Agency: School District of Flagler County

[FAM 1001]

The Adult Basic Education program is operated by the School District of Flagler County. The targeted clientele are those individuals with less than an eighth grade education. The Literacy Center located in Bunnell caters to the residents of the subsidized housing project and individuals living in the rural west end of the county. The goals of the program are to provide instruction in not only basic academic skills, but also to increase community awareness among the students enrolled.

The Literacy Center is located in portables set up on the property of an Elementary School. Childcare and the Chapter I Migrant Parent Program is also located on this site. This allows for a good cooperative arrangement. Classes are scheduled daily from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., then again from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Computer assisted instruction is available during the day with a qualified instructor. Tutors trained in the Laubach method of instruction work one on one with students who need the extra attention.

A variety of materials are used in instruction. The Specific Skills Series, Laubach and New Readers Press Skill Books are just some of the materials that make up the total curriculum.

Students who qualify economically are eligible to sign up for Education is My Job, a cooperative program between Adult/Community Education and Private Industry Council. This program pays students an hourly wage for attending school, plus a bimonthly bonus of $50.00 if individual goals are completed.

The program is funded through FEFP Dollars. An Adult Basic Grant in the amount of $1 1,000.00 pays for materials and supplies in addition to a part-time recruit.

Certified teachers are hired based upon need. Combinations of full and part-time instructors staff the program. The program is evaluated by student enrollment and student progress based on TABE Test Scores and retainment in the classes.

If you intend to use this project in your county, please contact the Florida ACE Network Project Director. For further information you may also contact Janet Valentine, Adult Education Supervisor, Flagler County.

Agency: The Adult Education Center of Bunnell

[FAM 1002]

The Adult Education Center of Bunnell officially opened in 1990-1991. Since then its growth has proven the worth of its goal. This center has become a component leading to a full service school. Although we are not totally a full service school, as yet, we are indeed headed in that direction. The clientele targeted are of a wide variety. Teenage parents, illiterate, working parents, parents returning to school for a diploma, students who cannot succeed in a regular high school setting, persons working during the day who must go to school at night are among the people we serve.

On one campus, there is an elementary school (Pre-K through 5), an Extended Day Program, Parenting Center, Chapter 1 specialist, Adult High School, Literacy Center (with child care provided for these), 0-5 Child Care Center (subsidized child care), School Volunteer Coordinator, RSVP Coordinator, Even Start (Federal Grant - Early Childhood Specialist, Family Advocate, Adult Teacher) and at night components of the Apprenticeship program, GED and child care are offered on this campus.

This constitutes the idea that we truly are focusing on a full service school. This center works closely with HRS, United Child Care, Inc., Environmental Health, the Health Department, Stewart Treatment Center, the Interagency Council, and others who cooperate in a successful working relationship. United Child Care, Inc. who places the children needing assistance, provides funding for childcare. The Literacy Center and Adult High School are funded through FTE money. The volunteer programs are supported through grant money, and such is the case with Even Start. UCC, INC., HRS, Environmental Health, and Fire and Safety evaluate our childcare program. School personnel who evaluate as in the K-12 system monitor the AHS and Literacy programs. Surveys, needs assessment, and personal contact also help us evaluate and monitor ourselves.

Agency: Pinellas County 1994-1995

[FAM 1003]

The target clientele include parents with children ages birth through seven years who are eligible for adult education or want to improve in life skills. To be eligible for adult education the parent must be at least 16 years of age and not have a high school diploma or have a diploma and score below an eighth grade level on any one portion of the TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) test. The program was designed to aid parents in affirming, discovering, and expanding their resources as parents and to build on their strengths as leaders of their families. It gives parents the tools and techniques necessary to support their children's learning in the home and increase awareness of their learning. This is done by providing opportunities for parents to practice these new techniques in a supportive environment where teachers can model learning strategies and offer suggestions. When the Pre-K teacher and the adult education teacher both have the same focus, parenting and adult education skills are reinforced in the classroom. Parents are then encouraged to transfer these skills into the home.

The program is designed around a regularly scheduled time in a preschool setting where children are given the opportunity to play. The parents join in that play and practice new interaction strategies and behavior management techniques which they have learned in parent group sessions. During this time staff members are participant observers who help the parents and children get started, provide additional materials as needed, and model appropriate behaviors in responding to the children. The pre-session listed in each lesson plan explains the activity, gives the early childhood theory behind that activity, and correlates the activity to adult education skills. The debriefing portion of the lesson plan helps the parents understand what the children have learned through play. Home activities are given to ensure that new skills and behaviors are applied in the home.

This program is designed to develop a family team including the adult education teacher, the Pre-K teacher, and the parent all working toward the development of the child. When open channels of communication are present along with positive teamwork, successful parent and child interaction time occurs. This can happen in any existing Pre-K and adult education program.

Agency: Flagler County

[FAM 1004]

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.

Agency: Palm Beach County

[FAM 1005]

Bucket of Books was originally developed through a Migrant Even Start Grant in New York State. In searching for an innovative method for overcoming some of the obstacles which prevent families from participating in educational programs, this program was reviewed, and with modifications, has been implemented in Palm Beach County. The primary population currently being served through this program are economically disadvantaged families who reside in public housing projects. Since the original Bucket of Books operated primarily in Migrant camps, the program had to be modified in terms of methods for accessing families and providing services to enable home visitors to begin work.

Bucket of Books is a home based family education program designed to achieve the following objectives:

o Assist parents in developing positive parenting skills which increase the amount and quality of time parents interact with their children.

o Enhance the readiness level of preschool aged children who are unable to participate in programs such as Headstart or Pre-Kindergarten Intervention.

o Assist parents in achieving their own personal educational goals.

As implemented in Palm Beach County, the program's primary emphasis is on the development of positive parenting techniques and the readiness level of the preschool aged children, with adult basic and secondary education for the parent occurring in a more secondary mode. Adult literacy is not introduced until six to eight weeks into the program and only if the parent is comfortable with addressing his/her own educational needs.

The Bucket of Books program utilizes a series of family education packets as a means for delivering instruction to both parent and child. The packets are whole language packages of ideas that provide the parents with suggestions for enhancing parent-child interactions through printed material. Parents learn to use the materials and increase their own literacy skills while helping their preschool age children.

The objectives of the Family Education Packets are:

o To provide a child's book that parents and children can read and enjoy together.

o To provide literacy activities based on the whole language approach for the child.

o To provide reading level appropriate literacy activities for parents.

o To provide parent education and child development information.

o To encourage a positive attitude toward reading.

Funding for Bucket of Books was obtained through the Palm Beach County Community Education Fund as well as the Adult Education Section 322 Grant. The Community Education Fund was established more than ten years ago for the express purpose of funding new and innovative programs through community schools.

Agency: Sarasota County

[FAM 1006]

The target clientele for this program is not limited to any one particular group. The "Carefree Learner" program is for all ages. The overall objective is to learn about marine environments of both the temperate and the subtropical zones. The program is designed to provide an opportunity for any person in the community to learn about the surrounding environment. It is hoped that the public will become more empathetic with the bay environment.

The program is scheduled several ways. The original format includes the Lifelong Learning courses which use the "Carefree Learner" as a "floating" classroom. Other programs include paid excursions on the boat for groups and organizations who pay on a per-use basis. These two-hour excursions include seining and hands-on identification of marine creatures.

Flyers are distributed and scheduling is handled by an Adult and Community Education coordinator. The main resource is the boat, which can be constructed through a comprehensive cooperative arrangement with the community and other agencies. The captain/instructor is also a primary resource. It is helpful to have someone who works full time in the school system and is familiar with the local marine environment.

