National Coalition For Literacy

National Coalition for Literacy to Honor Adult Literacy Leaders

WASHINGTON – The National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) will present the 2010 NCL Literacy Leadership Awards at a reception in Washington, DC on Wednesday, September 15, 2010. The awards recognize individuals and/or organizations that have made extraordinary national contributions to improving literacy and raising awareness of the adult literacy and English language learning needs in the United States.

Speaking about English Under the Arches, Literacy Leader awardee Betsy McKay, Director of Bilingual Leadership Development for McDonald’s USA LLC, describes the “win-win-win” thinking behind the program that has helped hundreds of employees improve their English on the job and advance in their employment. “The individuals gain English they use at work and in other parts of their lives, customers win because the staff would be better equipped to handle their needs, and the restaurants win by having better running operations and shift managers with more flexibility.” Gaining English language and literacy proficiency opens doors to numerous opportunities and further advancement for program graduates. English Under the Arches represents an innovative model of adult education that works. (English Under the Arches is the registered trademark of McDonald’s Corporation and its affiliates.)

Are you a fan of Gretchen Wilson and of adult literacy? Gretchen Wilson, who earned her GED credential at age 34, and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, have teamed up to give away free exclusive concert experiences and autographed CDs of her newest album I Got Your Country Right Here.

Gretchen Wilson is a champion for adult literacy. In May 2009 Wilson testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor Committee on behalf of adult literacy needs in our country. (See her video testimony online.) Wilson also hand delivered 10,000 letters to Tennessee legislators from adult education advocates. In September, she was awarded the NCL Literacy Leadership Award for her outstanding contributions to adult literacy in the United States. Congressman Marsha Blackburn made an official statement for the permanent record of the proceedings of the House on Wilson’s behalf. Watch this short video of Congressman Blackburn presenting Wilson with a copy of the Congressional record; hear Wilson tell her story of earning her GED credential.

The National Coalition for Literacy met May 6, 2010 in Washington, D.C. for its Quarterly Membership Meeting. Earlier this year, John Segota and Heidi Silver-Pacuilla led a Task Force of the Board to identify strategic changes that would allow the Coalition to more effectively execute public policy and advocacy activities. Coalition Members discussed Task Force recommendations and approved this first round of changes in a tiered process for making improvements over the next few months. The Coalition’s structure has not been revisited since incorporation in 2003.

Coalition Members shared updates on appropriations, WIA, TANF, and ESEA reauthorization, and immigration reform. See the May 2010 Public Policy Update from Marsha Tait and Jackie Taylor for details.

Carson discussed The Civics and Citizenship Toolkit, which is a resource for immigrant-serving organizations. A new Toolkit will be available in July 2010 and will be sent to all past Toolkit registrants. If you haven’t registered to receive the Toolkit, then register today for your free copy. All registrants (past and new registrants) will receive the new version.

Cheryl Keenan, Director of Adult Education and Literacy, Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), attended a portion of the meeting to provide Coalition Members updates from the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) and OVAE. Keenan reports that NIFL will close on September 30, but the physical location will shut its doors in August. NIFL is giving away publications from its warehouse; Keenan encouraged members to request copies for conferences and other venues. She also shared the Administration’s areas for emphasis for WIA reauthorization: career pathways, teacher quality and professionalization, standards-based instruction, models for serving immigrant professionals, and corrections education.

Thank you to Cheryl Keenan and Rebecca Carson for their time and expertise. The Coalition will reconvene in September at the 2010 Literacy Leadership Awards on September 15 and the NCL Quarterly Meeting to be held the day after. Nominations for the Literacy Leadership Awards are due May 28. See the NCL Advocacy Blog for details.

WASHINGTON – Watch the National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) blog and Twitter channel for live coverage from the COABE-ProLiteracy national conference in Chicago March 17–19, 2010. For COABE and ProLiteracy members, NCL will host a live webcast of the public policy debate on Tuesday, March 16, 2:45–5:00 pm CT. Watch for updates on federal legislation on Thursday, March 18, 1:45–2:45 pm CT, a session which will feature:

See other sessions of interest including two health literacy events which will discuss the importance of accessible and understandable health care language and services.

Health literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Unfortunately, as the nation debates health care, many citizens are unprepared to join the discussion. A national study of health literacy in adults found:

Join NCL in raising awareness of issues related to adult education and family literacy programs which serve adult learners who need to improve their basic literacy and math skills, improve their oral and written English, practice for the GED test to attain a high school equivalence degree, and prepare for community college or vocational training.

