1. Developing a Contextualized Cross-Curricular Basic Skills CTE Program: LATTC’s Utilities & Construction Prep
Dr. Allison Tom-Miura
Noncredit Basic Skills Instructor and Program
Director Career Advancement Academy
BSI Regional Meeting
May 7-8, 2009

2. UCP Program Overview
Set of 11 different noncredit courses from two different disciplines (Basic Skills and Vocational Education)
Total of 306 instructional hours delivered Mon-Fri. from 7am-12pm, over 12 weeks (17 std hrs)
Taught by seven different instructors
Includes both college readiness and workforce preparation outcomes and standards
Work with industry advisors and nonprofit partners

3. Course Breakdown
Contextualized Math, English and Mechanical Basic Skills – 99 hours
Applied construction basics (terminology, tools, safety and skills) – 54 hours
Workplace fitness and conditioning – 54 hours
Industry overview and employment readiness (soft skills, career exploration and financial literacy) – 45 hours
Workplace success skills (teamwork, communications and leadership) – 36 hours
College readiness – 18 hours

4. Student Profile 80% male and 20% female
60% African American, 35% Latino, 3% Asian, 2% White
~70% first-time college students
~90% were not currently attending college
~25% do not have HSD or GED
~98% low-income

5. Student Success Data 85% of students complete the UCP program
95% of those that complete continue their college education and/or work (full-time and part-time)
Majority of students that continue their education matriculate into college credit, college level classes
100% of students that didn’t have HSD or GED prior to program continue in college to earn it – many have already earned them
A number of our students have been released from probation (during and after completing our program)

6. Other Student Successes
Significant positive changes in student attitudes, behaviors and confidence
Positive and sustaining relationships students build and maintain with their classmates, instructors and industry professionals (allies, advocates & mentors)
Intergenerational and multi-level learning, support and assistance our students give each other that change their lives in positive ways

7. Program Development Process
Gap analysis/labor force demand with industry representatives and CTE field
Career pathways planning and industry research and networking
Basic Skills instructor researches and builds relationship with CTE department/disciplines (curriculum content, workplace standards, department and industry culture, sharing of faculty, facilities and resources)
Identify, collect and select existing curriculum and develop student learning outcomes and contextualized basic skills
Recruit, orient and train faculty
Ongoing refinement of curriculum and faculty coordination and training

8. Utilities Career Pathways
CAHSEE Test
UPGRADE EMPLOYMENT
RECRUITMENT & ASSESSMENT
ADVANCED EMPLOYMENT
ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYMENT
ENTRY LEVEL TRAINING (Short-term CTE college courses)
PREPARATION
GED Test
CASAS Reading and Math Test > 6th grade
Utilities and Construction Prep Program
contextualized basic skills
(315 hours)
Pre-Electrical Craft Helper (54 hrs)
Solar Installation
(54 hrs)
Lineman Training
Meter Reader
($13/hr)
Customer Service Rep
Electrical Craft Helper ($46K-63K/yr)
Steam Plant Asst. ($/yr)
Maintenance and Construction Helper ($/yr)
Supply Water Cert 1
(_ hrs)
Wastewater Cert 1
Electrical Distribution Mechanic ($/yr)
Electric Station Operator ($/yr)
Funded by Career Advancement Academy, California Community College Chancellor's Office

9. Hurdles Finding the right faculty/faculty training
Determining and refining the content of the curriculum

10. Faculty Selection and Development
More than finding people that meet minimum qualifications and are content experts
Instructors must have both the capacity and desire to approach teaching as a student of learning
Instructors must have a teaching philosophy and teaching techniques that facilitate college readiness, workplace readiness and supports/sustains our students’ motivation
Integrate the practice of inquiry in our program as teaching and training tool
Instructors use inquiry with our students to get to know them and build relationships with them
Instructors use inquiry with each other and with selves to unlearn assumptions, myths and stereotypes of our students that are barriers to our effective teaching, our students’ learning and our relationship-building with students to support their motivation

11. Curriculum Content
Essential pieces of our curriculum and program extends beyond workplace, CTE and typical basic skills content
Curriculum and teaching must focus on building upon students’ strengths and their high level of motivation by teaching them critical thinking, relationship-building and leadership skills so they can effectively navigate systems in pursuit of their goals (persistence)
Willingness to regularly practice inquiry and evaluate our program
Accept that we are not experts in knowing what our students need and want and that there is no “magic bullet”
Students needs and wants are the drivers of our curriculum and teaching (“It’s all about the students”)
Integrate teaching of higher level skills

12. Program Success
Received our first FIN grant that is integrated into our program
Created and maintain a safe space for our faculty to practice inquiry about our own teaching and our learning about our students, ourselves and our teaching
Built enough trust help each other in our unlearning and development process
Built a strong relationship with our CTE Department and industry partners
Expanding our nonprofit partnerships and strengthen our programs ability to more effectively support our students on and off-campus

13. Ongoing Challenges Faculty recruitment and development Case management
Support services for our students
Role of counseling vs. providing CTE advising coupled with teaching our students to navigate college and employment systems

14. Contact Information
Leticia Barajas, Dean, Academic Affairs & Workforce and Economic Development
Dr. Allison Tom-Miura, CAA Program Director and Noncredit Basic Skills Instructor