ADULT EDUCATION (AE) TEAM F24
AE SUPPORT STAFF
- AE Dean - Vacant; Spring 2025
- Dennis Solares - AE Program Coordinator
- Rachel Cerdenio - ESL Noncredit Full Time Faculty Member
- Chelise Gonzales - AE Administrative Assistant
- Sonia Medina-Arroyo - WIOA Coordinator
- Hegine Yakhszyan - Counselor
NEW AE FACULTY - WELCOME!
- Monique Cleveland - ESL C & NC
- Lauren Foster - ESL Noncredit
- Suzanne Kelley - ESL Noncredit
- KJ Kemjeerachad - ESL Noncredit
- Kathy Koupai - ESL Noncredit
- Nathan Nguyen - ESL Noncredit
RETURNING AE FACULTY
- Olivia Anderson - Vocational Ed.
- Charles Austin - Vocational Ed.
- Tami Brooks - Vocational Ed.
- Marquis Brignac - Vocational Ed.
- Elizabeth Dragun - ESL Noncredit
- Jonathan Ebrahimpour- Voc. Ed.
- Cesar Fuentes - Basic Skills
- Jose Gutierrez - Basic Skills / Voc Ed.
- Jamie Haile - ESL Noncredit
- Sahar Hamzei - ESL Noncredit
- Crystal Kiekel - Vocational Ed.
- Julian Killer - Vocational Ed.
- Byanka Melgar - Vocational Ed.
- Eluterio Michel - ESL Noncredit
- Jamie Ray - ESL Noncredit & Credit
- Brenda Solis - ESL Noncredit
- Concepcion Tiu - Vocational Ed.
- DM. Villanueva - ESL Noncredit
NEW ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - CHELISE GONZALES -
Chelise Gonzales (pronounced shuh-lease). Chelise has joined us as the Administrative Assistant in the Office of Academic Affairs, where she will be supporting the Dean of Adult, Continuing & Community Education.
Chelise comes to us with a strong background in the private sector, particularly in legal services administration and operations. Her experience will be a valuable asset as we continue to enhance our programs and support our students.
Outside of her professional life, Chelise enjoys baking and crafting, which we hope will add a unique touch to our campus community.
We are excited to have Chelise on board and look forward to seeing her contributions in the coming months. She will be sitting in Alder 1000 in the second cubicle to the right.
Please join us in welcoming her to the Pierce College family!
RACHEL CERDENIO.
ESL Noncredit Full Time Faculty
Rachel is our first full-time ESL Noncredit Faculty member. With over 20 years of experience at institutions like Pasadena High School, UC Irvine, and Cal State LA, she brings valuable expertise to our Adult Education program.
Currently, Rachel is planning a comprehensive review of the ESL Noncredit assessment tools and procedures as well as exploring pathways and resources for students to transition from non-credit to credit programs and/or the workforce.
Additionally, she's onboarding new ESL Noncredit faculty while balancing her own tenure-track evaluation process.
We wish her all the best and cheer her on during this process.
WIOA/CASAS Highlights
Sonia Medina-Arroyo - Coordinator
The WIOA/CASAS payment points for WIOA deliverables have surged dramatically over the past few years. From a modest 56 in FY 20-21 to a staggering 344 in FY 23-24 – that's a 500% increase! For this current fiscal year we have tested 562 students which have generated 166 benchmarks, and we are only on the first semester – this exponential growth is a testament to the tireless efforts of our team.
New Assessments - Look and content. CASAS updated its ESL Reading and Listening Forms to align with English Language Proficiency Standards, offering 5 levels for improved accuracy and student outcomes. Math Forms were also updated to measure higher-order skills, balancing life skills and workplace math.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Sonia for her exceptional work in driving this significant increase. Additionally, we want to thank all the dedicated faculty members who have played a crucial role in facilitating this process and ensuring that students are informed about CASAS and the COAAPs.
Noncredit and Credit faculty building together AT CATESOL
ESL NC HIGHLIGHTS
- We've successfully expanded our ESL program and have recently hired 6 new adjunct faculty to address the growing demand for in-person courses. These new hires were identified through a rigorous recruitment process, including referrals from our dedicated faculty and interviews held by a local hiring committee.