NCL is a national adult education leadership organization comprised of member organizations and adult education professionals, committed to promoting adult education and literacy, family literacy, and English language development in the United States. NCL seeks to advance adult education, language, and literacy by fostering collaboration and advocacy at the national level among public and private organizations.

Immigration Policy Forum and the Implications for Adult English Language Learning

WASHINGTON – The National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) will host a Policy Forum on Immigration on December 2 from 1:00pm – 5:00pm at the Hall of States, 444 N. Capitol St., in Washington, DC. The Forum will feature prominent researchers, policy makers, and advocates who will explore the implications for adult education and training providers of various scenarios of immigration reform. Presenting on December 2 will be:

Adult education and family literacy programs serve adult learners who need to improve their basic literacy and math skills, improve their oral and written English, study for the GED test to attain a high school equivalence degree, and prepare for community college or vocational training. According to the latest national survey of adults, 11 million adults in the United States are non-literate in English. The Government Accounting Office reported that the number of adults who speak English less than very well grew by 21.8 percent between 2000 and 2007, to roughly 22 million. Limited English interferes with adults’ ability to advance at work and in education, help their children with school work, interact with their health care professionals, and participate fully in their communities.
Peter Waite, Vice President for Programs and Services at ProLiteracy (www.proliteracy.org) and current NCL President, cautions, “Immigration reform could release a tsunami of adults eager to learn English – a potential influx of five to seven million new students into a system that is already running above capacity. The current adult education system is ill-equipped to scale up to serve this kind of growth; we must get prepared and develop creative and innovative new strategies to help people learn English through a variety of methods.”
Members of the media may contact Heidi Silver-Pacuilla, hsilver-pacuilla@air.org for more information about attending the Forum.

Kutner, M., Greenberg, E., Jin, Y., Boyle, B., Hsu, Y., and Dunleavy, E. (2007). Literacy in Everyday Life: Results From the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NCES 2007–480).U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

See http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09575.pdf

WASHINGTON – The National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) invites you to join them in celebrating National Adult Education and Family Literacy week, October 18 – 24, 2009. This Congressional declaration is the culmination of literacy advocacy and outreach resulting in 26 co-signers in the House. See http://blog.ncladvocacy.org/2009/10/thank_you_hres707/. Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), the author of the resolution, spoke in support of its passage, as did Congressman Tom Petri (R-WI) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).

Adult education and family literacy programs serve adult learners who need to improve their basic literacy and math skills, improve their oral and written English, practice for the GED test to attain a high school equivalence degree, and prepare for community college or vocational training. According to the latest national survey of adults, over 93 million American adults have Basic or Below Basic literacy skills that limit their ability to advance at work and in education, help their children with school work, interact with their health care professionals, and participate fully in their communities.

Family literacy programs serve parents and their young children, teaching basic skills, English as a Second Language, and parenting skills to the adults while the children are provided high quality preschool programming. These programs are focused on breaking the cycles of low literacy, low education, and poverty. More information about family literacy programs is available at the National Center for Family Literacy, an NCL member, at http://www.famlit.org/.

The media can celebrate Adult Education and Family Literacy Week by publishing stories and literacy facts to raise the awareness of the general population to the extent of the need and the power of literacy.

WASHINGTON – The National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) will present the 2009 NCL Literacy Leadership Awards at a reception at the Library of Congress on Wednesday, September 16, 2009. The awards recognize individuals and/or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to improving literacy and raising awareness of the adult literacy and English language learning needs in the United States. Recipients of the award have demonstrated a deep and sustained individual or organizational commitment by supporting literacy on the local, state, and national level.

“People need the tools to succeed in America, and, at the very minimum, a major tool on the road to success is a high school diploma or GED. All Americans deserve a basic education so that they can take advantage of opportunities otherwise not open to them,” 2009 awardee Gretchen Wilson told a Congressional subcommittee earlier this spring. Wilson, known for her country hits such as Redneck Woman, achieved her GED in 2008 and has leveraged her celebrity status to spotlight the funding needs of adult education programs and the adults on waiting lists hoping to further their education. Wilson will be at the Library of Congress to receive her award in person.

National Coalition for Literacy honors Adult and Family Literacy Leaders at Washington, DC, Reception

WASHINGTON – “I have seen first-hand how empowering it is when adults learn to read, consume information, and then have sufficient skills to pursue their dreams,”

stated David Murphy, President and CEO of Better World Books, one of the recipient’s of the 2008 National Coalition for Literacy’s 2008 Literacy Leadership Awards. The award recognizes individuals and/or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to improving literacy in the United States. Recipients of the award have demonstrated a deep and sustained individual or organizational commitment by supporting literacy continuously on the local, state, and national level. Better World Books, a social venture, has raised $2.8 million for literacy in the last five years.

