Adult Education Family Literacy Act and Program Year 2003–2004 Report to Congress on State Performance U.S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................iii Introduction...................................................................................................................................1 Accountability System—The National Reporting System....................................................9 Setting Performance Benchmarks.........................................................................................10 Measuring Educational Gain.................................................................................................11 Collecting Follow-up Measures............................................................................................13 Federal Investments to Improve Program Data and Accountability.....................................14 Federal Assistance in PY 2003–04.......................................................................................15 NRS Implementation by States.............................................................................................16 Summary of National Performance Results.............................................................................17 National Profile of Selected Program and Student Information...........................................24 State Profiles of Selected Program and Student Information...............................................27 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The state-administered grant program authorized under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), enacted as Title II of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, is the major source of federal support for adult basic and literacy education programs. The purpose of the program is to provide educational opportunities to adults sixteen and older, not currently enrolled in school, who lack a high school diploma or the basic skills to function effectively in society or who are unable to speak, read, or write the English language. When AEFLA was reauthorized in 1998, Congress made accountability for results a central focus of the new law, setting out new performance accountability requirements for states and local programs that measure program effectiveness on the basis of student academic achievement and employment related outcomes. To define and implement the accountability requirements of AEFLA, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) established the National Reporting System (NRS). To monitor data collection procedures and to promote data quality improvement, OVAE developed data quality standards to clarify the policies, processes, and materials the states and local programs should have in place to collect valid and reliable data. To assist states in meeting the standards, OVAE has provided resources, training, and technical assistance activities to improve data quality. OVAE has provided individual technical assistance to states on NRS implementation, published documents further refining NRS requirements, including guidelines for conducting follow-up surveys. Since 2001, OVAE has made available online training resources to states and local providers. In program year (PY) 2003–2004, the program enrolled 2,677,119 learners, of which just under 40 percent (39.7) were enrolled in Adult Basic Education, 16.5 percent were enrolled in Adult Secondary Education, and 43.8 percent were enrolled in English Literacy programs. Below is a summary table providing a comparison of actual performance on each of the core measures for adult education for the past years under the NRS. The data show modest increases (1–3 percentage points over three years) in all areas except the two employment measures. iii Actual Performance on Core Measures National Totals 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, and 2003–04 Actual Performance: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 Performance Performance Performance Performance 4-Yr Total 2000–2001 2001–2002 2002–2003 2003–2004 2000–01 to 2003–04 Performance Measures (National (National (National (National # Adults Achieving Averages) Averages) Averages) Averages) Outcome Educational Gain 36% 37% 38% 38% 2,009,753 ABE/ASE* Educational Gain 32% 34% 36% 36% 1,590,181 English Literacy** High School Completion 33% 42% 44% 45% 707,556 Entered Postsecondary 25% 29% 30% 30% 194,052 Education/Training Entered Employment 31% 39% 37% 36% 546,417 Job Retention 62% 63% 69% 63% 752,249 * Percentage of adults enrolled who completed one or more educational levels ** Percentage of adults enrolled who completed one or more educational levels iv INTRODUCTION Adult education programs meet a critical need in our nation to improve the literacy skills of adults and enhance their ability to be more productive members of society and the workforce. The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), enacted as Title II of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, is the principal source of federal support for adult basic skills programs. The purpose of the program, as defined in AEFLA, is to: • 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 purpose of the state-administered grant program is to provide educational opportunities for adults sixteen and older, not currently enrolled in school, who lack a high school diploma, the basic skills, or the ability to function effectively in the workplace or in their daily lives. These state grants are allocated by formula based upon the number of adults sixteen and over who are not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school and who do not have a secondary school credential. These data are drawn from the U.S. Census on Population and Housing as required by WIA, Title II. The federal allocation for AEFLA grants to states for Program Year (PY) 2003–2004 (or Fiscal Year 2003) was $561,042,109. Nationally, this amount represented approximately 25 percent of the total amount expended at the state and local levels to support adult education and literacy in PY 2003–2004. States distribute 82.5 percent of the federal funds competitively, using 12 quality criteria identified