California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project

Course Description :

This self-directed course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. This course provides each individual with a blog as a learning journal. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about. What’s all the excitement surrounding the topic of learner persistence, how does it differ from student retention and motivation, and how do I encourage my students to persist in their learning? Based on research on factors that promote learner persistence, this self-directed professional development course examines implications for changing practice in the four areas of intake, orientation, instruction, and program activities (estimated course completion time: up to 15 hours).

Enrollment verification with Moodle login information will be sent to registrants within one business day of registration.

Goals :
Based on research on factors that promote learner persistence, this self-directed professional development course examines implications for changing practice in the four areas of intake, orientation, instruction, and program activities.

Registration Information :
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information :
Please contact CALPRO at calprohelp@air.org or at 916-286-8803 for more information.

Course Description:
The ADVANCE Integrated Education and Training (IET): IET Fundamentals course introduces the foundational concepts, requirements, and core elements of IET design and implementation. This is a self-paced course that is designed to take approximately two hours to complete. 

To receive a certificate of completion, participants must score a minimum of 80 percent on a 10-question knowledge check at the end of the course. 

The primary audience for this course is adult education administrators, adult education and workforce training instructors, and career navigators who are unfamiliar with the definition and core design features of IET and the resources available to plan and implement an IET program. The course can also serve as an orientation for new adult education and partner agency staff joining an existing IET team. 

A secondary audience is prospective partners from workforce development, occupational training, and industry who are unfamiliar with IET concepts.

Course Objectives:
After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the rationale for, and benefits of, IET from the perspective of adult learners, employers, and adult education program providers.
• Describe the core design features of an IET program.
• Use program profiles to identify and evaluate core design features implemented in diverse program contexts
• Identify the roles and expertise that each team member (internal adult education team and external partners) contributes to implementing an effective IET. 
• Locate available resources for in-depth planning and development of an IET.

Course Description: 

This course developed by the American Institutes for Research with contributions from leading experts, equips adult educators with the knowledge and tools to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their classrooms and programs. Participants will explore key concepts of DEI, build awareness around cultural competence and bias, and learn actionable steps for conducting equity audits. Designed for both individual and group learning, the course encourages empathy, reflection, and collaboration. Completion requires a minimum of 3 hours, with the option to extend learning up to 6 hours by engaging in additional activities. Upon finishing the course, participants will be prepared to implement sustainable DEI practices within their educational settings.

Registration Information:
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information:
Please contact CALPRO at calprohelp@air.org or at 916-286-8803 for more information.

Course Description:
Adult education plays a significant role in the lives of immigrants. Often adult education is the first door through which a new immigrant encounters the world of services and supports available to them as they seek to increase their skills to reach their life goals. As described in the white paper by ALLIES on the Immigrant Integration Framework: “Immigrant integration is... a two-way process involving learning and adaptation by both immigrant communities and receiving communities. Broadening an understanding of diverse perspectives and cultural resources ultimately strengthens both the immigrant and receiving communities, and increases the entire community’s capacity to adapt and respond to a changing global environment." This facilitated online course will help educators support immigrants through civics education as understood within the lens of the California Immigrant Integration Initiative and aligned to approved EL Civics metrics.

Goals:
Participants will be able to locate and adapt Teaching Skills that Matter lesson materials on Civics Education topics in order to support immigrant students at all levels of ESL to become successful members of their communities.

Registration Information:
There is no registration fee to participate; CALPRO professional development opportunities are available to all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) agencies and employees.

Contact Information:
Please contact calpro@air.org with any questions.

Workshop Description :
 

The California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project (CALPRO), in conjunction with the California Department of Education (CDE), is seeking applications for CALPRO’s Integrated Education and Training (IET) Implementation Clinic (the Clinic). We are seeking agency teams consisting of an IET program administrator, an English as a Second Language instructor and a Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructor. We will accept up to 8 agency teams (of 3 staff members) for participation in the Clinic which begins in October 2023 and concludes in January 2024. There are 5 principal features of this unique online professional learning opportunity. The innovative format of the Implementation Clinic features two day-long virtual training sessions; three live, interactive online sessions; ongoing online discussions, and completion of a capstone project and presentation of the project at the second day-long session. CALPRO is pleased to announce IET clinic participating teams will now have the support of an IET implementation coach to support you for one year upon completion of the IET clinic.

