California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project

Hosted by Glendale Community CollegeThis tailored virtual community of practice will introduce nine strategies that help learners persist in their learning. This is the first of a two-part series offered on March 13 and March 26, 2026. We encourage participation in both sessions.There are a number of research-based strategies for helping adults persist in reaching their education goals. The goal of this session is to expose teachers to nine of these strategies and to encourage the incorporation of these strategies into instructional practice.Registration Information:This tailored regional CoP is designed for the faculty and staff at Glendale Community College. There is no registration fee to participate; CALPRO professional development opportunities are available to all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) agencies and employees. Registration through Zoom is required.

Hosted by Glendale Community CollegeThis tailored virtual community of practice will focus on applying instructional strategies to help learners persist in their learning. The strategies include differentiation, scaffolding, and collaboration for learner autonomy and multilevel management. This is the second of a two-part series offered on March 13 and March 26, 2026. We encourage participation in both sessions.There are a number of research-based strategies for helping adults persist in reaching their education goals. The goal of this session is to expose teachers to nine of these strategies and provide opportunities for practice.Registration Information:This tailored regional CoP is designed for the faculty and staff at Glendale Community College. There is no registration fee to participate; CALPRO professional development opportunities are available to all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) agencies and employees. 

Hosted by Santa Monica CollegeThis tailored community of practice will introduce nine strategies that help learners persist in their learning. There are a number of research-based strategies for helping adults persist in reaching their education goals. The goal of this session is to expose teachers to nine of these strategies and encourage the incorporation of these strategies into instructional practice.Registration Information:This tailored regional CoP is designed for the faculty and staff at Santa Monica College. There is no registration fee to participate; CALPRO professional development opportunities are available to all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) agencies and employees. 

This course is underway and no longer available for registration. Course Description:Plan and deliver effective lessons! This course takes participants step by step through the process of lesson design and provides an opportunity to create a lesson plan using the OTAN Online Lesson Plan Builder. Participants will learn up-to-date strategies for planning lessons using a combination of the WIPPEA stages and “backward design.” Using the information and skills taught in this course, participants will find that lesson planning becomes a quick, easy process. 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. Two live webinars will be scheduled during 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 CSU Sacramento for 1.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) if they wish.Goals:The goal of this CALPRO course is to provide teachers with a model for designing effective lesson plans.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, March 13, 2026. Waitlisted participants will also receive an update regarding their enrollment status by that date.Contact Information:Please contact calpro@air.org with any questions.

This course is underway and no longer available for registration.Course Description:This course will examine nine strategies that help learners persist and offer adult educators the opportunity to practice and internalize them. The course focuses on motivation and persistence and is relevant for teachers and instructional leaders from all content areas within 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. Two live webinars will be scheduled during 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 CSU Sacramento for 1.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) if they wish.Goals:There are a number of research-based strategies for helping adults persist in reaching their education goals. The goal of this course is to expose teachers to nine of these strategies, provide opportunities for practice, and encourage the incorporation of these strategies into instructional practice.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, February 27, 2026. Waitlisted participants will also receive an update regarding their enrollment status by that date.Contact Information:Please contact calpro@air.org with any questions.

Literacy is a fundamental skill that enables adults to live productive lives, participate in the workforce, make informed health decisions, support children's education, and engage with their community and government. However, about 130 million or 54% of U.S. adults read below the sixth-grade equivalent level, and the number of adults ranked at the lowest levels of literacy (PIAAC Level 1 or lower), who are “at risk for difficulties using or comprehending print material” are growing. It is critical that we address literacy skills in adult education. Reading ability develops through the interaction of cognitive, linguistic, and contextual factors, and research in the learning sciences shows that literacy is not a “natural” outcome of exposure alone but is supported by explicit instruction and systematic learning experiences that build phonological awareness, decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Join this webinar to explore evidence-based strategies and how to apply them in adult education contexts. 

Course Description:This course explores how the types of questions educators use in the classroom, and the ways in which they use them, can enhance learning by promoting deeper thinking. Participants will discuss the importance and relevance of questioning in the adult learning classroom; the purposes of different question types; sequencing questions to promote deeper thinking; and strategies to address challenges in classroom questioning. The course takes place entirely online and runs for one week. Daily participation is required, though participants may log in whenever they wish. A live webinar will be scheduled during the course; the time will be announced and posted. Participants who successfully complete this course will receive a certificate of participation (4.5 hours).Goals:This course aims to highlight the power of questioning as a tool for building thinking skills, and to support educators in making strategic choices about how they employ questions in instruction.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, April 17. Waitlisted participants will also receive an update regarding their enrollment status by that date. This course is currently at capacity, by registering you will be added to a waitlist. Contact Information:Please contact calpro@air.org with any questions.

RESEARCH FORUM WEBINARThis webinar builds on the introductory webinar offered on February 17th, 2026 and focuses on turning UDL concepts into everyday teaching routines to improve engagement, accessibility, and learner persistence, with examples tailored to adult‑education contexts. Let's explore concrete instructional strategies, lesson design choices, and learner support.