The "new and revised "Adult Basic Education Curriculum Frameworks (Course 9900000) was completed during the 1996-97 grant year. The revised frameworks include achievement levels, with benchmarks and outcomes, to provide improved student assessment and program accountability. In addition, the frameworks have been correlated to the Sunshine State Standards, the SCANS competencies and correlated to the standards of Goal 3, Student Performance. The areas of applied writing skills, opportunities for hands-on problem solving, integration of technology, cooperative learning, multi-cultural diversity and family responsibility for children's success in school has been added. In addition to the basic academic skills, the frameworks integrate areas, which encourage retention of students: school-to-work transition, career education, family literacy, health, communication, technology and interpersonal skills.

The purpose of this project will be to develop and implement a pilot program that will provide training and technical assistance on a local, regional and state level for teachers and administrators to review and implement the "new and revised" frameworks, evaluate the frameworks for further modification, complete the modification based on input from practitioners in the pilot and present to DOE the final revision for statewide implementation. Once approved and implemented, the new frameworks will aid districts in the implementation of performance- based funding for adult education. Adult Education Indicators of Program Quality addressed by the goals, objectives and activities for implementation described in this project are: 1.0 Educational Gains, 2.0 Educational Outcomes, 3.0 Retention, 7.0 Curriculum and Instruction and 9.0 Staff Development.

Project Goal: To improve curriculum, instruction, educational gains and outcomes for adults in Florida.

Objective 1.0: By September 30,1998, all Adult Basic Education Frameworks will be revised and updated. (Indicators 1,2,3 and7)

Objective 2.0 During 1997-98, training and technical assistance will be provided through regional workshops to assist teachers and administrators in implementing the frameworks and evaluating the standards and levels. (Indicator 9)

Objective 3.0 During June-August 1998, frameworks will be modified and revised based on the pilot project data. (Indicators 1, 2, 3 and 7)

Objective 4.0 By September 30,1998, a camera-ready copy of the completed frameworks will be submitted to the Florida Department of Education for approval and statewide adoption. (Indicators 1,2, 3 and 7)

Basic education or pre-GED students comprise 63.2 percent of the adult students statewide. All adult education student,. teachers and administrators in the populations targeted by Florida's adult education program will benefit from the implementation of improved frameworks that divide standards into achievement levels, include the use of benchmarks and outcomes, and lead to the development of criterion-based and norm-referenced assessment.

In Florida and nationally, adult education leaders are engaged in discussions related to benchmarks, achievement labels and increased accountability in adult education programs. Adult Basic Education curriculum frameworks do not currently exist which meet the growing needs for instructional accountability. This project would provide an innovative model, which may be adopted nationwide. When final revisions are complete, the ABE Curriculum Frameworks will provide adult educators in Florida with achievement levels and benchmarks for improved student assessment and program accountability. Leon County developed and has fully implemented the Florida Automated Student Performance System (FS PS), one of two systems in the state for tracking student accomplishment of standards and outcomes. FSPS will provide data for districts to access for performance-based funding. FSPS may be adapted for use with the revised curriculum outcomes, standards and achievement levels to provide a much-improved system for documenting achievement of basic education or pre-GED students.

The project budget of $65,000 is adequate to meet all goals/objectives as stated.

 The primary focus of the Adult Education Act is the establishment of adult education programs that provide instruction in basic and functional skills for adults with educational deficiencies in reading, writing and speaking. To meet this goal, curriculum development, implementation and teacher training are fundamental to the delivery of quality adult education programs for all populations listed in national and state priorities. These components are also necessary in order to ensure accountability by adult education teachers and program administrators statewide.

 The following delineates the measurable objectives in this project as they specifically relate to the Adult Education quality indicators:

 Objective 1.0: Training and dissemination of the Curriculum for the Adult Beginning Reader-Level 0-3.0 will occur in all five DOE regions in coordination with ACE of Florida's regional training, the ACE of Florida State Conference, and the Florida Literacy Conference.

This objective addresses all aspects of quality indicator "7.0 Curriculum and Instruction." The Curriculum for the Adult Beginning Reader-Level 0-3.0 is self-paced, learner-oriented, and individualized. The leaner takes part in defining the goals and outcomes of learning and participates in his/her own assessment.

 The curriculum is an eclectic, multi-sensorial, holistic, and flexible approach to reading. It is designed to provide reading instruction in a meaningful context that is relevant to the learner. In addition to the numerous activities in the curriculum, the accompanying resource manual the Addendum-Technological Aids in the Adult Beginning Reader Classroom, offers a multitude of information on technological resources.

 Objective 2.0: A training manual and video designed for each curriculum will be disseminated to adult education directors in all Florida school districts.  (Quality Indicator: 9.0 Staff Development)

This objective includes a staff development component that will ensure on-going training and use of the curriculum on a state/national level. The curriculum and all training materials are easily reproduced for additional distribution. Many adult education teachers have no training in reading instruction. This curriculum and the training component are designed to provide these teachers with the methodology, skills and activities needed to be successful adult basic education reading instructors.

Objective 3.0: A final report will be completed documenting learner progress using the Curriculum for the Adult Beginning Reader-Level 0-3.0 based on standardized tests, teacher reporting and student portfolios.

This curriculum has a built-in learner mastery/progress component where teachers and learners are constantly aware of skills that have been mastered. However, "...while the anticipated, measurable outcome is reader fluency, this carefully structured series of objectives is not a prescribed, all purpose program where mastery must be achieved in order to continue. Rather, the objectives serve as guidelines to help learners build on what they have learned in order to progress toward meaning that is important to them" FOCUS Magazine, 1/1997).

Additionally, this objective provides for a documented study of the progress of adult students in selected classrooms where the curriculum is being used. Curriculum mastery reports, student portfolios, standardized tests, teacher observation, and student self-reports ~ be included in the assessment of student educational goals. Budgeted Amount $59,800

• Relationship to the Adult Education quality indicators:

• Who will benefit (target Pops)

• What makes project innovative: The Celebrating Volunteers in Literacy Training Project is innovative in several ways:
• The Florida Literacy Coalition (FLC), is an organizational member of both national literacy organizations: Laubach Literacy Action (LLA); and Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA). The FLC serves as a "provider-neutral" hub and serves as a catalyst for collaboration and does not endorse any specific national affiliation or instructional method.
• The FLC provides each workshop participant with additional training resources:

• The Florida Literacy Coalition (FLC) serves a diverse network in all 67 Florida counties as a statewide clearinghouse for adult education and literacy organizations.

 The purpose of this project will be to develop a Comprehensive Adult Basic Education Program that will furnish local ABE providers all the necessary components to be successful in a performance-based funding environment. The complete program will include the revised frameworks, an on-line tutorial package and teacher planning tool, training video and guide, assessment tools, and a resource guide to include correlation's of materials to the frameworks, classroom lesson plans, and student recruitment and retention tips. Also, included in this project will be the development of a statewide certificate program to demonstrate student achievement and assist with meeting new workforce development funding guidelines. The frameworks and comprehensive program is based on input from statewide practitioners as to what would be necessary for an ABE program to be successful under the new workforce development guidelines and procedures. The comprehensive program will also assist with statewide standardization of adult basic education courses.

 All adult basic education students, teachers and administrators targeted under course 9900000, will benefit from the implementation of this project which will include a comprehensive program of frameworks with benchmarks, standards and outcomes and all the necessary components to successfully implement the frameworks.

 Federal and state goals related to enabling adults to acquire educational skills for literate functioning and providing adults with sufficient basic education to enable them to benefit from job training and retraining programs and obtain and retain productive employment will be addressed through the revised frameworks and comprehensive adult basic education program. Adult Education Indicators of Program Quality addressed by the goals, objectives and activities for implementation described in this project are: 1.0 Educational Gains, 2.0 Educational Outcomes, 3.0 Retention, 7.0 Curriculum and Instruction and 9.0 Staff Development

 Project Goal: To develop a comprehensive ABE program including frameworks, training, resources, assessment and a certificate program that will provide local adult basic education programs all the necessary components to be successful in the workforce development performance-based funding environment.

 Objective 1.0 By September 30, 1999, a statewide certificate program, with procedural manual, will be prepared to correlate to the Workforce Development ABE funding matrix. (Indicators 1.0, 2.0, 7.0)

Objective 2.0 By September 30, 1999, a resource guide will be complete and include correlation's of currently available ABE materials to the frameworks. The guide will also include suggestions for classroom lesson plans and teacher tips on student recruitment and retention. (Indicator 7.0)

Objective 3.0 By September 30,1999, assessment will be designed to evaluate a student's success on selected curriculum frameworks. Assessment will include rubrics, checklists, tests, standardized tests, and criterion-referenced and performance-based evaluation. (Indicators 1.0, 2.0,7.0)

Objective 4.0 By September 30,1999, a web page will be constructed to include the frameworks, correlation to SCANS and Goal 3, Student Performance, lesson plans (best practices), resources, technology tutorials, links to instructional websites and teacher tutorial on program implementation and technology. (Indicators 7.0, 9.0)

Objective 5.0 By September 30,1999, a video and training guide will be developed to assist teachers in an orientation to adult basic education frameworks, resources, assessment and program procedures. (Indicator 9.0)

Objective 6.0 From 10/01/98 to 09/30/99 continue to utilize the ABE Statewide Practitioner's Committee as a technical review team for development, implementation and evaluation of this project.