“This year’s awardees represent the wonderful diversity of individuals and organizations that are working to further adult literacy in the US. Congressman Hinojosa has long championed adult literacy and English language development in Congress. For 40 years, the National Council of La Raza has advocated for better opportunities and education for the Hispanic community. We admire the entrepreneurial spirit of the students who started Better World Books.

And John Comings has dedicated his life to adult learners, pursuing research, promoting professional development, and designing effective programs. Each of them has contributed to raising awareness of the impact of low literacy on the US population and economy, to funding solutions, and to visioning a better future for all,” said Sherrie Claiborne, president of the Board, National Coalition for Literacy.

In addition, the Coalition will honor the Infinity Business Group with the first NCL President’s Award. Infinity Business Group is committed to advancing adult literacy and has worked with NCL in its efforts to broaden its base of support. Bryon K. Sturgill, CEO, will accept the Award.

Irwin Kirsch,

of the Center for Global Assessment at Educational Testing Service, and co-author of “America’s Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation’s Future”, spoke at the NCL Membership Meeting in February. Kirsch noted that our nation is in the midst of a perfect storm, according to ETS researchers — and the forecast is grim — unless we invest in policies that will change our perilous course.

This report from ETS's Policy Information Center looks at the convergence of three powerful socioeconomic forces that are changing our nation's future: (1) substantial disparities in skill levels (reading and math); (2) seismic economic changes (widening wage gaps); and (3) sweeping demographic shifts (less education, lower skills). There is little chance that economic opportunities will improve among key segments of our population without change. National test results show no evidence of improvement over the last 20 years. Scores are flat and achievement gaps persist. To date, educational reform has not been sufficient to solve the problem. Hope for a better life — with decent jobs and livable wages — will vanish unless we act now. We must raise our learning levels, increase our reading and math skills and narrow the existing achievement gaps, or these forces will turn the American Dream into an American Tragedy — putting our nation at risk.

National Coalition for Literacy Honors Adult and Family Literacy Leaders at Washington, DC Reception

WASHINGTON – The National Coalition for Literacy honored four individuals and a charitable foundation for their contributions to improving literacy in the United States at a reception at the Library of Congress on September 5th. Those receiving NCL’s 2007 Literacy Leadership awards are:

The award recognizes individuals and/or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to improving literacy in the United States. Award recipients have demonstrated a deep and sustained individual or corporate commitment by supporting literacy on the local, state, and national levels.

Congressman Castle has been a champion for increased funding for adult education. Senator Clinton has promoted health literacy and been a strong supporter of funding for the Even Start family literacy program.

Dr. Irwin Kirsch worked on the first National Adult Literacy Survey and laid the groundwork for the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy; he also is one of the authors of The Perfect Storm: Three Forces That Are Shaping Our Nations Future.

“We at ETS are deeply proud of the award the Coalition is presenting to Irwin Kirsch, one of my distinguished presidential appointees. His vision and pioneering research in literacy at home and abroad have served to advance ETS’ social mission and the cause of education everywhere.” stated Kurt Landgraf, President and CEO, Educational Testing Service.

As CEO of Dollar General, David A. Perdue Jr. oversaw the continued commitment of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to funding both local literacy efforts and the National Commission on Adult Literacy. Since 1989, The UPS Foundation has contributed over $19 million to support 400 local literacy programs in 120 communities throughout the US.

“The National Coalition for Literacy is extraordinarily pleased to honor our recipients. Each of them has contributed to raising awareness of the impact of low literacy on the U.S. population and economy, to funding solutions, and to visioning a better future for all,” said Sherrie Claiborne, president of the Board, National Coalition for Literacy. “Their leadership has truly strengthened literacy in America and been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement.”

