Prosperity Through Partnership: Opportunities for AEBG to Strengthen Systems and Communities

“California’s Adult Education Block Grant (AEBG) initiative is…a reinvestment in the state’s low-skill adults; it is also a reimagining of quality adult education services for the state. AEBG established a consortia governance structure around key adult education funding streams. The state’s 71 regional AEBG consortia receive allocations from a $500 million annual state appropriation along with a mandate to build regional service delivery models for the provision of adult education. The consortia use these resources to implement seven key activities with the intent of producing better education and employment results for California’s academically underprepared adults” (p.13).

“In January 2016, the [authors] commenced an 18-month project to study the implementation of California’s AEBG initiative….[The authors] 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” (p. 9).

The authors “used a mixed-methods approach to this implementation study including four methods: an online survey of consortia leaders and members, focus groups with practitioners, semi-structured interviews with both state and local practitioners, and a document review of AEBG plans” (p.13). “[T]he project design also included intensive on-going communication with AEBG leaders and practitioners…. This iterative approach can be described as action research, modeling a reflective process of progressive problem solving to address issues and suggest potential solutions” (p.9).

(Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

Findings include: • “Seven in 10 [survey] respondents reported a change in pathways to employment….Three-quarters of all respondents reported at least some level of change in pathway programs to postsecondary education” (p.18). • “Overall, when asked if AEBG resulted in changes to student service transition strategies, primary contacts and all respondents answered relatively similarly; in both cases, a large majority reported that they had at least partially implemented such changes” (p.19). • “Asked whether AEBG resulted in improved use of student data to support decisions, more than 50 percent of all respondents reported a little, some, or substantial improvement” (p.20). • “A majority of all respondents indicated that they offered new classes, while a significantly higher proportion of primary contacts reported the same” (p.21). • “When asked if AEBG resulted in changes to assessment alignment in their region’s adult education system, 60 percent of respondents in 2016 reported a little, some, or substantial change. In 2017, however, 82 percent of respondents reported AEBG resulted in changes to assessment alignment in their region’s adult education system” (p.25). • “With regard to changes to student pathway programs to postsecondary opportunities, respondents reported slight improvement in overall change between 2016 and 2017….When asked if AEBG resulted in changes to student services transition strategies in their region’s adult education system, respondents indicated positive change that increased from 2016 to 2017” (p.27). • “Respondents reported that data sharing has improved slightly from 2016 to 2017” (p.28). Recommendations include: • “Clarify AEBG’s mission and vision so that leaders, practitioners, and community members can clearly identify and articulate the major differences between the legacy, pre-2014 adult education system and the AEBG structure envisioned by California law” (p.9). • “Use AEBG to drive a comprehensive pathways system by re-imagining adult education as a strategic partner in strengthening individual economic mobility and regional economic competitiveness through community-wide skill development” (p.10). • “Tie AEBG accountability to impact through the establishment of a cross-system accountability structure” (p.11). • “Provide comprehensive technical assistance and professional development” (p.12). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2017
• Author(s): Mortrude, Judy and Cielinski, Anna.
• Organizational Author(s): Center for Law and Social Policy
• Funding Source: Funding source not identified
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies