environment which fosters student success, encourages lifelong

education, and meets changing community needs.

Students in the East Side Adult Education Program are connected to a system of support services, activities and opportunities in their classes, at sites, and within the community through a network of administrative, classified, certificated, and external support staff. As stated by the Mission Statement and the Expected Schoolwide Learning Results there is a focus on students, their needs and their successful learning. Numerous members of the school community provide the support for students and their needs.

Administrators and site supervisors provide evening supervision and support at class locations. Security personnel support safety at Independence Adult Center in the morning and at both adult centers and five high school campuses at night. Attention is given to the learning environment for students. When surveyed about being provided with the necessary facilities and resources, students responded affirmatively: Always 68.4% and Often 22.7%. When surveyed about feeling safe and secure at class sites, students answered Always 81% and Often 12.7%. Due to well-attended sessions and the high demand for classes, having adequate parking is a continual challenge.

Many students require placement based upon entry-level criteria which is an ongoing support service that is provided. Accurate placement in the various programs ensures student success. As individuals call or come into the office inquiring about attending classes, the office staff directs them to the appropriate program for testing. For example, prospective ESL students fill out a postcard in the office which is mailed to them when they are scheduled for a one-hour ESL Placement Test. After the writing, listening, grammar, and reading tests, students fill out a self-addressed postcard and are put on a waiting list. When an appropriate class is available, the postcard is mailed for the student to begin classes.

A student requesting a High School Diploma, GED, Vocational Educational or Transitional English class is given an appointment for the placement test. The Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) Test Form Level D is approximately two and a half hours long. It consists of reading, math, language, listening, and writing tests. After taking the composite test, the student makes a counseling appointment and depending on the placement test scores, a counselor then schedules him/her into appropriate classes. Once in their assigned classes, computer courseware is selected, which self-adjusts based on the students’ specific needs. To help students achieve their workplace goals, the many computer labs provide classes with course and software choices recommended by the Community Advisory Committee.

Student placements for other programs are set up differently. Students who are interested in basic literacy go directly to an Adult Basic Education (ABE) class where they are evaluated and then an appropriate placement is made. Students in the Adults with Disabilities Program choose which classes they take. Lifelong Learning and Community Education students peruse the class offerings and determine their own interest and skill level and decide on their placements.

Students are encouraged to become involved in student government activities and share their problems and concerns in a forum of their peers. Student government is an active group on the Independence Adult Center site. High School Diploma and ESL students meet four times per semester to discuss current school events and concerns. The students elect representatives to run for the offices of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Historian. These school organizations provide students the opportunity to learn to use leadership skills, practice their communications skills, run a meeting properly, utilize a variety of resources and work collaboratively to accomplish projects such as the community food drive and various scholarship fundraisers. Additionally, monthly ESL Student Council meetings are held at several other sites.

Food vending trucks arrive at morning and evening break and lunch times to provide food services for students and staff. This occurs at IAC, OAC, and High School locations. This is a convenience for students who have busy school, work, or personal schedules. The day student councils at Independence Adult Center suggested adding a food vending machine in addition to the many beverage machines located in the student lounge. This resulted in the acquisition of a food vending machine and a share of the profits to the school. This also demonstrated the democratic process and the accomplishment of the ESLRs by student council members who pushed this through to completion. Now, students have food items available at all times on the Independence campus.

All Adults with Disabilities students attend classes that meet at their residential facilities or day program sites. Classes are designed to cover independent and supported living skills including communication, leisure, and physical fitness. Emphasis is placed on linking students to their community through guest speakers and field trips (shopping, library, restaurants, picnics, and museums). Students and instructors prepare for and participate in the annual program exhibit and student awards ceremony. At the 2003 ceremony, one of the students honored was 100 years old.

Students have access to a wide range of services and activities through their facilities. These include various therapies, medical information (such as the Wellness Center at Regency), seasonal, and other facility events. In class, students form connections with their classmates, instructors, and volunteers. For example, students act collaboratively to assist each other when a student reads class material to another student who is visually impaired at Regency of Evergreen Valley. Under teacher direction, volunteers from Santa Teresa High School provide dining instruction at breakfast to stroke victims and sight impaired patients.

