Kristen Pursley: LAO Adult Education Analysis 2018-2019

From Kristen Pursley's Save Your Adult School blog:

LAO Adult Education Analysis 2018-19

The California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) recently issued an Adult Education Analysis as part of the 2018-2019 budget process. A link to the report is here: http://www.lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/3752

The report recommends eight changes to the adult education system in California. Some of the recommendations are intriguing, others problematic. Just for fun, I’m going to rate them on the following scale:

YES    YES,BUT   PROCEED WITH CAUTION NEED MORE INFORMATION   NO

Here are the recommendations and their Save Your Adult School ratings:

1. The adoption of a student ID number that could be used to identify students in both the adult school and community college systems  PROCEED WITH CAUTION
2. A uniform funding rate for community colleges and adult schools NEED MORE INFORMATION
3. The elimination of course fees or adoption of a single “nominal” charge ELIMINATION YES,BUT “NOMINAL” CHARGE NO!
4. A requirement that entities other than adult schools and community colleges that provide adult education (such as libraries) participate in the regional consortia NEED MORE INFORMATION
5. A portion of state funding for adult education to be based on performance NO
6. Align assessment and placement policies for community colleges and adult schools YES
7. No longer require adult school instructors to get a teaching credential, so that any holder of a bachelor’s degree will be qualified to teach adult school NO
8. Restrict credit instruction at community colleges to college-level coursework YES

Before we look at the individual recommendations and their possible consequences, let us take a look at the pedigree of the LAO report itself. There are two things to keep in mind.

Hit the link to read the rest of the post.

2017-18 Brown Budget Proposal: Still No Increase for Adult Education

Information for funding Adult Education is now in the "Investing in California's Workforce" section of the budget.  In the past, there was information about Adult Education in the K12 and Higher Education sections. 

It seems Governor Brown is slowly but surely framing Adult Education as being less about education and more about work.  That's a nice way to avoid the truth Adult Education is and always has been - for over 150 years - part of the educational system of California.  And while Adult Education includes job skills training, just like people, Adult Education is about more than just work.

No matter what you call it or where you put it in the budget, Adult Education is not seen, treated and funded in the same way all other branches of Public Education are.

It is high time that Adult Education be given the Education Equality that Californians need and deserve.

#EducationEquality4AE now!

Here is the information from Governor Brown's ebudget about Adult Education:

Community Colleges and Workforce Opportunities

 

In 2015‑16, community college vocational education programs served roughly 300,000

full‑time equivalent students, about 27 percent of all community college full‑time

equivalent students. Below are several other community college programs that

strengthen workforce development and foster job creation:

• Strong Workforce Program — The Budget includes $248 million Proposition 98

General Fund for the Strong Workforce Program. This program builds upon federal

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) funds and provides

access to more regionally aligned, career technical education and workforce

development programs/courses. It will also strengthen programmatic collaboration

among workforce investment boards, CCCs, local education agencies, and county

human services agency employment and workforce development programs. These

efforts promote greater employment opportunities and earnings potential for

participating students.

• Adult Education Block Grant Program — This program coordinates representatives

from local educational agencies, community colleges, and other regional education,

workforce, and industry partners to promote the educational opportunities offered

to students and adult learners. Through this program, students and adult learners

can access courses to complete their high school diplomas or general education

equivalent, English as a Second Language courses, and pathways courses that

 





 

lead to additional career opportunities. The Budget includes $500 million ongoing

Proposition 98 General Fund to support the Adult Education Block Grant Program.

• Apprenticeship Programs — There are over 265 apprenticeship programs sponsored

by local educational agencies, community colleges, and the Labor and Workforce

Development Agency’s (Labor Agency) Employment Training Panel which support

training to approximately 74,000 apprentices. These programs offer interested

Californians a clear pathway to obtain classroom instruction and on‑the‑job training

skills leading to gainful employment, while also providing California businesses with

well‑trained employees. The Budget includes $54.9 million ongoing Proposition 98

General Fund and approximately $13 million Employment Training Fund for

apprenticeship programs.

• Economic and Workforce Development Program — This program provides funding

for targeted investments in economic and workforce development, focusing on

priority and emergent industry sectors, providing short‑term grants to support

industry‑driven regional education and training. The Budget includes $22.9 million

ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund to support this program.