CALPRO Pilot in the San Diego Region

The California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project (CALPRO) are pleased to offer a regional Community of Practice (CoP) pilot on Evidence-Based Reading Instruction to participants from the San Diego area, including MiraCosta College, Escondido Adult School, Poway Adult School, Vista Adult School, and other neighboring districts and adult education consortia.  

In-Person Session Dates: Fridays, March 27 & April 17, 2026, 10am-1pm 

Location: MiraCosta College Community Learning Center at 1831 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA

Asynchronous Online Dates: March 16 - April 26, 2026 (Moodle) 

This practical hands-on CoP is designed to support adult education instructors in implementing evidence-based literacy instruction, informed by the Science of Reading and responsive to the needs of students and educators in California. It aims to help educators deliver explicit instruction in the four essential components of reading—alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

The application deadline is Friday, March 6, 2026, at 5 pm. Notification of acceptance will occur by Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

• Light snacks will be provided

All Participants agree to:
-    Complete online assignments before, between, and after the face-to-face meetings
-    Attend both face-to-face meetings
-    Provide collegial support and feedback to fellow training participants
-    Be able to use technology for learning (e.g., using a learning management system [Moodle], typing text in online discussion forums, opening and attaching documents, clicking to view videos, and emailing to ask for help.) In-depth training on using the internet and other basic tools will not be provided.

What are the goals and objectives of the Evidence-Based Reading Instruction CoP?

This practical hands-on CoP is designed help educators deliver explicit instruction in the four essential components of reading—alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The training integrates research-based practices, ongoing assessment, and strategies for adult learners.

Objectives:

• Describe the four essential reading instruction components: alphabetics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
• Apply explicit instructional strategies for teaching at least one of the reading components to adult learners.
• Use diagnostic and ongoing assessment tools to inform instructional planning.
• Integrate background knowledge, language development, and writing into reading instruction to support comprehension and engagement.

Who is the intended audience?

This module is designed for literacy instructors (i.e., English Language Arts and English as a Second/Additional Language) in adult education programs (ABE, ASE, HSE, and ESL). It will have a practical instructional focus, so participants should have access to a classroom in which they are able to implement what they learn. 

What are “Communities of Practice”?

Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and strive to learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.[1] To provide opportunities for California adult educators to interact regularly and to engage in sustained professional development, CALPRO is offering professional development in a Community of Practice format that includes online interaction along with two face-to-face sessions.

What is a pilot?

This Community of Practice is complete and ready for participants, but before offering it statewide, we are field-testing the content, design, and online activities as a pilot. Throughout the pilot, participants will be asked to provide feedback. This feedback will be used to improve the delivery of future CoPs.

What are the benefits of participating in this CoP Pilot?

• In-depth engagement with training content;
• Opportunity for “early adoption” of best practices;
• Opportunity to interact with fellow educators and the trained facilitator to share practical experiences and solve instructional challenges;
• Collegial support for thinking about changes in instructional strategies and approaches;
• Contribution to the development of an enriched statewide professional development experience for adult educators in California. 

Participant Commitment and Expectations

1. Complete Online Activities
2. Attend Both Face-to-Face Sessions

Participants must access Pre-Session, Interim and Post-Session assignments via Moodle, CALPRO’s learning management system (LMS). The online assignments are essential to the training, and participants must complete the assignments prior to attending the face-to-face sessions. The face-to-face sessions will not repeat information that participants have received online.

Eligibility: Employees from all California Adult Education Program (CAEP) and WIOA Title II-funded agencies are eligible to apply.

Cost: There is no registration fee to participate. All expenses for educators’ release time are the responsibility of the agency/participants, as is any travel or meal. 

Administrator approval: Administrator approval is required for participation.

Certificates: Certificates of completion will be issued to those who complete all online activities on time and participate in both face-to-face sessions.                                                                                                                             

Questions: For additional information, contact Sachiko Oates, soates@air.org 

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