"Carefree Learner" participants explore Sarasota Bay aboard the boat. The focus is on the grass flats and the mangrove areas. After a shallow water trawl with a seine, participants place fish and animals collected into the onboard aquarium. Onboard talks and discussions include: fish and marine life, the grass flat communities, birds, mangroves, the shore line, water quality, and environmental issues that affect the ecology of Sarasota Bay. The "Carefree Learner" travels across Sarasota Bay and Roberts Bay, along Bay Isles, in behind Siesta Key, and past Skiers Island and Edward Island. The boat returns to Marina Jack along the mainland bayous.

Agency: Florida Literacy Coalition

[FAM 1007]

Goal: The primary goal of this project, which is in its second year, is to reduce illiteracy and under-education among adults in Florida. The overall goal of this project is to facilitate the development of effective literacy programs in Florida through staff development efforts designed to meet state and national education priorities. During the 1995-1996 year the focus is on providing regional training opportunities via collaborative efforts with other programs/institutions and providing individualized training opportunities in smaller communities/programs that often have limited resources for staff development.

Background: Funds to develop and provide staff development activities are often very limited, especially to literacy programs who are community-based organizations staffed by volunteers. In many counties, adult education is provided by part-time instructors and volunteers. It is estimated that 10,457 volunteers currently serve in adult education and literacy programs (Adult Literacy Plan Report FY 93). Florida has many exemplary projects but lacks a fully coordinated literacy training initiative. Resources to provide staff development opportunities will expand and improve the current system for delivering adult education services to undereducated and/or educationally disadvantaged adults. The Celebrating Volunteers in Literacy workshops of 1994-1995 were well received and showed the need for more localized training.

Agency: Hillsborough County

[FAM 1008]

Consumer health education, commonly referred to as childbirth education, provided to parents throughout the childbearing year, has been shown to have an extremely positive effect on birth outcomes and parent/infant relationships. Unfortunately, such education is rarely available or accessible to those who need it most. Parents with poor literacy skills, marginal incomes, and weak social support systems receive little or no childbirth education. The Florida Maternal and Infant Care Task Force cited lack of childbirth education for low-income women in 1982 as one of the major problems contributing to poor pregnancy outcomes. That which is obtained from direct health care providers in maternity clinics is severely restricted by lack of time, limited availability of qualified childbirth educators, teaching materials, and classroom space. Barriers to programs offered in community settings include excessive cost, inconvenient location, lack of transportation, and lack of childcare. Few reflect sensitivity to the literacy skills of hard to reach groups nor do they address the very special concerns and interests of minorities, low-income families and poorly education adults.

Hillsborough County Adult and Community Education Program addressed this problem using Community Instructional Services dollars and the consultative services of staff at Tampa General Hospital to develop an outreach childbirth education program. This program was selected by the Adult and Community Education Network as a model for adoption in other counties. Since its inception in 1985, it has served approximately 5,000 parents referred from Hillsborough County Health Maternity Clinics. Its success can be attributed to the cooperation of the Hillsborough County Health Department, The Tampa General Hospital, and The Florida Bay Chapter for the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, Florida Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition, and local childbirth educators. By maximizing local resources (human, physical, and financial), childbirth education is currently offered at eight strategically adult and community education centers. A curriculum for both client and teacher training has been developed and is in use in the Hillsborough model.

In 1991 the program continues to exist utilizing Lifelong Learning dollars. A literacy unit has also been included.

Agency: Brevard Community College

[FAM 1009]

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.

Agency: Florida A & M University

[FAM 1010]

Contact: Carolyn Bell (904) 599-3482 SunCom: 286-3482

Goal: The primary goal of the second phase of this proposal is to enable the Evelyn B. Martin Center for Community Education at FAMU to continue to assist the Bureau of Adult and Community Education in its mission to reduce illiteracy and under-education among adults in Florida. The proposed project is designed to improve Family/Intergenerational Literacy among adults in Florida's Big Bend and Panhandle Region.

Background: Many of the counties in Florida's Big Bend and Panhandle region are "poor and disadvantaged." Eight counties are identified by BACE as members of Targeted Service Improvement Clusters I and II. Of the regions' 1.125 million people, 836,000 are over the age of 18. In this age group 25% lack a GED or high school diploma. The available data indicates that the local educational agencies are serving barely 12% of the population in need. One main reason why such a high percentage (25%) of the adult population remains under-educated is because there exists an intergenerational literacy problem, particularly among the poor and disadvantaged. Compounding this intergenerational literacy problem are deficient health services, unemployment, crime, teen-age pregnancy, and many other barriers.

Agency: Baker County

[FAM 1011]

The goal of the Extended Day Enrichment Program is to provide a safe, enriching environment for Baker County Elementary School students. It is designed to enrich children educationally, physically, and socially. A variety of recreational, social, and academically oriented activities are a part of the daily enrichment schedule. The program meets the needs of parents by offering a safe, accessible, and affordable school-based program for those who work or attend school, or who simply desire an enriching experience for their child.

Extended Day Enrichment Programs are in operation at the following schools: Macclenny & Westside Elementaries and the Keller Intermediate (4th & 5th Grade) School. Each child must have a completed and signed registration form on file before participating in the program. Parents may enroll their children in one or both sessions. Enrollment fees are assessed to provide revenues necessary to hire supervisory staff and instructors. $8.00/week morning session only, each additional child $4.00/week. Both sessions $18.00/week, each additional child $12.00/week. A yearly registration fee of $10.00 per child must be paid at the time the child is registered.

It is the responsibility of the Extended Day Enrichment Program's staff to work with the Principal and other school personnel to ensure their support of the program. Careful attention must be given to establishing an ongoing relationship with all school staff.

Agency: Orange County Public Schools

[FAM 1012]

The Extended Day Enrichment Program offers safe supervision for school age children before and after school and full days during the summer. Community Education operates Extended Day as a fee-supported program at 79 elementary school sites, serving 9,000 children daily.

Extended Day operates from 7 a.m. until school opens and after school until 6 p.m. at the elementary school sites. Full day programs serve children at year-round schools who are "off-track." Activities include homework, supervised free-play, organized games, music, art, science exploration, cooking, recreational reading, math enrichment, drama, and field trips. A seven-part curriculum has been developed by Orange County Public Schools for the program. Special enrichment classes such as ceramics, baton, foreign language, computers, and martial arts are offered.

Annual registration fee purchases accident insurance for the children. Most staff members are teacher aides or professional teachers; other qualified persons are hired to determine parental interest in implementing programs at the new sites. Periodic evaluation of the program is made with input from parents and staff.

Agency: Duval County

[FAM 1013]

The Extended Day Program provides working parents with a viable alternative for their childcare needs. The program was designed to focus on enrichment strands. That remains the focus, but also meets childcare needs as well.

The beauty of the program is that it is on site, so there is no transportation to another location for care in the morning and afternoon and there is only one set of rules for the children to learn. This avoids confusion on the part of the children, particularly in relation to discipline policy. Additionally, the program enables the child to take advantage of a plethora of free and fee based activities that he/she may check out of Extended Day, i.e.: scouting, recreational classes, tutorial programs, play practice.

Extended Day staff frequently discuss the needs of the children with individual classroom teachers so that we may reinforce behavior modification used in the classroom setting. Sitting in on a parent conference to reinforce points being raised with parents about the child's progress or behavior is often done. We also do some limited planning, particularly with kindergarten, so that we do not duplicate certain enrichment activities and take away from the regular classroom teacher's activities. We are able to pass on messages for teachers to parents in the afternoon program and improve home-school relations via better communication.

