[NLA] Making the system work

[Hal Beder]

Let me echo Tom's frustration at making the adult literacy system 
work.  There is recognition in NJ from the Governor on down that we need to 
coordinate the 23 funding streams for adult literacy into an integrated 
system, but figuring out how is another story.  Here is the problem.

Title II WIA money is allocated by the Department of Education through the 
competitive grant process mandated by the Law.  The funds go directly to 
programs.  Human services money, about 1/3 of the total allocation to adult 
literacy, is allocated to welfare recipients by case workers as part of the 
welfare recipient's  total package.  Human services solidly maintains that 
this approach is the only viable approach.  Most of our Labor money has 
been used to fund 16 new, computer-based learning centers.  Money is 
allocated through the local Workforce Investment Boards.  This endeavor has 
not as yet been coordinated with the Title II effort, although the state is 
working on it. Until that happens, the Labor programs are actually in 
competition with the Title II programs.  No one knows how much money flows 
through community college developmental skills, but at one community 
college over 90% of the first time freshman are enrolled in developmental 
skills.  Developmental skills enrollees pay regular tuition and this 
represents a considerable amount of income for the community colleges.  We 
have been trying to find out how much money this represents but no one is 
talking, probably because the community college folks don't want the public 
to know.

So the problem is not only multiple funding streams.  It is also that the 
streams are administered differently and the funds are allocated through 
different means--grants to programs, grants to individuals and community 
college tuition.  Given this, it's hard to fathom how these various strands 
could be integrated bureaucratically. 

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