Most referrals for service are generated by facility staff or by request of the student or his/her family. East Side instructors connect students to other additional services. For example, two AwD instructors identified and assisted a student who needed outside swim therapy and acted to help her obtain services at the Tippany Center, an off-site rehabilitation service. Other instructors have taken students to the library and helped them with supported living skills such as developing lists and taking shopping trips off-site.

One East Side instructor developed a service for students on her own initiative. Students at residential facilities often have very limited budgets and may have inadequate or worn clothing. One instructor organized a clothing drive for these students conducted with school staff participation one year, and with the local Moose Club the next. This was an extremely successful and much appreciated service, which heightened student self-esteem and created links between the AwD Program, the adult school, the community, and the students.

Community Education teachers are subject-area specialists; their knowledge of the adult education resources and the community-at-large is invaluable in helping students apply and further enhance their newly acquired skills. Over 50% of Community Education teachers responding to the departmental Community Education Teacher Survey noted these referrals as the manner in which they most directly connect students to community resources.

The referrals teachers make to advanced training programs range from those offered within adult education, such as the Vocational Education Department for computer skills, to those outside adult education such as San Jose Community College for Cosmetology, the Central County Occupational Center, and private sources and vendors for skills like Tahitian dance. They provide students with resources to utilize such as trade shows, reading lists, websites, books, videos, and the local Open Studios of Silicon Valley and the National Association of Decorative Painters to help students further pursue either independent or collaborative study.

Students demonstrate their acquired skills in a number of ways. Some perform on International Day or display their art at the annual Adult Education Exhibit at the East Side Union High School Education Center. Others have had their artwork featured on the cover of the Schedule of Classes or have donated their culinary creations for bake sales.

Along with classified staff and classroom teachers, Community Resource Teachers and other support staff connect ESL students’ needs to a broad system of support services. Teachers are sensitive to their students and are available to help them. They often spend time outside of class assisting students and giving them advice. They observe their students and get to know them well in order to better identify student needs and plan effective lessons. There is continual observation, evaluation, and re-checking by the classroom teacher to let students know how they are doing. In the student surveys, 87.9% of ESL students responded always and often that their teachers provided individual help when needed. Also, ESL students answered that teachers are positive and helpful: Always 82.3%, Often 11.9%, Sometimes 5.5% and Never 0.3%

ESL students especially need assistance since most of them are recent immigrants and new to their community. In class, they participate in activities such as pair practice, group work, role-plays, short reports to the class, and peer tutoring their classmates. As a result, students become more confident and overcome shyness while improving their language proficiency. Their accomplishments in listening and speaking demonstrate their ability to apply learned skills, communicate effectively, use higher level thinking skills, and work collaboratively and independently. ESL students gave a favorable response by answering in surveys that the classes are useful and interesting: Always 78.3%, Often 15.2%, Sometimes 6.4% and Never 0.0%.

Classroom teachers plan lessons that include units of community study. For example, there are lessons on public and non-profit agencies and how to access these services. These links to the community are emphasized and strengthened by classroom presentations arranged by Community Resource Teachers. Classes have taken field trips to libraries, grocery stores, and museums. Gaining these skills enables students to connect to the community and use available resources and services for themselves and their families. When surveyed, 95% of ESL students found the instructional materials in classes often or always useful. When asked "How has your learning experience at East Side helped you?" the students replied (A) As a student 38.9% (B) In your job 24.4% (C) In your family 14.2%, and (D) In your community 22.4%.

Further staff support is found in the areas of assessment, technology, and service coordination. Almost all (98%) ESL students have computer access through services provided by computer lab instructors and a technology coordinator. Students also have Internet access to help them find support services with guidance from teachers or lab instructors. Two Assessment Technicians and the Citizenship Department Chairs provide placement, and exit testing services to accelerate placement of students into the program and to certify progress. Teachers in the Study at Home Program provide one-on-one instruction and assessment in a personalized format for students who cannot attend a conventional class schedule. Finally, the Program Coordinator, Department Chairs, and Principal also meet with students, field their input and concerns, and work to come to equitable solutions.

Since students and teachers represent many countries and cultures, it follows that customs, experiences, and holidays are discussed and appreciated as part of the curriculum. Some class activities include sharing stories or experiences from different countries, sharing food and recipes, or making a class booklet of student writing and artwork. Independence Adult Center holds an annual International Day with costumes, entertainment and a joint international potluck. Overfelt Adult Center has had an International Parade of Costumes on the last day of the semester along with potlucks in the classrooms and also annually hosts childcare center kids for "trick or treat" on Halloween.

