California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project

Authors: Kathleen Chernus and Donna Fowler, MPR AssociatesProduced by Literacy Information and Communication System/National Institute for Literacy, September 2010This paper describes several efforts to incorporate integrated curricula in adult education for career advancement and further training or postsecondary education. The authors conclude that three approaches have promising prospects for expanding integrated curriculum efforts already under way in adult education.

The Career Technical Education (CTE) Model Curriculum Standards are designed to assist California districts and schools in developing high-quality curriculum and instruction to help ensure that students are career and college ready and to prepare them for future careers. The model standards were created with assistance from more than 300 representatives from business, industry, postsecondary, and secondary education and were reviewed by approximately 1,000 individuals, including members of the general public. The standards are rigorous, evidence-based, relevant, and reasonable in scope. They offer clear guidelines for course content development and expectations for student achievement.

From the ADVANCE IET initiative, this sample syllabus provides a model example of how to structure and communicate details to learners about the aims, expectations, and core skills components (industry specific, academic, and workplace skills) to be developed within a potential patient care technician course. 

From the ADVANCE IET initiative, this checklist is designed to support IET providers in developing a comprehensive, integrated syllabus that can serve as a roadmap for their IET students. 

Join us for an insightful webinar showcasing the integrated healthcare curriculum and instruction presented by two California adult education agencies. We are featuring the Pharmacy Clerk Pathway at Charles A. Jones Career and Education Center and the Phlebotomy Pathway at Saddleback College. Our panel of practitioners will share effective instructional practices and examples of healthcare contextualization. Learn how these programs are designed to support adult English language learners in achieving their healthcare career goals through coordinated efforts.Join us to discover practical strategies for enhancing healthcare pathways in your own programs! 

Adult learners bring a wealth of prior knowledge and experiences to the classroom. Their unique learning motivations and expectations call for instructional approaches that are both responsive and intentional. To support adult learners in achieving their personal, academic, or career goals, educators must design engaging and effective instruction that acknowledges and builds upon learners’ strengths and meets their needs.In this webinar, we will explore strategies for differentiating and scaffolding instruction, as well as using formative assessment to guide learner progress. The session will highlight the value of data-informed, learner-centered design in adult education and offer actionable insights for creating supportive learning environments.

This worksheet is designed to support students in Integrated Education and Training (IET) programs, but it is also suitable for use with all adult education learners during orientation. It helps students identify potential obstacles to educational success and document both personal support systems and wraparound services available through the program or its partners.

Hosted by Sweetwater UHSD Adult EducationThis tailored three-hour in-person CoP is designed for faculty at Sweetwater UHSD Adult Education. Using scaffolding, differentiation, and explicit strategy instruction, this interactive workshop empowers CTE instructors to support English Language Learners in their class. The session will showcase effective instructional practices that leverage learners' strengths and support strategy development in contextualized learning. Registration Information:This tailored regional CoP is designed for the Sweetwater Adult School teachers.There is no registration fee to participate; CALPRO professional development opportunities are available to all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) agencies and employees.