Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Program

ODCTE will use 12.5 percent of its federal allocation for adult education and literacy for statewide leadership activities. The following state leadership activities may be conducted annually:

I. ODCTE will offer year-round adult education teacher training workshops in order to improve the quality of instructional programs for adult learners. Adult education teachers will be required to attend at least one teacher training workshop during each program year.

1. Supporting Adults with Learning Disabilities and other Learning Differences

2. Developing and Implementing Work-based Education Programs

3. Integrating Work-based Education into the Adult Education Classroom

4. Implementing a Comprehensive Family Literacy Program Family literacy training

5. Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) Training

6. Assessment of Adult Learners Workshops on using the Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) will be offered. This training will assist teachers in administering standardized tests, interpreting test results, and using test results to plan instructional programs for adults.

7. Assessment of Limited English Speaking Adults Training on the use of the Basic English Skills Test (BEST), a standardized assessment for ESL students, will be provided for English literacy teachers.

8. The LiteracyPro System Oklahoma’s state-adopted Management Information System, LiteracyPro, provides local adult education and literacy programs the capacity to report participant outcomes and to monitor program performance against ODCTE’s performance measures. Training will be offered to local program providers in the continued use of LiteracyPro for maximum effectiveness in reporting participant outcomes and program performance.

9. Technology Training

10. Other Topics for Professional Development as identified by surveying adult basic education providers.

II. ODCTE will provide technical assistance and support to local adult education and literacy programs in the following areas: Pre/post-assessment and student performance data collection;

1. Use of the LiteracyPro System, the state-adopted Information Management System;

2. Strategies and screening for adults with learning disabilities;

3. Implementing family literacy programs;

4. Implementing work-based education programs;

5. Coordination with the local One-Stop Centers;

6. Integrating adult education and literacy activities with job training programs;

7. Promoting linkages with employers;

8. Other areas, as needed. A variety of activities will be used by ODCTE in providing technical assistance and support to local programs. These activities include on site and telephone technical assistance, conducting staff development workshops, collecting and disseminating information on best practices in family literacy, workplace education, supporting adults with learning disabilities, and job readiness, and facilitating local planning sessions with One-Stop providers, employers, and job training providers.

III. The monitoring and evaluation of the quality of, and the improvement in, adult education and literacy activities. ODCTE will monitor the adult education and literacy activities through on site visits periodically throughout the program year. Monitoring activities will ensure that valid and reliable student performance data is being collected and reported. It will also ensure that instructional programs are being carried out in accordance with the approved applications and with the previously-established Indicators of Program Quality. In addition, ODCTE will develop a self-evaluation instrument for use by local program providers. This instrument will enable local providers to evaluate their own performance based upon the criteria for funding as described in Section 6.5 and upon Oklahoma’s Indicators of Program Quality.

IV. ODCTE plans to provide a limited number of incentive grants for adult education and literacy programs. The funding will go toward expanding current services, providing services in areas of need in adult basic education, and/or implement and/or upgrade instructional training and training technology.

V. Other activities of statewide significance which promote the purpose of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act will also be supported as part of the State Leadership Activities. These may include such activities as statewide marketing of the adult education and literacy program, the publication of the Adult Education and Literacy Review, support for the State Workforce Development Board, support for screening for adults with learning disabilities and other adult literacy related activities.