Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

Community Planning Policy Update - October 2013

October 9, 2013 Indicators of Effective Community Planning for CALCs: Research based

Indicators of Effective Community Planning for CALCs have been developed to help strengthen and build the capacity of community planning partnerships1 in their community planning efforts. The

Indicators include a self-assessment and planning tool to help community planning partnerships identify their strengths and areas that require focus; shape goals and intended outcomes; inform action steps and planning for continuous improvement; and help track progress along a continuum of proficiency.2 Self-Assessment: The expectation is that community planning partnerships will use the results of the self-assessment as a catalyst for discussion to determine direction and focus for their community planning. Where multiple areas that require focus are identified, it is expected they will be prioritized and addressed over time with community planning integrated in a CALC's continuous improvement process. Planning Tool: The planning tool is focused on identifying intended outcomes community planning partnerships plan to achieve and the steps needed to achieve those goals. These should ultimately align with the strategic framework and support and benefit adult learners based on the premise that "the stronger the partnership, the more comprehensive are services to adult learners and, therefore, the stronger the community impact." As one CALC Director said, "ABE community planning partnerships help us reduce the obstacles students face so they can persist in their educational pursuits."3 FY 14- FY 17 Community Planning Models: Given that communities have different needs and circumstances, there are four options to choose from as a primary focus for community planning:

Single Focus Community Planning: These partnerships, supported since the initiation of ABE community planning, involve convening a variety of stakeholders with a single focus on ABE. They may be convened by one or more CALCs in a community or region.
Multi-Focus Community Planning: These partnerships, developed as partnerships between programs and community stakeholders, involve the participation of CALCs in a community-wide partnership not exclusively focused on ABE.
Family and Community Engagement: To promote the effective involvement of parents and the community in supporting the success of children and schools, these partnerships include a local school or district and may include other stakeholders, such as early education and care providers, in the development of specific goals and outcomes related to children's academic achievement.
College and Career Readiness: These partnerships can play a significant role in the successful transition of ABE students to college, further training, and career. Community planning allows programs to work in partnership with college, training, and workforce partners for the purpose of helping students achieve their college and career related goals.

ACLS will continue to provide the same level of funding to support community planning partnerships through FY 17 in order to implement the following activities4:

	FY 14	FY 15	FY 16	FY 17
Read the Indicators of Effective Community Planning for CALCs and, as feasible, share it with community planning partners.	✓
In order to determine the level at which a coalition demonstrates characteristics associated with the Indicators, all CALCs with the exception of CALCs in Boston5 need to conduct the self-assessment during FY 14. Pay special notice to the information and instruction pages prior to conducting the self-assessment.	✓
Review the results of the self-assessment and, if possible, develop a consensus on the ratings. Identify strengths and prioritize areas that need to be addressed. ACLS will not request the self-assessment results.6	✓
Based on the self-assessment results, CALCs will provide the following in the FY 15 continuation application: - Strengths - One or two prioritized area(s) and intended outcomes to work on in FY 15 - The primary focus of community planning for FY 15 Note: An action plan will be developed with benchmarks and intended outcomes to support the partnership's work in FY 15. ACLS will not request a copy of the action plan.6	✓
CALCs will provide the following in the FY 16 and FY 17 continuation applications: - Progress made on the prioritized areas including accomplishments, outcomes, and any areas that created challenges including contributing factors - One or two prioritized goal(s) and intended outcomes to work on in the following fiscal year which includes: those areas not yet met in the current fiscal year including, if applicable, a new strategy/approach to accomplish the goal(s) and one to two new goal(s) identified from the self-assessment - The primary focus of community planning for the following year Note: An action plan will be developed with benchmarks and intended outcomes to support the partnership's work in the following fiscal year. ACLS will not request a copy of the action plan.6		✓	✓
Implement the respective fiscal year action plan and track progress towards achieving the goals and intended outcomes.		✓	✓	✓

FY 14
CALCs IN BOSTON

Boston community planning partnerships were the first programs in the state to conduct the self-assessment with their community planning coalitions in FY 13. To accommodate the difference in the timeline with the rest of the state, Boston CALCs will provide the same information as CALCs statewide, but earlier in FY 14. For FY 14 only, Boston CALCs will provide a separate community planning section as part of their FY 14 ABE Continuous Improvement Plan, to include the following based on the results of the self-assessment:

Strengths
One or two prioritized areas and intended outcomes to work on in FY 14
The primary focus of community planning for FY 14

Note: An action plan will be developed with benchmarks and intended outcomes to support the partnership's work during FY 14. ACLS will not request a copy of the action plan.6

FY 15 - 17
CALCs IN BOSTON

In alignment with all CALCs across the state, the Boston CALCs will provide the following in their continuation application for FY 15, FY 16, and FY 17:

Progress made on the prioritized areas including accomplishments, outcomes, and any areas that created challenges including contributing factors
One or two prioritized goal(s) and intended outcomes to work on in the following fiscal year which includes: those areas not yet met in the current fiscal year including, if applicable, a new strategy/approach to accomplish the goal(s) and one to two new goal(s) identified from the self-assessment
The primary focus of community planning for the following year

Note: An action plan will be developed with benchmarks and intended outcomes to support the partnership's work in the following fiscal year. ACLS will not request a copy of the action plan.6

FY14 - FY 17
ABE PROGRAMS IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Community/Reintegration Planning

All ABE/Correctional Institution ESE-funded programs will participate in one ABE Community Partnership in the community.
The purpose of Community/Reintegration Planning is to ensure that every organization with an interest in, and the potential for, supporting services to this population is included in the planning process and that protocols are established to coordinate services.

APPENDIX A

FY 14 COMMUNITY PLANNING TRAININGS

Topics are based on survey responses from CALC Directors administered in the spring of FY13.
Trainings will include peers with successful practices of ABE community planning.
Further information will be provided including learning objectives for each session and registration in late November/early December, 2013.
Prerequisite for trainings: Participants will review and be familiar with the Indicators of Effective Community Planning for CALCs. Programs may wish to conduct the self-assessment by early December 2013 to determine their needs prior to the trainings.

Group I: 3 sessions
Target Audience: CALCs with new, reforming, inactive or no coalition, new CALC Directors with little or no community planning experience.

COMMUNITY PLANNING TRAINING DATES (Location TBD)
Group I:

Session 1:	January 7 with a snow date of January 9	1:00 - 5:00
Session 2:	January 14 with a snow date of January 16	1:00 - 4:00
Session 3:	January 23 with a snow date of January 29	1:00 - 4:00

Note: Even though each session builds on the previous session, participation in all sessions is not required, however, participation in Session 1 is required in order to attend Session 2 or 3.

Group II: 2 sessions
Target Audience: CALCs with active coalitions and/or CALC Directors who have community planning experience.

COMMUNITY PLANNING TRAINING DATES (Location TBD)
Group II:

Session 1:	February 4 with a snow date of February 7	1:00 - 5:00
Session 2:	February 11 with a snow date of February 13	1:00 - 4:00

Note: Even though each session builds on the previous session, participation in all sessions is not required, however, participation in Session 1 is highly recommended.

APPENDIX B

FY 14 - FY 17 COMMUNITY PLANNNING FUNDING LEVELS*

Allocations for community planning in CALCs are as follows:

A grant recipient that is the sole CALC in the community will receive a base community planning allocation of $10,000.
Each grant recipient in a community with multiple CALCs in a community will receive a base community planning allocation of $6,000.
Each CALC in Boston will receive a base community planning allocation of $6,000, $2,000 of which will support the citywide community planning initiative through the Mayor's Office of Jobs and Community Services. The remaining $4,000 will be retained by the CALC to support the work of the neighborhood community planning partnership.
For CALCs whose community partnership has elected to focus on Family and Community Engagement, the amounts listed above will be increased by $2,000 following ACLS approval of a Family and Community Engagement action plan.

Allocation for community planning in ABE programs in Correctional Institutions is as follows:

Each grant recipient in ABE/CI funded programs will receive a base community allocation of $1,500 per program.

1 The terms coalition and partnership are used interchangeably in this document.

2 Trainings based on the Indicators will be conducted in January and February 2014. CALCs may wish to conduct the self-assessment by early December 2013 to determine their needs before the trainings. See Appendix A for more information on the trainings.

3 Community Planning Evaluation, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Adult & Community Learning Services, Prepared by Denise A. Bell, Ph.D., 2010

4 See Appendix B for funding levels.

5 See FY 14 CALCs IN BOSTON and FY 15 - 17 CALCs IN BOSTON for more information on requirements for Boston CALCs.

6 During routine communication with CALCs in FY 14 - FY 17, Program Specialists will inquire about many aspects of program functioning including community planning. Program Specialists will not request the results of the self-assessment or the action plan.

* Subject to appropriations

Last Updated: October 22, 2013

Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

Community Planning Policy Update - October 2013

FY 14CALCs IN BOSTON

FY 15 - 17CALCs IN BOSTON

FY14 - FY 17ABE PROGRAMS IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS