Prosperity through Partnership: Opportunities for AEBG to Strengthen Systems and Communities
Author: Mortrude, Judy
Date: 2017-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Adult Education,Block Grants,Educational Finance,Program Implementation,Governance,Educational Policy,Organizational Objectives,Career Development,Accountability,Technical Assistance,Professional Development,Alignment (Education),Delivery Systems,State Aid,Vocational Education,Postsecondary Education,Consortia,Needs Assessment

In January 2016, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) commenced an 18-month project to study the implementation of California's Adult Education Block Grant (AEBG) initiative. AEBG's purpose is &quot;to improve coordination and better serve the needs of adult learners within each region.&quot; CLASP set out to foster greater understanding of the implementation of California's AEBG governance and direct service activities, analyze current and potential impacts of the AEBG initiative for partners and participants, and offer recommendations for potential policy and implementation changes in future rounds of AEBG funding and other coordinated funding streams, for consideration by the California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO), the California Department of Education (CDE), and other policymakers. While CLASP has used study methods including surveys, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews, the project design also included intensive on-going communication with AEBG leaders and practitioners during the period of transition from AB86 planning to AB104 implementation. This approach can be described as action research, modeling a reflective process of progressive problem solving to address issues and suggest potential solutions. The full report includes 19 detailed recommendations in the following four categories: (1) Clarification of AEBG's mission and vision; (2) Use of AEBG to drive a comprehensive career pathways system; (3) Tethering AEBG accountability to impact through the establishment of a cross system structure; and (4) Provision of comprehensive technical assistance and professional development. Some Adult School practitioners have experienced AEBG simply as a funding stream that restored funds to Adult Schools with some requirement to talk with a college partner. Some Community College partners have experienced AEBG as &quot;a different pot of money…they change names periodically&quot; for services that remain the same. What appears to be missing for these AEBG professionals is an overarching purpose for doing the hard work of creating a new regional adult education delivery system. The majority of AEBG professionals report a growing awareness and respect for the work of one another's systems. This has definitely improved relationships and holds the promise of continued efforts to align practices and policies to create seamless transitions for California's low-skill adults. Many in the field express hopes for enhanced technical assistance for AEBG accountability; support for professional development for teaching staff, support staff, administrators, and partners; and help from state leaders in thinking about the many initiatives underway to support workforce development that should be aligned but are currently siloed.