Coachella Valley Adult School is featured in a state wide best practice article published by California Department of Education and the California Community College Chancellors Office. The article can be viewed below or at the following link: Practices with Promise
The Article:
School districts partner to restore adult education services in Coachella Valley
The Coachella Valley Adult School and the Desert Sands Unified School District pooled resources to expand their adult education reach.
The Challenge
Prior to 2009, the Desert Regional Consortium’s Coachella Valley had three prosperous school district-based adult schools. In 2009, K-12 school district funding previously reserved for adult education was redistributed to other areas of education, resulting in the eventual closure of Desert Sands Adult School and Palm Springs Adult School. That left only one adult school in the region, Coachella Valley Adult School, located in the Coachella Valley Unified School District. The closures produced a sizeable gap in services and left thousands of adult learners without hope of furthering their education.
The Solution
To address the challenge of having more adult learners than the single remaining K-12 adult school could accommodate, consortium members came together to leverage limited funding and other resources. Coachella Valley Adult School (CVAS) entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Desert Sands Unified School District (DSUSD) to provide adult education services within DSUSD. The partnership allowed the entities to serve more adult learners in the region by taking advantage of existing educational structures in place at CVAS to expand services into DSUSD, offering evening classes at DSUSD’s existing school sites.
New adult education programs were introduced in DSUSD as a result of the partnership. They include English as a second language (ESL), high school equivalency (HSE), adult high school diploma and comprehensive student support services, including child care and counseling/transition support.
The Outcome
Since 2016, the CVAS and DSUSD partnership has expanded and continues to be strengthened. Due to an increase in student demand, the consortium added an additional English program at Johnson Elementary School last year. For the 2017-18 school year, it plans to add an additional English program, as well as a citizenship preparation program, and DSUSD hired a full-time Adult Career Transition Counselor to assist students at CVAS and DSUSD with transitions to career and postsecondary education.
The Data
As a result of the partnership, adult learners are meeting their educational goals and progressing toward them. For the 2016-17 school year, a combined 350 students – that includes DSUSD and CVAS adult learners – earned their high school diploma or equivalency. Also CASAS test results show that students from both locations combined experienced an average learning gain of 8.9. Looking at it another way, an average of 71 percent of lower-level students successfully completed their CASAS level during the 2016 school year and for all levels of adult basic education, adult secondary education and ESL, the students who were part of the CVAS-DSUSD partnership exceeded California Performance Goals in nine out of 10 levels.
August 3rd Coachella Valley Adult School finished up one of its most successful summer programs to date!! CVAS served over 530 students in the area of Electrical worker pre-apprenticeship, high school diploma and GED, Citizenship preparation and document completion, English as a Second Language, and Career Technical Education. We held classes at 6 locations throughout the Coachella Valley.
This week Coachella Valley Adult School Conducted a successful High School Equivalency testing session. Over twenty students from around the Coachella Valley showed up to take the 3 day test. High School Equivalency testing sessions improve student’s lives and our communities by helping students get a job, get a better job or go to college/postsecondary training. It also, improves the CVUSD graduation rates and decreases dropout rates.
Coachella Valley Adult School formalized a new partnership with a local Non-Profit Organization (Get in Motion) with the goal of helping our students open their own business and increase household income. A barrier for the development of micro and small businesses is the lack of access to information in the language of preference of most residents for the East of Coachella Valley, which is Spanish. This pilot program will imbed career training seminars into select CVAS courses. The program will be evaluated by conducting student follow up surveys (3 months, 6 months, and 12 months) after the program to determine if students were able to attain their predetermined goals.
Upcoming Events:
Today (8/10/17) at 4:00pm we are holding our annual Coachella Valley Independent Study Program and Coachella Valley Virtual Academy Welcome Back Staff Meeting. Over 30 teachers and staff will be attending this staff development and team building event.
On August 15th , 2017 at 5pm Coachella Valley Adult School will be holding our annual Welcome Back Staff Meeting. This event will consist of dinner, awards, presentations from community partners, staff collaboration and professional development. Over 35 teachers and staff members will be attending this event.