To apply, each member of the agency team must complete the application by 5:00 PM on September 24, 2024. Notifications of acceptance will occur by October 04, 2024. (Please note that each member of your 3-person agency team is required to submit an application.)

Click here to access the application.

Goals :
Topics will be tailored to the needs of the participating practitioners and identified through the application process. Sample topics may include Starting Strong: Developing the Team Teaching Partnership; Co-Teaching & Alternating Teaching: Which model, Why, and How?; Developing a Single Set of Learning Objectives & Integrating Lesson Plans; Building an Integrated Syllabus; Promising Intake & Onboarding Strategies for IET; Action Planning: Process Considerations, Potential Challenges and Solutions to Address Challenges; and IET and Distance Learning: Considerations & Strategies

Registration Information :
Membership and participation are free of charge and open to all California adult education funded programs. Preference will be given to IET program team staff working in an Integrated EL Civics IET program that is funded through Section 243 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (WIOA, Title II: AEFLA) grant. Not sure if you’re eligible? Let CALPRO help: email calpro@air.org or call 1-916-286-8803.

Contact Information :
Contact CALPRO at calpro@air.org or (916)286-8803

Course Description:
This course is for adult educators and explores evidence-based instructional practices for supporting adult readers across levels, from beginning alphabetics through advanced comprehension. This course takes place entirely online and runs for four consecutive weeks. Weekly participation is required, though participants may, during a given week, log in whenever they wish. A kick-off Webinar will take place in the first week. An additional webinar will take place during the third week of the course. Webinar dates and times will be announced and posted. Participants who successfully complete this course will receive a certificate of participation (14 hours); they are also eligible to apply to CSUS for 1.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), if they wish.

Goals:
Through this course, participants will learn about a range of topics to support their adult learners including, diagnostic assessment, alphabetics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension for learners at varying levels of reading proficiency.

Registration Information:
There is no registration fee to participate; CALPRO professional development opportunities are available to all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) agencies and employees.

Contact Information:
Please contact calpro@air.org with any questions.

Course Description:
Are you frustrated at not getting the right answers from your students? Maybe it's because you're not asking the right questions! This course offers questioning strategies that foster higher-order thinking skills while developing responses beyond the level of recall. Help students connect the dots as they process new information to answer questions designed with a purpose. This course takes place entirely online and runs for four consecutive weeks. Weekly participation is required, though participants may, during a given week, log in whenever they wish. A kick-off Webinar will take place in the first week and one additional webinar will take place in the third week; details will be posted in the course. Participants who successfully complete this course will receive a certificate of participation (14 hours); they are also eligible to apply to CSUs for 1.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) if they wish.

Goals:
This online professional learning opportunity is intended to encourage instructors to ask questions that promote learners’ thinking beyond the level of recall of information and that allow learners to adequately process information and respond to the instructors’ requests.

Registration Information:
There is no registration fee to participate; CALPRO professional development opportunities are available to all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) agencies and employees.

Contact Information:
Please contact calpro@air.org with any questions.

CALPRO and the California Department of Education are pleased to announce the opening of the application to the new Teacher Collaboration Institute: Lesson Study Processes and Tools! This training is not just a learning opportunity, but a chance to empower adult education teachers with the skills and practices necessary for effective team collaboration through the Lesson Study Process. The goal is for teachers to collaboratively evaluate and enhance lessons using strategies such as lesson study, lesson charrettes, and peer observation. By engaging in these collaborative practices, teachers will be able to implement their learning directly into their teaching practices, fostering continuous improvement and the development of effective instructional strategies.

CALPRO pairs each team with an implementation coach, providing a safety net of support.  Each Coaching and Facilitation Team member has extensive experience in collaborative team building and planning.  The coaches will be there to assist teams during their six months in the Teacher Collaboration Institute. Please note this is not training on co-teaching, although co-teachers are welcome to apply. 

To apply, each member of the agency team must complete the application by October 14, 2024. Notifications of acceptance will occur by October 17, 2024. (Please note that each member of your teaching team is required to submit an application). 

Click here to access the application.

Objectives

1. Effectively implement collaborative practices within a team environment.
   Evidence: Documented instances of lesson charrettes, peer observations, and completed lesson study cycles. Feedback from participants on the efficacy of collaboration.
    
2. Demonstrate improvement in their instructional strategies based on collaborative feedback and analysis.
   Evidence: Pre- and post-assessment of teacher instructional practices, changes in student engagement and learning outcomes, and qualitative feedback from teachers about their instructional changes.
    
3. Sustain ongoing professional development and collaborative practices.
   Evidence: Creation of sustainability plans by each team collaboration, reports on subsequent year activities planned or initiated, and establishment of mentorship roles among experienced teachers.

Expectations

• Active Participation: Attend all training sessions, regularly log in to Moodle, participate in discussions, and complete assignments and activities.
• Reflection and Application: Reflecting on learning and applying concepts to real-world teaching scenarios. The goal is to improve your practice and student learning at your school.
• Collaborative Engagement: Your engagement with peers, sharing of insights, and providing constructive feedback is what makes our community strong. It's through this collaboration that we all grow and learn.
• Feedback to CALPRO: Submit evaluative feedback on your CALPRO Teacher Collaboration Institute experience with recommendations to CALPRO for refinement.
• Coaching and Support: Engage with your implementation coach at least once a month during the institute.

Registration Information :
This Institute is open to all  WIOA: Title II, AEFLA, and  California Adult Education Program-funded agencies. Teams of at least two teachers with administrator approval are required to participate in the Institute. Not sure if you’re eligible? Let CALPRO help: email calpro@air.org or call 1-916-286-8803.

Contact Information :
Contact CALPRO at calpro@air.org or (916)286-8803

Course Description:
Equity and cultural competence are important aspects of creating a fair and equitable educational environment for learners. Adult education often serves marginalized populations that either have not had the opportunity to complete their education as youth or were not successful and perhaps not served equitably in the K12 public education system. Many school districts, colleges, libraries and community organizations have done significant work on addressing the issues of equity. This professional development module takes some of these concepts and applies them to adult education. This course takes place entirely online and runs for four consecutive weeks. Weekly participation is required, though participants may, during a given week, log in whenever they wish. A kick-off Webinar will take place during the first week, with a second webinar taking place during the third week. Participants who successfully complete this course will receive a certificate of participation (16 hours); they are also eligible to apply to CSUS for 1.6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), if they wish.

Goals:
In this session participants will be introduced to some basic concepts related to equity and begin to analyze how equity is achieved in their own programs. They will become familiar with the stages of cultural competence and consider a variety of program policies in light of it. Example lesson activities will also be analyzed.

Registration Information:
There is no registration fee to participate; CALPRO professional development opportunities are available to all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) agencies and employees.

Contact Information:
Please contact calpro@air.org with any questions.

Course Description:
This course will introduce participants to the English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards and provide strategies for using the standards to guide and inform instruction. ESL instructors can benefit from familiarity with and reliance on the ELP Standards for Adult Education to guide instruction toward the increased rigor and skills necessary for successful transition to work or to postsecondary training or further education and for participation in communities that adult learners need. This course takes place entirely online and runs for four consecutive weeks.. Weekly participation is required, though participants may, during a given week, log in whenever they wish. A 1 1/2-hour, kick-off Webinar will take place in the first week. Date and time will be posted on the online course platform. Participants who successfully complete this course will receive a certificate of participation (15 hours); they are also eligible to apply to CSUS for 1.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) if they wish.

Goals:
The goals of this course are to introduce ESL instructors to the ELP Standards and how they provide the language support to meet the rigorous requirements of the College and Career Readiness Standards for adults; to explore and practice applying the standards to teaching; and to develop a deep understanding of the requirements of academic rigor along with the scaffolding strategies to help adult students reach their goals.

Registration Information:
There is no registration fee to participate; CALPRO professional development opportunities are available to all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) agencies and employees.

Contact Information:
Please contact calpro@air.org with any questions.