The U.S. Department of Education's Policy to Performance project was funded in 2009 to build the capacity of state adult basic education (ABE) staff to develop and implement policies and practices that would support an ABE transition system. Policy to Performance states were selected though a competitive process. State adult education directors…

The "Policy to Performance Toolkit" is designed to provide state adult education staff and key stakeholders with guidance and tools to use in developing, implementing, and monitoring state policies and their associated practices that support an effective state adult basic education (ABE) to postsecondary education and training transition…

In 2007, Michigan undertook a bold mission: to retrain tens of thousands of adults to qualify for jobs in emerging and expanding sectors of the economy. The state's proposal to jobless, dislocated, and low-income residents was simple but appealing: enroll in up to two years of postsecondary education, and Michigan would cover up to $5,000 in…

This replication guide describes the Indiana solution to the adult illiteracy problem--the inception of the Indiana Adult Literacy Initiative and the formation of the Indiana Adult Literacy Coalition. These four strategies promoted by the Initiative for developing and implementing programs are cited: volunteerism, public-private sector…

Examines the responses from the state libraries to literacy issues studied in 1985 in two surveys--one of state initiatives compiled as background for the Second National Conference on Urban Literacy, and a survey of the chief officers of state library agencies. The California Literacy Campaign is described in detail. (EM)

The Family Support Act of 1988 requires each state to set up a Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Program (JOBS) to provide a work/education/training program for recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) by October 1, 1990. The law provides a broad outline for JOBS leaves the critical decisions to the states; hence, the major…

This memo is designed to assist Wisconsin's Special Committee on Employment Disincentives in reviewing the issue of adult illiteracy. Section A provides information on the extent of illiteracy in the United States. Section B discusses selected literacy programs at the federal, state, and local levels. Results are provided of a study of federal…

Describes the Parent and Child Education (PACE) program, a statewide family literacy program in Kentucky that promotes positive attitudes toward schooling and academic achievement. PACE focuses on parents' basic skills, children's learning skills, and parents' child care skills. (FMW)

This primer is designed to provide a step-by-step guide for state policymakers and state agency officials interested in assessing the literacy skills of the people of their state. Chapter 1 describes the importance of assessing the literacy skills in each state. Literacy is discussed as an economic necessity, a requirement for a healthy democracy,…

This guide is intended to help state legislators enact legislation and create programs of job training within the provisions of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). The guide's five sections cover the following: job training policy (an introduction); establishing oversight of a state's job training resources; the state legislature and the…

A $100,000 appropriation for fiscal year 1986 directed the Washington State Board for Community College Education and the state's Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a pilot program for coordinating the efforts of volunteer literacy tutors. The 12 projects funded by the program recruited and trained 1,473 volunteer tutors and…

This report describes the progress of the Michigan Adult Literacy Initiative (MALI), adopted by the Michigan Board of Education in 1985, through 1990. It covers the collaborative accomplishments of a statewide team of literacy supporters that represents a comprehensive spectrum of public and private concerns. Part I is an introduction that…

This policy guide is designed to assist governors and state leaders in analyzing the issue of adult literacy and in proposing specific policy strategies for dealing with this national problem. The book offers practical guidance in two areas critical to effective action: it clarifies definitions of "literacy" and "illiteracy" and provides a…

Five strategies have been identified as particularly promising as the most useful ways government can spend money to aid dislocated workers. The mix of income support programs can be enriched for workers who have been unemployed for a long time but who are not permanently dislocated. For most dislocated workers, only limited job searching…

Community education can be characterized as a flexible community process for addressing the community's educational needs; it is designed by local residents to meet local needs. This guide presents an overview of community education and offers some ideas for drafting and passing legislation for community education and beginning and carrying out…