Agency: Pinellas County

[FAM 1014]

This family literacy program uses community resources to impact families in which adults need parenting and basic skills instruction. The target population includes disadvantaged and/or under literate parents and their young children, and "at-risk" families identified by community agencies.

In cooperation with over 25 community organizations and school departments, three programs have been developed:

1. Together We Learn enhances reading skills of elementary students in ECIA Chapter I schools through parent/child involvement workshops using the newspaper.

2. Reading Together encourages parent/child interaction and early language and readiness development in workshops for Head Start parents, ABE students, and their preschoolers.

3. Reach and Teach provides family literacy activities to "at-risk" families with children aged birth to five years who are being served through local human service agencies.

A manual is available for each program. They include suggestions for workshop leaders and easy take-home activities. Workshops can be offered individually or in a series of sessions. Workshop leaders have included reading resource teachers, ABE teachers, and parent educators on the staffs of local agencies. The materials needed for the activities are inexpensive and readily found in schools and at home.

The strength of these family literacy programs is excellent interagency cooperation in Pinellas County, both inside and outside of the school system. Community agencies and organizations have assisted with planning, development and implementation, and refer adults to literacy classes or tutor programs. Program evaluation is based on continuing feedback from participants, agencies and principals. Program supervision is the responsibility of Pinellas County Adult and Community Education and a teacher coordinator.

Agency: Charlotte County 1992-1993

[FAM 1015]

Goal of the Program: To introduce the family unit to the importance of Reading.

Objective: To provide every first grade student in the county with a visit to their neighborhood library and enroll them in the library system through the issuance of a library card. To have each first grade student leave the library tour with a library book of their choice.

How the Program Works: First grade students are bussed by school bus to their neighborhood library. Classroom teachers accompany the children so that information obtained on the tour can be reinforced in the classroom. Scheduling is done in partnership between the local school board and the county library system. The purpose of the visit is to acquaint the students with the location and materials in the library. The objective of the student leaving the library with a book is to have the parent or parents transport the child back to the library to return the book and become involved in the choosing of subsequent books as a family unit.

Funding: Funding for the program in Southwest Florida consists of bus transportation only. The library system absorbs other costs. Sufficient time on the part of the library system is necessary to make the program a success. In Southwest Florida, Rotary International has adopted the program by assuming the cost of the bus transportation. Evaluation of the program is through principal/teacher comments.

Follow Up: Three months after the program, the School Board's Literacy Coordinator requires personal interviews to determine the approximate increase in visits and withdrawals by these students as a Family Unit.

Agency: Leon County

[FAM 1016]

The target population for this project is adult education students enrolled in existing adult education classes and adult education teachers who are teaching these students. During 1991-92, Leon County Schools Adult and Community Education, through a 353 Project Grant relating to family literacy, developed and disseminated, to interested school districts, ten self-contained family literacy instructional modules designed to facilitate the incorporation of family literacy activities into existing adult education classroom instruction. All modules may be included in Adult Basic Instruction. All modules may be included in Adult Basic Education (ABE) classroom instruction as part of the Functional Skills Track contained in the ABE Curriculum Frameworks (9900000). A major objective of the project was to reach a very large, already identified population desperately needing this knowledge, with as little as possible additional preparation by the adult education classroom teacher.

Project materials are excellent resources for districts planning initiatives in family literacy. Literacy Kit topics include: self-esteem, Communication, Dealing with Anger, The Developing Child, The Teen Years, Discipline, Promoting Success in School, Family Learning Activities, Strengthening Facilities and Stress. Each of the ten instructional kits contains objectives, learning activities, and background information for teachers, handouts and classroom activities, assorted publications for classroom use and additional recommended resources to enhance instruction.

Project materials were developed and used in the classroom by adult education teachers. Teacher training is highly recommended prior to implementation of instruction. Materials and training may be available to districts needing this service.

Agency: Orange County

[FAM 1017]

A variety of factors complicate the planning and development of strategies that effectively impact illiteracy in Florida. Coordination and cooperation, as demonstrated in this project, take advantage of the unique contributions each program/partner make in reaching those among Florida's population who lack basic or functional literacy skills.

This project demonstrates the use of a non-traditional learning site and resources for the delivery of services through the coordination of efforts with public libraries and other local sponsors of literacy programs.

All too often, the public perceives "literacy" or "illiteracy" efforts as negative with connotations linked to poverty, unemployment, crime, welfare, and juvenile delinquency. The Family Reading Pavilion generated positive public awareness and provided a festive atmosphere to focus on family literacy in Florida.

The Family Reading Pavilion was featured at the Orlando Book Fair. (previously Authors in the Park), the only literary festival held in Central Florida. This two day, outdoor event was held on April 13-14, 1991, in Orlando, Florida at Lake Eola. The Steering Committee consisted primarily of libraries from public/private library systems. The committee also included individuals from private business and City Government. The Book Fair program included writing contests for short stories and poetry for children and adults, authors presenting their works, exhibits and a variety of special activities related to reading and books.

The Orlando Book Fair Steering Committee invited the Florida Literacy Coalition to serve as a liaison to this event to focus on "Family Literacy." This invitation provided a unique opportunity for the Florida Literacy Coalition to meet several state and national priorities; expand outreach services to those adults who are educationally disadvantaged; provide programs that involve innovative methods; improve family literacy through adult/child learning activities; develop linkages with private sector employers and other agencies; assist in staff development and teacher training activities; and dissemination in adult education.

This community setting provided a non-threatening atmosphere conducive to inquiries and the exchange of information related to local literacy providers. Promotional materials, featuring the toll-free literacy hotline were distributed with referral/contact information for literacy programs located in the Central Florida area. The pavilion also served as a vehicle to promote "Literacy Is A Family Affair" with promotional materials (posters, bookmarks, etc.) featuring the state hotline number. The Family Literacy Pavilion and the information disseminated at this event will assist in the identification, recruitment and referral of adults lacking basic and functional literacy skills to local literacy programs.

Agency: Collier County

[FAM 1018]

Collier Counting Housing Authority's Gateway Project is a collaborative effort of Collier County Housing Authority, Collier County Public Schools, Collier County Public Library and Redlands Christian Migrant Association to address the literacy needs of the farm workers who reside in Farm workers Village (FWV), which provides affordable housing for approximately 2700 agricultural workers in Immokalee, Florida. This effort has resulted in the establishment of a Satellite Library; English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), GED and parenting classes; an after school literacy and tutoring program; computer programs and activities; and a family literacy program, all of which are housed in FWV's Education Building.

ESOL, ABE and GED classes are provided for adults, Monday -Thursday from 5 to 9 PM. Collier County's Immokalee Adult and Community Education Program provides the ESOL, ABE and GED curriculums (available upon request), materials, and staff. The Satellite Library Program is conducted Monday - Friday from 2:30 - 5 PM and Saturday, 8 AM - noon. Library activities include story times with follow-up activities, a "Reader's Club", computer activities, homework assistance, tutoring and parenting activities, materials and assistance. The librarian for the Satellite Library is a FWV resident and a graduate of the GED program. The librarian and two assistants have been trained in library procedures and storytelling by the head librarian of the Immokalee Branch of the Collier County Public Library and are supervised by Adult and Community Education. The Satellite Library staff is funded under the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Adult and Community Education, Gateway Grant Program. Administrative costs, classroom facilities, building maintenance and utilities are provided by the Housing Authority and personnel applications, records, benefits and resulting paperwork are handled by Redlands Christian Migrant Association.

