Texas Workforce Commission Awards Texas A&M $4.6 Million To Promote Adult Education And Literacy

It’s a fact:

• in 2013, 3.8 million adults in the state of Texas did not have a high school diploma.

• the share of jobs that require postsecondary education has doubled over the last 40 years as jobs require more skills.

U.S. Department of Education, Executive Office of the President

The Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning (TCALL) was awarded a $4.6 million, two-year contract from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) for its new Texas Research-based Adult Instruction Network Professional Development Consortium (TRAIN PD).

Awarded after the signing of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in 2014, the project supports efforts to improve the nation’s workforce development system and help put Americans back to work by providing key services to more than 2,500 adult education and literacy professionals statewide.

The project will help ensure that adult educators have access to knowledge, resources, technology, networking opportunities and program support to enhance the instruction of students who are working to improve their English language skills, obtain a GED diploma, broaden career opportunities or enroll in an institution of higher learning.

“We are proud as a college to lead this project that supports quality instruction for adult education and literacy students throughout Texas,” said Doug Palmer, former dean.

The consortium originated with five community college partners led by TCALL situated in five of the largest urban population centers of the state including Alamo Colleges, Austin Community College, College of the Mainland, El Paso Community College, and the Houston Community College System. Tarrant County College and South Texas College have been identified to join the initiative to represent the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Lower Rio Grande Valley.

IMPROVING ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND THE PREPARATION OF QUALITY INSTRUCTORS IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES FOR ALL TEXANS AND TEXAS FAMILIES.

Improving access to educational resources and the preparation of quality instructors improves quality of life outcomes for all Texans and Texas families. The project will create and provide more than 400 professional development events for local adult education and literacy programs each year; maintain a professional development library; maintain the toll-free information hotline 800-441-READ; publish the online journal, Texas Adult Education & Literacy Quarterly; and maintain a searchable database of local adult education and literacy service providers.

Seeking to be a national model for similar services to adult education and literacy programs, this model allows for more consistent curriculum across service providers while maintaining local control of services. TRAIN PD will also analyze local and statewide performance data, and make recommendations to TWC for professional development initiatives designed to boost student success.

“WE ARE PROUD AS A COLLEGE TO LEAD THIS PROJECT THAT EXPANDS THE TEXAS CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF LITERACY AND LEARNING’S ROLE IN SUPPORTING QUALITY INSTRUCTION FOR ADULT EDUCATION AND LITERACY STUDENTS THROUGHOUT TEXAS.”

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