 This project will provide a demonstration project as well as including teacher training. This program will be innovative because it will be the first comprehensive ABE program to include curriculum frameworks with benchmarks, standards and levels, assessment, teacher resources both in the form of a guide as well as a continually updated online planning and resource tool and a teacher training video. With the completion of this project, Florida will be one of the few states offering a certificate program to document student success, increase student retention and implement performance-based funding.

 Given the extent of the goals and objectives of this comprehensive project, it will take a full year to complete. Statewide training and implementation during dissemination in 1999-2000 will determine the success of the project.

 The project budget of $250,812.00 is necessary to meet all goals/objectives as stated

THE ENCORE PROJECT "Encore... once more, again, request for repeated performance... Webster's"

AGENCY: Brevard County School District: 1997-1998

Purpose: Economic independence and the achievement of a basic level of academic skills necessary to function in today's world are the twin hopes which adult learners bring to the adult education classroom. Brevard County' Schools Adult Education, in collaboration with Pinellas County, proposes to assist learners in realizing those hopes through two complementary goals: 1) to develop 18 courses of study to include performance-based tasks and assessments, to be used with the individualized program of study pioneered by Brevard County for high school completion students, which has been used by more than 40 adult education programs. The new courses will align the curriculum with the Florida System of School Improvement and Accountability; and 2) to develop and implement three adult basic education (ABE) units combining academic learning with training by persons who prepare and employ workers in the fields of food service, housekeeping service, and home health care, fields of employment which the State Bureau of Labor has identified as having continuing high growth through the year 2000 and beyond. These fields should also be key for persons seeking first-time employment as a result of WAGES legislation.

A third major goal will be to offer training and staff development in performance-based learning, in keeping with new FCAT requirements and the Sunshine State Standards, so that adult education teachers will understand why and how to assist students in preparing for real-world requisites to perform their responsibilities again and again, with consistency and excellence.

Adult high school learners will be given expanded opportunities to make educational gains (Indicator 1.0). ABE learners will achieve educational outcomes (Indicator 2.0) through the new work-related ABE units. Schools will have a focused opportunity to retain ABE learners (Indicator 3.0) for whom preparation for responsible employment is a more realistic goal than a high school diploma.

Program planning and curriculum instruction (6.0 and 7.0) in the ABE units will be guided by local labor market conditions and desired goals identified by students.

Staff development (9.0) will be offered statewide and regionally on performance-based learning and alternative assessment in preparation for the use of the new courses of study, and to make maximum use of existing units of study developed in 1996 and 1997 Two local workshops will be held by June, 1998, to prepare teachers to use the newly developed courses of study in social studies, mathematics, and English. Training for use of the new ABE units can be offered the next year.

The new courses of study will serve all adult education potential high school graduates by giving them access to current texts, and guidance from teachers who incorporate performance-based learning into individualized programs of instruction.

The ABE units will serve under-educated adult students whose TABE scores, after at least a year in adult education, do not exceed 7.9. While experience tells us that their chances of achieving high school credentials are low, it does not, however, follow that these persons cannot be responsible and committed employees, given appropriate training. Many opportunities exist for persons with higher skill levels, but there are few for those functioning below the 8th grade TABE.

After the development and pilot semester of the ABE academic/training units, a critical review and refinement of the units will be made, with the expectation of repeating and replicating the offerings in the 1998-1999 school year. The concept of bringing employment trainers to the school sites will add a needed "workworld" dimension to our existing on-campus offerings for the ABE student.

 Total Budget request: $75,000

FLORIDA HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT, INC.

Purpose of the Project: The purpose of the 1997/98 Florida Human Resource Development, Inc. 353 Project is to integrate the low basic skill level adult economic self-sufficiency strategies from the correlated recommendations obtained from employers and successful employees in Florida, identified during the 1996/97 353 Project with the proven successful adult education functional skills curriculum to produce a dynamic performance-based Adult Education Workforce Development Functional Skills Curriculum, and to conduct, in collaboration with the Division, staff development/training activities in each of the five (5) Division regions to ensure effective implementation of the new curriculum process resulting in a more comprehensive methodology from which to serve more efficiently Welfare Reform (W.A.G.E.S.) and Workforce Development clients.

Relationship to the Adult Education Quality Indicators: Eight of the adult education quality indicators will be addressed by this project through measurable objectives/activities that will be evaluated throughout the year. These quality indicators are: 2.0 Educational Outcomes; 3.0 Retention; 4.0 Recruitment; 5.0 Program Orientation; 6.0 Program Planning and Evaluation; 7.0 Curriculum and Instruction; 8.0 Support Services; 9.0 Staff Development

Who will Benefit: The primary aim of this project is be to benefit the Adult Basic Education student through implementation of a realistic workforce development-related curriculum/program process targeting welfare reform and workforce development clients. The secondary aim of the project is to produce a better-trained adult education practitioner who will be more responsive to the "real life" needs of their clients. As a result, the entire State of Florida will benefit from the improved overall results of its Welfare Reform and Workforce Development initiatives.

What Makes this Project Innovative: This project integrates the low basic skill level adult economic self-sufficiency strategies identified by Florida employers and successful Florida employees in the 1996/97 353 Project with the successful Florida developed Adult Education Functional Skills Curriculum. For the first time ever, a comprehensively responsive Florida Welfare Reform and Workforce Development Curriculum /Program Process will be available to adult education practitioners. Adult education will then become a vital preparation component for success of Florida's adult students.

Total Budget ……………………………$90,000

Purpose of the Project: The purpose of this project is to provide for statewide implementation of Florida Works by delivering the following activities: (1) revise the Florida Works curriculum components and teacher training, as needed, in response to field testing and workshop evaluations; (2) provide staff development training for adult educators who plan to use the Florida Works Workforce Readiness Curriculum (1997/98 353 project), and (3) to develop and conduct Train the Trainer workshops to ensure the continued success of the Florida Works Workforce Readiness Program in all of the five DOE regions. Florida Works is an intensive, results-oriented Curriculum consisting of three books directed at helping adults set employment goals, apply for jobs, and know what it takes to succeed in the Florida workplace. The Florida Works performance-based checklist satisfies ABE employability skill requirements (SB 1688).

Describe The Target Population And Document Needs Of Population To Be Served: This teacher training- project targets professional and volunteer adult education teachers and administrators who are faced with the daunting task of preparing disadvantaged adults with low basic skills (4-6 grade level) to enter and succeed in the Florida workplace. Traditional adult basic education takes a remedial approach to working with low basic-skill level adults by concentrating efforts on making up for the learners deficits in K-12 reading, writing and quantitative skills. According to Equipped for The Future: A Reform agenda for Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning, the majority of ABE instruction across the country stresses school-based subject matter in contrast to life skills and workplace skills (Stein, 1997). Skills such as problem solving, negotiation, knowing how to learn, teamwork, and motivational goal setting are examples of non-traditional workplace skills required of workers in the 21st century (Carnevale, Gainer & Meltzer, 1990). New skills require new approaches to instruction; approaches traditional ABE instructors are not equipped to offer. Cooperative learning, problem posing, whole language process writing, task-based or experiential learning and graphic organization are the teaching methods addressed in the Florida Works staff development training workshops to be developed and delivered with this 353 project. Adult educators must acquire this type of practical, participatory, performance-based approach to teaching if disadvantaged adults are going to enter the Florida economic mainstream and move from dependence to independence.

Describe The Federal and/or State Goals And Priorities Addressed In This Project: This project addresses the primary state goals of enabling adults to (a) acquire basic educational skills, (b) benefit from job training (workforce readiness/workforce development), (c) continue education, (d) read, write, Compute and solve problems on the job, and (f) by enabling educators to expand existing programs and develop new programs and educational services for adults whose lack of skills renders them unemployable or severely reduces their ability to function independently in society. National and state priorities are addressed by expanding outreach activities to disadvantaged adults who demonstrate skills below the 5th grade level through training adult educators and involving, innovative methods for educating adults via adult educators. Although not specifically designed for other disadvantaged adults, the practical and participatory approach to teaching makes this program accessible to adults who are immigrants, incarcerated, limited English proficient and minority.

