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Chairman McKeon, Congressman Kildee, and Members of the Subcommittee:
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Administration's proposal for adult education and literacy. Our bill, which will soon be transmitted to the Congress, is our plan for adult education and literacy in the twenty-first century. We know that the twenty-first century will place increasing skill demands on Americans -- demands that the Nation must equip its citizens to meet if they are to succeed as workers, as parents, and as citizens in our increasingly complex society.
Today, the Adult Education Act provides grants to the States to support programs that assist educationally disadvantaged adults in developing basic skills, achieving certification of high school equivalency, and learning English. Fifteen percent of each State's grant is set aside for experimental demonstrations and teacher training projects. States distribute the balance to a variety of local educational and community agencies that provide adult education. Current law limits the funds that States may use for high school equivalency programs to 20 percent, sets aside a minimum of 10 percent for services to criminal offenders and other institutionalized individuals, and requires that States use some funds for "Gateway Grants" to public housing authorities.
Current adult literacy statistics reveal what a challenge this is. The 1993 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) found that between 26 and 30 million adults aged 16 to 64 years were at the lowest level of basic skills -- roughly at or below a fifth grade level. Of those at the lowest literacy levels, 25 percent were immigrants and 67 percent were not high school graduates. More than 40 percent of the group with the lowest literacy skills lived in poverty, in contrast to between 4 and 8 percent of individuals scoring in the two highest levels of the literacy assessment. Seven out of ten of our Nation's prisoners in Federal and State facilities tested at the lower levels on the assessment.
Adult education programs support State and community efforts to increase access to college. In 1995, 37 percent of adult education students were youth ages 16 to 24. In 1995, 75,000 adults received their high school credentials through adult education high school equivalency programs and 270,000 were awarded the GED. These credentials open the door to postsecondary education. Annually, 150,000 to 200,000 adult education program completers go on to postsecondary education. Once they have their high school credentials, adult education students can join the ranks of Americans whom the Administration seeks to help complete at least two years of postsecondary education through HOPE Scholarships, tuition tax deductions, and student financial aid.
At a recent ceremony recognizing the recipients of the 1996 Secretary's Awards for Outstanding Adult Education Programs, I had an opportunity to hear ten adult students eloquently describe how adult education had affected their lives. A recent graduate of the Mott Adult High School in Flint, Michigan, described how, since earning her high school diploma, she had obtained a good job for the first time in her life, enrolled in college, and was considering running for the Flint City Council. I heard from a 20-year-old single mother of two on public assistance, who had enrolled in the Young Adult Learning Academy in New York City. She earned her high school equivalency diploma, has a full-time job in a child care center, and is enrolled in the Leadership Program at Marymount Manhattan College. She is no longer on public assistance. Another young single mother, age 22, had dropped out of high school at age 16. To become a good role model for her two children and to get a better job, she enrolled in a basic skills program at Wilkes Community College in North Carolina. She wants to become a math teacher and is well on her way. She completed her adult high school diploma requirements and is attending classes at the community college.
Adult education and literacy is also an important component of life-long learning. Adults of all ages and at all skill levels encounter changes in their lives that make it necessary to improve their basic skills, and the adult education system is there to help when that happens. Sometimes an individual is confronted at work with new technology that requires improved reading or math skills. As the Nation moves from an industrial-based, to a service-based, and then to a knowledge-based economy, many workers become dislocated from middle-class jobs. Although they may have learned to function well in their prior occupations with limited literacy skills, these workers are now faced with the challenge of starting new careers or entering job training.
The Consortium for Worker Education (CWE) is an example of the many work-based programs sponsored by Federal adult education funds. The CWE is a not-for-profit organization comprised of 34 participating labor unions in New York City. CWE's mission is to provide education and training that offers workers opportunities for life-long learning and training in skills required to build careers in the rapidly changing world of work. Each year, more than 24,000 adults participate in English-as-a-second language (ESL) , basic literacy, high school equivalency, workplace literacy, and computer literacy programs. CWE has an impressive track record, including an 80 percent retention and completion rate for its adult students.
Welfare reform's emphasis on moving individuals into work will create further demands on individuals to improve their basic skills. More than one out of three AFDC, public assistance, and food stamp recipients tested scored in the lowest NALS proficiency level, compared with 22 percent of the total population. The 1996 welfare reform act requires youth that are receiving welfare payments to be in school or work toward high school completion if they do not have a high school credential. It envisions that clients making the transition to work will continue their life-long learning through part-time education enabling them to advance in their careers. The adult education system is the foundation on which life-long learning is achieved by the most educationally disadvantaged adults.