The National Coalition for Literacy and the Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE) co-sponsored a series of Public Policy workshops and forums at COABE’s annual conference in March. The power point presentation on “How Congress Works” and a diagram of the budget and appropriations process are available here. NCL will again sponsor this series at the 2008 COABE Conference in St. Louis, MO, April 28 – May 1

Dr. Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International, was the keynote speaker at the National Literacy Summit.3 on Monday, October 15th, hosted by Georgetown University. He talked about changes to the global economy and how all countries were economically “playing the same game” now. Dr. Zakaria said that America competes in this economy with innovation and creativity. He emphasized that our entire society must be literate. The bottom third of our population needs a decent education and basic opportunities so that we can compete as one country. Two panels followed, addressing the Drivers of a Literate Community and Community Literacy Solutions; speakers came from the International Reading Association, the National Center for Family Literacy, ProLiteracy America, National Council of LaRaza, National Urban League, Sesame Workshop and the American Library Association. Sherrie Claiborne, NCL President, represented the Coalition. Please click here to view the webcast. http://client.uvault.com/verizon/101507/vod/#

MPR Associates Presents on Community Partnerships at May Membership Meeting

This month’s quarterly membership meeting featured presentations from Kathy Chernus of MPR Associates and Sheryl Adler of the Department of Education on the Community Partnerships for Adult Learning website (www.c-pal.net). The site profiles a dozen successful community partnerships and includes more than 400 resources, such as self-assessment tools, ways to build partnership resources, grant-writing advice, templates for memoranda of understanding, and a section on youth in adult literacy. To view Kathy’s Power Point presentation, click here.

Kathy also discussed MPR’s work to develop a Guide to Adult Literacy for Businesses and discussed what might motivate businesses to get involved in adult literacy. This is especially important to adult literacy advocates, as many businesses are playing an active role in community partnerships and have adopted corporate responsibility plans. Kathy reviewed a preliminary outline of the guide and solicited feedback from Coalition members. Meanwhile, the group discussed ways the guide could be useful for adult literacy programs and providers.

The National Coalition for Literacy Reacts to Bush Budget: Calls for Increased Funding for Adult Literacy Initiatives

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Coalition for Literacy issued the following statement today regarding President Bush's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2007:

"The President's budget today reflects the hard choices of our times. However necessary, national security and national defense priorities are crowding out funding for very basic needs in other areas of public policy. This is particularly true when it comes to adult literacy, family literacy, adult education programs, and English as a Second Language programs.

"The National Coalition for Literacy is disappointed with the proposed flat funding and budget cuts in these areas, and we feel strongly that as the budget process moves forward, the Congress must reassess these priorities and make several significant changes. The demonstrated need in the area of adult and family literacy is just too great to fall by the wayside.

"As many observers already know, last December the Bush Administration released the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, an exhaustive study of adult literacy levels in the United States. What it found was startling: As many as 93 million adults didn't have the literacy skills necessary to function adequately in America's increasingly complex society.

"In other words, if you can't read, you won't succeed. This demonstrates a clear need for profound changes in federal adult literacy policy in order to address this looming problem.

"In last week's State of the Union speech President Bush outlined his American Competitiveness Initiative, a package of policies aimed at making America more competitive in the world. We support his efforts but urgently recommend that he add a renewed emphasis on overall adult literacy policy. We feel strongly that doing this would ensure that the current American workforce will have increased access to opportunities for success in the workplace, the home, and the community."

The National Coalition for Literacy calls on the President to include literacy education in his American Competitiveness Initiative
For Immediate Release Contact: Leila Plassey
February 2, 2006 (202) 244-0732

Washington, DC – The National Coalition for Literacy released the following statement
today in response to President Bush’s State of the Union address:
“The National Coalition for Literacy supports the President Bush’s decision to make
America more competitive through his American Competitiveness Initiative. This high
school initiative emphasizes strengthening math and science courses and improving
teacher training. We hope that the President and the Congress will seriously consider
adding an equally strong literacy component to this critical campaign.

“Currently, only 2 percent of the nation’s retiring workforce is being replaced by
graduating high school students. In order for America to be globally competitive and
nationally prosperous, the current workforce must have access to continuing education
and job training opportunities.

“The National Coalition for Literacy is looking forward to making this case as the debate
proceeds in Congress. Literacy affects every American – workers in every trade and
profession, immigrants from across the globe, and parents and caregivers raising our
youngest citizens. We must seize the chance afforded us by the President’s American
Competitiveness Initiative and use this opportunity to make significant progress toward a
more literate America.”

Low Literacy Levels Will Hurt America -- NCL Calls For Three-Pronged, Bipartisan Approach Monday January 30, 10:19 am ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Coalition for Literacy, a broad-based group of adult education and family literacy advocates, is calling for a three-pronged, bipartisan approach to adult education and family literacy as the Congress prepares to open its 2006 session.

NCL's call to action is based on the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) released by the Department of Education in December 2005. The NAAL surveyed adult literacy skills across a wide cross section of the American adult population.

