1. State Act 143
2. Federal Workforce Investment Act
3. English Literacy and Civics Education
The Pennsylvania Adult Basic and Family Literacy Education Act 143-1986, amended June 22, 2001, P.L. 209, No.44
Purpose
It is the intent of this Act to provide coordination and broaden the scope of educational activities to uneducated and undereducated adults in this Commonwealth and their families, including those who speak other languages, and to provide programs to those individuals who have previously been unserved. By providing for the coordination of funding streams and programs across State departments, increased and improved services are provided to adult learners and their families. By encouraging and expanding the availability of adult and family literacy education programs in this Commonwealth, these adults and their families will be able to function more effectively in their personal lives and as citizens and be better prepared for training and employment so that they may become more responsible and productive members of society.
Priorities and Considerations
- Eligible adults who are receiving either State of Federal public assistance, or who are unemployed workers or displaced homemakers
- Eligible adults in any local area who do not have certificates of graduation from a secondary school and who are not currently enrolled in adult or family literacy education programs
- Eligible adults who are members of minority groups
- Eligible adults with less than a fifth-grade reading level
- At least 20% of the annual appropriation shall be used for training volunteer adult literacy education instructors.
- At least 25% of the annual appropriation shall be used for family literacy education programs.
- No more than 20% of the annual appropriation shall be used to provide education to institutionalized adults.
Read the full Act 143 and amendments. (PDF)
Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Title II (Adult Education and Family Literacy Act), 20 U.S.C. §9201 et seq.
Purpose
Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, provides for the establishment of adult education and family literacy programs that will:
- Assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency,
- Assist adults who are parents to obtain the educational skills necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children, and
- Assist adults in the completion of a secondary school education.
The law requires that the states set “core indicators of performance” for adult education and literacy in three areas:
- Demonstrated improvements in literacy skill levels in reading, writing, and speaking the English language; numeracy; problem-solving; English language acquisition; and other literacy skills;
- Placement in, retention in, or completion of postsecondary education, training, unsubsidized employment, or career advancement; and
- Receipt of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent.
In addition to grants to local providers, the law supports the state agency’s use of funding to provide professional development and technical assistance to build local program capacity. Pennsylvania has established a professional development system to support adult education theory and application in the areas of reading, writing, math, ESL, workforce education, and learning differences.
Full text of the Workforce Investment Act is available at the Library of Congress Thomas site.
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008, Title III Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Funds from this appropriation are made available to states for integrated English literacy and civics education services to immigrants and other limited English proficient populations.