Describe the Indicators of Adult Education Program Quality Selected for Planned Use of Federal Funds: This project will directly impact quality indicators (VI) Program Planning and Evaluation, (VII) Curriculum and Instruction, and (IX) staff development. Indirectly, this project impacts quality indicators (1), (11), (111), (IV) and (V), as training will effect educational gains, outcomes, retention and pro-ram orientation.

Purpose of the Project: Modification of the Student Success Tracking System (SSTS) for large-school districts.

Need: The Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) Adult Education Program consists of four area technical centers, student population 22,179; three skill centers, student population 14,205; and twenty (20) adult and community education centers, student population 173,626. Approximately 198,000 of these students were served in Adult Basic Education and secondary education during the 1995-96 school year. Accurately tracking such a large student population with the existing SSTS developed by Florida Community College at Jacksonville presents numerous problems, given its inconsistent operating mode, single workstation development, system malfunctions, and its inappropriateness for the new state-mandated Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) 7 & 8, currently being implemented in school districts. In order to adequately address the need for school improvement and accountability and measure performance outcomes in adult education, there is a need to modify the SSTS.

Goal: M-DCPS seeks to address the need for school improvement and accountability by refining the SSTS. The SSTS will assist in determining institutional and program effectiveness and will provide a means to track student attainment of basic skills and competencies. Our project supports the Florida adult education primary goal, which is to reduce illiteracy and the number of undereducated adults in Florida. It will enable Local Education Agencies' (LEA's) of any size to provide educational services for adults to facilitate the acquisition of basic and functional literacy skills needed to attain at least an eighth-grade education level.

 The SSTS addresses the State of Florida strategic goal literacy, and proposes to refine a system that will assist both large and small districts in the implementation of Adult Education Program Quality Indicators. Our goals are to focus on modifying and updating the SSTS to enable our district to respond to Program Planning and Evaluation, Quality Indicator 6.0, and enable individual schools to plan and evaluate educational gains and outcomes, student retention, recruitment, curriculum and instructional needs, and support services.

Who will benefit? M-DCPS served approximately 198,000 students in Adult Basic Education and Adult Secondary Programs during the 1995-1996 school year. The target population includes: educational disadvantaged adults (less than 5th grade); under-educated adults (non-high school graduates); institutionalized adults; incarcerated adults (boot camp and county halfway houses and jails); homeless adults (Homeless Assistance Center, etc.); adults in the workplace (workplace literacy); adults with disabilities; minority and elderly adults; immigrant adults including adult migrant farmworkers; limited English proficient adults; at-risk youth, 16 years and older (which supports the state of Florida adult education program secondary goal to reduce dropouts from Florida's schools by co-enrolling secondary level students in adult education classes); and family/intergenerational literacy.

The planned modification of the SSTS is an innovative concept to design and develop a system that will reduce data entry requirements. Each intra-institution (27) in Miami-Dade will set up a personal computer with a scanner attached, not necessarily a specific scanner as the system is currently configured, but one which would allow for multiple scanner selections and basic skills testing capabilities. The system will score the basic skills test and export the scores electronically to the M-DCPS mainframe online adult student system, which will eliminate data entry errors. The SSTS will be updated to import basic skills test scores, course information and student biographical data from the mainframe to the personal computer system, again eliminating excessive data entry. These changes will facilitate SSTS participation on the part of other LEA's throughout the state of Florida.

The proposed costs include: Programmer; Technical Services and Support person(s) $23,400; two teacher/trainer salaries and fringe benefits at $31,736; and, additional cost for supplies, reproduction, travel, and indirect costs of $9,864 for a total budget request of $65,000.

 QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - YEAR 3

The Quality Professional Development Project (QPD) is currently completing a successful second year of development in a three-year project to create, pilot, evaluate, and disseminate a model multi-media professional development training package for adult education part-time faculty, with large-group, small-group, and self-study options.

This project addresses the needs of part-time instructors who comprise the majority of adult education faculty (95% at FCCJ) and who frequently have no background in adult education theory and practice. However, limited time and financial resources preclude the availability of needed faculty development. QPD's series of six video tapes, audiotapes, and workbooks provides for an ongoing faculty development process that provides inservice training and opportunities for practice and systematic follow-up.

The training curriculum includes modules on the unique characteristics of the adult learner, the philosophy of adult education, setting up self-paced competency-based classrooms, student learning styles, and instructional methodologies. The materials also cover the discipline-specific areas of Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Educational Development (GED), and Adult High School (AHS).

This project addresses Quality Indicator 9.0, Staff Development. The project will complete development of an inservice training program that addresses the needs of faculty and supports quality instruction.

Part-time instructors will benefit from an easily accessible training package that can be tailored by the LEA for individual or group use. Educational agencies will also benefit from the flexible design and minimal cost of a readily available training package. The modules are available for faculty to check out for independent study and can be continually re-used.

The QPD series will provide community colleges and school districts with a cost effective, comprehensive multi-media approach to part-time faculty development, using manuals, videos and audiotapes. Faculty training manuals on audiotapes have not been previously available.

Educational agencies can provide training workshops or assign independent self-paced study. The multi-media package requires access only to video and audio cassette players. The training package assures accountability through pre/post tests and self-evaluation forms that document faculty completion and comprehension of materials.

To ensure its broad-based applicability, the QPD project will be pilot-tested with at least 75 faculty in school districts and community colleges of varying sizes. Full-time faculty, experienced in adult education instruction, will be included in the pilot to provide additional feedback on the appropriateness of the training.

Purpose of the Project: The purpose of this project is two fold:

Students maintain a positive self-concept through continuous reinforcement by teachers and support staff. Appreciation of American and foreign holidays is fostered through participation at parties and in classroom presentations.

The strength of the current Adult/ESOL Program is largely attributed to the dedication and cooperation of the Adult/ESOL staff. At present, there are four contracted and nine non-contracted teachers in our daytime program. All are trained in ESOL techniques. Compliance with the current changes in state ESOL certification has noticeably increased professional growth and effectiveness. Program flexibility and the exploration of new methods continue to be departmental guidelines. Reinforced by the support and encouragement of the administration, the Adult/ESOL staff has been permitted to develop a dynamic and efficient individualized program, the success of which is demonstrated by student achievement and increased enrollment. The program is funded through Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP).

The purpose of the Life Skills Program is to provide adult handicapped students with "hands on" experience related to the curriculum they are learning in the classroom. Many handicapped students are able to demonstrate comprehension by role playing activities in the classroom, but cannot transfer this learning to life situations in the community. This program completes the learning experience by enabling the students to travel into the community to apply what they've learned to real life situations. All experiences encourage independence and self-reliance on the part of the students, and increases their ability to become active within their families and productive members of their communities.

The target clientele includes adults and out-of-school youths, 16 years of age or older, with one of the following disabilities: Developmentally Disabled, Physically Disabled and/or Emotionally Handicapped. Currently, our school serves approximately 40 adult handicapped students. Two teachers certified in Special Education are assigned to this program. Students must be able to toilet and feed themselves and refrain from any physically aggressive behavior toward self or others. Students exit the program when all Individual Handicapped Adult Education Plan (IHAEP) goals have been met. The Life Skills Program is only a small part of the curriculum offered to the students who attend 5 days a week for 6 hours each day.

Before participating in the Life Skills Program, students are evaluated using the assessment provided in the Broward County Adult Handicapped Curriculum Guide. Based on information collected on this assessment, AN IHAEP Goals and Objectives form pertaining to the Life Skills Program is completed for each student. A checklist correlated to the objectives of the IHAEP documents student progress and is completed for each trip. The following trips have been planned and included in the program: Walking Safety, Public Transportation, Library, Supermarket, Laundromat, Post Office, Restaurant, Shopping Mall, Craft Store and Chamber of Commerce.

One teacher takes a rotating group of 4-6 students on a practical experience trip every two weeks. Regular field trip procedures are followed. Many trips are repeated to accommodate small groups. A substitute teacher must be hired to work with remaining students during the hours the regular teacher is out of the classroom. Two teachers are always with the students at the school.

Agency: Lee Education Center (Lake County)

The class is composed of American students reading below the eighth-grade level with limited background knowledge in the various disciplines, and of foreign-born students with skill levels ranging from illiteracy in their native language to college level ability with limited proficiency in English.

The objective of the thematic plan is to have an interesting focus and to apply skills in meaningful content. A-MAZE-ING ADVENTURE was developed with the idea that many goals are obtained by redirecting one's path when certain other avenues have been closed.

A tentative schedule was developed for each nine-week block. Multi-level classroom and library resources provided background and information. Following research, hands-on activities brought added meaning to the study.

