Adult Education State Plan Revision based on Deficiencies
Program-Specific Requirements for Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Programs
The State Plan must include a description of the following as it pertains to Adult Education and Literacy programs under Title II, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA).
A. Aligning of Content Standards
Describe how the eligible agency will, by July 1, 2016, align its content standards for adult education with State-adopted challenging academic content standards, as adopted under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)).
RESPONSE:
Texas Adult Education Content Standards and Benchmarks (AEL Standards) for ABE and Adult Secondary Education and ELA students were first implemented statewide in 2007. TWC is currently implementing a complete revision of the AEL Standards to align with the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards and the state-mandated Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum standards for public schools under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)).
In 2015, TWC contracted with Texas State University to revise the standards by July 1, 2016. Revised standards were submitted to TWC on June 28, 2016 ensuring Texas met the Joint Rule § 676.115 requirement pertaining to how the state will content standards, the Unified State Plan must describe how the eligible agency will, by July 1, 2016, align its content standards for adult education AEL by July 1, 2016.
with State-adopted challenging academic content standards under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended.
Revised standards include alignment of rigorous content standards that specify what learners should know and be able to do in the areas of reading and language arts, mathematics, and English language acquisition, including alignments of these content areas for English language learners. The revision also takes into consideration alignment with other standards, including the state-mandated Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum standards for public schools under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)), including high school equivalency standards, enrollment in non-remedial, for-credit courses in postsecondary educational institutions, and the occupational and industry skill standards and certifications widely used and recognized by business and industry.
Review and public comment on the revised standards will take place over the summer of 2016. Related professional development and training-of-trainers contact deliverables for the revised standards are in place to support dissemination and a curriculum development initiative in place to align curriculum to the new standards by October 1, 2016.
B. Local Activities
Describe how the State will, using the considerations specified in section 231(e) of WIOA, fund each eligible provider to establish or operate programs that provide the adult education and literacy activities, including programs that provide such activities concurrently. The Unified or Combined State Plan must include at a minimum the scope, content, and organization of local activities.
Adult Education and Literacy Activities (Section 203 of WIOA)
· 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 that—
1. Provides adult education and literacy activities, concurrently and contextually with both, workforce preparation activities, and workforce training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster, and
2. Is for the purpose of educational and career advancement.
Special Rule
Each eligible agency awarding a grant or contract under this section shall not use any funds made available under this title for adult education and literacy activities for the purpose of supporting or providing programs, services, or activities for individuals who are under the age of 16 and are enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school under State law, except that such agency may use such funds for such purpose if such programs, services, or activities are related to family literacy activities. In providing family literacy activities under this title, an eligible provider shall attempt to coordinate with programs and services that are not assisted under this title prior to using funds for adult education and literacy activities under this title for activities other than activities for eligible individuals.
(ii) Describe how the eligible agency will ensure direct and equitable access to all eligible providers to apply and compete for funds and how the eligible agency will ensure that it is using the same grant or contract announcement and application procedure for all eligible providers.
RESPONSE:
In accordance with the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), TWC, through its grant recipients, implements several that assist adults:
· to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency;
· to complete a secondary school education and transition to postsecondary education and training through career pathways;
· who are immigrants and English-language learners (ELLs) to improve their English skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension, and mathematics skills, leading to employment or advancement in employment, as well as knowledge of the United States’ system of government and concepts of individual freedom and responsible citizenship;
· who are parents or caregivers to obtain the educational skills necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children, and lead to sustainable improvements in the economic opportunities for their families;
· to access support services that improve the student proficiency necessary to function effectively in adult life, including areas of employment, further education, or employment-related training; and
· to expand their options for services from multiple partners in the community, thereby supporting adults in reaching personal goals and objectives.
Additionally, TWC, through its grant recipients, provides adults with sufficient basic education to enable them to:
· acquire the basic education skills necessary for literate functioning;
· participate in job training and retraining;
· obtain and retain employment; and
· continue their education at least to the completion of secondary school and preparation for postsecondary education.
Texas aligned AEL and workforce development systems in 2013. The alignment required statewide deployment of models to develop the skills needed to transition to and complete postsecondary education programs and obtain and advance in employment. Successful models have included IET, Workplace AEL, distance learning, and college and workforce preparation activities. Texas also aligned service-delivery options for individuals with disabilities and other special needs. AEL statewide service-delivery contracts are compliant with WIOA requirements under performance, workforce system, and rehabilitative services alignment and programmatic integration.
In its RFP and in resulting contracts that funded services through June 30, 2017, Texas incorporated and specifically indicated the considerations specified in section 231(e) of WIOA as grant award requirements required of eligible providers. These considerations were scored as narrative questions of the proposal and offerors were required to provide narrative detail to demonstrate how they will meet each consideration.
This same process will be used in the competition for grants being awarded for services beginning July 1, 2017, in which specific questions in the proposal will be aligned to a grantees ability to meet the requirements outlined in 231(e) and scored accordingly, and grant specific requirements that further align to each of these considerations.