- Our ESL Noncredit program now offers up to Level 4, with plans to expand to Level 5 in Fall 2025.
- Need more faculty! High demand for in-person classes. Apply now to teach on-campus and at partner locations.
- We're launching a new ESL 0 class in Spring 2025 to support students with low literacy levels.
- New class end dates change for Spring 2025: June 1st (online) and June 2nd (in-person).
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS
- Now offering Full Medical Assistant Certificate in Spring 2025
- Brand New Electric Vehicle Maintenance Certificate - Winter 2025
- Real Estate Fundamentals Certification: Now offered in Spanish (synchronous) and English (asynchronous) - Spring 2025
- During Fall 2024 we collaborated with South Valley Worksource Center to offer a Workplace Success Certificate, and participated in a pilot program with Alliance For Community Empowerment to provide workforce development and job placement services to individuals impacted by the justice system. Faculty member Jose Gutierrez delivered both programs.
BASIC SKILLS HIGHLIGHTS
- Good news! We're now offering in-person GED classes starting Winter 2025. Let's spread the word!
- Online GED evening classes will be offered starting Spring 2025. Please encourage eligible students to enroll.
- Exciting! We're offering a new Financial Literacy Certificate program starting Spring 2025.
- We're excited to announce the reopening of the LAPC-GED Testing Center, thanks to the training of a new Test Center Administrator and Proctor. - Spring 2025
- Researching the Expansion of Spanish-language GED options through LAUSD partnerships.
- FAQ + Schedule for Winter and Spring now available
CURRICULUM CORNER
- The district is standardizing course numbering to improve student mobility between colleges. Noncredit courses will also go through this process. This will make it easier for students to transfer and continue their education seamlessly.
- We need to update ESL NC certificate descriptions to clarify that these are open/entry-level courses.
- To provide students with a comprehensive education and opportunities for civic engagement, we're working on modifying our ESL certificates and introducing new civics courses.
- To accurately represent our current offerings, the GED Foundations certificate needs to be updated to include the newly added GED prep courses.
- New Spanish GED certificate of completion now available.
- Need to re-evaluate the requirements for the Medical Assistant Front and Back Office Certificate, specifically considering the potential removal of VOC ED 380 - Practicum."
- The Speaking English certificate requires an update to reflect the inclusion of ESLNC 050 and ESLNC 051 courses
- Thanks to the efforts of faculty member, Kristal Kiekel, our LAPC Tutor Training program is underway to be upgraded to meet international standards. Tutors who complete the program will earn both an LAPC Vocational Education certificate and an internationally recognized certification, enhancing their professional credentials.
- A significant number of courses need DE addendums processed to enable online delivery.
- A significant number of courses require adjustments to the grading modality to align with non-credit standards.
Coordinator's Reflections
A Year of Progress and Collaboration
• Dennis Solares•
This fiscal year has been dedicated to streamlining processes, fostering relationships, and enhancing Adult Education services. We've successfully increased our visibility on campus and have engaged with key departments including Counseling, Health Center, Library, Bookstore, CopyTech, Welcome Center, Graduation Office, Institutional Effectiveness, and Financial Aid.
We've increased our campus presence through active participation in district and local committees, including Adult Education District Leadership, Student Success Committee, College Council, and Academic Policy Committee. Additionally, we've contributed to crucial college-level processes like Program Review, SLO clean up and updates, FTES management and strategizing, and certificate completion tracking. We're also collaborating with LARAEC and the Adult Education District Office to develop the 2025-2028 program plan for Adult Education.
It's a great time to be a part of Adult Education, and I am fortunate to be part of a great team at Pierce College. The team's dedication to student success is evident in everything we do. Let's keep pushing the boundaries and creating a brighter future for our students!
Upcoming Events & Due Dates
- Faculty Meeting: December 6th; 10AM: Zoom & in-person
- AE - Registration Day - flyer below
- For faculty: Final attendance posting, roster clean up, final grades, SLO's & Flex; Due December 20, 2025
- New website coming soon
- Winter & spring 2025 - schedule & flyers available
- AE Dean interviews underway. New dean on board as soon as winter 2025.
Credits:
Los Angeles Pierce College Adult Education Program