Adult Literacy and New Technologies: Tools for a Lifetime Page: 21
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Chapter 1-Summary and Policy Options I 21
and Information Administration's National Infor-
mation Infrastructure program, and the technol-
ogy programs at the Advanced Research Projects
Agency (ARPA-Department of Defense) all
have expertise in technology that could be applied
to literacy. Without a specific allocation for adult
literacy or a congressional mandate, however,
literacy development will be largely left to chance
and continue to exist at the margin.19 This
approach also makes it difficult to address literacy
needs systematically and avoid duplication of
effort.
Improving the System
Two broad policy strategies are considered for
improving the system of literacy services. The
first strategy focuses on helping administrators,
teachers, and volunteers become more effective.
The second strategy focuses on strengthening the
connections among literacy providers, social
services, and the private sector.
Expand Training and Professional Development
It is one of the sad ironies of adult literacy
education that often those with the least profes-
sional training are asked to help the learners with
the greatest educational needs. The system is
unlikely to get better without strengthening the
professional status and expertise of those who
teach, administer, and volunteer in literacy pro-
grams. Professional development should involve
several parallel improvements: continuing train-
ing for adult literacy educators, curriculum devel-
opment and graduate-level programs in adult
literacy instruction, more rigorous standards and
certification requirements, and strategies for re-
cruiting highly qualified personnel to teach and
administer adult literacy programs. Technology
can be a resource in all these efforts.Coordinate and Expand Inservice Training. Teacher
training and professional development efforts are
new objectives of the National Literacy Act of
1991. Training is one of the missions of the newly
established State resource centers. The act also
increases the State set-aside for training and
resource development from 10 to 15 percent of
the AEA State grants under Section 353. Even so,
funding from these sources will be insufficient to
support systematic training activities for many
States. Section 353 funds amount to no more than
$25 million nationwide, and the $5 million
appropriated for State resource centers in fiscal
year 1993 is spread across every State and the
outlying areas.20
One option for making the most of available
funding is for Congress, through legislation, to
allow States to pool Section 353 set-asides, along
with State resource center grants, to create
multistate or regional teacher training centers.
Local adult literacy training funds could also be
channeled into these centers. Similarly, training
activities supported by other Federal and State
programs involved in literacy training could be
aggregated. Regulations should facilitate, not
inhibit, training efforts that address common
needs of adult literacy educators serving clients
from JOBS, JTPA, Head Start, Corrections, Drug
and Alcohol Rehabilitation, and other programs.
Collaborative training activities could also
encourage cross fertilization of staff expertise.
For example, teachers of young children in family
literacy programs could study the learning prob-
lems of the children's parents; those who tradi-
tionally teach adults could learn about child
development and early childhood education. The
result would broaden the base of expertise in
intergenerational literacy programs. Collaborations
between those with training expertise in the
workplace and those skilled in teaching reading
and writing could encourage richer, more comprehen-331-048 0 - 93 - 2 QL. 3
19' 1'IIUS far,onlytwo of the Star Schools projects have begun to experiment with adult literacy in a limited way.
20 On a formula basissomeStatesorterritories receive as little as $2,500, and over half the States receive less than $50,000, which supports
several other activities beyond teacher training.
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United States. Congress. Office of Technology Assessment. Adult Literacy and New Technologies: Tools for a Lifetime, report, July 1993; [Washington D.C.]. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc40037/m1/31/: accessed May 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.