NLA Info:THURSDAY NOTES On Adult Education, 3/11/99

[David J Rosen]

[Crossposted from library-lit]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 14:45:19 -0600
From: Satia Orange <sorange at ala.org>
Reply-To: library-lit at ala.org
To: Adult Literacy Library Initiatives <library-lit at ala.org>
Subject: Re: THURSDAY NOTES On Adult Education, 3/11/99



>>> Rose Tilghman <Rose_Tilghman at ed.gov> 03/10 2:26 PM >>>
     **************
     Thursday Notes
     ********************************************************* 
     A Weekly Fact Sheet on Adult Education Issues 
     **********************************************
     
     From the Desk of Ronald S. Pugsley 
     Director, Division of Adult Education and Literacy 
     Office of Vocational and Adult Education
     U.S. Department of Education
     
     ********************
     Editor: Sarah Newcomb
     Production: Rose Tilghman
     **************************
     
     March 11, 1999
     
     Assistant Secretary
     Testifies on 
     President's Initiative
     
     Assistant Secretary Patricia McNeil testified March 10 before
the 
     House Appropriations Subcommitee on Labor, Health and Human
Services 
     and Education on the President's new adult education initiative

     contained in the FY 2000 budget request. Subcommittee Chairman
John 
     Porter (R-IL) told McNeil that OVAE's emphasis on performance 
     indicators and standards is "exemplary." Members attending the
hearing 
     were: Anne Northrup (R-KY); Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL); and Nita
Lowey 
     (D-NY).
     
     ESL Expands
     Lead Over ABE
     
     English language instruction is the fastest growing component of
adult 
     education--up 105% in the last decade. Our latest data show that

     English language programs expanded their lead over adult basic 
     education and adult secondary education in 1997. English as a
Second 
     Language (ESL) enrollments accounted for almost half of all 1997
adult 
     education enrollments, up from 39% in 1996. Adult basic
education's 
     share slipped to one third of total enrollments in 1997, down
from 39% 
     the previous year. It's not surprising, however, since about 4.5

     million immigrants arrived in the five-year period between 1990
and 
     1994 while 4.8 million came during the entire decade of the
1970s. On 
     average recent immigrants are younger and less likely to have 
     graduated from high school than natives. 
     
     Welfare
     Enrollment
     Drops 12%
     
     Adult education enrollment by welfare clients in 49 states
dropped 12% 
     in 1997 from the previous year, while overall enrollments held
steady. 
     The drop does not include data from California. Recent
information 
     from the Department of Health and Human Services shows that the

     percent of welfare recipients working has tripled since 1992. An

     estimated 1.5 million people who were on welfare in 1997 were
working 
     in 1998. Welfare caseloads are at their lowest level in 30
years. We 
     seem to be reaching the same number of people, only now they are
even 
     more likely to be workers learning before or after work or even
at the 
     worksite.
     
     Iowa's Plan
     Heads to ED
     
     Sources say Iowa's John Hartwig mailed his state plan to
Washington on 
     March 8. The plan was approved by The Iowa State Board of
Education 
     and supported by the Governor. Looks like Iowa is first across
the 
     finish line. Congratulations, John!
     
     NWLP's  Best
     Ideas Captured
     For Field
     
     Now that our learners are even more likely to be working,
everyone can 
     use the exciting products of the gone--but certainly not
forgotten-- 
     National Workplace Literacy Program. Get the just-released
Exemplary 
     Products Produced by National Workplace Literacy Demonstration 
     Projects from our Clearinghouse. It offers a juried selection of
the 
     best of the best. And what a jury_thanks go to Drs. Lloyd David,
Verna 
     Haskins Denny, Joan Friedenberg and Paul Jurmo for their 
     participation. Contact rickie_gallmon at ed.gov 
     
     ___________________________________________ 
     
     OVAE Homepage http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/ 
     _____________________________________________
     
     
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