Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Program

i.    How Idaho Will Fund Eligible Providers

As the Eligible Agency administering Title II programs, the Idaho Division of Career & Technical Education awards AEFLA funds through a competitive grant application process. Please refer to section III.b.5.B.i—ii in the common-elements portion of Idaho’s Combined State Plan for more detailed information about the Title II competitive grant application process.

Eligible providers are any organizations who have ‘demonstrated effectiveness’ in providing adult education and literacy activities and may include:  local educational agencies; community-based or faith-based organizations; volunteer literacy organizations; institutions of higher education; public or private nonprofit agencies; libraries; public housing authorities; a nonprofit institution having the ability to provide adult education and literacy services to adults; and a consortium of agencies, organizations, institutions, and libraries described above.(Section 203(5))

There are two ways in which an eligible provider may meet the requirements:

1.            An eligible provider that has been funded under Title II of the Act must provide performance data required under section 116 to demonstrate past effectiveness.

2.            An eligible provider that has not been previously funded under title II of the Act must provide performance data to demonstrate its past effectiveness in serving basic skills deficient eligible individuals, including evidence of its success in achieving outcomes listed in the first paragraph of this section.  See WIOA Final Rules Subpart C, §463.24 and 29 U.S.C 3272(5)

Funds are awarded as multi-year grants on a competitive basis to eligible providers via regional competitions. All regional competitions use the same process and application materials issued by the State to ensure direct and equitable access. The competition is announced across a variety of platforms to ensure statewide participation. These platforms include local newspapers, the States’ monthly newsletter, press release, social media, and contacts with other state and local agencies and workforce partners.

The regional competitions adhere to the provisions set forth in WIOA Title II Section 231 – Grants and Contracts for Eligible Providers, and Section 232 – Local Applications. Grantees receiving funds under the initial competition are required to submit annual renewal plans and negotiate program budgets each year. By federal law, eligible providers are prohibited from using federal grant funds to supplant state or local dollars.

The State office provides technical support to local providers in aligning programs with local workforce needs and addressing existing skills gaps. Partnerships with local workforce boards, local departments of labor, and community-based organizations are fundamental to the success of Adult Education programs in Idaho. Integrated Education and Civics Education and Integrated Education and Training programs are delivered in collaboration with community partners; local programs are encouraged to build partnerships to provide wraparound support services for students in their AEFLA funded programs.

The competitive application process requires applicants to document their qualifications per each of the thirteen considerations set forth in Section 231(e). Information is collected via a State-issued Request for Grant Applications (RFGA). The information collected from each applicant in the RFGA may include, but is not limited to:

·     Documentation of eligibility per Section 203(5)

·     Type of Adult Education Program(s) and/or Activities to be funded, limited to those activities allowed in Title II of WIOA and set forth in this plan

Section 243 Integrated Education and Civics Education

Section 225 Corrections Education

Section 231 Regional Adult Education and Literacy Programs

·     Alignment with Idaho’s Combined State Plan including state strategies and goals, career pathways, and local one-stop alignment.

·     Administrative capacity such as: organizational structure, funding streams, financial oversight, data collection and reporting, and assurances

·     Operational capacity such as description of qualified staff and hiring processes, available locations and classroom space, community partnerships, and number of Title II-eligible students served per

year.

·     Quality of Services such as proposed class schedules, description of curriculum and alignment with state-adopted standards, and professional development/training activities.

·     Demonstrated Effectiveness such as past targets and actual performance for previous Title II recipients. For applicants who have not previously received funding under Title II, the Eligible Agency will define and provide examples of other qualifying data that can be provided to demonstrate the applicant’s effectiveness in serving basic-skills deficient individuals, including success in achieving the outcomes required under Section 116 of WIOA.

The Idaho Division of Career & Technical Education distributes funds awarded under Title II, as set forth in WIOA Section 222(a). The State distributes funds at:

1.   Not less than 82.5% of the grand funds to award grants and contracts under Section 231 (Eligible Providers) and to carry out section 225 (Programs for Correctional and Institutionalized individuals), of which not more than 20% of such amount shall be available to carry out section 225.

2.   Not more than 12.5% of the grant funds to carry out State leadership activities under section 223;

and

3.   Not more than 5% of the grant funds or $85,000, whichever is the greater, for the administrative expenses of the eligible agency (the State).