NLA Discussion: Marginalization of the AELS

[Thomas Sticht]

David: This is in response to your post on the NLA list regarding the
marginalization of the AELS. Thanks,

Tom Sticht

In my earlier posting I showed data indicating that enrollments in the
AELS had dropped in the last three years. This led David to suggest:  "…
the drop in enrollments may signal not a pattern of increasing
marginalization but one of improvement in program quality."

David goes on to say: "In my state several years ago we bit the bullet
and suffered through lowering enrollments in order to improve quality. 
Now enrollments are increasing because we have more state funds.  One
reason we have more state funds is that we are recognized for having
significantly improved quality."  

Regarding the changes in personnel data I presented, David said:
"Dramatic changes in personnel such as this make me wonder how reliable
these data are.  Anyone have other explanations?"

First I should point out that I did not use the drop in enrollments to
illustrate continued marginalization of the AELS, rather I used the
large percentages of part time and voluntary personnel for that purpose. 

Because I do not know how reliable the federal data are, I looked up
data for Massachusetts so that David could judge the federal data based
on his knowledge of his state’s data ( all these data can be found at
www.ed.gov/offices/ovae/datahome.html  ).

For fiscal years 1996, 1997 and 1998, the only years for which data are
available at the web site, Massachusetts received federal dollars in the
amounts of $4.8 million, $6.6 million and $6.7 million (rounded down).
For these 3 years, enrollments increased as  1996-13,295, 1997-16,008,
1998-20,294 which is different from the slight decline in US totals from
1996-4,042,172 to 1997-4,017,272 to 1998-4,020,550. 

Personnel in Massachusetts went from a 1996 total of 2,997 with 553 full
time, 668 part time, and 1, 756 volunteers to 1997 with a total of 3,760
including 487 full time, 927 part time, and 2,346 volunteers. In 1998
the Massachusetts total personnel was 4,196 with 557 full time, 978 part
time and 2,661 volunteers. 

Thus, during this three year period, Massachusetts had an increase of
some 40 percent in federal income, a 53 percent increase in enrollments
and a 40 percent increase in personnel, with fewer than 0.007 percent of
them added in full time positions, while 46.4 percent were added as part
time positions and a 51.5 percent increase in the use of volunteers took
place. 

David goes on to say, "… I do think that we should expect to see lower
enrollments if the resources are holding steady and the quality is
improving. "

Perhaps data for fiscal year enrollments in Massachusetts before 1996
show a trend for lower enrollments for Massachusetts. The data given
above for 1996, 1997 and1998 that the U. S. Department of Education,
Division of Adult Education and Literacy is promulgating on its web site
suggest that Massachusetts experienced a large increase in enrollments
in those three years, with  a  relatively large increase in federal
funds, and lots more use of part time and volunteer personnel. Whether
or not these are reliable data David or other Massachusetts folks will
have to say.


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