Funding for Adult and Family Literacy

About Funding

Federal and state governments appropriate (provide) funds for all types of education programs. See how combined federal, state, and local funding for adult education and literacy programs (those programs funded wholly or in part by Title II of the Workforce Investment Act) stacks up against funding for other education programs.

From: Sticht, T. (2006, September 26). State and Federal Funding for the AELS
Sticht, T. (2008, August 17). Fall From Literacy Summit Continues

Funding for adult literacy (federal, state, and local funds combined) is:

• Less than one-twentieth of Higher education funding
• Less than one-tenth of K-12 funding
• Less than one-eighth of Head Start funding
• Less than one-twelfth Early Head Start funding

Additionally, public funding provides education for all youth between the ages of 5 and 16. However, funding for adult literacy (local, state, and federal combined) serves only 3 million of the 93 million adults who could benefit from services, or three percent of the adults in need. Consider further that if a parent of a child in any public school system in the United States were told that there was a six month or one-year waiting list to get his or her child into the next grade—unthinkable! Yet waiting lists are now the norm for basic education, secondary education, and English language learning for adults:

• 2009-2010 NCSDAE Adult Student Waiting List Survey
• The ESL Logjam: Waiting Times for Adult ESL Classes and the Impact on English Learners

National education initiatives often overlook the need to educate today’s adults. For example, the National Center for Education Sciences released the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, finding that 93 million adults (45% of the adult population) have reading, writing, or math basic skills deficiencies; 30 million of them have Below Basic Literacy skills, and 11 million of them can not communicate in English.

Shortly thereafter, the Bush Administration released the American Competitiveness Initiative, promoting American innovation and our nation's ability to compete in the global economy. Even though public schools only produce 2% of the workforce annually, this initiative focused on K-12 programs—ignoring the need to educate today’s workforce. We must help our policymakers understand the important role adult education can play in keeping our nation competitive and in improving quality of life for millions of Americans. (See The American Competitiveness Initiative: How can we compete when 93 million adults have skills below the high school level? )

What’s the Issue

Adult education and literacy programs urgently need additional funding to meet increasing demands for services and to eliminate waiting lists. Increased funding for adult education and literacy would:

• Improve our economy
• Help today’s workers upgrade their educational skills so they can benefit from retraining
• Help immigrants improve their English proficiency and become a more integral part of American life
• Improve our nation’s health
• Reduce crime and poverty
• Increase civic participation
• Help parents be their child’s first, most important teacher

Adult education is one of only four federally-funded education programs (out of 96 programs total) rated as “effective”, the highest possible rating, by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). But without more funding, adult education and literacy programs cannot meet the need and demand for services.

Next Steps

The President releases a proposed budget in early February. The Coalition will support it if it includes enough funding for adult education and literacy services. The Coalition will ask Congress to increase funding for adult education and literacy if it does not include enough funding for it.
We will ask you to contact your legislators at key times during the year about funding for adult education and literacy. You will need to let them know why adult education is important to you, why the program needs and deserves additional funding, and why you need them to support your request.

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