Passes to the city library and the cooperation of the librarian provided multi-level reading material for research. Volunteer resource people with enthusiasm for the program were essential. Team-teaching provided the professional breadth to balance the program. Standardized testing, informal testing, and teacher observation helped to identify students reading levels. The thematic plan offered the students a reason to read, stimulated inquiry and provided a focus for each student. The program's success was evident through attendance, completion of assignments, testing, and student, volunteer and school staff comments.

With the advent of Florida's new plan for school improvement and accountability, increasing emphasis will be placed on measurable student outcomes. Not only will this require individual schools to access baseline data for their student population; it will require schools to analyze such data from year to year in order to develop plans for school improvement.

The Automated Florida Student Performance Standards System (AFSPS) was designed to track student successes beyond the testing environment. The system was developed through a 1992-93 Department of Education 353 Grant to gather data for review and evaluation of student progress through use of student performance standards as identified in the Florida Program Course Standards. In addition a training model for teachers and support staff was developed for the implementation of the system. The AFSPS can track any student's performance if they are enrolled in programs that use the Florida Program Course Standards.

The system was designed to run on an IBM PC workstation with 640k RAM with at least 10 MB of hard disk space operating under DOS 3.3 or above. The program requires a dot matrix ~ printer to print reports and may be used with NCS sentry 3000 scanner and bubble sheets for easy data entry. Every effort was made to minimize the computer resource requirements. The AFSPS is designed to track a student's performance in a particular course. The screens are used to maintain the individual performance standards that a student has met within a class for each outcome related to that course. Information is collected using NCS bubble sheets designed specifically for the system. Teachers complete the Course Header and Student Data Forms and turn them in for scanning on a quarterly basis. Individual student, teacher and district-wide reports are then generated.

Any size program or district may use the AFSPS System. It requires minimal equipment and support staff for use. Currently, Adult & Community Education utilizes all teachers to complete the forms. In addition, one person is assigned the task of checking and scanning the forms during the evening hours/four times a year.

The Adult and Community Education Department of the Flagler County Schools has a multifaceted Literacy Program, funded in part through Evenstart, a Federal grant, entitled "Breaking the Cycle of Illiteracy". The program includes scheduled adult basic education classes, volunteer tutors, childcare, transportation, parenting classes, counseling, advocacy, home liaisons, recruitment and retainment. Adults needing to upgrade their basic academic or employability skills and having children ages 1 through 7 are the targeted clientele. The overall goal or purpose of the program is to improve the educational opportunities of children and adults by integrating early childhood and adult education in a unified approach. Each person, be it adult or child, receives direct instruction by a certified adult or early childhood instructor. The' families come together for integrated instruction and observation at scheduled times. For those that cannot come into the center, borne-based instruction and activities are arranged.

When a person needing basic skills is referred to the program or calls for assistance, the family advocate or Adult Basic Education Instructor in charge of initial intake schedules either a home visit or center meeting with the individual. An initial assessment is made of that student and his or her family. Before entering a specific adult education class, the individual is administered the Test of Adult Basic Education. He/she is then placed into an Adult Basic, GED, Adult High School or ESOL class. These programs are scheduled at varying time and locations. An Individual Education Plan is developed with each student Transportation is arranged, if necessary, through the Flagler County Council on Aging or with the Flagler County Schools. Materials used in the program are numerous. The Barnell-Loft Specific Skills Series, Laubach Way to Reading, News for You, Prentice Hall Basic Skills Series, local newspapers, computer programs, and Reading for Today are all used in the Literacy Program. Competency-based curriculum is utilized in the Adult High School with a multitude of texts and supplemental materials. if a family requires basic social, economic or medical assistance in order to attend educational programs and make progress, then the family advocate assists in scheduling meetings and transportation to and from the appropriate social service agency.

A contract with United ChildCare allows the Adult and Community Education Department the opportunity to offer quality childcare on site. Parents can attend classes with the peace of mind that their children are happy and safe. The early childhood specialist assesses each child upon entrance and works closely with the childcare staff regarding developmentally appropriate activities for the child. The goal is for the child to be developmentally ready to enter kindergarten. The $116,000.00 funded through the Evenstart grant, monies collected through United ChildCare and FIE dollars funded through the FEFP cover the cost of the program.

The "Broward Backpack" is a unique, sensitive, and comprehensive outreach program designed to inform homeless families and runaway youth of basic education programs available to them. Our program's instructors and outreach recruiters are sensitive to the plight of the homeless, and work at shelters and in gathering places where the homeless congregate, to provide assistance in the form of referral services, issuing survival packets, and assessing primary and educational needs.

"Broward Backpack" is designed to provide literacy instruction and basic skills remediation for its participants. Fort Lauderdale is one of the seven largest metropolitan areas in Florida. Approximately 70% of the homeless population have chosen to live here. The Broward Coalition for the Homeless estimates that approximately 5,000 homeless persons can be found in the county on any given day.

The "Broward Backpack" outreach program intends to improve the quality of life for the homeless population of Broward County by attacking illiteracy. Participants are provided with training to complete forms and applications for jobs or public assistance services; learn to plan a budget; learn how to find and maintain a job; or raise their skills to attain a better job and more money to support their families. Adults whose basic skills (reading, writing and mathematics) levels fall below eighth grade level, are recruited to participate in Adult Basic Education classes. Adult Basic Education and General Educational Development classes are offered daily during morning, afternoon, and evening hours. Some of the classes are offered at daytime and evening shelters; others are available near soup kitchens where the homeless are fed.

In order to provide support services for the homeless, all outreach recruiters network with the social service agencies in the county to provide assistance with primary needs of food, shelter, clothing, health care, and employment. Together with the Salvation Army, Broward Coalition for the Homeless, Job Services, BETA, Catholic Community Services and various churches, homeless individuals are referred and assistance is given. Funding for this program may be done through FTE funds. All teachers should be in-serviced for specific information on homeless conditions. "Broward Backpack" has developed a supplemental kit for the homeless to be used in this regard.

This program targets adults 18 years and older whose academic function is below the 3rd grade. The overall objectives are to improve reading & writing and comprehension skills, develop & improve self-esteem and to master basic life skills.

Students are scheduled on the basis of their academic level using diagnostic inventory, test & TABE tests. The Program is highly individualized: One to one Instruction, small group and peer group instruction. Volunteers are a very needed resource along with the childcare center. The program absorbs the ESOL students who are not yet ready for the Pre-GED program. The adults, who are shy, embarrassed & uncertain about entering a formal, traditional classroom setting, are relieved after entering the program. The non-threatening and accepting atmosphere is congenial for the clientele.

Successful operation of the program depends largely on the cooperation of the administration, instructors, volunteers, child-care staff and the School security. (Valuation of the project is based mainly on the feedback of the student:

1. Grade level promotion based on posttest and check eyes and TABE test.
2. Students' testimony of the relevance of the success to life issues job acquisition, passing the driving test, reading the bible at church, completing application and immigration forms.

Community Commons is a singular partnership in the State of Florida. It is recognized by the Department of Labor and Economic Security as a pilot effort to bring coordinated services to Project Independence clients; a unified approach to reduce duplication and maximize support for the individual family receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children. These families dwell in the most severe pockets of poverty, and are considered among the most difficult to serve due to a multitude of barriers, current and generational. 83,000 adult residents in Brevard County may be functionally illiterate. Cocoa and Merritt Island Centers include concentrations of families with incomes less than $10,000 annually (average 24%). Census Tract 626, the Cocoa site, is by far the most distressed with 49.3% below poverty level, and the rate for women heading families with children under 5, a devastating 88%. The primary goal of this project is self-sufficiency for families: the client, or head of household, represents one; the children will also receive services and the hope is a break in the intergenerational spiral of dependency on social programs, affecting generations to come. A full range of educational and social service and employability support coalesced in a unified effort, within the heart of the community, and adaptable to individual families, is the method.

The traditional manner of service delivery and public service program administration has not effectively served this hardest to reach population. For the first time, there is an urgency to assist families to become self-sufficient. Separation of services is, in itself, an obstruction. Community Commons' original DLES proposal created a new model, more responsive and adaptive to families, and based on their own unique needs. Clients are referred by Project Independence following an assessment of job readiness and steps needed to move toward self-sufficiency. The Community Commons staff is trained to assess, or refer for assessment, the needs of the whole family, and provide on-site, accessible support through its partnership of over 40 agencies. The vision is to provide a center in every housing authority. The pilot program began with one in Cocoa and has expanded to Merritt Island. Plans are to open a Melbourne Center. Titusville and Mims have also expressed a desire for the program.

Each site, or center, provides assessment, counseling, and a mentor relationship with the staff, who are all trained (clerical to administrative) to be aware of the client's progress and contribute to the client's support. This is an extension of the Teacher/Recruiter/Counselor (TRC) concept developed for literacy by Bette Singer. Centers are open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays. Activities include ABE/GED preparation by School Board instructors, parenting class, intensive job club for the job ready (a 3 week, daily set of classes covering all aspects of employability). Recreational activities by Pace Setters included $6,000 in seed money in '91 and $2,000 in 1992. These were part of an intervention to promote family stability and substance abuse prevention.