Entering its fourth year, the FWV Gateway Project has served 318 adults, awarded 36 GED diplomas, has over 500 children registered at the FWV Satellite Library, circulates an average of 650 books a month, provides after school activities for 30 to 40 children a day and has trained 8 middle school students as tutors and library helpers. Extensive commitment and cooperation among the agencies involved is a crucial element in establishing a successful program of this type. Record keeping must be accurate and kept up-to-date in order to maintain ongoing evaluation and program revision.

Agency: Florida Literacy Coalition

[FAM 1019]

The annual statewide Florida Literacy Conference is sponsored by the Florida Literacy Coalition in cooperation with the Florida Department of Education. The conference program includes a diverse range of literacy topics and provides valuable staff development opportunities for literacy providers (public and private), business and agency representatives and adult new readers (students). The event is held in March with an attendance of 600-700.

General Sessions feature state or national leaders in education. Previous general sessions have featured national literacy speakers: First Lady Barbara Bush, Harold W. McGraw, Jr. (BCEL), Bill Wilson (KET Network), Peter Waite (LLA), and James E. Duffy (ABC Communications). State of Florida speakers have included: betty Castor, Commissioner of Education and Jim Smith, Secretary of State.

A Call for Presenters is issued in October and Conference Registration Forms are distributed in December. The program offers 65-70 concurrent sessions for the two and one-half day event. The schedule for the conference is developed into specialized tracks: Family/ Intergenerational Literacy, Workplace Literacy/Workforce Education, Correctional Literacy Programs, Library Literacy Programs, Health and Literacy, Teacher/Tutor, General Interest, and Adult New Reader (student).

Some financial assistance is available to participants through a scholarship fund offered each year to literacy providers. Student scholarships are available to adult new readers for travel assistance funds. The student scholarship funds, provided by Paragon Cable, are usually $1,000 with a $75.00 limit per student.

The site for the annual conference is selected based on the support available from the local community of literacy providers, usually a region with an active local coalition or Project Literacy US (PLUS) group. The conference is planned through the work of committees representing a broad base of support (public/private literacy providers, business, agencies and government) with extensive community involvement. The 1992 Florida Literacy Conference is scheduled for March 11-13, 1992, West Palm beach, Florida.

Agency: Gadsden County

[FAM 1020]

The GADSDEN COUNTY EVEN START PROJECT is a family literacy program is designed to provide family literacy instruction to the Gadsden County population in need. Working in partnership with the Adult Education program, and ACTION VISTA, this Wakulla/Gadsden County consortium has resulted in cooperative training and sharing resources. As a results of this history, a network now exists which works and has the potential of producing a very successful intergenerational literacy model.

Classes are offered on Monday through Friday both in the mornings from 9:00 until noon and in the evenings from 6:00 until 5:30. At one site a nursery is provided to keep the children while their parents are in class. At the other three sites a separate room is provided for the children. Even Start classes are provided for Gadsden County adults over the age of 18 years and have less that a high school education. Under this arrangement, VISTA is provided as part of the staffing and works with the regular staff to carry out the project's goals and objectives. The Even Start classes use the Steck- Vaughn GED Preparatory program as the core curriculum for Literacy improvement. The Phillip Roy Readiness Kit and Whole Language themes are used for the purpose of providing family literacy to the parents and their children. The Even Start teacher involve the parents in making activities they can take home and use with their children.

Over 65 families have shown measured progress and remain in the program. One student has continued her education by enrolling in college. Community agencies have committed resources to help the Gadsden County Even Start Program continue by providing support, meeting sites, clients and volunteer hours.

Agency: Hillsborough County

[FAM 1021]

Begun in January 1992, Hillsborough Even Start program enables parents and their children to learn together. The adult literacy efforts include those of family Literacy. The promise of family literacy is to educate parents and children together so that they can lift themselves out of a life of under education, dependency, and poverty- into a successful life of self-sufficiency.

Thus, the general intent of the program is to focus on the family. The educational physical, psychological, and social needs of the parent and the developmental needs of the children are of primary concern.

The program is an integrated project incorporating the efforts of the Adult and Community Education Center, and The Early Childhood Learning Programs. The Kennan Trust Family Literacy guidelines and the High Scope Foundation guidelines set the standards.

Parents and children attend 2-2.5 hours per week of class. The parents attend the Adult Day High School adjacent to the Even Start Program Center where they are enrolled in Adult Basic Education classes. Some parents are enrolled in ESOL classes, as well. Each day, parents attend a parenting class taught by a counseling psychologist in an innovatively designed "parenting classroom" at the Even Start Center. The comprehensive parenting program presented is both formal and informal. Formal in educating parents in life management skills, personal growth and self-awareness, effective parenting skills, and strengthening families. Informal in facilitating decision, discussion, and support groups.

The children attend a unique early childhood program, where parents participate in and support their children's education daily. The model followed of parent and child joint literacy interaction is that of Parent and child Together Time (P.A.C.T.). The High/Scope methodology is implemented. Developmentally appropriate learning activities are presented in a positive, print-rich environment. Children are encouraged to actively learn how to make choices, and explore their interests. The early childhood teacher provides parents with weekly information relating to child development, learning activities for the home, and the High/Scope curriculum.

Also, a home visitor visits the Even Start families on a monthly basis, to extend family literacy services into the home.

The program serves people with significant economic, social, and educational problems. Central to the success of the program is the focus or function of helping families with problems related to lack of education and poverty. Thus, helping families with psychosocial issues that block their efforts toward success and self-sufficiency. The counseling psychologist, working with an appointed school social worker and a collaborative community agency (Family Service Association-Counseling Group) function to service such needs of Even Start families.

All Even Start children are provided health and developmental screening and early intervention if needed.

Parents are offered the opportunity to explore life choices and introduced to higher institutions of learning in the community. A key ingredient to success is the focus on individual needs. The need of the family sets the agenda. The success of the program is greatly due to the involvement of the parents in shaping the program. "They are involved in outlining their needs. It's not something imposed on them." -Sonia Picallo

On going staff development is held for supervisors, teachers, resource personnel, and aides in order to continually monitor both student learner success and program success. The success of the program can be measured in a number of ways. From the standpoint of student assessment, the popularity of the program underscores the perceived value of the program. Additionally, attendance and participation rates in the program remain high instructors ascertain; parenting skills improve, parent and child relationships are enriched, parents become involved in their children's education, and reading and learning take place in the homes as well. Families learn to value education and gain a sense of community. Parents gain the value of lifelong learning and reach new levels of achievement. They also become goal orientated, establishing plans and planning to attend higher institutions of education. Parents' despair is replaced with confidence and empowerment.

The major objective of our Even Start program is to treat the conditions that affect the lives of families so that the parent can become the child's first teacher and the home the first school.

Agency: Lake Worth Community High School

[FAM 1022]

Lake Worth Community High School has a large English as A Second Language program. The program has served over 1500 ESOL students each year.

A community needs assessment of the local health clinics established the need for bringing health services and health information to the non-English speaking students by organizing a Health Fair. The Fair serves ESOL students at the community school on a Saturday during the month of April.

All the services are free to those who attend the fair. Over four hundred (400) students were served at the last fair.

The Community school recruited bilingual doctors, dentists, and nurses and assigned them to classrooms which served as examining rooms. The doctors and dentists brought a minimal amount of equipment to the school.

The fair was publicized in the newspaper, radio and ESOL classes at the school.

