clearly identifying the role of the communityadvisory committee in advising on the direction of theschool and in providing members' expertise and leadershipin supporting school efforts will build stronger communityrelationships and build a sense of ownership for the adultschool's success.

Strategy 6: Participate in community activities and events

What does the adult school do that supports thecommunity? Not only should the district and communitybe involved in the adult school's activities—the reversealso applies. Adult schools should be seen as active,involved community partners. Adult schools should make ita priority to show they are invested in the success of thecommunity by participating in activities and eventsthroughout the community—for example, health fairs, jobfairs, community celebrations, parades, and walk-a-thons.The adult school should be involved in these activitiesthrough hosting booths, participating in walks andparades, and by serving on planning committees. It is alsoimportant to attend meetings for organizations like theKiwanis, Rotary, Zontas, and Lions Clubs. Givepresentations on what the adult school is doing that will berelevant to the goals of these organizations. This visibilityin the community builds relationships and connectedness.Community members see that your efforts reach acrossthe community and begin to realize the value of having anadult school in their neighborhood. The adult schoolbecomes a resource to meet the community's needs.

Strategy 7: Inform the community and district of youroutcomes and successes

How is the adult education story told? Regularcommunication of the adult school's outcomes andsuccesses must be shared with the community and district.At the community level, this can be done through pressreleases, brochures, school fact sheets, articles, schoolvideos, and more. This increased public visibility informsthe community of the adult school's purpose and shows

the return on the community's investment. At the districtlevel, adult schools should have several formalopportunities throughout the school year to publiclyinform the district about the school's successes. Examplesmay include quarterly updates at board of educationmeetings and an annual report. In addition, adult schoolsshould be represented at all levels of district decisionmaking; serving on district committees like calendar andbudget committees creates an internal channel ofcommunication about the outcomes and achievements ofthe adult school.

Strategy 8: Partner with agencies and organizations whoserve similar populations

Do you know who the agencies and organizations are inyour community who serve similar populations to the adultschool? These agencies should not be consideredcompetition, but partners in serving students. All toooften, adult schools want to be everything to everystudent. Instead, reach out to agencies that can best servethe students. Most communities have numerous social andcommunity service agencies that serve the samepopulation as the adult school.

Examples of these agencies may include the library, thecommunity center, family service agencies, workforcedevelopment agencies, childcare agencies, transportationagencies, and the chamber of commerce. You may evenfind yourself recruiting community advisory committeemembers from among these agencies.

These are just some of the strategies that have provedsuccessful in building relationships with the district andcommunity. When you consider ways to sustain your adultschool in the midst of severe fiscal constraints at thedistrict level and the impacts of categorical flexibility,building strong relationships with your district andcommunity will go a long way. It is the connections to thecommunity and relationships with the district and board ofeducation that will show the value of adult education insupporting the district's goals of improved studentlearning. These relationships take time to build, but theywill ensure support for adult education over the next fouryears of flexible uncertainty and for years to come.

Visit Burbank Adult School atwww.burbank.k12.ca.us/schools/other/burbank/burbank.html

15Cherise Moore

Highlights of CALPRO Activitiesby Catherine Green and Amy Park, Research Analysts, CALPRO

Training-of-Trainers’ (ToT) Institute

On June 29-30, more than 100 adult education teachersand administrators participated in the Training-of-Trainers'(ToT) Institute. Sessions included four CALPRO-developedmodules: Mentoring Adult Education Instructors;Organizing and Managing ABE Instruction (new); andOptimizing ESL Instructional Planning: Management,Monitoring, and Reflection (revised); and Teaching CriticalThinking. Participants were nominated by theiradministrators to learn the content of a research-basedCALPRO module and practice presenting sections of theworkshop. CALPRO provides ongoing support to newlytrained and current workshop facilitators through theFacilitators Network, which connects more than 250California practitioners certified to present CALPROworkshops.

Professional Development Modules

California field practitioners worked with CALPRO todevelop a new two-session module, Organizing andManaging ABE Instruction, and to revise a module for ESLteachers: Optimizing ESL Instructional Planning:Management, Monitoring, and Reflection (formerly knownas Organizing and Monitoring Instruction to ImproveLearning Gains). These modules provide strategies formonitoring students' skills and progress. CALPRO isworking with interested agencies to host these and otherworkshops regionally. Visit the Events Calendar atwww.calpro-online.org for information about regionallyoffered CALPRO workshops.

Online Options

In 2009-2010, CALPRO will offer 13 facilitated onlinecourses. Courses will cover topics such as effective lessonplanning, teaching adults with learning disabilities,managing the ESL multilevel class, and understanding theadult learner. Beginning this fall, CALPRO will offer fourfour-week, asynchronous online courses through Moodle,a user-friendly, open-source learning management system;two short Webinars will add to the course discussions andoffer participants a chance to talk to their facilitator andeach other in real time. For more information, visitwww.calpro-online.org/onlineCourses.asp.

In addition to its facilitated courses, CALPRO offers twoself-directed courses for new and beginning teachers of

English learners and adult basic education students. Hereindividuals work on professional development at their ownpace. Registration is open year-round at www.calpro-online.org/onlineCourses.asp. Beginning in November2009, CALPRO will launch a third self-directed onlinecourse on Learner Goal Setting, intended for adulteducators working with ABE, ASE, GED, and ESL students.

New! Virtual Workroom for Multilevel ESL Instructors andRelated e-PLC

In December 2009, CALPRO will open its newVirtual Workroom for Multilevel ESL Instructors. TheVirtual Workroom will provide a broad range of PDresources, such as a new series of podcasts (short audiopresentations), and related application activities, sampleassessments, lesson plans, instructional materials, andoptions for more in-depth study.

Eligible educators will be invited to join CALPRO'sMultilevel ESL electronic Professional Learning Community(e-PLC), a companion Web site to the Virtual Workroom.Here, instructors will be able to network with otherteachers of multilevel classes, get advice and support fromsubject-area experts, discuss the resources in the VirtualWorkroom, and more!

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Liz Koenig started her teaching career as an English as aForeign Language (EFL) instructor in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In1990, she moved to Los Angeles, where she taught ESL inthe Division of Adult and Career Education of Los AngelesUnified School District (LAUSD). Liz has worked as an ESLteacher trainer, curriculum developer, textbook authorand consultant. From 2005 to 2008, she served as theCALPRO–LAUSD Professional Development CenterManager. Currently, she works as a teacher adviser forLAUSD and also serves an adjunct Assistant Professor forthe Los Angeles Community College District. Liz hasworked as a CALPRO online facilitator since 2007. Shelooks forward to collaborating with educators from all overthe state in her next online class, Enhancing LearnerPersistence, which begins in January 2010.

Meet a CALPRO Online Course Facilitator

LIZ KOENIG