A special outreach to female adolescents (for mothers and daughters) centered on self-esteem, presentation skills and affordable wardrobe, and health and disease prevention. A summer of 1992 performance at the Cocoa Village Playhouse brought the impact of this recreational program to the extended community. Pace Setters also provides technical assistance to achieve objectives and re-evaluate goals. Circles of Care established an on-site counseling office. Project Independence provides day care transportation and job club facilities. Brevard Community College provides introductory computer skills and 12 especially written vocational language preparation courses (3 levels/4 areas) on-site. The Extension service brings homemaking and cottage industry. Community Development Block Grant has given nine state-of-the-art computers and set up for a Cocoa computer lab, and will fund a Merritt Island lab in 1995. The Sheriff's department provides patrols and a sub-station in a housing unit near the site. The Housing Authority provides facilities @ 50% of cost, including a security system. A host of other support comes from partners such as United Way, Private Industry Council, Job Services, etc. (See Steering Committee roster.) These are all brought to the Commons area.

The program exists on the agreement to collaborate, placing individual agency agenda secondary to the success of the client! The program staff and on-site expenses are primarily funded from the Florida Department of Labor and Economic Security (DLES) through Brevard Community College as the lead agency, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Brevard County Housing Authorities. The DLES funds are available on a 60:40 match ratio. Matchable funds exclude federal or in-kind contributions. Firm match would be non-federal, non-private receiptable contributions, or personal time from qualifying sources. Needs assessment is done at intake and reevaluated at least every 90 days. Clients are also asked to evaluate staff and services annually at completion and job club evaluations are done monthly. Brevard Community College provides staff evaluation and is audited for compliance with policies and procedures of the funding sources.

The target population for this project is adult handicapped citizens in Florida and the teachers and administrators who plan and implement educational programs for these individuals. During 1990-91, through a 353 Project Grant, Leon County Schools Adult and Community Education revised and expanded its comprehensive Curriculum for Students with Special Needs and the correlating Activities for Students With Special Needs. The major objective of this project was to improve educational programs for adult handicapped students by providing program administrators and teachers with an instructional guide and resources to help accomplish this goal. Passage and funding of the Zollie M. Maynard Law further emphasized the need for such resources by school districts in Florida.

Project materials are excellent resources for enhancement of existing district programs and would be invaluable to districts who are planning new programs for adult handicapped students on all ability levels. In Leon County, these instructional materials are used in open entry/open exit educational programs that are FTE funded and reported in program category 416. Project components include selecting goals/objectives, developing individual handicapped adult education plan (IHAE), teaching strategies/materials, record keeping and evaluation.

Project materials were developed and field tested in cooperation with adult education teachers in adult handicapped classrooms in Leon County. Teacher training, prior to use of project materials, is highly recommended for program success. Materials and training may be available to districts needing this assistance.

The goal of this project is to improve adult basic education programs for the low level adult learner by developing a comprehensive, easy to use adult reading program/curriculum. An additional goal provided for a training packet to accompany this curriculum so that both administrators and teachers could easily be trained in using the curriculum. The focus of the curriculum is the adult learner whose reading level is 0 to 3.0. Statistics indicate that Florida has more than 843,000 adult citizens who are functionally illiterate. Because of the rapid growth in Florida's population, this number is growing daily. For some time teachers have been concerned that they do not have available to then i a comprehensive reading curriculum designed for the adult learner who reads at a low level. Additionally, most ABE teachers are not trained in teaching reading and, therefore, do not have many of the skills necessary for teaching beginning reading to adults.

This curriculum can easily be incorporated into the curriculum of any existing ABE class. Every adult education program in all of Florida's school districts was provided with a copy of the "Curriculum for Beginning Adult Readers-Level 0 to 3.0" and a training packet. This curriculum can be reproduced by school districts and a copy given to teachers in all ABE classes. This curriculum is a complete reading program, which includes the following: theory and information about teaching adults; assessment information; content and sequenced objectives; activities; sample lesson plans; and information regarding supplemental resources. The activities and the lesson plans in the curriculum are designed to be used with individualized instruction and group activities.

This curriculum can easily be incorporated into any ABE classroom without additional expense. Teachers can immediately began using it with their adult learners and immediately see results in improved reading skills.

AGENCY: The School Board Of Brevard County Contact: John Wigley (407) 633-1000x375

Goal: The goal of this project is to develop GED courses in math and writing and to train locally and in Target Service Improvement Clusters on CBAE curriculum and the Self-Server System. By supporting a consortium between Florida IDEAL and Brevard County Adult Education, there will be the creation and implementation of a multi-media lab to field test educational software.

Background: Brevard County has been the leader in competency-based curriculum development and training since 1985. The goal of this program is to meet the statewide demand to continually update the CBAE curriculum to remain in compliance with the State Course Code Directory. Because of the SCANS Report, Blueprint 2000, and emerging state curriculum frameworks, the need exists to develop performance-based high school curriculum, alternative assessment methods, and accompanying professional training. GED courses in math and writing will be developed and intensive training locally, and in TSIC and rural areas on the CBAE curriculum and Self-Server will be conducted. In collaboration with Pinellas County Schools, understanding of performance-based instruction and assessment will be increased, multi-media interactive training will be delivered, and performance-based English/Language Arts will be developed to enhance the CBAE curriculum.

Outreach services to adults who are educationally disadvantaged will be expanded. Programs will be developed which promote innovative systems and materials and which have national significance. There will be intensive and on-going training in competency-based curriculum and the Self-Server System.

The target population of the program is severely emotionally disturbed adult students. These students are clients at Renaissance West, a residential psychosocial program. The focus is independent living skills aimed at preparing clients to return to community living. The program serves students identified as Handicapped Adults in the area of Adult Basic Education and offers basic literacy and life skills for adults. The program includes writing, reading, and math, applicable to everyday adult coping skills.

Renaissance West coordinates efforts with the Baker County School Board to educate the clients in accordance with the Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rules and Regulations for exceptional student education. Each student has an Individual Handicapped Adult Education Plan which defines program outcomes; annual goals and objectives; job prep & training; performance levels; specialized services; teacher evaluations; etc. Our program consists of one instructional employee and administrative support. Scheduling and needs assessments are negotiated between Renaissance West and the Baker County School Board. TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) is used as a locator test. Other materials appropriate to Adult Basic Education and independent living skills are used. A teacher's register and plan book is maintained by the Baker County School Board staff. A classroom facility is required.

Staff training retreats are occasionally held by Renaissance West. The Baker County School Board also offers staff development in-services and training conferences. Renaissance West offers workshops, fieldtrips, vocational rehabilitation, social security benefits, psychiatric counseling, housing, and twenty-four hour a day supervision. FTE is generated in the program. The program cost factor is 1.614. Effectiveness is largely determined by test scores and the affective and attitudinal changes in clients. Another measure of effectiveness includes the initiative shown by students in attending the class and remaining in class for the duration of the class time.

The primary goal of this project was to provide a revised model of the adult ESOL curriculum and placement and promotion tests originally developed in 1989 - 1991. The project also expands to a third component, which is an 18-hour ESOL inservice training component for adult ESOL teachers and administrators.

Members of the writing teams revised and enhanced the ESOL curriculum student competency checklists of Palm Beach County to include Parenting and Personal Safety, as well as a full version of Student Performance Levels (SPLs) V - VIII of the Florida ESOL Curriculum Frameworks. The Competency Checklists now parallel the MELT SPL Levels 0 (Literacy) -VIII (Pre-GED).

Copies of the Adult ESOL Student Performance Level Competencies, Levels Literacy - VIII, are included in Chapter X of the Curriculum Guide. The copies are camera-ready. Districts are invited to use these checklists in their adult ESOL programs. The checklists provide a management system for individual students. Teachers may copy sections of the checklists as needed for individual students, classes, courses, or programs. Literacy Level - Level IV Competencies are spiraled so that students may cover twelve separate topical areas. Competencies from separate topical areas may also be combined to develop specialized courses or units. Levels V - VIII include competencies needed in order to succeed in a GED class and pass the GED Test.

The Guide contains several chapters to assist instructors with the curriculum: These chapters include Teaching Native Language Literacy, Teaching ESOL Literacy, Teaching ESOL Survival/Coping Skills, Teaching ESOL Citizenship, Teaching Pre-GED; Adult ESOL Student Performance Level Competencies, and ESOL Lesson Plans. Additional chapters are included to assist in program development. These chapters include ESOL Teacher Training, ESOL at the Workplace, Conquering Vocational Content, and Selected ESOL Materials.