The clients arrive and interpreters direct them to the dentist or doctor that they need to see. Doctors of a wide variety of specialties participated: general practitioners, heart, eyes, ears, nose and throat specialists, internists, osteopath, and urologists are examples.

After the clients were sent to the doctor, they were examined, treatment was recommended and questions answered. Printed information was given to each client explaining where medical and dental services can be obtained.

Agency: Pinellas County

[FAM 1023]

This program is an innovative partnership between Project Independence (DLES), The Salvation Army and Pinellas County Schools. This program will incorporate outcome-based education strategies, technology, mentoring, and other intervention activities not currently available to adult students. A unique feature of this program is that the children (ages 2 -6) of Project Independence clients are integrated into the existing preschool classes held for paying students at The Salvation Army Center. Expected outcomes include not only educational achievement but also coping skills, employability skills and parenting skills. In this way, not only are the students more likely to be successful in their post-program pursuits (educational training/employment) but the children also will have benefited by acquiring attitudes and skills which are precursors to their own independence. This program removes traditional barriers and is outcome-based with retention as a primary objective. When clients' needs are met in a relevant framework, they are more likely to achieve their goals.

The measurable objectives are as follows:

1) At least twenty-five PI clients will enroll in the program during the project year. At least 60% of the enrolled clients will successfully complete their mutually developed program goals.

2) The academic and functional skills of all clients enrolled for at least 90 days will improve as measured by pre- and posttests. using accepted standardized measurements or alternative assessments. At least 75% of students who achieve passing GED pretest scores as a program goal will take the GED exam and receive an equivalency diploma.

3) All program completers will indicate improvement in at least four of the following areas as measured by their responses on an exit survey: self esteem, motivation, confidence to pursue job training or employment, parenting skills, problem-solving ability, and resourcefulness.

According to the Project Independence Information System, approximately 525 program participants reside in the targeted zip code areas. Of this number, it can be assumed, based on historical data, that approximately 65% of these individuals do not possess a high school diploma. Additionally, there is a large residential complex owned and managed by the Clearwater Housing Authority located in one of the targeted zip code areas. Approximately 75% of the residents in that complex are recipients of AFOC and potentially eligible for the program.

The program includes ABE and GED course work, a functional or life skills curriculum, goal setting conference evaluation which includes students, Project Independence staff, and school staff, parenting and family literacy education, mentors and volunteer tutors, incentives and awards for student progress, student and staff assessment of student's functional skills, employability skills instruction, transportation, on-site child care, paid by Title IV-A, and meals. The program is an open-entry, open-exit, self-paced individualized program that allows the student to exit with a certificate or diploma when he/she has completed his/her goal. Goals are negotiated and reevaluated periodically and the student's exit from the program can be discussed with the staff. Students are assessed in various ways. Academic success is assessed by the TABE, county and teacher designed tests, and teacher observation. Life skills are assessed through portfolios, authentic assessment, check lists, pre/post tests, journals, class discussion, conferences, special projects, and classroom presentations. Students and their children will receive door-to-door transportation by bus. Childcare for children ages 2 -6 will be provided. Parents and children will be fed a hot lunch. The clients will have structured opportunities to practice their parenting and reading skills with their children on site. Students spend five hours a day in adult education classes, which include computer-assisted instruction. Students are thoroughly assessed and the teacher and student mutually develop an individual educational plan. Incentives, in the form of books, games, and recognition, are given as measurable progress is achieved.

This model program requires and has the cooperation of the School Board of Pinellas County, The Salvation Army, READ Pinellas, VISTA, DLES/Project Independence, the Private Industry Council, Coordinated Child Care of Pinellas, Inc., HRS/Florida, Gulf Coast Community Care, and local literacy councils. This type of coordination is exactly what has made this program so outstanding and unique. It highlights cooperative and holistic approaches to help solve the welfare and social service dependency challenges facing this country. The following funding is provided for the specific areas through a grant from the Department of Labor: Salaries - $59,845; benefits - $16,595; Employee Training - $2,000; Instructional Materials/Office Supplies - $5,000; Student Meals -$19,088; Instructional Computer Software -$10,000; Mental Health and Social Services -$1,625.

Personal counseling services, such as substance abuse counseling, physical abuse counseling, and self-esteem, is provided through Gulf Coast Community Care. The outcomes have been measured in accordance with the program objectives: 1) A total of 48 clients have enrolled to date. 240% compliance. The mutually developed educational and personal goals developed by student and staff are 72% in compliance. 2) The academic skill levels of all students are measured and reported to the contract manager monthly. Those students enrolled for at least 90 days have improved by the use of standardized measurements. 100% compliance. Portfolio and authentic assessments, teacher observation, and special projects measure functional skills. Students are 100% compliance. Twenty students passed GED pretests. Fifteen students passed the GED exam and received equivalency diploma. 140% compliance. 3) Fifteen program completers have shown improvement in at least four areas: self-esteem, motivation, confidence to pursue job training or employment, parenting skills, interpersonal skills, problem-solving ability, and resourcefulness.

Agency: Sarasota County

[FAM 1024]

Injury prevention is a community-wide challenge that requires a community-wide approach. Sarasota Fire-Rescue Services, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Sarasota County Adult and Community Education Center, Florida Office of Emergency Medical Services, Florida Highway Patrol, and the Florida Department of Transportation have entered into a joint Injury Prevention Campaign for the greater Sarasota County, Florida area. The mission of the Injury Prevention Campaign is to inform the public of the serious injury problems in Sarasota County and what can be done to reduce injury through education.

Initially, three multi-media injury prevention projects have been planned:

1) infant/child drowning,

2) falls among the elderly, and

3) vehicular collisions.

Currently, the vehicular collision project is fully implemented. These public education programs are being promoted through the use of a Mobile Learning Lab (MLL) and special free programs.

Injury is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and the leading cause of death for those under the age of forty. According to a report to Congress, entitled Cost of Injury in the United States, the societal cost of injury is staggering; estimated to be 157.6 billion dollars annually. The 1990 Florida Trauma Registry showed that 2,355 patients were transported to the hospitals of Sarasota County with an injury classification. The average hospital cost to the injured patient was just over $11,000. The annual health care costs for injury is an astounding financial problem. Yet, the financial impact of hospital cost is paled in comparison to the cost of human suffering and loss to quality of life for those who are injured. Many of the injuries are preventable through education.

The Injury Prevention Campaign began with the offering of two free programs, targeting families with small children (May 22, 1993, "Making Pools Safe for Young Children") and targeting the elderly (June 22, 1993 "Home Safety for the Elderly"). The programs were arranged at meetings with representatives from the sponsoring agencies. The completion date for the Mobile Learning Lab (and inter-active videos) was December, 1993, delaying implementation of that portion of the campaign until February of 1994. Since the MLL's inauguration at the Black Cultural Fair, February 9, 1994, 19,366 people have attended the MLL and/or presentations. Currently the emphasis is on vehicular collision, with a goal of reaching a minimum of 20,000 people with the highway safety interactive videos and group presentations. Plans and goals for emphasis on drowning/water safety and falls among the elderly are being considered for succeeding years.

Hiring of staff and overseeing the lab is coordinated by a lieutenant in the Public Safety Office of the Sarasota Department of Public Safety. The staff for the Mobile Learning Lab, as well as some of the presenters of the free programs, come from Emergency Medical Services staff/firefighters.

