Indiana
From LiteracyTentWiki
February 17, 2005
I have heard from an Indiana colleague that a missive went out last Friday from IAACE asking teaching staff, students and friends/partners of adult education to help generate 750 telephone calls, letters or faxes to each of Indiana's 9 Congressional Representatives, and 6,750 telephone calls, letters or faxes to each Senator by February 16th or as soon after as possible. They are also asking for reports on these (fax, letter, call) actions to Regional Accountability Partners, who in turn, will report to regional leaders, and on up to the Council of state Directors of Adult Education.
David J. Rosen
An editorial published in the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Journal Gazette on Sat, Mar. 12, 2005
Adult education is working; don’t cut it now
By Steve Schenkel
Indiana’s adult education programs have helped thousands of Hoosiers like Leah Mauldin of Fort Wayne who recently earned her GED.
The Indiana Department of Education, Division of Adult Education, has successfully administered basic skills instruction for 60 years and is offering more for Hoosiers who have low basic skills and dead-end jobs through an expanded program called Adult Education Works in Indiana.
According to a study released in January, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce said more should be done to improve the basic skills of Hoosier workers. The Indiana Association for Adult and Continuing Education commends the state Chamber for its work and pledges support.
It will take a concerted effort by educators and businesses working together, including public and private partnerships, to solve these problems, but I’m confident we’re up to the challenge. While the need for workplace training looms large and resources remain scarce, adult educators welcome the opportunity to be part of the solution.
In Indiana, adult education’s mission is to improve the whole person, creating stronger families and better employees and communities. Adult education provides literacy instruction through the secondary level. State and federal legislation requires adult education programs to serve all Hoosiers, including low-income residents, people with disabilities, single parents, displaced homemakers and those with limited English proficiency.
Adult education is basic skills and more. Of the 41,148 adults served by the Department of Education’s program in 2003-04, nearly 75 percent began the program with basic skills below ninth grade or were not native English speakers. About 40 percent of the adults were unemployed and searching for entry-level employment. More than a third of the participants were reported as low income or on public assistance.
Adult education is accessible. Classes are currently offered in 91 of the state’s 92 counties, conveniently located close to home and work at more than 350 sites. Most classes take place at community-based organizations where other services are provided. The Division of Adult Education and local programs partner with public schools, community centers and non-profit agencies, community colleges, the Department of Workforce Development and WorkOne centers, Department of Correction, business and industry, faith-based programs, and libraries.
Adult education is high-quality and continuously improving. Indiana’s program has improved its performance and met or exceeded federal performance targets for five consecutive years. The state’s performance beats national averages when educational gain is compared. Last year nearly one in two adults completed an educational functioning level (about two grade levels).
The program also had a high percentage of participants who entered employment, retained employment, earned a GED or high school diploma and had further education.
The U.S. Department of Education and the Institute for Work and the Economy at Northern Illinois University recently recognized English Works in Indiana as one of six model workplace programs. The program, a joint venture between the Division of Adult Education and the Department of Workforce Development, provided English as a second language for companies that employed workers with limited English proficiency. At the end of training, about 100 companies and 2,000 employees were served.
Based on the success of this project, the Division of Adult Education recently expanded the program to include basic skills in the workplace and renamed it Adult Education Works in Indiana.
Adult educators are increasingly offering on-site, customized workplace basic skills consultation, assessment and instruction to Indiana businesses that result in improved safety, quality, productivity and competitiveness. Call Timmie Westfall, project coordinator, at 1-888-481-9990 for more information about Adult Education Works in Indiana.
Still, funding for adult education and workforce projects is limited. The Division of Adult Education receives $14 million in state money to reimburse teacher salaries and other costs. An additional $10 million in federal funding comes to the state from the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Title II – Adult Education and Family Literacy Act.
However, President Bush’s proposed fiscal year 2006 budget slashes adult education nationally by 66 percent. Locally, Indiana’s $10 million federal appropriation would be cut by nearly 75 percent. If Congress passes this budget, these cuts would devastate services and close programs nationwide. Even Start, a family literacy program also administered by the division, has been eliminated from the president’s budget. I urge you to contact your representative in Congress to oppose these cuts.
Local adult education programs that could be affected by these cuts include Fort Wayne Community Schools, the Literacy Alliance Inc. and Huntington County Community School Corp.
In spite of the challenges before us, adult education is strongly positioned to be a key player in basic skills education. As Suellen Reed, superintendent of public instruction, wrote recently, “Adult education helps to improve individuals’ earning power, facilitates a stronger business community, and creates stronger families. Increasing the educational attainment and literacy levels of adult learners helps all Hoosiers.”
To learn more about adult education, call 317-232-0522 or visit .html . Steve Schenkel is president of the Indiana Association for Adult and Continuing Education. He also is director of adult education for Huntington County Community School Corp. He wrote this for The Journal Gazette.
