Program Types and Challenges

The major source of federal support for basic skills programs are grants to states authorized under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. The purpose of the basic grant program is to provide educational opportunities for adults to function effectively in the workplace or in their daily lives. Both English as a second language (ESL) programs and family literacy services are supported by AEFLA funds.

Adult ESL programs in the United States work with adults (16 years and older), whose first language is not English and who are no longer attending public schools, to help those not fully fluent and literate in English to communicate effectively in English. This means developing their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Programs are designed to help these adults acquire the skills they need to meet their personal, vocational, academic, community, and employment goals. Many adult basic education (ABE) programs that serve native English speakers also serve adults learning English.

Family literacy programs are designed to help children become successful in school while their parents develop language and literacy skills in English. The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act reflects this dual goal in its encouragement of adults to "become full partners in the educational development of their children." The act also names as a goal helping adults to "become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency" (Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, 1998).

Adult ESL and family literacy programs serve a diverse population through a variety of funding streams depending on learners'

• Status (e.g., immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers);
• Goals (e.g., basic or functional literacy, family literacy, workplace education, citizenship preparation, academic credentialing or preparation); and
• Circumstances (e.g., parents with young children, youth needing a high school credential, employed or displaced workers, farm workers, incarcerated youth and adults).

The diversity of learner populations served, program settings, systems of delivery, and instructional philosophies embraced result in a wide range of program designs and instructional practices. To be effective, programs need to offer classes that vary in terms of class schedules, location, duration, and content in order to maximize access to learning opportunities while accommodating the realities and constraints of adult learners' lives.