ESL students are given Certificates of Level Completion when they successfully pass the requirements of a level and are promoted to the next step in the program. The highlight is when they pass the Exit Tests and are awarded completion certificates. This is an important time of decision-making for the promoted student. The teachers and high school counselors collaborate by arranging class visits during which the counselors present the educational options in East Side Adult Education that are available in the ABE, HSD, GED, and Vocational Education Programs. Those ESL students who elect to take the High School Placement Exam are subsequently scheduled for individual counseling appointments to sign up for classes.

Many ESL students make a successful transition to other departments in the program and some later receive their high school diplomas. The Transition Committee, composed of coordinators, department chairs, and teachers who represent all participating departments, semiannually reviews the entire process. In the Student Survey, over 90% of ESL students answered that teachers always or often encouraged them to continue and plan their education.

Overfelt Adult Center is the main office for the East Side Adult Education ESL Program. The office staff at Overfelt Adult Center has held raffles during different holidays to raise money for ESL student scholarships. In September 2003, the new W. C. Overfelt Children's Center opened and in October 2003, spaces for children were made available for children of ESL students. Free health care for parents and kids is now available at Overfelt High School next door to the Children's Center. The above support services have all been helpful in reducing or eliminating obstacles which interfere with student learning and academic success.

Students in the East Side Adult Education Program are provided with support to encourage development in their academic, professional and personal enrichment. This support is provided in part by the school’s involvement in the community through an Advisory Committee, the CalWORKs Program, and student government. The East Side Adult Education Program offers placement and counseling to incoming students to enroll them into the programs or classes that are appropriate to their individual goals and needs. Counselors are available to assist students throughout the school year. In addition to enrolling students, they further assist them through referrals to local social agencies such as the YMCA, Cal-Learn, and the San Andreas Regional Center (the contact person at Regional is Susan Duncan). Counselors also refer students to other adult education programs or the local community colleges.

The Adult Education Program has a partnership with the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Program (CalWORKs). CalWORKs is a welfare program that gives cash aid and services to eligible, needy California families with children. CalWORKs site representatives are available on the Independence Adult Center and the Overfelt Adult Center campuses during the time when the CalWORKs students are in class. They work closely with the counseling staff not only for the purpose of enrollment but to refer students to different social agencies in the area, if needed. The different services available can help a student achieve their goals by allowing them to have books, childcare, and health care that encourages and enables them to succeed.

There is another program designed to help welfare clients prepare for work, find stable employment and become self-supporting which is called the Pathways System. The CalWORKs representatives have just begun to participate in this community-based program. The Pathways program was created in 1995 to be used as a tool to plan and improve case management with welfare recipients on a monthly basis. Now students are required to attend the monthly meetings held at Independence Adult Center with their case manager and the site representatives. This process will provide cumulative and composite data for policy and program planning, program management, and program evaluation purposes.

The day and evening students at the Independence Adult Center are involved in various community projects such as the Santa Clara County Canned Food Drive in November and the Toys for Tots toy drive in December. In 2002, the students won the Bronze Award for donating 1,785 pounds of canned foods. Projects such as the student government sponsored car washes are used to provide the student body with scholarships and equipment such as microwaves, outdoor benches and tables. Students, classified and certificated staff responded to the events of 9-11 by organizing a fund-raising event of a red, white, and blue balloon release. These funds were donated to the Red Cross in an act of national spirit and unity. The event was depicted on the cover of the January, 2002 Schedule of Classes.

In 2001, the adult education program formed a partnership with The Boston Reed Company. Boston Reed is an educational service organization whose mission is to assist educational institutions to achieve their goal of building a productive workforce for California business. The Independence Adult Center site offers the following courses: Clinical Medical Assistant, Administrative Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy, Medical Billings Clerk, and Pharmacy Technician. Upon satisfactory completion of the classes, certificates are given. This collaboration with Boston Reed is allowing the adult education program to provide a service to the community of health providers who need to earn continuing education units.

All of the Boston Reed programs have been developed in strict compliance with training standards and guidelines established by controlling local, state and federal agencies including the California Medical Board, the Board of Registered Nurses, the California Department of Health Services, and the California Medical Assistants Association. This partnership with Boston Reed provides students the opportunity to gain knowledge from classroom instruction and externship in the medical field.

