OTAN Digest

Digest #13
February 2022

Message From The Director

We all know it is important for each adult education agency to continuously review its student and performance data, whether it's in the classroom, in a program, or school-wide. The Continuous Improvement Plan (or CIP) is a tool that was recently developed to assist agencies with program monitoring and development. The CIP asks agencies to consider current relevant data, write specific performance goals, and identify strategies for achieving continuous improvement and learner success. After the initial rollout of the CIP in 2021, the 2022 CIP will now allow for the review of data and include a review of previous goals.

The CIP portal, monitored by OTAN, opened on February 1 on the Adult Education Online Application and Reporting website. Locate the CIP webpage on the WIOA Navigation Menu. The Word version of the document is posted and available for preparation purposes. Access the plan portal from the blue button labeled "Start Plan" (or "Edit Plan" once you begin working on the CIP). If you have questions about the content items for the plan, please reach out to your CDE Regional Consultant via email. The CIP is due on April 30.

Training will be available at OTAN's Technology and Distance Learning Symposium (and make sure to register for TDLS!) and additional webinars and office hours will be posted on the California Adult Education Training Calendar from February through April. Training will address strategies to help support the writing of SMART goals as well as agency and admin approaches to review data and make the process useful for adult education programs. And, as always, if you need training on other technology-related items or topics, please reach out to us. We are here to support you!

-Renee Collins

Spotlight On...

Accessibility Resources!

We often mention during OTAN events that the materials we provide to the adult education field need to be accessible before they are made public. OTAN is committed to providing full and equal access to all. As such, OTAN follows Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 compliance, which means that content is made useable for people with disabilities. Making content accessible also benefits others, such as those using mobile devices or those with slow network connections.

To assist staff at adult education agencies in familiarizing themselves with accessibility practices and regulations, OTAN has compiled a list of resources you can use to learn more about accessibility and how to create your own accessible content. Visit our Accessibility Resources page on the OTAN website at https://web.otan.us/Resources/Home/AccessibilityResources  There is a lot of accessibility information online, and we have tried to identify those resources that we think are most useful for adult educators, including resources from government agencies and nationally recognized organizations, everyday technology (Microsoft, Apple, and Google), and resources to help make your presentations accessible. We also have a great introductory video from OTAN Coordinator Penny Pearson on how to begin understanding accessibility issues. Additionally:

• For more information on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, visit https://www.section508.gov/ 
• For more information on WCAG 2.1, visit https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/

Stay connected to OTAN! Please contact us at support@otan.us or call us at 916-228-2580. We're here to help with accessibility resources and more!

OTAN February And March Events

OTAN training events are OPEN to Adult Education staff.
★ = CLOSED, In-Service Training

Professional Development

Did you know OTAN provides FREE professional development workshops to help Adult Educators integrate technology?

Think about scheduling OTAN Professional Development in the 2021-2022 school year. With a wide variety of technology topics from which to choose, OTAN training staff will present for any WIOA-funded adult education program in California either online or face-to-face with a computer lab or devices connected to the Internet. (Note that face-to-face trainings will be scheduled when it is safe and OTAN staff are free to travel.)

All OTAN's workshops are provided at no cost!

Each session is hands-on - everyone will learn new skills related to technology or using technology that they can use in their adult education class or program. And all OTAN online or face-to-face workshops can be tailored to fit the needs of the requesting program. Select the links to see a list of the current online or face-to-face workshops and descriptions. If you don't see a workshop that is exactly what you need, contact OTAN - we'll work together to create a training that's best for you and your staff!

• OTAN Face-to-Face Workshops (which can be tailored for the virtual environment!)
• OTAN Online Workshops

Need more information? Contact OTAN training staff anytime by phone at 916-228-2580 or by email at support@otan.us

To view workshops already scheduled, visit the California Adult Education Professional Development Calendar and search for workshops sponsored by OTAN. Don't miss out!