The second component of the project are the Adult ESOL Promotion and Placement Tests, Two native language literacy screening tests are available, in Haitian-Creole and Spanish. There is also an oral and written/placement test for use with ESOL Levels Literacy - IV. Promotion tests are available for two levels of ESOL Literacy and Levels I - IV. Three separate tests are available for each of Levels Literacy - IV. They are Part 1: Listening; Part~2: Reading/writing; and Part 3: Speaking.

The third part of the project is the Adult ESOL Curriculum Development Project Training Component, The Training Component contains a training facilitator's manual, a participant handbook, and a video. The package is designed for individual or group inservice. The Content meets the requirements for inservice training of the 1990 ESOL Agreement for Other Subject Area Teachers.

The Literacy Laboratory at Lindsey Hopkins provides basic reading instruction for adults who read below a fifth grade level or are unable to read at all. The facility features self-paced learning, computer assisted instruction, and - most important of all - a low teacher to student ratio. Each term, approximately 120 students learn to read in a warm, caring atmosphere, where volunteers and other students help them, as well as the three full-time teachers. Classes meet Monday through Friday for two and one-half hours, both morning and afternoon. There is also an evening program that meets Monday through Thursday and a Saturday program.

Working in small groups of eight to twenty, students move at their own pace through four levels of reading competencies. The curriculum is based on the well-known Laubach Way to Reading. Volunteers and teachers work together to provide one-to-one instruction for beginning readers and others who need special attention. Some of our teachers and volunteers are trained in the Herman method for readers with learning disabilities. Traditional phonics exercises are featured. Writing, grammar and spelling are considered an integral part of the program.

Computer technology is utilized to provide individualized instruction using a language experience approach. The Principle of the Alphabet Literacy System (PALS) is a research-based, interactive instructional program. It is writing and reading system designed to teach functionally illiterate adolescents and adults through the use of the advanced technology of the interactive IBM InfoWindow system and videodiscs. A student Work Journal reinforces the audio and visual learning on the videodiscs. The program also utilizes word processors and typewriters for touch typing training and for writing composition. Other computerized reading programs supplement the PALS system. Students spend approximately one third of the daily class period at one of the 30 computer workstations. Here they learn keyboarding skills and become "computer literate" while acquiring basic literacy.

The Lindsey literacy program was one of the first in Dade County. Since its inception in 1987, it has served over a thousand students. Many completers have gone on to earn GED or high school diplomas, trained in vocational programs, or enroll in the community college. The program has served as the base for the development of other specialized offerings. A literacy class for the hearing impaired, a literacy class for non-English speakers, and a workplace literacy program for employees of three major hospitals have been implemented. As a result of the national concern for a literate workforce and citizenry, more and more individuals are making the commitment to learn to read. The adult literacy program at Lindsey Hopkins offers an effective way to reach this goal.

The Literacy Life Style Management project is a 353-demonstration project developed by Okaloosa-Walton Community College designed to reach economically and educationally disadvantaged adults. The goal of the project is to improve family lifestyle through education. This will be accomplished by combining basic literacy skills with health, nutrition, and wellness concepts.

The project is designed to reach adults who are least educated and most in need. A brochure containing information about the project is to be distributed to potential students by service agencies with established clients. An example would be eligible clients of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.

The modules are presented in a flexible format, which is suitable for formal classes; individual conferences and independent learning through computer assisted instruction. The pilot group will include 150 adults identified through interagency contacts who will participate in learning activities.

Scheduling of classes may be through agency client referral of individuals or groups. Essential components of the program include focus upon development of a positive self-image, modeling, hands-on experiences, and active learning. Accurate, practical information which has immediate applicability to family life will be the key element of the modules.

The success of the program depends upon a strong network of community agency contacts to identify possible program participants. Funding for the program should include the essential components of transportation and child care as well as consumable supplies for hands-on laboratory activities and demonstrations. Further funds should be appropriated for staff development in the areas of health, nutrition and wellness. Needs assessments are desirable for agency and client input to avoid duplication of existing programs and to identify priority areas. Pre-tests and post-tests are used to document cognitive learning and a program evaluation instrument is administered at the conclusion of the participants contact.

The class is composed of American students reading below the eighth-grade level with limited background knowledge of the world and of foreign students with skill levels ranging from illiteracy in their native language to college level ability. The objective of the thematic unit is to incorporate cultural geography to enhance the background and create an understanding of and an appreciation for the similarities and differences in world cultures. Furthermore, using the thematic approach enables an incorporation of multiple disciplines including literature, the arts, history, science and mathematics.

A tentative schedule was developed for the semester, which included dates for each port-of-call and special events. Volunteers and school staff were asked to present programs about foreign countries they had visited. These programs included the use of slides, objects from the country and first-hand accounts. Multi-level classroom and library resources provided background information. Following research, hands-on activities brought added meaning to the study.

Availability of a large multi-purpose room to accommodate seventy-five adults was necessary for implementation of certain events. Access to the city library and cooperation of the librarian provided multi-level reading material for research. Volunteer resource people with enthusiasm for the program was essential. Team-teaching and a classroom aide provided the professional breadth to balance the program. Standardized testing, informal testing, and teacher observation helped to identify the students' reading levels. The thematic approach offered the students a reason to read and stimulates inquiry The program's success was evident through attendance, testing, and student, volunteer, and school staff comments.

Contact: Dr. Edith D. Crew (904) 599-3482

Goal: The goal of the project is to develop a sense of community and continuous collaboration among parents who learn successful parenting techniques and ideas from other parents and who develop a greater understanding of how to make critical parenting decisions. Participants will be involved in parenting education activities and will be assessed for educational deficiencies so they may be guided into additional programs and activities to raise their educational levels and support parenting skills.

Background: This project is directed at parents whose capacity to parent school-age children is compromised by the parents' educational deficiencies. The project addresses national and state priorities by targeting educationally and economically disadvantaged adults, reaching out to ethnic minorities and women, emphasizing development of language and literacy acquisition necessary to comprehend and meet institutional and family requirements. It is geared toward school readiness and retention, enhanced student performance, and adult literacy. The project is innovative because it integrates adult and childhood education, self-improvement, and parenting and is premised on the knowledge that many parents' success in parenting can be learned by other parents through modeling. It introduces non-traditional methods and applies them to both traditional and non-traditional learning environments.

Project PASS (Personalized Academic Success Strategies) evolved after Seminole's team of educators recognized a high correlation between low reading ability and the high dropout rate for those students reading between 7.0 - 8.9 on the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE).

The academic strategies from PASS blended three prime components; reading, mentoring, and computer technology. Students in the target population received both reading and academic strategies. In the mentoring components, faculty was assigned to each of the reading students. Daily contacts for checking attendance, academic and personal progress were part of the project. Computer technology was used as an academic supplement in English and mathematics.

Results from the project are encouraging. After one academic year, the dropout rate decreased from 50% to 27%. Partnerships with the Private Industry Council in funding the computer laboratory (currently valued at $214,000), the local school district in making referrals, and grants for funding instruction (Dropout Prevention and 353) made Project PASS possible.

Project LIFT: Literacy Involves Family Teams was a 353 special demonstration project awarded to the Pompano Multi-Purpose Education Center (PM PEC) for the 1990-91 school year in the amount of $40,000. It was intended to teach parenting and literacy skills to families qualified as economically and academically disadvantaged. By targeting families, the project served three groups of participants: Adults, school-age children, and preschool age (children/infants).

Project LIFT objectives included: 1) Increase adult parents' TABE scores by two grade levels; 2) Increase communication skills and positive parenting techniques of adult parents and; 3) Increase standardized test scores for school age children whose parents participated in the LIFT program. In addition to the TABE test, a behavior scale and a communication skills inventory designed specifically for the LIFT program, were used for assessment purposes.

Adult students were involved in ABE, GED or ESOL classes using Broward County Curriculum, two nights a week for three hours each night. Childcare was provided during this time. For one hour each night, parents and children were brought together for shared learning activities. The format for this hour was adapted from the Amanda's Place model and consisted of make n' take activities, story time and parent discussion/support time. Books for story time were selected from the Mother Read program. Suggested activities were adapted from Broward County's Family Literacy Curriculum Guide developed by the Department of Adult and Community Education.

The project site was located in an elementary school whose staff was very supportive and helpful in the recruitment of students. The project utilized five classrooms (3 academic, 1 parent/children together, and 1 childcare) and the computer lab. The cafeteria was made available for guest speakers and special events.

Project LIFT served approximately 78 adult students and 37 children. Staff included three part-time classroom teachers, one instructional aide, two childcare providers and a bus driver. Teachers were funded through FEFP funds. All other staff was funded through 353 project funds. The bus was provided by the adult center and was a primary factor contributing to the project's success. The 353 special project was completed in August 1991. A Program Implementation Guide was mailed to each county and the Bureau of Adult and Community Education.

The family literacy program has continued successfully for the 1991-92 school year through a cooperation of efforts. PMPEC continues to provide adult literacy classes and EVEN START is teaching parenting for those who qualify for services. The elementary school principal and staff have played an integral role in developing these partnerships.

Contact: Keith Posta (904) 527-0303

Goal: The goals of this project are to: identify and locate exceptional adults who have left secondary school before acquiring a diploma or certificate of completion; to develop an educational service model that provides employment and basic and functional literacy skills to achieve independence in society, and to disseminate information and develop a workshop training program.

Background: Data for Citrus County over a five-year period from 1986 through 1991 indicate that 22.7% of disabled exiters dropped out of school. Based on the 1992-1993 Post-School Outcome Data, the disabled exiters' dropout rate had increased to 47%. Recent data indicates similar numbers of disabled dropouts. The Department of Education has identified drop-out retrieval activities as educational programs and activities which identify and motivate students who have dropped out to re-enter school to obtain a high school diploma or equivalent. The "Statewide Dropout Prevention Database: What's Happening in Florida (1994)" confirmed that only 36% of the school districts reported dropout retrieval activities. No data on re-entry was available.

AGENCY: Florida Community College at Jacksonville

Contact: Kay Thomas (904) 632-5049

Goal: This is a three-year project designed to create, pilot, evaluate, and disseminate a model multi-media professional development training series that meets specific adjunct faculty needs while addressing the institution's financial and time constraints. The project addresses Program Quality Indicator 9.0 by creating an on-going faculty development process that focuses on the skills necessary to provide quality instruction with opportunities for practice and systematic follow-up.

Background: Like other community colleges and school districts nationwide, Florida Community College at Jacksonville faces shrinking funds, a large percentage of adjunct (part-time) faculty and a highly diverse student population. These factors create a number of professional development challenges. Nearly 40% of applied technology and adult educators currently receive no in-service training. Less than 25% are highly satisfied with current offerings and opportunities according to "Applied Technology and Adult Education: Professional Development Needs for the 21st Century." Within a three-year period FCCJ hopes to create, pilot, evaluate, and disseminate an innovative multi-media professional development series of six 30-minutes videos, and six audio tapes along with an interactive series workbook and facilitator guide for adjunct instructors of ABE, GED, and Adult High School adult students.

Agency: Hallandale Adult Community Center: A state recognized exemplary full-service School Center Contact - William J. Kemp, Principal

Reach Out for Literacy is a program developed from a Federal 353 Grant whose primary goal. is to identify and recruit students who are functioning below the 9th grade level and who are in need of basic literacy skills. A secondary goal is to establish off-campus/satellite centers in area neighborhoods thereby making opportunities to achieve literacy more accessible.

Literacy classes are held where a need and an interest exist including multipurpose centers, adult congregate living facilities, parks, and workplaces and can be scheduled from 8:00 A.M. until 9:30 P.M. depending upon the needs of the students and the availability of the site. Matching individual teaching styles to the various types of students at each location has proved to be essential for success.

The program is FTE funded and utilizes the Adult Basic Education State Frameworks. The program has grown from a core of four (4) sites to twenty-one (21) sites and has served in excess of 1,500 students during its first four (4) years of operation. Requests from additional sites are still received attesting to the need for and success of this type of program.

READ PINELLAS, INC. (Formerly Pinellas PLUS, Inc.)

READ Pinellas, Inc., the literacy coalition in Pinellas County, serves functionally illiterate adults and youth, 16 years of age and older. The singular goal of the all-volunteer organization is to reduce illiteracy by providing easy access to information about educational and related community services. This organization is also a model for eliminating "territorialism" among literacy providers. There are over 80,000 functionally illiterate adults who need the services provided by READ Pinellas member groups.

READ Pinellas has established a countywide referral system network for volunteer tutors and prospective students. A hot line number connects individuals needing literacy services with a tutor and/or an adult education class. The cooperative efforts of READ Pinellas members who represent tutor groups, public libraries, schools, community organizations, government agencies and businesses are aimed at maximizing resources and avoiding duplication of services. The 65 number organization meets once a month to coordinate literacy programs and services, to promote public awareness, and to raise project operating funds.

In order to establish a literacy coalition, such as READ Pinellas, a community should seek to:

1. identify literacy needs;
2. identify organizations currently serving illiterate adults;
3. collaborate with groups identified to establish a coalition and to set a regular meeting schedule;
4. establish goals and objectives and organizational structure;
5. solicit funds through membership dues, financial contributions, fund-raisers and grants;
6. staff a literacy office. READ Pinellas has an office space provided by a local bank gratis.

A VISTA volunteer serves as a service coordinator in the office. The organization has been successful for four years. In 1990-91, more than 3,000 adults and youth were served and more than 900 tutors provided approximately 48,000 volunteer hours.

AGENCY: Correctional Education School Authority: Department of Corrections

Contact: Clifford J. Scott (904) 488-2288

Goal: The primary goal of Scared Write is to reduce illiteracy and under-education among incarcerated adults. A secondary goal is to improve skills and competencies related to prose, document, and quantitative literacy skills.

Background: Of Florida inmates, who were given basic literacy tests upon admission, 72.3% scored below the ninth grade level (1993-1994). According to Richard Tewksbury (University of New Orleans), there is a direct link between poor academic achievement and crime. For this reason, this project is directed to incarcerated adults in the Florida Department of Corrections. It is specifically directed to incarcerated adults in the ABE, Mandatory Literacy Program, GED, and vocational education programs offered by CESA. A book of inmate writings will be published which will greatly increase the numbers of the target population who will benefit both educationally and personally.

Increasing teacher effectiveness will significantly reduce illiteracy and under education among Broward's adult learners. This project was designed to provide school-based teacher to develop trained and qualified teachers for students enrolled in Adult Basic Education (ABE), Adult Handicapped (AH), and Adult English for Speakers of Other Languages ~SOL) classes. Three (3) model demonstrations sites established in active classrooms, readily accessible in terms of schedule and locale provided on-going field experience opportunities to meet the unique needs of Broward's 1, 067 adult education teachers. These three sites and six classrooms showcase innovative strategies and techniques, which effectively provide for adults functioning below the fifth grade level, including but not limited to the following groups: 

• Minorities
• the disadvantaged
• the limited English proficient
• at-risk youth
• adults with disabilities
• intergenerational/family literacy groups

 The school sites provide active teaching/learning situations meeting adult student needs utilizing: 

· up-to-date materials

· effective instructional strategies

· computer assisted instruction integrated into the curriculum

A group of teachers and administrators developed the criteria for the model sites, creating and distributing applications. Observation and visitation instruments were developed by these experienced, competent professionals. Model site teachers (6) attended training and orientation workshops before beginning to serve as facilitators to teachers seeking field experience opportunities in adult education.

The staff development person had the responsibility of coordinating this process. The model sites are well-equipped classrooms with experienced teachers trained to facilitate the collegial learning process.

The administrators at the school-sites were extremely supportive and their cooperation is an integral part of this project's success. This program was funded by a 353 grant but may be replicated with existing staff for inservice points as the incentive for all peer teachers and participants.

The Senior Adult Learner Curriculum and Resource Guide is designed to improve adult basic education programs and address the educational needs of the elderly by providing a curriculum that will enable teachers and administrators to provide quality educational activities on a daily basis and, at the same time, trace individual progress toward achievement of adult basic education student performance standards. The curriculum is based on the Adult Basic Education, Functional Skills and Adult Life Stages, Florida Department of Education Curriculum Frameworks and Performance Standards and will provide the accountability as mandated by the Florida Legislature to ensure the continued success of ABE-Elderly programs.

Leon County Schools Senior Adult Learners Program seeks to provide senior adults with valuable academic and life skills that will enhance their lives by involving them in intellectual interests in a changing world. The Senior Adult Learner Curriculum and Resource Guide contains major content areas that include objectives, activity sheets, suggested reinforcement activities and a resource list. Teaching strategies, skills assessment and planning tools, and Department of Education curriculum frameworks are included to offer support for the teacher. The teacher training module, assessment tools and the application of the content area to state frameworks assists administrators in providing quality programs, as well as accountability for instruction and funding.

Florida has the fastest growing older population (65+) in the nation, and this group will probably account for 24% of the statewide population by the year 2000. Recent research, conducted by the National Institute on Aging, 1992, showed that cognitive training does improve the intellectual abilities of older adults and that cognitive ability is enhanced and retained through education classes. In view of these statistics and available research data, adult educators in Florida must address the educational needs of older Floridians. As this age group continues to increase, so must programs and services designed to help older citizens improve and maintain cognitive skills and become or remain self-sufficient.

Contact: Meredith McCleary (954) 765-7415

Goal: To provide a site-based innovative teacher-training model to meet the needs of Broward's 1,230 adult education teachers. To train coaches to research, model, and ensure that ABE and ESOL teachers have the necessary skills to serve adult students who lack basic and functional literacy skills.

Background: Increasing teacher effectiveness will significantly reduce illiteracy and under-education among Broward's adult learners. Broward serves over 31,000 students functioning below the 9th grade level in over 900 Adult General Education (AGE) classes. This project will design and implement a school-based teacher training model to develop qualified teachers for students enrolled in Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes with a focus on those students who have difficulty due to special learning needs.

Research shows that teachers learn new methods best by seeing those methods used in a classroom, by designing their own learning experiences, by trying out new techniques, by getting feedback, and observing and talking with fellow teachers. That is why this teacher training for adult educators is an innovative model. It is hoped it will be replicated statewide and nationally, to improve the quality and delivery of services to adult learners.

We're SOLD: Strategies for Overcoming Learning Differences is designed to meet the unique learning needs students in adult basic education and GED classes. research indicates that as many as 30 to 80 percent of functionally illiterate students have one or more learning differences. To be effective, educators must be knowledgeable about learning differences and employ-teaching strategies to assist LD students overcome these challenges. This project has been developed to provide a comprehensive training program and follow-up services for administrators, teachers, and volunteers working with LD adults. This training will increase their effectiveness in providing instruction to adults who have, or suspect they have, learning differences. A workshop facilitator's manual has been developed to make it possible for any other district or literacy organization to replicate the training at very low cost.

We're SOLD consists of several unique components. The workshop facilitator's manual is a comprehensive training manual, which can be used by other districts and literacy organizations to replicate this valuable training. All handout materials are provided for duplication. The manual contains information about the educational needs of LD adults and detailed information about each workshop. The workshops can be presented to any size group. The program was developed around three six-hour workshops, but the eighteen hours could be divided into six three-hour workshops or other configurations to meet the needs of the adopter. A script for each workshop is provided, as well as all handouts and instructions on workshop activities.

The We're SOLD project can be adopted at a cost which can be contained within any parameters designated with the minimum being the duplication cost of handouts for participants. Audiovisual materials are available at minimal cost or can be borrowed from state agencies. A consultant/specialist can be hired to provide the training or existing staff can be used. Copies of a needs survey and methods for implementing the survey are included in the facilitator's manual. Pre/posttests are provided for each workshop as well as a follow-up survey to evaluate implementation.

AGENCY: Dade County Public Schools

Contact: Susan Shugar (305) 995-1811

Goal: The overall goal of this project is to pilot an exemplary training program for part-time adult educators who teach reading to Adult Basic Education (ABE) learners. A secondary goal is to enhance the professional development of 50 part-time ABE educators through their attendance at Florida Reading Association Conference.

Background: During the 1993-1994 school year, 93,359 adults were served in Dade County Public Schools Adult Basic Education Program. Dade County employed 646 part-time teachers to provide instruction in the ABE program. Statistics indicate that 1.2% of these teachers were certified in reading. In a March 1995 survey of ABE teachers, 87% expressed a need for training in teaching reading. Additionally, only 2% of the respondents indicated that they were members of a professional reading association. A survey of administrators indicated that 100% of the respondents indicated that their ABE teachers needed training in reading.

Target Clientele: The target clientele are employees of Northeast Florida State Hospital. Most employees in the target group work in the dietary, housekeeping, and maintenance departments where a high school diploma or its equivalent is not a prerequisite for employment.

Objectives: The Baker County School Board, in conjunction with Northeast Florida State Hospital, provides a Workforce Education program consisting of Adult Basic Education and GED Prep to employees of Northeast Florida State Hospital.

Program Format: Eligible adults are identified and recruited into the program. Release time is provided by Northeast Florida State Hospital for employees in the maintenance, housekeeping, and dietary departments. The program has been expanded to include family members of employees. Classes are offered twelve hours per week, which accommodates employees' shift schedules. Free GED testing is offered by the Baker County School Board to eligible individuals.

Workforce Gadsden is an on-going cooperative effort between the Gadsden County Chamber of Commerce and the Gadsden County School System to encourage and facilitate workforce literacy in small and medium-sized business/industries and government agencies within the county. The Chamber of Commerce brings to this effort its position of trust and credibility in the business community and local government departments while the Gadsden County School System brings expertise and resources in education and training to program participants. The project goal is to serve at least ten (10) small (25 or more employees) to medium-sized business and three (3) local government departments in the first year of operation (7-1-91 to 6-30-92). The need for the program rises out of the rapidly changing economic base of the county, the undereducated level of the county's workforce population, and the county's over-all low illiteracy rates (16% basic illiteracy and 30% functional illiteracy).

Functional aspects of the program center on the recruitment of businesses and government agencies to participate in the program. A Business/Industry Questionnaire is used in this respect along with other techniques--personal visits, presenting programs at civic clubs, disseminating information through the media, etc. Once a working agreement has been established with a business at the workplace, or some other convenient site, instruction is provided in small group settings by the project instructor/coordinator supported by trained volunteers. One-on-one tutoring is provided by Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) - Gadsden County, for those worker/students unable to join small groups or classes.

Special Cooperations that are necessary to operate the program include a joint effort by the Chamber of Commerce and the local School System to recruit business participants and to serve both the employer and employees in terms of identified training needs. Also, without a cooperative effort between the School System and Literacy Volunteers of America supplying trained tutors, the program could not function. Finally the business community must be willing to cooperate in terms of needs assessments and the evaluation of a program once established. Employee participation is enhanced where the company provides incentives such as release time, payment for test taking (GED), bonuses for achievement, etc.

TARGET GROUP: Adult Basic Education clients, performing academically in reading writing, math below the 8th grade level.

OBJECTIVES: Provide a self-paced, individualized learning situation that gives credit for prior learning and through Completion of specified activities and continuous assessment, the adult learner masters basic skills competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics at Level I (0-5.9) Level I: (5.0-8.9).

NEED: There is a need to provide an individualized plan for basic skills learners so they can progress and be measured as to mastery of ABE Curriculum Frameworks and course student.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS: The CBABE Curriculum contains the following components for instruction and training: Modules in Reading, writing, and Mathematics are available for Level I. Learning guides are designed for each basic skills competency to be mastered. Level II (0-3.0) are teacher directed guides to help with selection of materials for low readers. Each learning guide has a pre & post-test. Level II provides modules for Reading, writing, Mathematics, Health, Consumer Education, Science, and Social Studies. All have self-directed individual learning guides and pre/post-tests. A progress management system is built in to record student progress and mastery or course -competencies. The CBABE Curriculum has a comprehensive manual that is used as a facilitator reference or in training of instructors on how to implement CBABE. A CBABE HANDBOOK for organizing the classroom instructional setting is also available.

RESOURCES NEEDED: IBM Computer, WORDSTAR 3.1 or 4.0 (A diskette can be provided to place WORDSTAR on an IBM Computer). The adopter transfers the curriculum to diskettes and mails back the loan copies. A paste-up illustration package is mailed with the -diskettes. The adopter makes any changes on the computer in the curriculum to meet local instructional material needs and prints hard copies for duplication.

OPERATION NEEDS: Important to implementation of CBABE is a trained staff that knows how to manage an individualized, self-paced learning situation. This program takes the "guess work" out of determining what materials are needed to teach a specific competency. It is packaged to reduce preparation time to a minimum for the part-time adult educator. The program is more workable in a lab situation where materials are readily available. File cabinets are needed to store manila folders, which contain individual learning guides and pre/post-tests.

A commitment of supervisory and teaching staff is needed to carry out a CBABE program. Not all teachers have the temperament for creating an individualized instructional situation. A trained CBABE curriculum specialist (part-time or full-time) is needed to assure successful implementation.

FUNDING: Cost would include printing of modules. A typical ABE class would need 10 CBAE Level I and 10 CBABE Level II sets of reading, writing, and math to start the program. It is suggested that Health and Consumer Ed. be added next. These courses are less costly due to the instructional materials used. Science and Social Studies are optional. These two courses are better suited for Fre-GEDor learners working at a reading level of 7-8 grade. One copy of the CBABE Manual is provided at $5.00. The CBABE Organizational Manual is free. All can be reproduced. With the program comes a Resource & Guide that lists instructional materials, ordering information, and prices so the adopter can start ordering selected materials several months before program implementation.

TRAINING: BCC can provide training on CBABE implementation through a consultant contract. A six-hour workshop is sufficient in most cases: Follow-up consultation is available. Current cost for one consultant/trainer is $500.00 per day, plus travel expenses.

SPECIAL NOTE: The reading, writing, and math modules are being updated during 1991-92 to include more life coping skills competencies and selection of new resources to reduce costs for implementation.