TWC grant recipients currently contracted through the end of 2016 are implementing the following activities required under WIOA as a required component of their contracts. Thus, no additional planning is required to ensure that these activities are in place by July 1, 2016:
· Adult education activities;
· Literacy activities;
· Career pathways programs, including workplace literacy activities and IET activities—additional funds have been identified in State Leadership funding to continue to support the development of these models;
· English-language acquisition activities;
· Family literacy activities; and
· Employment and training awareness, readiness, and transition opportunities for students—IET and ELC, implemented by July 1, 2016, through the expansion of efforts developed in PY’15–16.
Texas aligned AEL and workforce development systems in 2013. The alignment required statewide deployment of models to develop the skills needed to transition to and complete postsecondary education programs and obtain and advance in employment. Successful models have included IET, career pathways, distance learning, and college and workforce preparation activities. Texas also aligned service-delivery options for individuals with disabilities and other special needs. AEL statewide service-delivery contracts are compliant with WIOA requirements under performance, workforce system, and rehabilitative services alignment and programmatic integration.
Texas funded new local provider grants for all services, including ELC, up to five years beginning in PY’14–15, and current contracts will be in place through PY’16-17; thus, TWC will not be conducting a grant competition in PY’15–16.
As outlined in the PY’13 plan, TWC conducted procurement for all services in spring 2014 and awarded contracts beginning July 1, 2014. AEFLA §232 requires that eligible providers desiring a grant or contract submit an application containing required information and assurances, including a description of:
· how funds awarded will be spent; and
· any cooperative arrangements the eligible provider has with other agencies, institutions, or organizations for the delivery of AEL services.
Contracts awarded to AEL grant recipients were limited to two years, with the option of three one-year renewals at the discretion of TWC’s three-member Commission (Commission), taking into account performance and other factors. Renewals for years three, four, and five are not automatic, and will be based on meeting or exceeding performance and expenditure benchmarks, or other factors as determined by the Commission. At the completion of the five-year maximum contract term, TWC will conduct a new competitive statewide procurement. All contracts, including those that have been in effect for less than the maximum five-year contract term, must be competitively procured during subsequent statewide procurements.
PY’ 16 AEL grant recipients as well as new grantees funded under the competition conducted during PY’16 funded under WIOA are required to implement the following adult education and literacy activities:
· Adult Education including activities based upon the State’s AEL content standards and the statutory definition in WIOA which include academic instruction and education services below the postsecondary level that increase an individual's ability to:
§ read, write, and speak in English and perform mathematics or other activities necessary for the attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent;
§ transition to postsecondary education and training; and
§ obtain employment;
· Literacy activities including services for individuals with low-levels of literacy. These activities are aligned to the statutory definition in WIOA and include activities to support an individual's ability to read, write, and speak in English, compute, and solve problems, at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individual, and in society.
· English Language Acquisition (ELA) activities as defined in WIOA to include programs of instruction that are designed to help eligible individuals who are English language learners achieve competence in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension of the English language. ELA activities will address transition requirements outlined in WIOA Regulation §463.31 and appropriately lead to:
§ attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent; and
§ transition to postsecondary education and training; or
§ employment.
ELA activities will include proven or evidence-based instructional techniques and learning strategies that support oral skills development for English language learners. AEL grant recipients will meet the requirements §463.31 through a variety of strategies including, but not limited to:
· Offering educational and career counseling services through Career Pathways Navigator services offered under contract by each grant recipient that enable English language learners to transition to post-secondary education and training or employment;
· Alignment of curricula to the state content standards under development and aligned to the reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension needs of English language learners;
· Enrollment in Career Pathways programs including IET.
· Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IEL/CE) activities as defined in WIOA as aligned education services provided to English language learners who are adults, including professionals with degrees and credentials in their native countries, that enable such adults to achieve in the English language and acquire the basic and more advanced skills needed to function effectively as parents, workers, and citizens in the United States. Such services shall include instruction in literacy and English language acquisition and instruction on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and civic participation, and may include workforce training.
IEL/CE will be fully implemented by July 1, 2016. Grant recipients are required to provide IEL/CE in combination with IET through Section 243 funds and the agency implemented a revised funding structure to support the IET requirements of the IEL/CE program. To provide clarity to providers, TWC has notified eligible providers that Section 243 funded programs in Texas will be named “IET EL Civics” to clearly indicate that these funds must provide services in combination with IET. IET Grant recipients may also provide IEL/CE with or without IET using Section 231 funds. IEL/CE activities funded under Section 231 in Texas have been named “EL Civics.”
TWC will release a policy guidance letter on IEL/CE that will outline the programmatic and funding requirements of the program based on WIOA regulations and related Department of Education guidance.
· Workplace Adult Education and Literacy (Workplace AEL) as defined in WIOA are adult education and literacy activities offered by an eligible provider in collaboration with an employer or employee organization at a workplace or an off-site location that is designed to improve the productivity of the workforce.
AEL grant recipients have been implementing and expanding Workplace AEL activities as an option under required Career Pathways components of their contracts and these services will continue to serve the business community through PY’ 16.
· Integrated Education and Training (IET) as defined in WIOA is a service approach that provides adult education and literacy activities concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation activities and workforce training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster for the purpose of educational and career advancement.
AEL grant recipients have been implementing and expanding IET programs as an option under required Career Pathways components of their contracts and these services will continue through PY’ 16. Projects are being implemented with the required elements of contextualized and concurrent AEL, workforce preparation activities and workforce training.