Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Program

Puerto Rico adult education and literacy activities under Title II are provided by a network of 104 service providers. Service providers include twenty eight school district with sixty-five schools, fifteen community colleges and universities, eight municipalities, twelve community based organizations, faith-based organizations, two libraries, and two correctional facilities serving adults who are basic skilled deficient, does not have a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and has not achieved an equivalent level of education; or is an English language learner. Classes are offered throughout the island, maximizing adult education student’s access to high quality staff and services.

The Puerto Rico Adult Education Program provides academic instruction and educational services below the postsecondary level to these adults in order to:

1. Assist them to become literate and obtain knowledge and skills for employment and economic self-sufficiency;

2. Support the educational and skill achievement of parents and family members to participate in the educational development of their children and improve economic opportunities for families;

3. Assist immigrants and ELLs in improving their English and Mathematics proficiency and understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; and

4. Assist incarcerated individuals in strengthening their knowledge and skills to promote successful re-entry into society.

Under the WIOA (Section 203), adult education and literacy activities are defined as, “programs, activities, and services that include adult education, literacy, workplace adult education, and literacy activities, family literacy activities, English language acquisition activities, integrated English literacy and civics education, workforce preparation activities, or integrated education and training.” All adult education, literacy, and English language acquisition activities are required to be based upon the PRDE’s standards for English language arts/literacy, mathematics, and science. Eligible local providers are required to describe, in their application for funds, their plans for supporting the transition to and implementation of the PRDE’s AEP standards. In the Plan, local providers are required to address professional development and ongoing assistance for all instructors; development and instructional materials aligned to the PRDE AEP standards and monitoring and ongoing technical assistance.

The following program activities receive federal and/or state funding:

Adult Education and Literacy Activities

Include instruction and education services below a postsecondary level in reading, writing, and speaking English, and computing and solving problems. These services increase a student’s ability to achieve a secondary school diploma or its equivalent, transition to postsecondary education and training, and obtain employment. PRDE ABE Program curricula are aligned with the Adult Education academic content standards. Programs integrate employability skills, workforce preparation, contextualized curricula and digital literacy and job readiness skills.

English Language AcquisitionActivities

PRDE’s will award grants to eligible providers for the delivery of English Language instruction which assists adults English language learners to improve reading, writing, speaking and understanding English. PRDE curriculum will be revised to include basic numeracy and mathematics skills. Instructional services for ELA students include proven or evidence-based instructional techniques and learning strategies that support oral skills development for ELLs’.

Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education

Puerto Rico will award grants to eligible providers to carry out a program of Integrated English Language Civics Education that integrates a training component. The curriculum must provide Immigrants and English learners access to English language acquisition services and civics education and include workforce training. English language skills are taught contextually within instruction on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and civic participation, understanding the American system of government, education, healthcare, etc. and participation in the workforce.

Workforce Preparation Activities

Programs funded by the Adult Education and Family Literary Act will provide contextualized instruction incorporating basic academic skills, critical thinking skills, digital literacy and self-management skills in all levels of instruction to ensure that students are prepared for successful transition to post-secondary education, training opportunities and employment.

Programs offering workplace adult education and literacy activities will work collaboratively with an employer or employee organization at a workplace or an off-site location that is designed to improve the productivity of the workforce. Workplace literacy activities involve strong partnerships with employers or employee organizations in the design and delivery of the instructional program based on workplace needs.

Local programs will receive professional development and technical assistance to ensure that contextualized workforce preparation activities are included and effectively implemented in curriculum offerings.

Integrated Education and Training Activities

Puerto Rico will provide adult education and literacy activities contextually and concurrently with workforce preparation activities and workforce training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster for educational and career advancement. Education will be provided in the context of industry-specific needs that involve employers and is integrated with occupational skills training. Programs will provide work-relevant instruction through PRDE career pathways and integrated education and training activities.

Family Literacy Activities

As defined in WIOA requires coordination with other services for the children’s component.

Family literacy defined in WIOA must integrate all of the following activities: Parent or family adult education and literacy activities that lead to readiness for postsecondary education or training, career advancement, and economic self-sufficiency; Interactive literacy activities between parents or family members and their children; Training for parents or family members regarding how to be the primary teachers for their children and full partners in the education of their children and age appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences. Puerto Rico ABLE programs will assist students in their roles as parents and family members by providing foundational skills that enable them to support their children’s learning needs and improve economic self-sufficiency for their families.

Puerto Rico will expect from local providers to move participants closer to achieving the goal of economic self-sufficiency through participation in activities designed to improve academic, digital literacy, employability and critical thinking skills. All this activities (children’s and parents) must be designed, delivered and supported by an approved provider.

Through existing Puerto Rico-funded grants, several areas of concurrent activities will be provided:

a. Career Pathways- One of the basic concepts is focused around the link between basic skills and occupational coursework in the form of an integrated Career Pathway Bridge. These Bridges ensure students find an effective path to post-secondary credit, credential attainment, integrated workplace skills and employment. PRDE’s AEP Career Pathways approach offer low-skilled adults well-articulated training and employment steps targeted to locally in-demand jobs combined with promising instructional approaches and supportive services. PRDE’s AEP Career Pathways program will include partnerships with multiple providers, including community based organizations and technical colleges and universities, human services and workforce agencies, and employers and their representatives.

b. Integrated English Language Learning- As the global economy and technological demands place a bigger challenge on students to acquire an additional language, many Puerto Rico Adult Education participants are motivated to become bilingual, in view of this the PRDE has made its priority playing an active role in facilitating the goal of becoming bilingual among its participants. The program aims to develop adults listening, reading, writing and oral skills in English, and measure their performance using the PRDE’s AEP English Program standards and through the performance measures established for the program.

All IEL activities involve integrated education and training activities which must use contextualized curriculum aligned to PRDE Content Standards.

c. Institutionalized Individuals-In addition to ABE and ELL activities, programs will provide individuals a path to a high school credential, Integrated Education and Training, transition to re-entry initiatives and PRDE career pathways services.

d. Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IEL/CE) will be delivered in combination with integrated education and training activities. IEL/CE instruction require adherence to the PRDE Content Standards. PRDE IEL/CE grants recipients must provide a contextualized program of study that incorporates civics education instruction with integrated education and training.