Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Program

In Indiana, WIOA Title II [§203(12)] authorizes the funding of programs providing adult education and literacy activities to English Learners (ELs), including professionals with degrees and credentials in their native countries, that enable adults to achieve competency in the English language and acquire both the basic and more advanced skills necessary to function effectively as parents, workers, and citizens of the United States. These services include: 1) academic instruction in literacy and English language acquisition – reading, writing, speaking, and comprehending; 2) instruction on the rights and responsibilities of US citizenship and civic participation; and 3) workforce training.

To receive funding for Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) under WIOA [§243] in Indiana, a program must: 1) prepare adults who are ELs for unsubsidized employment in high-demand occupations or career pathways, which lead to economic self-sufficiency; 2) assist ELs in achieving competency in English reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension; 3) lead to a secondary school diploma (high school diploma or HSD) or its equivalent (HSE or high school equivalency); 4) lead to ELs entering postsecondary education or training; and 5) offer adult education instruction in combination with IET.

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.

DWD competitively solicits applications for adult education grant funds to provide IELCE. The process is the same as (b) above. Indiana funds approximately five to seven programs, requesting a minimum level of funding under the act (WIOA Title II [§202]). An organization must be an eligible provider as defined by WIOA Title II andmust have demonstrated effectiveness providing adult education and literacy activities. Organizations that have received grant awards in previous grant competitions are not guaranteed funding in new grant competitions. Applicants not funded as a result of previous grant competitions are not precluded from applying during new grant competitions nor will applicants not chosen for funding during a current competition be barred from applying for funding in any future grant competitions.

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.

IETs for IELCE students are intentionally short-term, a minimum of 40 hours, and a maximum of 14 weeks. The certification must be industry-recognized and high-demand occupations prior to approval. These basic requirements provide adults opportunities that lead to economic self-sufficiency. The RFA requires potential providers to 1) explain how the applicant organization plans to provide contextualized instruction to eligible individuals; 2) how CCR standards will be used to enhance instruction and align with WIOA; 3) how career readiness and workforce skills will be taught to eligible individuals; 4) how the organization intends to offer contextualized instruction; and 5) how the organization will implement career awareness curriculum.

Applicants are required to address in the RFA 1) the specific occupation or occupational sector that the proposed IET will cover; 2) the funding that will be used for the training portion of the proposed integrated education and training; 3) the intensity and quality of the adult education and literacy activities component of the organization’s proposed integrated education and training class(es); 3) the occupationally relevant materials that will be used; and 4) the specific workforce preparation activities that will be included in the proposed IET and how these activities will be provided.

Additionally, the RFA requires applicants to describe how the 3 required components of IETs will occur simultaneously with academic instruction in literacy and English language acquisition and instruction on the rights and responsibilities of US citizenship and civic participation.

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.

In Indiana’s RFA, entities must describe how the applicant plans to continually align its services with the workforce development regional plans (local plans) must also be included. The applicant organization’s relationship with the one-stop partners in the communities where it is applying for funding and how the applicant organization intends to work with one-stop partners to ensure the efficient delivery of adult education and literacy services to eligible individuals must be addressed. This includes plans for co-enrollment, referral services, and infrastructure costs.