California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project

Course Description:
This self-directed course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. 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 you encourage your 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. The estimated course completion time is 12 hours.

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

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:
This self-paced course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

Integrated Education and Training (IET) programs are designed to help adults improve their basic skills while learning occupational and workplace skills to prepare them for in-demand careers. The IET Fundamentals online course introduces the foundational concepts, requirements, and core elements of IET design and implementation. The estimated course completion time is 2 hours.

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

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.

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:
This self-paced course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

This course examines how adults learn and the implications for adult literacy programs. It explores the unique characteristics of adult learners as well as adult motivation, needs, and self-concept and their effect on learning. The course also explores adult development and the implications for effective teaching. The estimated course completion time is 12 hours.

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

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:
This self-directed course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months, there is no official start or end date to worry about. 

Did you know that one of the major factors contributing to learner persistence is goal setting with the learner? Did you know that learners most often cite as a reason for dropping out that their classes didn't meet their needs and expectations? Learn how to set realistic goals with each learner and then revisit and revise goals throughout the semester so that students feel comfortable that your class is meeting their needs. The estimated course completion time is 14 hours.

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

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

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

Course Description:
This self-directed course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

This course examines the vital role writing plays in ABE, ASE, and ESL instruction, especially in helping learners become college- and career-ready. Participants begin by identifying possible challenges in teaching writing and strategies for overcoming them. Through interactive, multimedia presentations, participants identify the key components of the writing process and discover research-based instructional strategies for supporting their students' writing development. Finally, participants learn how to apply a rubric to evaluate student work and prepare a lesson plan with instruction designed to address students' areas of need. The estimated course completion time is 4 hours.

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

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:
This self-directed course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

This course is designed to support teachers new to working with adult English learners, or ELs. After completing the course, participants will be able to identify and apply appropriate instructional strategies for teaching adult ELs. They will also have strengthened their skills as an instructor and be able to implement classroom management practices to optimize learning in both in-person and virtual learning environments. The estimated course completion time is 3.5 hours.

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

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:
This self-paced course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

To a new English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in an adult education program, the task of teaching English can seem overwhelming. This course orients new teachers to the most immediate and important aspects of teaching adult ESL in California. A teacher new to ESL often asks such questions as, "Who will my new students be?" "What is their English proficiency?" "What materials should I use?" and "How do I assess my students and document their progress?" Many local agencies have procedures and practices that address these issues and will provide guidance to new teachers. The California Department of Education (CDE) has specific requirements and also provides certain documents to guide you. The estimated course completion time is 7 hours.

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

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:
This self-paced course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

This course explores the nature of critical thinking and metacognition as well as the relationships among critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. It considers the process, results, and various levels of critical thinking. It presents the concept of metacognition as a key attribute of critical thinking. It also distinguishes between simple and complex problems. Participants are encouraged to think about how these concepts can be taught in their classrooms. This course features excerpts of recordings from CALPRO’s online workshops on Teaching Critical Thinking Skills. The estimated course completion time is 12 hours.

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

Goals:
Upon successful completion of the course, the participant will be able to: define critical thinking and metacognition; identify levels of critical thinking; distinguish between didactic teaching and teaching for critical thinking; plan classroom activities that require critical thinking; plan activities to assist students in developing metacognitive skills; distinguish between simple and complex problems; explain the relationship between critical thinking and problem solving; and plan classroom instruction that reflects the most adequate decision making processes, based on research.

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.

What Is A Professional Learning Community (PLC)?
“A professional learning community is educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve” (adapted from DuFour, Learning by Doing). LEARN and DO, DO and LEARN!

A PLC is a teacher-led, collaborative team process committed to helping all students learn by addressing the following critical questions:

1. What do we want students to learn?
2. How will we know if they have learned it?
3. What will we do if they don’t learn it?
4. What will we do if they already know it?

Why Attend The CALPRO Professional Learning Community Institute?
Professional Learning Communities help schools improve and be more accountable by impacting teaching and learning. Join us at the CALPRO PLC Institute to explore the core characteristics and processes on how to effectively implement a professional learning community that focuses on student learning outcomes and creates a system for sustainable school improvement. 

A Professional Learning Community (PLC) naturally aligns very tightly with both WASC accreditation expectations and Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) goals because all three are built around the same core idea: ongoing, data-driven improvement of student learning.

• Need Evidence of Student Work and Collaboration for WASC Accreditation?
  Evidence of student work and collaboration in a PLC shows how programs examine student learning and use it to drive improvement. This includes analyzed student work samples, assessment results, and documentation of team discussions where staff identify gaps and adjust instruction, demonstrating both student achievement and a collaborative, evidence-based approach to continuous improvement.
• Need to Establish a SMART Goal Around Student Learning for Your Continuous Improvement Plan?
  Participation in the PLC Institute helps programs develop SMART goals focused on student learning. These goals provide a clear, data-driven roadmap for continuous improvement, guiding teams to monitor progress, adjust strategies, and improve student outcomes over time.
• Need to Learn How to Use Data to Inform Instruction?
  Participation in the PLC Institute builds participants’ ability to use data to inform instruction and improve student learning. Teams analyze student data to identify needs, guide instructional decisions, and continuously refine practice based on results.

Benefits Of Participating In The PLC Institute:

• Shift school culture to focus on learning results.
• Develop PLC processes of inquiry to achieve better results for the students you serve.
• Establish collaborative teams to identify essential student learning.
• Work collaboratively to develop common formative assessments for learning.
• Work collaboratively to analyze evidence of student learning and use that evidence to learn from one another.
• Embed professional development that fosters the ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research.
• Eighteen months of PLC implementation coaching support

CALPRO PLC Institute
CALPRO's experienced and knowledgeable staff is excited to offer an intensive, multi-session PLC Institute for teams of program administrators and professional development specialists/lead teachers to learn to improve student learning outcomes by establishing professional learning communities. CALPRO typically accepts up to 8 programs a year for this institute. Each of the selected agencies will send a team of three to include its agency director and two teachers (and/or administrators designated to serve as professional development practitioners) to participate in the initiative.

Who Is Eligible To Apply?
Any California Department of Education, Adult Education Office WIA Title II, or California Adult Education Program (CAEP) funded agency may apply. The Agency Director/Principal and a nominated lead teacher or PD staff member will participate as a team in the CALPRO Professional Learning Community Institute. Click here to apply.

For More Information
For more information, contact coordinator Sudie Whalen.

The California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project (CALPRO), in conjunction with the California Department of Education (CDE), annually seeks nominations and applications for the California Adult Education Leadership Institute (the Institute). We seek aspiring and new administrators (defined as three or fewer years) for the Institute. 

This is an opportunity for your organization to nominate an aspiring or new administrator from your adult education program to attend. We accept up to 24 participants in the Institute annually. Priority registration is given to nominees with the most recent appointment date to their administrative position. 

Nearly 700 of California’s leading adult educators have participated in this program since its inception in 1985. The Institute covers topics and skills that new and aspiring adult education administrators need to perform their jobs effectively. Topics for the Institute will focus on:

 Fiscal and Personnel Management 

• Collaborations and Partnerships 
• Career Pathways 
• Data Analysis and Data-Based Decision-Making 
• Public Relations and Program Marketing 
• The California Adult Education Program 
• Strategic Planning 
• Instructional Leadership  
• The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) 

Institute participants have numerous opportunities to engage with experienced and new adult education administrators, representatives from CDE, and the three State Leadership Projects (OTAN, CASAS, and CALPRO). The Institute also includes nine months of coaching support after the training concludes. 

For more information, contact coordinator Cherise Moore.