Adult education also helps America's immigrants to become citizens. Their economic independence and their ability to execute their rights and responsibilities as citizens require mastery of the English language. The ESL programs offered by the adult education system enroll about 1.4 million individuals annually. In 1995, 400,000 basic ESL students completed the basic ESL level and advanced to the intermediate level, indicating an initial mastery of basic English proficiency. The ESL target population varies across States; for example, 56 percent of the population resides in California and less than 2 percent in Tennessee. Six states (California, Florida, Texas, New York, Illinois, Arizona) enroll 80 percent of all ESL adult learners nationally. In States with large numbers of immigrants, the demand for ESL classes outstrips the capacity of programs to deliver services.
Perhaps the most critical role of adult education and literacy programs is fulfilled when a parent enrolls in order to learn to read to a child. The impact of parental literacy is so profound because of the inter-generational benefits. We must equip parents to become more involved in their children's learning and challenge them to meet the President's goal of ensuring that every student can read independently and well by the end of the third grade. Family literacy programs and parents reading to their young children on a regular basis have a demonstrated impact on the literacy and school performance of children.
First, the bill would promote program quality by establishing priorities that are based on a strong foundation of research and effective education practices. In making grants to local service providers, States would give priority to programs that effectively employ advances in technology, provide learning in real life contexts (such as work, family, and citizenship), use well-trained instructors and staff, and are of sufficient intensity and duration for participants to achieve substantial learning gains. Priority would also go to programs that have strong links with other education, career development and training, and social service programs. We will promote quality education by working with States to ensure teaching to high standards. For example, the development of basic skills certificates that are widely recognized credentials of achievement may promote high standards for learning at levels prior to high school completion.
Second, the bill would empower States and communities to meet their unique needs through streamlining and increased flexibility. The bill would consolidate multiple program authorizations into a single State grant. Many set asides for specific target populations and types of programs would be eliminated. Waivers of statutory and regulatory provisions would be made available in order to carry out adult education and literacy programs more effectively.
Third, the bill would include strong performance and accountability provisions to promote program improvement. Working together, the State Directors of Adult Education and the Office of Vocational and Adult Education have begun building a national system of performance indicators to gauge the progress of adult education. The bill would authorize the Secretary to continue to work collaboratively with the States to identify and compile information on the participation in, and the impact of, adult education. Building on this system, performance goals will be established that define the level of student achievement to be attained, and States will regularly measure and evaluate the progress made toward these goals. The Secretary would be authorized to assist States in meeting the goals, take corrective action with States that fail to make progress, and award supplementary grants in recognition of exemplary performance. Similarly, States would be able to work with local grantees to ensure that they make progress toward their performance goals.
Fourth, the bill would include a targeted formula and financing system aimed at strengthening the Federal-State partnership that supports adult education. The Federal investment in adult education and literacy makes up about 25 percent of the national expenditures on these programs. In 25 States, the Federal investment constitutes at least 50 percent of expenditures. In addition, the adult education grant pays for about 90 percent of the training of adult education instructors. Our bill would continue to provide grants directly to the State educational agency or other State-designated agency responsible for administering adult education. The Federal-to-State allocation formula in current law will be maintained, except for the elimination of the count of in-school youth, who are not part of the target population. A "hold harmless" provision would ensure that each State's share of the appropriation does not decline more than 10 percent per year. A "maintenance-of-effort" provision would encourage States to continue their investment in adult education.
Finally, it is important to note the role the Federal Act plays in building the capacity and quality of the adult education system through flexible State and national leadership activities. State leadership activities would include professional training and development, monitoring and evaluating the quality of services, establishing State content standards for adult education and literacy, developing program performance measures, and promoting the use of technology for teaching, learning, and managing programs.
Our national leadership strategy is carefully focused on activities that will benefit the field and is accomplished through partnerships with the States, the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), and the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. We have worked closely with NIFL and the States over the past several months to clarify each of our appropriate roles in technical assistance, research, and development. Our joint strategy is reflected in our legislative proposal. National leadership funds would continue to support such activities as research on the condition and progress of literacy in the United States, the development of effective practices and model programs, such as distance learning, and the evaluation of services and instructional strategies. The Department plans to focus on developing certificates of basic skills and new uses for technology. NIFL, as well as national leadership activities, is funded through adult education national programs.
I believe our bill successfully addresses the need for quality, innovation, flexibility, and accountability in adult education and literacy. I look forward to working closely with this Subcommittee to develop bipartisan legislation. I am happy to answer any questions that you have at this time.
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