The Adult Education Program has an agreement on file with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. Students enrolled in the High School Diploma Program have the opportunity to use their GI bill as they work toward a high school diploma.

Classes are held at both major adult centers as well as the locations listed above. Just the process of coming to class connects the students with a host of additional resources, including other adult education classes or services and activities at their community centers. These include workshops on senior issues and concerns, nutrition programs, city tours, tax and legal assistance, recreational activities and site social workers. Teachers are encouraged to announce the community center resources and refer students when they see a need. In a departmental student evaluation from spring 2003, 64% of students responded that support services always meet their needs, and 57% reported that they always feel free to discuss problems with their teachers.

Some classes such as California History, Life Planning, Transitions to Retirement, and Accessing Community Resources have curriculum designed around exploring community resources. Additionally, all classes are encouraged to include field trips where students explore community resources related to their field of study, ranging from sites such as museums to businesses that supply needed materials. The program even includes some extensive field trips such as the five-day family history trip to Salt Lake City for research, or the weeklong trip to Colorado to work with a master painter.

This year the program will be participating in a national oral history project, the Veterans History Project, which links teenagers with those of the WWII era through recording the stories as short digital movies. This project involves community networking between project organizers and East Side students, faculty, and coordinators. It involves applied language skills, effective communication skills, higher thinking skills, collaboration, the use of technology, and intergenerational activities.

The program supplies handouts of the weekly calendar of Lifelong Learning classes and flyers on individual classes, which augment the schoolwide class schedule. The centers supply written materials about school and community activities. Students and faculty participate in a range of co-curricular activities such as community center fashion, art and open house shows, the citywide Walk a Golden Mile, San Jose Senior Olympics, seasonal events in individual classes, and the annual Lifelong Learning Exhibit and Older Adult Awards.

Students routinely develop new collaborations in class. 47% report that they help fellow students with transportation to class and other needs. These new ties also extend into the community with 40% saying that they have found new volunteer opportunities as a result of taking Lifelong Learning classes.

Evidence

Attendance records/awards

Awards Ceremony

AwD Weekly class schedule

Class Observations

Class schedule

Community Surveys (Community, Department and Schoolwide)

CRT schedules, notes and logs

Curriculum Guides

Field trip request forms

Flyers/announcements/brochures

The program ensures school spirit and outreach through its annual exhibit and Older Adult Students of the Year award ceremony. This event is well attended by students, family and residential staff from residential and day care facilities.

The program develops communication links with the students and facility staff in order to maintain community involvement with the program. Staff members from affiliated facilities sit on the school advisory committee. Students are able to communicate feedback about their class interests and needs through class surveys and through their residential site councils. Facility staff helps the program by suggesting curriculum interests, needs and changes, and by giving the program useful feedback about student progress.

Facility staff observes students/clientele in adult education classes to help make assessments and adjustments for their clientele based on observing their progress/behavior in a normal classroom setting. Many lines of communication are open to facilitate student support and progress within the program and on an individual basis. Partnerships between the adult school and eight off-site Adult with Disabilities sites help link students with additional services and resources.

School leadership is acutely aware that the key to the viability and success of the Community Ed Program is community involvement. To stay connected and involved with the community, leadership uses a number of communication strategies. A focal point of communication is the Schedule of Classes, with over 185,000 copies mailed out three times a year. The Schedule has been used as a vehicle to distribute surveys for community input, and it has been successful in the recruitment of new instructors as well as in determining the demand for new courses.

The East Side Adult Education Website is an interactive medium to provide information and answer questions about the Adult Education Program. The district’s e-mail system has been successfully employed to recruit East Side Union High School District teachers and to solicit input to diversify program offerings. The involvement of leadership in boards, panels, conference presentations, and local advocacy groups such as the Silicon Valley Alliance of Adult Education Providers ensures the East Side Adult Education Program keeps a high community profile.

The East Side ESL Program has three Community Resource Teachers (CRTs) who are on site where ESL classes are held. They visit classes, introduce themselves and give their office hours when individual appointments may be made. They share information about resources and services that are available in the community. Students contact the CRT to make appointments and obtain information to resolve their problems. There are concerns about immigration, housing or employment, health or abusive behavior among others. Students being able to communicate, access assistance, and resolve their problems indicate they are achieving the ESLRs.

There are eight ESL Student Councils, coordinated by the CRT's, that meet mornings, afternoons and evenings at two sites during the day and four sites at night. Each class selects two representatives to attend the monthly meetings. The goals are to encourage leadership and represent the concerns and suggestions of ESL students. Student Council members demonstrate all of the ESLRs - using skills and resources, communicating, higher level thinking, and working together - by their participation with student government. All of the ESLRs are evident as members represent their classes, express their concerns, problem solve, and make reports back to their classes.

As teachers make requests, speakers from community agencies are invited to speak to classes to educate students and share information about the services that are available. These sessions are enjoyed by both teacher and students. The sessions are interactive with a Question and Answer period at the end of the presentations. They provide information about employment; care providers for the elderly, and how to receive services for family members. Some of the presentations are from the San Jose Police Department, Asian Law Alliance, and the Green Team (SJ Recycling). All of the ESLRs are evident as students listen, then ask questions and seek clarification when the community presenter visits the classrooms.

On the Independence Adult Center campus, Advisory Committee meetings are held four times per school year. There is a broad range of community representation including the San Jose Police Department, social services staff, extended school site staff, Student Government President, and community retailers. In the fall of 2003, the members worked together to create a community survey. When it was completed, the members took it to their place of business and distributed it. When asked the question whether the adult school is adequately meeting the needs of the community, 75% of the community survey responses were yes.

Throughout the school year, members from the community are encouraged to come into the classrooms and speak to the students. Manny Jimenez, a representative from the One-Stop Career Center, offers his services to teach students how to log on to the Cal-Jobs web site. Once an account is created, students have access to resources such as job leads, resume writing, networking, and career counseling. Lyn Gulkin, representative from Evergreen Community College, makes her campus visits in May each year to give the students information on the college enrollment procedures and how to apply for financial aid. Steven Choy, representative from San Jose City College, is a member of the Advisory Committee and makes regular visits to talk with students and provide information on enrollment at San Jose City College. The Department Chair for Vocational Education attends Tech-Prep meetings held at San Jose City College (SJCC) throughout the school year. At these meetings, articulation agreements, upcoming career fairs, summer school, and non-traditional courses are discussed. The information is then shared with counselors, staff, and students.

The program insures school spirit through its annual exhibit and Older Adult Students of the Year award ceremony. This exhibit is open to all students and teachers in the following programs: Lifelong Learning, Adults with Disabilities, and Community Education. All classes are invited to participate, and about one-half of classes in the Lifelong Learning program participate by furnishing completed class projects or a poster which illustrates class activities. The exhibit items are displayed in the large cases in the front halls of the district headquarters where they are viewed by board members, staff, students, and any member of the public who visits the Educational Center from February through April.

The Older Adult Students of the Year Ceremony occurs in April and honors students from the Lifelong Learning and Adults with Disabilities Programs. The event begins with refreshments that are provided by students and with an open house viewing of the exhibit. The event then moves into the boardroom for presentation of the awards. As the school director or board member reads a student’s biography aloud, the student is presented a certificate and floral bouquet. The biographies are printed in the program for about 20-25 students who are honored each year. They are chosen by their instructors or by a vote of their classmates.

The Older Adult students event draws about 150 people including students, family, faculty, city gerontologists, facility directors, director of the San Jose Office on Aging, a representative from the Mayor’s office, and several members of the San Jose Senior Citizens Commission. The exhibit and awards build community awareness and school spirit and serve as a public portfolio for student works.

The community is highly involved with the program. Partnerships between the adult school and the eight outreach Lifelong Learning sites allow easy access and help connect students to additional services and service opportunities.

The students, faculty and program coordinators maintain close ties and strong communication channels with the community center class sites regarding class needs, interest, curriculum, and activities. Several students and faculty members sit on local community center advisory boards and on the San Jose Senior Citizen Commission. Similarly, several city gerontology specialists sit on the school's Advisory Committee.

As a result of the Focus Group work, it is clear that there are numerous and noteworthy ways in which the school staff supports the academic and personal growth of East Side students. New students who are entering the adult school or programs for the first time get excellent support services. However, the continued sharing of information or services across programs is often lacking. There are services or opportunities that are available to all students in the program but may be known only to the program or department that initiated them.

Evidence