[NLA] Where should the AELS "reside"? (for some, a long message)

[David J. Rosen]

Deborah Yoho, Kelly Bruce, Art Ellison, and other NLA colleagues,,

Thanks for your contributions to this discussion thread.  The question, 
"Where should the AELS reside at the state level?" is alive in some 
states.  Over the past few years some states have moved adult education 
into the higher education or community college system, and at least two 
have moved it into the workforce development system.  I am not 
advocating this, but I believe it would be useful for us to think about 
the pros and cons of each of these options.  If you have an opinion on 
the pros and cons of the adult education and literacy system being 
sponsored by a state department of education, community college system, 
employment and training department -- or other state agency -- let's 
hear it!

I want to reply to Kelly's points:

Kelly Bruce wrote:

> For instance, my assumption is that each major "umbrella organization" 
> (a Department of Ed., a workforce cabinet, or a community college 
> system), has a particular bureaucratic structure and culture--how does 
> this affect the organization of the adult education system, down to 
> the local level, for things like hiring practices, facilities, and 
> professional development? Are there differences in the perceived 
> "purpose" for adult education from system to system (i.e. a state in 
> which AE resides in the K-12 system sees AE as remediation; in a 
> workforce cabinet as economic development; in the community college 
> system as creating a base of community college students)? If there are 
> differences, how do they affect advocacy efforts?

I would like to know if states where adult education resides in K-12, 
community colleges or employment and training/workforce development 
differ in:

1) teacher salaries and benefits; and
2) number of full-time teachers.

Is this public information? Has someone on the NLA list looked at this? 
Is someone interested in looking at it?

> Are states in which AE resides in K-12 or a community college system 
> more likely to hire certified teachers? More likely to conduct 
> research?  More likely to be open to practitioner research?  More 
> likely to provide professional development? Are states in which AE 
> resides in a workforce cabinet moving toward providing services 
> through one-stops?  Do they place a greater emphasis on data 
> collection and data matching (with employment figures, public 
> assistance figures, and the like)?


All good questions.  Any answers?  Anyone interested in doing some 
research on these?


Finally, I would like to suggest a state model to work toward (Or does 
it exist in some state?)  

Since in 80% of the states the AELS resides in the state department of 
education (according to Art Ellison's estimates) , and since a state 
department of education can (but not necessarily does) encompass a broad 
mandate of adult education purposes including: workforce, family 
literacy, corrections, health-related, and others,   I think the state 
department of education should be the lead agency. But leadership must 
mean working closely with other state agencies which have funds to 
support adult education and literacy.  Working closely would include 
bringing those agencies together, and meeting regularly to:

1) agree on a common set of curriculum and outcome standards; regardless 
of funding source, the expected outcomes would be the same -- but for 
any funding source the expected outcomes would differ depending on the 
student's goals ( learn English, get a GED diploma, improve basic skills 
to enter a job, would all have different expected outcomes across the 
system, regardless of funding source;
 
2) implement a common funding cycle, perhaps 5-years, as we have in 
Massachusetts. This would provide stability for all the providers in the 
AELS system, regardless of public funding source;

3) Create a shared staff and program development system, supported with 
10% of the funds from every state agency with funds for adult education 
and literacy;

4) Develop or agree on a state-approved adult education license or 
certification;

5) Agree on a common set of standards for teacher salaries and benefits, 
at least equivalent to those in K-12 for those who obtain a license or 
certification.

6) Agree on a common rate system for services provided -- one which 
supports a high intensity of services (minimum of 150 hours), 
counseling, staff development time for teachers and other staff, MIS 
time, and other support services which are essential to deliver high 
quality services.

There may be other important elements, but the key idea is that this 
would be a publicy-supported adult education system including all the 
state, federal and local funding streams -- and which had a common set 
of standards, measures, and other features of an adult education and 
literacy system.  One agency -- I think it should be the state education 
department -- must take the lead in bringing together all the agencies 
to build this system.

Not an easy task, of course.  But that's the direction I think we should 
be headed.   I haven't dealt with the question of where private sector 
funding fits in, but in my view this should be supplementary. I think 
adult education and literacy, like K-12, and higher education, are 
primarily a public sector responsibility. I also think that the public 
sector must include a diverse range of providers, including voluntary, 
library-based, union-based, community-based, corrections, faith-based, 
and other organizations.  In some states the education departments have 
a lot of room for growth in developing a system of diverse providers.

I would be interested to hear your views on this model.

David J. Rosen
DJRosen at the world.com


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