To develop and implement a high technology injury identification and multi-media public education demonstration project such as the Injury Prevention Campaign, grant money should be secured. The first year of the Sarasota IPC was supported by the State Department of H.R.S., Office of Emergency Medical Services matching fund grant for $62,500, with matching funds from the Sarasota Memorial Hospital for a total grant of $125,000. The $125,000 paid for initial research, building of the Mobile Learning Lab (MLL), and producing public presentation videos, "Taking it To the Street" and "Introduction to Injury." A Florida Department of Transportation Grant of $250,000 paid for research to determine highway corridors of high risk, pay instructors, and develop and purchase the hardware/software for the MLL. An Emergency Medical Services (EMS) County Award grant for $35,000 provides funds for paying staff. The Adult and Community Education Center provides in-kind support by assisting in setting up free programs, providing some advertisement and promotion, and acting as a conduit for hiring and paying staff. Other agencies/organizations providing in-kind support include: Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Florida Highway Patrol, and the City of Sarasota.

Evaluation during the 1995 portion of the campaign will include:

1) Measuring goal success of presentation to 20,000 people in Sarasota in 1994,

2) Recording a substantial number of 15 minute public service announcements or other public education programming on local television,

3) Working together with consortium members to identify and review campaign strategies and plan future goals,

4) Collection data on the number of residents and visiting drivers who are exposed to the campaign materials through the mobile multimedia lab and group programs,

5) Measuring the understanding of prevention concepts, through short tests, built into the Mobile Learning Laboratory's interactive program; anticipating scores on at least 2000 participants, and

6) Assessing accident data at high risk corridors to determine whether or not educational contact with 20,000 persons resulted in any decrease in accidents.

Agency: Dade County 1993-94

[FAM 1025]

The Intergenerational Senior Adult ChildCare Aide program was designed in order to meet a community need to recruit individuals to serve as child care aide in the school district's child care, pre-k programs and community agencies (Headstart, Family Christian Association of America, Young Men's Christian Association and Young Women's Christian Association). Personnel resources for these positions have been declining due to the traditional source of young women and mothers entering the job market for increased salaries. While on the other hand, Dade County's senior citizen population continually grows. This scenario created an ideal atmosphere to initiate a recruitment campaign to encourage senior adults to become childcare aides.

The projects that utilized senior adult aide reported success in terms of the children's positive emotional adjustment, and interactions between the young and elders. Senior adults are recruited through a collaborative effort between Hialeah Adult Education Center, civic and professional organizations, retirement centers, religious institutions, and adult community centers within the community. The senior adults participate in the 20-hour HRS childcare training program and complete applications for part-time non-instructional personnel positions. After the completion of the training, the senior adults are assisted in employment placement with the school's district after school care program and/or child care programs (Headstart, YMCA, YWCA and FCAA) within the community. Dade County Public Schools operate approximately 200 after-school care programs, the majority of which are fee supported. At the completion of the training, senior adults are referred to the various after-school program administrators in their geographical area.

The advantage of the Intergenerational Senior Adult Child Care Aide Program is that this effort provides trained, licensed, and processed potential employees for them to hire. By this advantage, we are recruiting and employing a target population of adult seniors who have often been discriminated against because of their age.

Agency: Leon County

[FAM 1026]

In 1992 the Family Law Division of the Circuit Court in Leon County, Florida, enacted an Administrative Order which made mandatory a parenting class for divorcing parents who had minor children. In conjunction with the Court, Leon County Schools Adult and Community Education established a parenting class which would meet the requirement of this mandated class.

During 1993-94, Leon County Schools Adult and Community Education developed an original curriculum for the program. It includes the KIDS FIRST PARENT MANUAL and the KIDS FIRST INSTRUCTOR MANUAL for the four hour workshop. The instructor manual is complete with marginal notes, transparency masters, video discussion questions, "Opinions About Divorce Survey," and the workshop evaluation form.

The manuals are divided into four chapters:

(1) How Adults React to Divorce;

(2) How Children React to Divorce;

(3) What Parents Can Do to Help Children Adjust to Divorce; and

(4) Dealing With Difficult Issues.

This content of the curriculum is consistent with Florida Law and could be used by any district in the State, and by other states, with minor adaptations.

The curriculum may be purchased from Leon County Schools Adult and Community Education, either on disk (PageMaker format) or camera-ready to reproduce.

Agency: Lauderhill Middle Community School

[FAM 1027]

The Lauderhill Middle Community School/Full Service program creates a simplified, integrated, non-duplicative, interagency network that delivers necessary educational and social services that support children and families, while optimizing the use of existing funding, structures and resources. In 1991, the Florida Legislature created Specific Appropriation 527 for Interagency Cooperation to provide full social and educational services to students and their families. Under this appropriation, the model Full Service Schools grant was written for Lauderhill Middle Community School. All children and families of Broward County are potential customers at the Full Service School. The Full Service program predominantly serves the students and families of all schools in Lauderhill and nearby surrounding areas. The demographic data provided herein is typical of the population served: (a) 85% black (b) 80% parents of children under 14 (c) 75% free and reduced lunch (d) 58% single parent household (e) 60% transient school population.

The Full Service School offers a unique vehicle to meet the complex needs of families in that it provides easy access to a wide array of services at or near the school site. The collaboration of many service providers reduces barriers to receiving necessary services, develops self esteem and strengthens the family unit, promotes school and community involvement and provides greater building use and increased taxpayer support. Service agencies have been established in Broward County for some time. Partnership with them has brought assistance, re-positioning of staff and membership on school committees.

Collaboration began with the recommendation from the State Department of Education that a broad-based planning team be convened to design the proposal for a Full Service School. This team would include representatives from student services, adult and community education, special education, dropout prevention, school volunteers, early childhood, teachers, principals, the business sector and other community-based representatives. Research indicates that families need ready access to a wide array of flexibly provided services. Clients benefit from the Full Service School since it integrates the services of public and private community agencies to operate a "One stop" service center for students, families and the community. By meeting the 'whole" needs of children, we thereby ensure that they will stay in school and become productive members of their community and the workforce. Early interventions are more effective and economical. Successful programs respond to a child as part of a family and the family as part of a neighborhood and community. The Full Service program at Lauderhill Middle Community School succeeds because services reach disadvantaged children and families by offering ready access to intensive, comprehensive assistance.

Agency: Brevard Community College

[FAM 1028]

TARGET GROUP: Undereducated Adults in need of parenting and basic reading comprehension skills.

OBJECTIVES: Provide eight parenting topics in a highly pictorial and non-threatening instructional mode at two reading comprehension levels; provide a leader's manual used for training and group instructional activities; provide a content format that allows for conducting parenting classes alone or combining parenting techniques with improvement of literacy skills in reading comprehension; provide a method to use parenting as a vehicle for recruitment of disadvantaged undereducated adults into ABE outreach classes.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS: "Let's Work It Out: Topics for Parents" addresses 8 different parenting topics (Discipline, Parents as Role Models, Communication, Problem-Solving, Family Crisis, Coping With School, Love and Affection, and Sex Education) at two reading comprehension levels (LEVEL I (2-4) LEVEL II (5-7). The curriculum is designed to promote extensive group interaction and improve reading comprehension and language arts skills, while helping create within the learner an awareness of the need for further education through ABE Outreach classes. A LEADER'S MANUAL accompanies the instructional materials to aid in training of group leaders. This manual provides lesson plans for teaching each topic. A PROCESS MANUAL (1983 ed.) is available from BCC that details how to organize and set up this program as part of ABE Outreach.

RESOURCES NEEDED: Since this material can be used in a variety of settings, resources will vary. A trained parent educator who has worked with the disadvantaged would be appropriate to review the material and conduct training of group leaders, usually requiring a six-hour session. Purchase of materials would be through NEW READERS PRESS, INC., A Division of LAUBACH INTERNATIONAL, Dept. 90, Box 131, Syracuse, N.Y. 13210.

VARIETY OF USE: Recommended to be used in outreach community centers to reach the disadvantaged and create parent support groups; in Child Care Head Start program, family literacy centers, church settings, drug rehab centers, ABE classes, HRS programs, and school district programs.

TRAINING: Consultant services are available on how to set-up an Outreach parenting/basic skills program for disadvantaged adults. This can be accomplished in a 4 to 6 hour workshop, depending upon the implementation needs of the agency/institution. Individual trainer's consultant fees are $500 per day, plus travel expenses.

CONSULTANT SERVICES:

Brevard Community College

1519 Clear Road Cocoa, FL

TEL: (407) 632-1111, Ext. 3180

FAX: (407) 633-4565

Agency: Manatee County 1993-94

[FAM 1029]

The MALT program provides an intensive instructional learning environment for third, fourth and fifth grade students. The program stresses each student's abilities and self-worth while addressing academic and behavioral concerns. MALT was created out of a need for a structured environment where self-control and basic skills are imposed upon students who are not yet able to gain these skills on their own in a traditional classroom setting.

MALT has five academic periods during the day at which times volunteer tutors are used to reduce the amount of students per class. We use a specific directed teaching method in all subjects and incorporate as many multi-sensorial presentations as possible. Many of our students have attention deficit problems, therefore we change modalities many times during a class period to help pace the students and keep them focused. Manipulatives are used to introduce concepts at a concrete level, working up to the functional and finally abstract levels of language. Skills are reviewed many times as we find repetition to be a key to true retention of material.

Volunteers are the key factor in the success of MALT. Without a number of volunteers working with small groups the students are not able to progress as well. Students are grouped according to ability, not grade level. It is imperative that volunteers recognize and respect the importance of consistency, discipline and multi-sensorial teaching in order to be effective with these students.

Agency: Pasco County 1995-96

[FAM 1030]

The Parents and Children Together (PACT) project directly addresses the priorities of the Adult Education Act by providing adult literacy training for parents who lack basic and functional literacy skills, and focuses on increasing their ability to have a positive effect on the literacy of their children. The overall program objectives include the development and delivery of parent/caregiver/child training workshops, the development of learning activity packets which are used by parents/caregivers in the Parent Resource Center or at home with their children, the maintenance of a community resource referral system, and the utilization of a computer database system to track and monitor project participants' progress and attendance. The need for the project was initially identified by a group of community leaders who represented the targeted clientele.

The major focus of the project operation is on the development of workshops and workshop materials in the form of learning activity packets. During the workshops parents are given hands-on instruction and assistance with the development of a learning activity packet which is taken home to use with their children. "Throw away" items found around the home are used to make the packets. Therefore, no cost is involved for the parents. All parents are given a "first aid" kit that includes glue, markers, scissors, and any other necessary materials needed to construct the activity packet. The curriculum includes a vast amount of materials such as professional commercially produced videotapes, such as: Positive Parenting, Basic Parenting Skills, When Mom and Dad Break Up, Supporting Your Beginning Reader, etc. Learning Activity Packets are all developed around a selected children's book theme. At the end of each workshop, parents and children are given a copy of the book to take home. The project also focuses on gathering needs assessment information, conducted during the intake process, relative to special needs and referrals are made to the appropriate community agency or agencies.

Cooperation with the district elementary schools is vital to the project's success since teachers and school administrators are excellent sources for project referrals. The district literacy program staff persons work very closely with the schools through the on-going family literacy presentations which are conducted during the parent/teacher activities, and the classrooms as well. School personnel also assist with the scheduling of workshops at the school sites, at community sites, and at the parent resource center. Initial funding for the program was provided by a DOE Section 353 grant. However, the district literacy coordinators are now responsible for the continuation and expansion of the project.

Agency: Leon County

[FAM 1031]

This is a family literacy project developed to serve incarcerated parents of school-aged children.

Objectives of the program were:

(1) to establish an on-going identification and referral system for children whose parents are incarcerated at the county jail and

(2) to increase/enhance the parenting skills of inmates at the jail.

The Parent-Child Connection provides a system of support for children enrolled in Leon County Schools whose parents are incarcerated at the Leon County Detention Center. The program fosters communication between parent and the school system, parent and temporary caregiver, and parent and child. On the school level, counselors provide appropriate guidance support for the child. At the jail, parents are offered on-going parenting education classes that reinforce positive parenting skills. The program seeks to ensure that school officials know when a student is experiencing family stress of this kind so that guidance support may be offered. It also seeks to involve the parent in the academic life of the child and in the school community.

The parenting class curriculum consists of fourteen detailed lessons, each containing objectives, lesson plans, background material, activity sheets, and a resource list. Topics included in the curriculum are as follows: Accepting Uniqueness, Self-Esteem Awareness, Parenting for Positive Self-Esteem, Patterns of Communication, Reflective Listening, Conflict Resolution, The Developing Child, The Teen Years, More Teen Issues, Discipline, Strengthening Families, Family Learning Activities, Promoting Success in School, and Coping With Stress. These fourteen lessons contain a wealth of material and could cover more than fourteen class sessions.

Agency: Florida A & M University

[FAM 1032]

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.

Agency: Indian River Community College 1992-93

[FAM 1033]

This program targets both basic and functionally illiterate parents and their children. Since research indicates that parents are the first and most important teachers of their children, this intergenerational program utilizes college students who guide parents in developing the skills necessary to work with their own children. The children, in turn, will demonstrate readiness to acquire knowledge that will ensure success in school.

The college students who work with the parents earn credits in this open entry/open exit and individualized program. A Coordinator arranges tutoring sites and times with each tutor taking into account the student's class and work schedule. Students meet individually with the Coordinator twice a month to turn in reports, discuss progress and/or problems, and evaluate goals.

Arrangements have been made with a number of agencies to serve their clients, such as Headstart, Project Independence, Housing Authority, but the primary source of eligible parent participants has been from an Even Start Grant jointly administered by Indian River Community College and St. Lucie County School District. The Even Start Grant provides funds for the Coordinator and Adult Education teachers, as well as a travel stipend for student tutors. Additional funding is generated through FTE from the college credit students who register for the class. St. Lucie County Schools conducted a needs assessment as a part of Even Start through questionnaire surveys, telephone calls, and home visits. Evaluation of the college students' performance is based on attendance, effort, planning and preparation, classroom participation, and Coordinator observation. The Even Start parents are evaluated on the basis of progress measured by the Tests of Adult Basic Education.

Agency: Palm Beach County

[FAM 1034]

The Department of Federal Programs and the Department of Adult and Community Education of the School Board of Palm Beach County are working together with the new Pre-K Early Intervention Program to provide the parents of these Pre-K students with a parent education program.

The curriculum being used for this four week session is The Bowdoin Method Parent Education Program. During these four sessions which meet for one hour each week, the parents will be provided with information on working with their children in such areas as vocabulary development, building positive feelings, learning experiences and development of visual and auditory abilities.

Classes are held before school hours or after school hours. School aides are provided to be with the children in the Pre-K classroom while the Pre-K teacher is the instructor for the parents in another classroom. The instructor is paid through Lifelong Learning funds through the Department of Adult and Community Education and the aides are paid through the Department of Federal Programs.

Agency: Broward County

[FAM 1035]

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.

Agency: Duval County

[FAM 1036]

Contact: Ann Williams

Ph: (904) 264-0489

Project Y.O.U. is a STUDENT AT-RISK program developed primarily for the purpose of motivating and building self-esteem in kindergarten and grades K-5. This mentor program is supported by the Local Community School Advisory Council at Crown Point Elementary School.

Parents today need all the help they can get. Project Y.O.U. focus is just that: "HELPING PARENTS BUILD BETTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR CHILDREN." Our children are our future and we have a responsibility to make sure the future leaders of our community are positive and productive. We have to be about reaching out to involve them in experiences that will create opportunities for them to belong, learn and give.

Regardless of their home environment, our children of today are at risk. They are at risk of becoming delinquents, substance abusers, adolescent parents, school dropouts and unemployed/under employed. The tragedy is that most at risk youth have enough intelligence to become self-sufficient citizens. Therefore, this project is designed to help students develop to their maximum potential. "Youth On Us" serves as a male and female mentoring opportunity for boys and girls. The program has two components: "JUST FOR SPECIAL BOYS" and "SISTERS". This program seeks to provide positive role models from the Jacksonville business community. We encourage all interested individuals to become mentors. This program has been successfully used at Paxon Senior High School.

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

[FAM 1037]

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.

Agency: Pinellas County

[FAM 1038]

The Sunday School Project is a family ESOL Literacy program specifically designed to overcome barriers to literacy facing a large Southeast Asian limited English proficient (LEP) community in Pinellas County. Classes are offered on Sunday afternoons so students working two shifts may attend. Other features include childcare, native language and culture instruction for older children, and transportation. The program was developed in cooperation with the Pinellas Refugee Assistance Coalition (PRAC), a consortium of educators, community leaders, social service agents and other volunteers.

Over one hundred families participated in the 1990-91 program. Adult ESOL students were grouped into four levels: pre-literate classes, which were divided into the three participant language groups and were taught by trained volunteers with the assistance of interpreters; and beginning, intermediate and advanced classes which were taught by certified instructors who used videotaped lessons as the core of instruction. Students in the beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes each received a workbook and videotape to use at home during the week. Program staff conducted weekly home visits to help students' progress. Student pre- and post-test results for the project year showed a marked increase in literacy skills.

The success of the Sunday School Project, and it proposed continuation without grant funds, is owed to the dedicated and constant cooperation of many groups and agencies. Through monthly PRAC meetings, efforts of the community have been marshaled to ensure achievement of the project's objectives. Local refugee agencies have provided assistance with transportation, childcare, and student recruitment, retention and referral to appropriate educational and social service programs. An English Literacy Grant administered by the Florida Department of Education provided funding for the project in 1990-91. Community agencies are committed to working with the Adult and Community Education department to offer a similar program in the current year. The following personnel is suggested to replicate such a program: a part-time project coordinator, ESOL instructors, interpreters, childcare attendants (including native language instructors), and van drivers.

Agency: Broward County 1993-1994

[FAM 1039]

The Toyota Families for Learning Program brings parents who do not have a high school diploma together with their four (4) and five (5) year old children. Parents work toward improving basic and job readiness skills while their children get a jump on their peers by attending preschool under the same roof. Counselors and trained home service educators support the family. Day care is provided for siblings under four (4) years of age. Breakfast and lunch are served free of charge to parents and children.

Parents participate in adult education according to their needs. This may include Adult Basic Education (ABE), English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL), or General Education Development (GED). Children participate in a developmentally appropriate preschool program. Activities are planned to stimulate language development, promote self-esteem, and reinforce positive feelings toward learning. Parents also receive training related to parenting including information about behavior management, child development, nutrition, health, safety, and their role as the child's first and most important teacher. The parent and child together time (PACT) fosters the partnership between child, parent, and teacher in a risk-free environment. Through play, parents find out they can enhance their child's skills, have fun in the process, and learn about how their child thinks.

The Toyota Families for Learning Program is the result of a successful collaboration of a variety of resources: Toyota Families for Learning grant; Adult and Community Education Department; Child Development Department, adult schools, elementary schools, and School Food Service. In-kind contributions enhance the program and are listed in the application. During its first year the program boasted an 82% retention rate. Transition plans were completed on each student/ family and the results are as follows: Eight percent (8%) of the students received their GED, fourteen percent (14%) entered vocational training, seven percent (7%) entered college, twenty percent (20%) entered intermediate ESOL classes. Ten percent (10%) of the students returned to the program with the child "next in line," and the remaining forty-one percent (41%) entered ABE/GED classes in their communities.

Agency: Flagler County

[FAM 1040]

The Truancy Intervention Program was established to enhance the county's fight against illiteracy and provide assistance to the school system during the budget crunch.

Utilizing school volunteers as attendance advocates (or truancy intervention personnel) began with three residents of a housing project during the early spring of 1992. These three retired individuals were discouraged because during the course of their day they noticed so many school age children out on the streets. Approaching Flagler County's Literacy Advisory Committee, they offered their assistance in monitoring attendance and making home visits.

The volunteers discuss the importance of school attendance to families during the course of these home visits and explain state law and its consequences. They try to emphasize the fact that the school will work with them to make the educational environment comfortable for their child. The family is asked to sign a series of forms pertaining to each person's responsibilities to help bring about improved attendance. Suggestions such as additional school conferences, may be suggested during the course of a home visit. Each volunteer may potentially go to the same family twice after being referred from a school's attendance office. HRS will become involved after the second visit if the family is still not complying.

The first "attendance advocates" were sent out. The home visits were successful and attendance has improved. All of our public schools are very supportive of this concept.

Interagency cooperation is very strong with this Truancy Intervention Project. The State Attorney's Office, HRS, County Sheriff's Office, local police departments and local social service groups all support this program through active participation.

No additional funding has been obtained to run this program.

Agency: Dade County

[FAM 1041]

"WE CAN" targets single parent families. An excess of 90% of the clients referred for counseling and special tutorial services live in households where adult members are required to work additional jobs in order to sustain the family unit.

The program's targeted major objectives are:

1) orient appropriate staff and community to the family counseling mission;

2) create an awareness of the counseling program available to all elementary feeder schools;

3) provide free counseling for "at Risk" families who would otherwise not be able to afford such services.

The names of students/families who qualify for the program are referred to the Assistant Principal, who then assigns them to the appropriate staff counselor. The counselor then initiates contact with the family. At the first meeting the program is explained in detail.

To establish improved family equilibrium, the counselor:

1) helps with family rule clarification and

2) helps implement a family action plan consistent with agreed upon rules.

The staff is comprised of two licensed psychologists, one school guidance counselor, and one migrant counselor. Funding for the program was provided by a federal grant in cooperation with the Dade County Public Schools.

Agency: Pasco County

[FAM 1042]

Contact: Anne H. W. Johnson (813) 929-2206

Goal: The goal of this project is to design literacy and parenting training workshops which will focus on identified needs of inmates incarcerated at the Pasco Detention Center and the New Port Richey County Jail. Workshops will include literacy and parenting skills in addition to intervention strategies.

Background: A recent study "1994 Survey of Pasco County Detention Center Inmate Population" revealed the following: 49% of the inmates have no high school education, 35% were unemployed at time of arrest; 87% admitted to a moderate to severe drug use problem; 75% admitted to a moderate to severe alcohol problem, and 64% admitted to being under the influence of alcohol or drugs at time of arrest.

A large percentage of inmates are parents who have children being cared for by spouses/significant others, grandparents or other family members. The workshops, which are geared to problems of incarcerated parents, are an effective way to solve problems of the inmate's family, and especially the problems of the inmate's children.