California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project

Hosted by College of MarinCivic Education and Democratic Literacy play a pivotal role in empowering students to become engaged and informed citizens. Individuals equipped with this knowledge understand political and civic systems, allowing them to navigate these systems effectively and contribute meaningfully to the improvement of their communities.  The goal of this CoP is to enhance the capacity of adult educators and programs to provide instruction that amplifies student perspective and voice, builds civic engagement, and dives deep into participatory approaches to democratic processes for adults including those who are developing literacy and language skills.Blended Model (Face to Face Session 1 of 2)Date: 1/31/2025Time: 11:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.Location: College of MarinRoom: TBDRegistration Information:This tailored regional CoP is hosted by College of Marin. Participants from neighboring districts or regions may be admitted on a space-available basis. There is no registration fee to participate; CALPRO professional development opportunities are available to all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) agencies and employees. 

In today's world, media literacy is an essential skill for adults to participate in academic, professional, and community activities. This webinar will explore the importance of media literacy in adult education, providing practical tools and strategies to help learners critically evaluate media sources, understand the impact of media on society, and navigate the digital landscape with confidence. Participants will gain insights into fostering critical thinking and media analysis skills among adult learners, empowering them to become informed and engaged community members.

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. 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.Goal: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.Registered participants will receive final confirmation and details by Friday, October 17, 2025. Waitlisted participants will also receive an update regarding their enrollment status by that date.Contact Information:Please contact calpro@air.org with any questions.

Critical thinking is an essential skill found in both the College and Career Readiness Standards and the English Language Proficiency Standards for Adult Education. Critical thinking skills are needed in every facet of our lives, and in particular as we are inundated with more information from a variety of dependable and undependable sources. This online workshop series will prepare you to include a variety of critical thinking strategies in your adult education classes. It is presented in three 1.5 hour webinars. Registration information*: Registration for these sessions is now closed. Scheduled session dates and times are as follows: Session 1: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 | 2:30 PM – 4:00 PMSession 2: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 | 2:30 PM – 4:00 PMSession 3: Tuesday, May 13, 2025 | 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM*Please note: Registering for Session 1 automatically registers you for Session 2 and 3. Certificate of Completion will reflect hours attended. 

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.ObjectivesEffectively 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. 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. 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.ExpectationsActive Participation: Attend all training sessions, regularly log in to Moodle, participate in discussions, and complete assignments and activities (35 total training hours).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. For more information, contact coordinator Sudie Whalen.

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.ObjectivesEffectively 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. 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. 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.ExpectationsActive Participation: Attend all training sessions, regularly log in to Moodle, participate in discussions, and complete assignments and activities (35 total training hours).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

Session 1 at Fremont Adult and Continuing EducationWhat are “Communities of Practice”?Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and strive to learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.1 To provide opportunities for California adult educators to interact regularly and to engage in sustained professional development, CALPRO is offering professional development in a Community of Practice format that includes online interaction along with two face-to-face sessions.What is a pilot?This Community of Practice is complete and ready for participants, but before offering it statewide, we are field-testing the content, design, and the online activities as a pilot. Throughout the pilot, participants will be asked for feedback. This feedback will be used to improve the delivery of future trainings.What are the benefits of participating in this CoP Pilot?More in-depth engagement with training content;Opportunity for “early adoption” of best practices;Opportunity to interact with fellow educators and the trained facilitator synchronously and asynchronously to share practical experiences and problem solve;Collegial support for thinking about program and curriculum changes;Contribution to the development of an enriched statewide professional development experience for adult educators in California.