Dale Lipschultz, President of the National Coalition for Literacy, said, "NAAL found that ill-prepared citizens in the millions are struggling to keep up in an increasingly complex and demanding workplace."

The results of the NAAL have serious implications for the future of America's economy and the workplace, its families, and its civic institutions. According to Lipschultz, American businesses lose more than $60 billion in productivity each year due to employees' basic skills deficiencies.

"To stay competitive, the United States must have a well-educated workforce, capable of keeping up with technological advances and an ever- changing job market. We cannot afford to leave any adults behind because of a lack of literacy skills," Lipschultz said.

According to the recent National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), as many as 93 million people need some kind of literacy service. These adults include parents, out-of-school youth, recent immigrants, the unemployed and underemployed, and incarcerated individuals. They do not have basic tools they need to succeed in modern America.

Fourteen percent of these people, or 30 million, are at-risk adults. They are categorized by the NAAL as "Below Basic". This group includes individuals with few basic literacy skills, including those who have great difficulty reading and are both poorly skilled and unable to read and understand any written information in English.

Another 29 percent of the population, or 63 million adults can read, but not well. They are only able to understand materials that are simply written and clearly articulated.

"Currently, adult education programs are serving only 3 million people. The NAAL gives a very stark picture of the challenges we must tackle," Lipschultz said.

"The National Coalition for Literacy is calling for a bipartisan effort to address the problem in three areas:

* Substantially increase funding for adult education and family literacy programs and services in order to expand opportunities for all adults.

* Invest additional resources in adult education research to ensure that instructional practices reflect the best available knowledge about how adults learn.

* Improve outcomes for students by funding high quality professional development for adult education providers and by promoting transitions from adult education to college academic and vocational study programs.

"The National Coalition for Literacy seeks a broad-based, bipartisan response to this national literacy challenge. Over the next several months, NCL will work actively for bold, innovative actions to meet this national challenge. Addressing this high priority need now will pay huge dividends to our economy, our families, our democracy in the future, and our ability to compete in the global marketplace," Lipschultz concluded.

Dale Lipschultz, president of the National Coalition for Literacy (NCL), said today that the National Coalition for Literacy and its member organizations wish to express their deepest concern and sympathy for their fellow Americans struggling with enormous personal loss from the Gulf Coast disaster. Those left homeless and jobless by the storm and its aftermath will need materials, assistance, and access to information, and some may need help managing the system to rebuild their lives. The NCL is encouraging its member organizations and local literacy programs across the country to help as they can to relieve some of the critical needs. For example, they can assist those victims whose lack of literacy and health literacy skills may be a barrier to filling out FEMA and other benefit forms. We encourage Congress, in allocating emergency funding, to acknowledge the relationship between poverty and low literacy and to take into consideration the role of adult education in helping adults and families to establish long-term security in their jobs, lives and communities.

The National Coalition for Literacy Announces the 2005 Literacy Leadership Award Winners

The Board of Directors and members of the National Coalition for Literacy cordially invite you to attend our Annual Literacy Leadership Awards Reception. This year, NCL is honored to recognize the following individuals and foundation.

The NCL Literacy Leadership Award recognizes individuals and
organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to improving
literacy in the United States. Award recipients have demonstrated a deep
and sustained individual or corporate commitment by supporting literacy
continuously across the lifespan on the local, state, and national
level. Their enlightened leadership has truly strengthened literacy in
America and been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement.

The nation's demand for adult education, family literacy, and English acquisition services and programs is growing and is fast approaching crisis levels. In 2002-2003, 51 million adults – 23% of the adult population – lacked a high school diploma. Only 2.7 million of these adults participated in the nation’s adult education and family literacy system.

The National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) is a unique member organization, made up of major service, research, and policy organizations in adult education, family literacy, and English Language Acquisition. These organizations represent the nation's and field’s leadership. NCL’s broad mission is to advance adult education, family literacy, and English language acquisition in America -- from the most basic skills proficiency level across a continuum of services including the transition into postsecondary education and job training. NCL’s goals are to:

In addition, NCL strives to promote fresh thinking, knowledge sharing, effective policy and service development, and collaboration through a range of leadership activities and member services.

July 12, 2005

The Senate Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over adult education held its mark-up session this afternoon. THE MEMBERS RECOMMENDED LEVEL FUNDING FOR ADULT EDUCATION for FY06. This recommendation is approved by the full Committee on Thursday and later on the floor of the Senate, the House and the Senate will go into conference carrying the same amounts for adult education. No negotiations will be necessary.

READ the NCL Thank You Letter Written to the Senate Appropriations Committee Members