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d. Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education Program

Describe how the State will establish and operate Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education programs under Section 243 of WIOA, for English language learners who are adults, including professionals with degrees and credentials in their native countries, including how the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education program under section 243(a) of WIOA will be delivered in combination with integrated education and training activities.  

Describe how the State will fund, in accordance with the requirements of title II, subtitle C, an Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education program and how the funds will be used for the program.

Describe how the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education program under section 243(a) of WIOA will be designed to prepare adults who are English language learners for, and place such adults in, unsubsidized employment in in-demand industries and occupations that lead to economic self-sufficiency.

Describe how the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education program under section 243(a) of WIOA will be designed to integrate with the local workforce development system and its functions to carry out the activities of the program.
 

Current Narrative:

1. Describe how the State will establish and operate Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education programs under Section 243 of WIOA, for English language learners who are adults, including professionals with degrees and credentials in their native countries.

Alabama Community College System Adult Education Division will establish and operate Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education programs by offering a competitive, multi–year (three year) Request for Funding Proposal (RFP) process specifically for Integrated Literacy and Civics Education funds. Funding will be allocated, competed, and distributed according to the process described in the Title II distribution of funds Common Elements section of this plan and will comply with the requirements of Subpart C section 243 of WIOA. The purpose of this program is to assist immigrants and other individuals who are English Language Learners (ELL) in acquiring an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom, and the responsibilities of citizenship. English language learners who hold degrees and credentials in their native countries are eligible to access all services provided by section 243. These services shall include instruction in literacy and English acquisition and instruction on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and civic participation. Integration of workforce culture and skills training will enable learners to begin or continue careers in their chosen fields, including preparation for post–secondary education. A focused effort will be placed on providing English skills so that individuals with degree and credentials in their native countries will qualify for employment in the fields for which they have been trained. The desired outcome from the workforce training under this title will be unsubsidized employment in high demand sectors and occupations that lead to economic self–sufficiency.

All students in the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education Programs, as well as students from all other Title II funded programs, may be co–enrolled in other workforce development system programs and receive services concurrently from several partners.

Funding under this title will be awarded based upon the criteria for evaluation of programs applications contained in Section 243 of WIOA.

An evidenced–based pathway approach will be the framework for Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education. Team planning and teaching will be critical in ensuring the contextualization of the skills to master the English language and become a productive citizen with sustainable employment. The in–demand occupations will be targeted in each regional and local area. Specifically, the provider will deliver contextualized English language acquisition instruction that includes general employability, workplace, and financial vocabulary as well as instruction on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and civic participation. The curriculum will include an overview of important dates/events in U.S. history and their significance to current events, as well as an overview of the U.S. government at the federal, state, and local levels. 

2. Describe how the State will fund, in accordance with the requirements of title II, subtitle C, Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education services and how the funds will be used for those services.

Alabama Community College System Adult Education Division will establish and operate Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education programs by offering a competitive, multi–year (three year) Request for Funding Proposal (RFP) process specifically for Integrated Literacy and Civics Education funds. Funding will be allocated, competed, and distributed according to the process described in the Title II distribution of funds Common Elements section of this plan and will comply with the requirements of Subpart C section 243 of WIOA.

Each program that receives funding under this section shall be designed to— (1) prepare adults who are English language learners for, and place such adults in, unsubsidized employment in in–demand industries and occupations that lead to economic self–sufficiency; and (2) integrate with the local workforce development system and its functions to carry out the activities of the program.

Alabama Adult Education Division will consider the ELL population in each service area. The eligible provider must demonstrate the need and services to be provided which aligns with the mission of the combined state plan and the requirements under WIOA. The funds will target those areas that have a large population of English language learners and provide the skills to improve one’s abilities to read, write, speak the English language, and become a productive citizen with sustainable employment.

3. Describe how the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education program under section 243(a) of WIOA will be designed to prepare adults who are English language learners for, and place such adults in, unsubsidized employment in in-demand industries and occupations that lead to economic self-sufficiency.  

Integrated English literacy and civics education is defined as educational services provided to English language learners who are adults, including professionals with degrees and credentials in their native countries, that enables such adults to achieve competency in the English language and acquire the basic and more advanced skills needed to function effectively as parents, workers, and citizens in the United States. These types of services shall include instruction in literacy and English language acquisition and instruction on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and civic participation and include workforce training.

An evidence–based approach using the framework of Integrated Career Pathways will be used for the non–skilled or skill deficient adults in our state who are non–native English language learners. Instructors from the ELL program and the technical education programs will be identified to provide an integrated instructional model to effectively and efficiently train the adult participants. The program will be a bridge that seamlessly prepares our ELL adults for employment opportunities like any other career pathway program in our state.

Eligible providers must demonstrate in their request the manner in which the program will be delivered in combination with integrated education and training (IET) for career pathway activities. These activities will be provided through collaboration with WIOA and other community partners and can exist in a variety of ways.  If a skills gap closure is necessary, an eligible provider can on-board student interest by offering an opportunity for work-based learning as a pre-apprentice until the gap is closed and a student is able to meet the qualifications of credited courses.  In the event a student can meet the obligations of postsecondary credit, eligible providers can demonstrate effective work-based learning through apprenticeship.  In any event, eligible providers must utilize all aspects of the state plan including eligibility for services, provisions of education, relativity of work, and credential obtainment directed by competency models created and enforced by Technical Advisory Committees representing each workforce region and governed by the Governor’s Office of Education to Workforce Transformation (GOEWT).   

4. Describe how the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education program under section 243(a) of WIOA will be designed to integrate with the local workforce development system and its functions to carry out the activities of the program.

Eligible providers will design programs that deliver the activities under WIOA including the integration of literacy and English language instruction with occupational skill training, including promoting linkages with employers. Providers must prepare English Language Learners for unsubsidized employment in demand industries and occupations that lead to economic self–sufficiency. The activities of the program must reflect the needs of the local, regional workforce area. Civics education is an integral part of the English language acquisition services for the ELL population. An emphasis is placed on contextualized instruction in the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, naturalization procedures, civic participation, and U.S. history and government to help students acquire the skills and knowledge they will need to become active and informed parents, workers, and community members. English literacy and civics education classes introduce students to civics–related content and provide them with opportunities to apply that knowledge in their daily lives while building their English language and literacy skills. The skills learned in these classes strengthen the ELL adult’s ability to be an active participant and contributor to our communities and economies.

An increased emphasis on college and career readiness will be extended to the ELL and EL Civics programs. Integrated Education and Training (IET) pathway activities will include preparation of ESL/EL Civics for employment opportunities in the demand industries and with full coordination with the local workforce system. Providing targeted IET professional development to the ELL/EL Civics instructors will be crucial in preparing the English language acquisition population to be an active participant in the college and career readiness initiatives of the state. Program design will be based on an assessment provided by the Alabama Department of Labor that concludes those job opportunities in each local regional area that are deemed high-demand, high-wage, or high skill and/or included on a career pathway leading to a job of the same requirement.  Occupations are vetted through a star rating system in which jobs must maintain demand for a minimum of ten years, must include a wage that is 70% of the median average for the region in which it exists, and must require more than a high school diploma.  Program alignment for adult education students may also include occupation training via apprenticeship in a program that does not match these qualifications but is considered a stepping-stone toward inclusion in a particular career cluster.  Occupations must lead to a credential of value as determined by the Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation (GOEWT) under the authority of each career cluster’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).