Session 2 at Fremont Adult and Continuing Education What are “Communities of Practice”?Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and strive to learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.1 To provide opportunities for California adult educators to interact regularly and to engage in sustained professional development, CALPRO is offering professional development in a Community of Practice format that includes online interaction along with two face-to-face sessions.What is a pilot?This Community of Practice is complete and ready for participants, but before offering it statewide, we are field-testing the content, design, and the online activities as a pilot. Throughout the pilot, participants will be asked for feedback. This feedback will be used to improve the delivery of future trainings.What are the benefits of participating in this CoP Pilot?More in-depth engagement with training content;Opportunity for “early adoption” of best practices;Opportunity to interact with fellow educators and the trained facilitator synchronously and asynchronously to share practical experiences and problem solve;Collegial support for thinking about program and curriculum changes;Contribution to the development of an enriched statewide professional development experience for adult educators in California.

WHAT, WHERE, and WHEN?CALPRO will conduct the Training-of-Trainers (ToT) Institute for the new community of practice (CoP) on Fundamentals of Adult Education Instruction in June 2025.The asynchronous online Moodle course for this ToT Institute is from June 9 to June 30, 2025.  The Face-to-Face sessions are at the CALPRO office in Sacramento on Monday and Tuesday, June 23-24, 2025. The purposes of the ToT Institute are:To develop a group of certified trainers to facilitate presentations of CALPRO professional learning modulesTo build professional development capacity and leadership in California adult education.The CoP on Fundamentals of Adult Education Instruction aims to equip instructors in adult education programs with the practical tools and strategies needed to implement evidence-based instruction that meets the varied needs of adult learners. The objectives include: (1) using various data to design instruction that leverages adult learner’s strengths and motivations, (2) developing and using formative assessments effectively, (3) designing learner-centered differentiated classroom activities, and (4) planning lessons to meet instructional goals.WHAT IS CALPRO’S COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE INITIATIVE AND HOW DOES IT IMPACT THE ToT?Communities of Practice are formed by groups of professionals who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain (Wenger, 2002). CALPRO’s Communities of Practice (CoP) Initiative aims to increase the field’s focus on supported implementation of skills, strategies and action plans that participants develop in CALPRO trainings and institutes.For each CoP training, an online community is established. Participants meet each other and begin learning together online; they continue to build community, knowledge and skills in the face-to-face training sessions; and they have the option of continuing to support each other’s efforts to apply new learning after the conclusion of the face-to-face sessions. CALPRO CoP trainers facilitate the entire process, including online and face-to-face sessions.WHO SHOULD ATTEND?The ToT is open to applicants from all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) funded agencies. The ToT is for individuals who will commit to following up on the ToT by facilitating the CoP for CALPRO at least once within a year of the ToT.WHAT ARE EXPECTATIONS OF PARTICIPANTS?Participants will be expected to complete pre-Institute assignments online. Participants are expected to attend the entire ToT Institute – no exceptions – and demonstrate facilitation skills in practice sessions during the ToT. After completing the ToT, participants are expected to be available to facilitate training at their agency, at other agencies, or at CDE- or CALPRO-organized events within a year of the ToT. Trainers will receive an honorarium for training conducted.WHAT IS THE COST?CALPRO will reimburse travel costs for all nominees accepted to attend the Training-of-Trainers Institute. CALPRO will cover in advance the cost of hotel rooms for the night of Sunday, June 22 and Monday, June 23 if travel is 50 miles or greater one-way between the individual’s home and the training location (2150 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento 95833). CALPRO will also provide working session morning refreshments and lunch each training day and will reimburse for dinner costs as applicable at the state rate. The only cost to your agency is your time to participate.WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE OF TRAINING SESSIONS?Dates:Moodle (Asynchronous): Monday, June 9- Monday, June 30Face-to-Face Session 1: Monday, June 23 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Face-to-Face Session 2: Tuesday, June 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Face-to-Face Session Location:2150 River Plaza Drive, Suite 185Sacramento, CA 95833Please Note: Persons who arrive late or leave early will not be certified as trainers and, therefore, CALPRO will not be able to reimburse their costs.Please complete the online application below.Submission Deadline: 5 PM on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.Questions? Contact Sachiko Oates, soates@air.org.