in the law, to local adult education providers. The provider network includes a variety of local agencies – local educational agencies, community colleges, community-based organizations, and volunteer literacy organizations. Many adult education programs also work with welfare agencies at the state and local level to provide instruction to adults needing basic skills who are receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. In addition, adult education supports adults in job training programs through partnerships with One Stop Career Centers and other job training programs in the community. Courses of instruction offered by local providers include: • Adult Basic Education (ABE), instruction in basic skills designed for adults functioning at the lower literacy levels to just below the secondary level; 1 • Adult Secondary Education (ASE), instruction for adults whose literacy skills are at approximately the high school level and who are seeking to pass the General Educational Development (GED) tests or obtain an adult high school credential; and • English Literacy (EL), instruction for adults who lack proficiency in English and who seek to improve their literacy and competence in English. In PY 2003–2004, the program enrolled 2,677,119 learners, of which just under 40 percent (39.7) were enrolled in Adult Basic Education, 16.5 percent were enrolled in Adult Secondary Education, and 43.8 percent were enrolled in English Literacy programs, as shown in Table 1, below. Table 1 Enrollment by Program Area, PY 2003–2004 Program Area Enrollment Percent of Total Enrollment Adult Basic Education 1,061,814 39.7% Adult Secondary Education 442,726 16.5% English Literacy 1,172,579 43.8% Total 2,677,119 Table 2 shows the percent of learners in the three program areas by age, and Table 3 shows the ethnic composition of learners by age. 2 % % % % 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 tal 4 6 9 9 o 1 2 7 1 T 8 7 5 1 1, 2, 2, 7, 6 4 7 7 0 4 1 6 1, 1, 2, r % % % % e 3 1 5 4 d Ol 6 0 3 9 & 2 8 7 7 60 32,3 6,1 59,2 97,7 % % % % 1 6 5 2 1 1 1 9 5 – 7 1 6 4 5 9 1 5 6 4 8 3 3 5 0, 6, 1, 8, 2 2 8 2 1 1 3 % % % % 9 7 7 5 3 2 5 4 4 4 1 3 1 5 2 5– 26 87 51 64 ble 2 417, 119, 663, 200, 3 a 1, T * % % % % 4 0 0 0 5 0 3 3 2 2 0 4 –2 –2 8 0 2 0 3 9 0 1 2 4 0 1 9 1 5 5 0 4, 2, 0, 7, 2 1 3 3 7 3 1 2 6 Y P % % % % , e 7 6 3 4 g 1 3 1 A 8 y –1 2 2 7 1 b 6 2 5 1 9 a 1 6,4 8,2 7,9 2,5 e 7 5 3 7 r 1 1 3 A m a n r o y Prog Area ation Educati nt b ram Educ dary acy llme Prog Basic Secon h Liter nro ult ult glis tal d d n o E A A E T % % % % % % 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 tal 1 0 5 4 9 9 o 9 4 4 6 7 1 T 5 5 6 5 7 1 2, 7, 0, 8, 7, 7, 7 7 0 2 9 7 3 6 2 3 6 1, 2, % % % % % % 3 9 2 7 4 8 4 2 2 2 3 2 e t hi 4 7 0 0 8 9 W 7 7 2 1 4 2 3 8 6 7 9 5 8, 7, 0, 7, 2, 7, 5 9 6 8 3 3 1 1 2 7 e n or cific er 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% vaad atiaiir Pan 78 73 23 94 60 28 NHawOtheIsl 4,6 6,4 6,9 2,0 6 20,8 o % % % % % % n 0 1 0 0 1 0 ti 3 4 5 4 3 0 a 1 L r 3 c o 86 46 22 45 69 68 ble pani 11,9 79,7 03,7 31,9 30,1 57,5 4 a s 1 2 6 1 1 T Hi 1, % % % % % % 3 3 8 8 3 0 3–2004* Black, or African American 4,942 2 8,194 2 8,664 1 0,524 1 3,165 1 5,489 10 ng. 00 8 15 21 6 1 53 ndi 2 u Y % % % % % % ro P 2 3 8 3 1 7 o e, n 1 2 ue t y Ag Asia 825 709 134 927 139 734 0% d b 6, 3, 6, 2, 0, 9, 0 y 2 9 4 2 18 o 1 icit % % % % % % dd t by Ethn merican ndian or Alaskan Native 786 2 541 2 582 1 364 1 698 1 971 1 may not a t AI 5, 1, 4, 3, 5, s n 1 1 3 e e g m a Enroll Age Group 16–18 19–24 25–44 45–59 60 & Older Total * Percent As shown in Table 2, in PY 2003–2004, most participants (70 percent) were between the ages of 19 and 44, but the age distribution varied across instructional area. For example, participants in Adult Secondary Education tended to be younger: 66 percent were between the ages of 16 and 24. Participants in English Literacy, on the other hand, tended to be older: 57 percent were between the ages 25 and 44, and an additional 20 percent were 45 years of age or older. The participation of 16 to 18 year olds in adult education is of particular interest to policy-makers because earning a high school diploma through the regular elementary and secondary education system is the preferred outcome for these youth. In PY 2003–2004, as in the previous three program years, 14 percent of program participants were between the ages of 16 and 18. As shown in Table 3, a plurality of these youth were white (43 percent). Another 30 percent were Hispanic, while 23 percent were African-American. In contrast, Hispanics comprised a plurality in most of the other age cohorts: 41 percent of 19 to 24 year olds, 50 percent of 25 to 44 year olds, and 40 percent of 45 to 59 year olds. The extent to which 16 to 18 year olds participate in adult education varies widely across states. Table 4 shows the number of 16 to 18 year olds who enrolled in adult education in each state in each of the last three program years, and the percentage of total participants this number represents. 5 4 otal ants % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % 200 f Tcip 31 17 9 15 9 14 19 16 7 27 16 18 17 7 30 17 21 11 25 – oti 03 % ar 0 P 2 r a e ogram Y 18 Year Enrolled 6,643 606 2,374 5,408 0,771 2,138 6,411 988 209 0,220 8,476 1,658 1,268 8,920 2,308 2,101 2,104 3,507 8,156 Pr 6–s 5 10 1 1 1d # Ol –2003 of Total ticipants 30% 16% 9% 17% 9% 16% 19% 15% 6% 25% 17% 25% 18% 5% 31% 18% 23% 16% 29% 02 % ar 0 P 2 r a e m Y ar ed a Yeoll 5 5 3 4 0 3 5 8 5 1 1 9 8 4 2 4 7 6 2 ble 4 State Progr 16–18 ds Enr 6,54 73 3,03 6,64 49,96 2,37 6,16 89 19 95,29 19,42 2,67 1,61 7,16 12,66 2,98 2,35 5,65 9,37 6 a # Ol y T b , n ducatio 2002 f Total cipants 29% 15% 13% 17% 9% 16% 18% 20% 9% 26% 17% 22% 16% 6% 31% 17% 24% 17% 30% lt E 001– % oParti u 2 d r A a e –18 in gram Y 8 Year nrolled 629 810 337 669 554 410 759 096 322 850 855 400 561 060 916 277 568 702 621 s 16 Pro 16–1ds E 5, 4, 6, 49, 2, 5, 1, 104, 18, 2, 1, 7, 13, 3, 2, 5, 9, e # Ol g A th a u e o Ar Y g a f n bi o yi m ent Outl ut Colu Enrollm State or Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connectic Delaware District of Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana