Adult Education Incentive Grant Award

Summary of Uses for Program Year 2004

The U.S. Department of Education, in collaboration with the U.S.
Department of Labor, recently announced that 23 states were eligible to
apply for incentive awards authorized by section 503 of the Workforce
Investment Act (WIA). Section 503 of WIA requires states receiving
incentives to exceed performance targets for workforce investment, adult
education, and vocational education programs. Although 37 states
exceeded their adult education performance goals, only 23 met the
statutory requirement in all three programs to receive incentive grants.

A total of \$16.5 million was available for this year's incentive
grants. These funds, awarded under section 503 of WIA, are comprised of
appropriations from the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA)
and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act
(Perkins). Funds are available for eligible states to obligate through
June 30, 2007. Since some states did not report in their incentive grant
applications how much of their award would be used for adult education,
our review could not provide a total dollar amount for a few of the
adult education activities.

States may use incentive grant funds for allowable costs in any one, or
a combination of, workforce investment, adult education, or vocational
education activities. Each year, Division of Adult Education area
coordinators review incentive grant award applications for the
Department of Labor to determine whether proposed uses of funds for
adult education are allowable activities under AEFLA. Applications also
are reviewed to determine whether the state activities are innovative,
comprehensive and coordinated, targeted to improving performance, and
promote cooperation and collaboration. This year's review indicates that
a common denominator for states' activities was improving performance
and promoting cooperation and collaboration.

The midwestern states or Area 3 (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan,
Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wisconsin) led the nation in
exceeding all three programs' performance standards, with eight states
receiving incentive grants. The southern states or Area 2 (Georgia,
Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia) took
second place, with six states receiving awards. The northeastern states
or Area 1 (Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, and
Pennsylvania) placed third in exceeding performance, with five states
receiving awards, and the western states or Area 4 (Arizona, Colorado,
Nevada, and Oregon) had four states receiving awards. (See the matrix on
page 2).

After a base payment, incentive grant amounts are determined by each
state's share of federal workforce development, adult education, and
vocational education funds compared to the total amount from all three
programs available to the whole group of awardees. Because each of the
program's funds is based on population, incentive award amounts reflect
the population of each state. The largest incentive grant award
(\$941,250) this year went to Illinois and the smallest grant
(\$644,150) was awarded to North Dakota.

States used incentive award dollars to fund diverse projects, but many
states earmarked funds for the same types of initiatives, as discussed
below. Last year, the focus of state incentives was primarily on
implementing technology projects and activities. However, this year, a
majority of states invested incentive funds in workforce connections and
GED attainment projects. (See graphic illustration). Michigan devoted
its entire grant award to one project that will focus on workforce
literacy. Activities in Arizona, Indiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, and Wisconsin included implementing career readiness
certificates, developing career pathways with industry, expanding adult
education services in one-stop career centers, and developing strong
state collaborative models for workforce partners. Several states are
making GED attainment or expanding high school completion options their
priorities. These states include Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware,
Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, and West Virginia. Some project activities in Connecticut,
Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin focus on
integrating services, expanding access to secondary completion programs
for in-school and out-of-school youth who are at-risk, and transitioning
youth to postsecondary education and careers. Other project activities
in Delaware, Kentucky, Indiana, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania include
professional development opportunities, teacher certification, content
standards, family learning, and research. Massachusetts is training
providers of services to at-risk older youth, and Colorado is focusing
on adults with learning disabilities. A few states are working on
developing or implementing management information systems: Maryland,
Minnesota, and Oklahoma. West Virginia is enhancing its distance
learning program in rural areas. Colorado's distance education project
is creating a web-based environment, and Delaware is focusing on use of
hand-held devices to collect and report data from remote locations.

Workforce connections will be enhanced and partnerships and
collaborations will be more integrated in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia,
Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, and Wisconsin. South Carolina is working on a portable
credential for basic workplace skills and Oklahoma is implementing a
career readiness credential. Access for targeted populations such as
at-risk youth, parolees, minority groups, and the disadvantaged are
being expanded in Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Nevada. There
is an emphasis on transitioning students to postsecondary education,
training, and careers in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon,
and Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's *Youth in Transition* Project will
raise awareness of the youth dropout issue.

The matrix listed below illustrates incentive grant awards sorted by
regions.

![](media/image1.png){width="5.597222222222222in"
height="3.4027777777777777in"}

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# Area 1. Northeast: CT, DE, MD, MA, PA

# Area 2. Southeast: GA, KY, OK, SC, TN, WV

# Area 3. Midwest : IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, ND, WI

**Area 4. West : AZ, CO, NV, OR**

> ![](media/image2.png){width="6.0in" height="4.75in"}

Incentive Grant Award Summary Chart

+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| #  | ## | ## T | ##   | ## Description                              |
| #  |  S | otal | Adul |                                             |
| Ar | ta |      | t Ed |                                             |
| ea | te | #    |      |                                             |
|    |    | # Am |      |                                             |
|    |    | ount |      |                                             |
+====+====+======+======+=============================================+
| 4  | AZ | \    | \    | ## Adult education incentive funds will enh |
|    |    | $709 | $236 | ance workforce connections. Adult Education |
|    |    | ,618 | ,539 |  Services will refer learners to career and |
|    |    |      |      |  technical education for postsecondary medi |
|    |    |      |      | cal skills training, mentoring job shadowin |
|    |    |      |      | g, and on-the-job training. Learners also w |
|    |    |      |      | ill be referred to one-stop career centers  |
|    |    |      |      | for adult basic education, adult secondary  |
|    |    |      |      | education and English language acquisition. |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 4  | CO | \    | A    | ## Incentive funds will help the            |
|    |    | $680 | dult |  *Colorado Linda Mood Bell* *Training Proje |
|    |    | ,253 | \    | ct* target adults with learning disabilitie |
|    |    |      | $262 | s who enter programs provided by a range of |
|    |    |      | ,000 |  state agencies. The state will develop an  |
|    |    |      | 000  | innovative approach to meet clients' litera |
|    |    |      |      | cy needs in reading, math, study skills, sp |
|    |    |      |      | elling, writing, following directions, read |
|    |    |      |      | ing comprehension, phonemic awareness, crit |
|    |    |      |      | ical thinking, and listening comprehension. |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | ## The i                                    |
|    |    |      |      | ncentive grant also will help support *Buil |
|    |    |      |      | ding the Colorado Four Corners Online ABE L |
|    |    |      |      | earner Community,* a distance education pro |
|    |    |      |      | ject to create a web-based classroom enviro |
|    |    |      |      | nment in a rural area of the state. Users w |
|    |    |      |      | ill include adult education, the community  |
|    |    |      |      | college, and the Board of Cooperation Educa |
|    |    |      |      | tion Services, as well as workforce, vocati |
|    |    |      |      | onal and postsecondary teachers and their a |
|    |    |      |      | dult students. The project is designed not  |
|    |    |      |      | as a replacement for the classroom, but as  |
|    |    |      |      | a supplement allowing greater access, commu |
|    |    |      |      | nication and sharing of information among s |
|    |    |      |      | tudents and between teachers and students.  |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | > Colorado also will use incentive funds    |
|    |    |      |      | > for the *Independent Learning* *Project*, |
|    |    |      |      | > a regional collaborative effort to        |
|    |    |      |      | > address the needs of adult residents in   |
|    |    |      |      | > Montezuma and Dolores counties who are    |
|    |    |      |      | > currently on parole or probation and who  |
|    |    |      |      | > have not earned a high school diploma or  |
|    |    |      |      | > completed the GED examination process.    |
|    |    |      |      | > Students will be able to work at their    |
|    |    |      |      | > own level, any time and anywhere, in a    |
|    |    |      |      | > nonlinear, project-based environment. One |
|    |    |      |      | > of the major goals for each student is to |
|    |    |      |      | > develop self-motivation and               |
|    |    |      |      | > self-direction in a controlled and        |
|    |    |      |      | > supervised environment.                   |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 1  | CT | \    | \    | -   Two of Connecticut's five incentive     |
|    |    | $673 | $525 |     award projects integrate programs and   |
|    |    | ,907 | ,907 |     services for young adult learners in    |
|    |    |      |      |     secondary completion programs.          |
|    |    |      |      |     *Developing Tomorrow's Professional*    |
|    |    |      |      |     provides males from minority            |
|    |    |      |      |     racial/ethnic populations with a        |
|    |    |      |      |     combination of academic instruction,    |
|    |    |      |      |     workplace learning opportunities,       |
|    |    |      |      |     extensive male mentoring, and the       |
|    |    |      |      |     necessary encouragement and support to  |
|    |    |      |      |     facilitate graduation from an adult     |
|    |    |      |      |     secondary completion program, and       |
|    |    |      |      |     matriculation to postsecondary          |
|    |    |      |      |     education. The *Youth Vision Team       |
|    |    |      |      |     Prototype Demonstration* targets older  |
|    |    |      |      |     youth involved with the foster care     |
|    |    |      |      |     system and offers an all-inclusive      |
|    |    |      |      |     package of educational and worksite     |
|    |    |      |      |     experiences and other supportive        |
|    |    |      |      |     services.                               |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 1  | DE | \    | \    | -   Delaware will pilot the use of          |
|    |    | $646 | $176 |     hand-held devices in different types of |
|    |    | ,569 | ,569 |     instructional programs to gather and    |
|    |    |      |      |     record data from remote locations and   |
|    |    |      |      |     train staff on their use for data       |
|    |    |      |      |     collection, recording and data          |
|    |    |      |      |     transfer.                               |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   Delaware will offer free GED tests for  |
|    |    |      |      |     programs throughout the state, gather   |
|    |    |      |      |     statewide information, train staff to   |
|    |    |      |      |     counsel learners, and advertise and     |
|    |    |      |      |     assess individuals who volunteer to     |
|    |    |      |      |     take the free GED.                      |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 2  | GA | \    | \    | -   Georgia will use funds for a            |
|    |    | $762 | $465 |     demonstration site for an *Adult        |
|    |    | ,930 | ,054 |     Literacy Transition* *Center of         |
|    |    |      |      |     Excellence* pilot program. Activities   |
|    |    |      |      |     will focus on developing and            |
|    |    |      |      |     implementing strategies that will prove |
|    |    |      |      |     beneficial for prospective students and |
|    |    |      |      |     workforce development in Georgia.       |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 3  | IL | \    | (Not | -   Illinois will develop and pilot test    |
|    |    | $941 | Av   |     new postsecondary program models that   |
|    |    | ,250 | aila |     involve bridge programs and specialized |
|    |    |      | ble) |     training programs that can be delivered |
|    |    |      |      |     on a regional basis by adult education  |
|    |    |      |      |     providers. Bridge programs are          |
|    |    |      |      |     integrated adult education, technical   |
|    |    |      |      |     skills training, and workplace skills   |
|    |    |      |      |     preparation programs designed for       |
|    |    |      |      |     workers with literacy and language      |
|    |    |      |      |     barriers. Bridge programs can prepare   |
|    |    |      |      |     workers for semi-skilled jobs and entry |
|    |    |      |      |     into foundation programs and further    |
|    |    |      |      |     specialized training.                   |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   Illinois will explore how these new     |
|    |    |      |      |     models can be used to expand access for |
|    |    |      |      |     targeted populations including those    |
|    |    |      |      |     with literacy and language barriers,    |
|    |    |      |      |     nontraditional populations, formerly    |
|    |    |      |      |     incarcerated persons, disadvantaged     |
|    |    |      |      |     adults and youth, as well as people     |
|    |    |      |      |     with disabilities.                      |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 3  | IN | \    | \$58 | -   Indiana will use incentive grant funds  |
|    |    | $717 | ,000 |     to increase adult education providers'  |
|    |    | ,986 |      |     capacity to train and assess adult      |
|    |    |      |      |     students with assessment tools used in  |
|    |    |      |      |     *the 21^st^ Century Workplace Skills*   |
|    |    |      |      |     *Initiative*.                           |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 3  | IA | \    | \    | -   Incentive funds will support            |
|    |    | $665 | $445 |     comprehensive family learning to assist |
|    |    | ,157 | ,655 |     adults in improving literacy skills     |
|    |    |      |      |     needed for economic self-sufficiency    |
|    |    |      |      |     and effectively becoming the primary    |
|    |    |      |      |     teacher for their children and full     |
|    |    |      |      |     partners in their education.            |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 2  | KY | \    | \    | -   Kentucky will fund initiatives to       |
|    |    | $716 | $436 |     analyze current GED attainment levels.  |
|    |    | ,581 | ,801 |     The award will be used to develop and   |
|    |    |      |      |     implement strategies to increase GED    |
|    |    |      |      |     completions and transitions to          |
|    |    |      |      |     postsecondary education.                |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   The grant will develop models and       |
|    |    |      |      |     strategies to improve teaching and      |
|    |    |      |      |     learning. Professional development      |
|    |    |      |      |     efforts will improve the quality of     |
|    |    |      |      |     instruction and play a significant role |
|    |    |      |      |     in student achievement. Educational     |
|    |    |      |      |     attainment levels can be greatly        |
|    |    |      |      |     improved by high quality instruction in |
|    |    |      |      |     reading and mathematics.                |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 1  | MD | \    | \    | -   Maryland will use incentive funds to    |
|    |    | $711 | $463 |     further implement recommendations of    |
|    |    | ,961 | ,985 |     the Superintendent's Panel to increase  |
|    |    |      |      |     business engagement in adult education  |
|    |    |      |      |     and enrollments in adult diploma        |
|    |    |      |      |     programs, including instruction and     |
|    |    |      |      |     distance learning, through a marketing  |
|    |    |      |      |     and public awareness campaign.          |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | ```{=html}                                  |
|    |    |      |      | <!-- -->                                    |
|    |    |      |      | ```                                         |
|    |    |      |      | -   In addition, Maryland will use          |
|    |    |      |      |     incentive funds to increase program     |
|    |    |      |      |     accountability by:                      |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      |     -   creating and publishing an annual   |
|    |    |      |      |         state report on the adult education |
|    |    |      |      |         program; and                        |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      |     -   establishing baseline data on the   |
|    |    |      |      |         transition to postsecondary         |
|    |    |      |      |         education through a cohort study of |
|    |    |      |      |         adult education learners'           |
|    |    |      |      |         transitions to Maryland's           |
|    |    |      |      |         institutions of higher education.   |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | ```{=html}                                  |
|    |    |      |      | <!-- -->                                    |
|    |    |      |      | ```                                         |
|    |    |      |      | -   Using incentive funds, the state will   |
|    |    |      |      |     increase the number of learners         |
|    |    |      |      |     achieving a high school diploma by      |
|    |    |      |      |     offering free access to the Official    |
|    |    |      |      |     Practice GED Test, expanding support    |
|    |    |      |      |     for high school diploma options, and    |
|    |    |      |      |     reducing the waiting list for GED       |
|    |    |      |      |     instruction in state correctional       |
|    |    |      |      |     education facilities.                   |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   The award will allow the state to       |
|    |    |      |      |     accelerate research-based program       |
|    |    |      |      |     components identified as part of the    |
|    |    |      |      |     Superintendent's Panel. Funds will help |
|    |    |      |      |     support: grants to local school         |
|    |    |      |      |     systems, community colleges and         |
|    |    |      |      |     community-based organizations;          |
|    |    |      |      |     professional development; incentives;   |
|    |    |      |      |     assessment improvements; or             |
|    |    |      |      |     collaborations with other states and    |
|    |    |      |      |     research-based institutions.            |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   Maryland will use incentive funds to    |
|    |    |      |      |     improve reporting on WIA performance    |
|    |    |      |      |     measures. The state will continue work  |
|    |    |      |      |     begun with previous WIA incentive funds |
|    |    |      |      |     to develop an integrated data system    |
|    |    |      |      |     for the Literacy Works Information      |
|    |    |      |      |     System (LWIS) and the Maryland GED      |
|    |    |      |      |     database.                               |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   All activities will increase student    |
|    |    |      |      |     enrollment and business involvement in  |
|    |    |      |      |     adult education programs, improve       |
|    |    |      |      |     reporting on WIA core measures of       |
|    |    |      |      |     performance, and provide opportunities  |
|    |    |      |      |     for local programs to implement         |
|    |    |      |      |     research-based activities for           |
|    |    |      |      |     continuous improvement.                 |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 1  | MA | \    | (Not | -   Incentive funds will serve at-risk,     |
|    |    | $712 | Av   |     out-of-school youth who are in need of  |
|    |    | ,003 | aila |     adult basic education, occupational     |
|    |    |      | ble) |     skill development, and job              |
|    |    |      |      |     opportunities.                          |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   The grant will build stronger           |
|    |    |      |      |     partnerships and expand the service     |
|    |    |      |      |     capacity of adult education providers,  |
|    |    |      |      |     vocational technical providers          |
|    |    |      |      |     (Perkins), one-stop career centers, and |
|    |    |      |      |     other providers of services to          |
|    |    |      |      |     out-of-school youth who are at-risk.    |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   Small portions of the funding will      |
|    |    |      |      |     cross-train staff in various            |
|    |    |      |      |     youth-serving organizations on services |
|    |    |      |      |     available to all at-risk older youth*.* |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 3  | MI | \    | \    | -   One hundred percent of Michigan's       |
|    |    | $817 | $817 |     Workforce Investment Act (WIA)          |
|    |    | ,852 | ,852 |     incentive funding for Program Year (PY) |
|    |    |      |      |     2004 performance will be used to fund   |
|    |    |      |      |     the Benton Harbor Workforce Literacy    |
|    |    |      |      |     Project. This project is a pilot that   |
|    |    |      |      |     the state hopes to expand. The project  |
|    |    |      |      |     is designed to help improve workforce   |
|    |    |      |      |     and family programs, expand high school |
|    |    |      |      |     completion and GED attainment rates,    |
|    |    |      |      |     promote transition to postsecondary     |
|    |    |      |      |     education and training, improve         |
|    |    |      |      |     workforce skills, stimulate job growth, |
|    |    |      |      |     and economic development in Benton      |
|    |    |      |      |     Harbor.                                 |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 3  | MN | \    | (Not | -   Minnesota will invest a portion of its  |
|    |    | $669 | Av   |     incentive grant funds to develop a      |
|    |    | ,205 | aila |     statewide web-based management          |
|    |    |      | ble) |     information system (MIS) for the Adult  |
|    |    |      |      |     Education and Family and Literacy Act   |
|    |    |      |      |     to satisfy state and federal reporting  |
|    |    |      |      |     requirements and include several        |
|    |    |      |      |     program management features (e.g.       |
|    |    |      |      |     automated student attendance system --  |
|    |    |      |      |     card swiping, class scheduling, staff   |
|    |    |      |      |     records). An additional requirement is  |
|    |    |      |      |     that the new MIS integrate with the     |
|    |    |      |      |     other WIA state MIS for data            |
|    |    |      |      |     matching/sharing purposes.              |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | > The state also will develop a model       |
|    |    |      |      | > called *Sector Strategies* which will     |
|    |    |      |      | > influence systemic change to benefit      |
|    |    |      |      | > employers, low-wage workers, and          |
|    |    |      |      | > low-income job-seekers, while helping to  |
|    |    |      |      | > meet the demand for skilled employees in  |
|    |    |      |      | > these high-growth industries. This        |
|    |    |      |      | > project will draw on successful           |
|    |    |      |      | > components of sector strategies from      |
|    |    |      |      | > other states (Massachusetts and           |
|    |    |      |      | > Pennsylvania).                            |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 3  | NE | *    | \    | -   Nebraska will use the funds to pay for  |
|    |    | *\$* | $275 |     Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE)    |
|    |    | *651 | ,000 |     materials and teachers' time to         |
|    |    | ,792 |      |     administer the test for one-stop career |
|    |    |      |      |     center clients.                         |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   The Nebraska Department of Labor has    |
|    |    |      |      |     asked ABE to assess the reading and     |
|    |    |      |      |     math skills of their basic              |
|    |    |      |      |     skills-deficient clients. TABE tests    |
|    |    |      |      |     will determine the need for basic       |
|    |    |      |      |     skills instruction for the referred     |
|    |    |      |      |     one-stop career center clients. It is   |
|    |    |      |      |     anticipated that annually more than 400 |
|    |    |      |      |     individuals will be tested. The cost    |
|    |    |      |      |     includes all testing materials, which   |
|    |    |      |      |     will be computer based or               |
|    |    |      |      |     paper-and-pencil, and test              |
|    |    |      |      |     administration.                         |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   ABE students will have the opportunity  |
|    |    |      |      |     to be involved in small, intensive      |
|    |    |      |      |     classes that will provide a variety of  |
|    |    |      |      |     employment skills to assist in making   |
|    |    |      |      |     students job ready or to increase their |
|    |    |      |      |     chances for a better job. The main      |
|    |    |      |      |     source of curriculum will be the        |
|    |    |      |      |     *Workplace Essential Skills Multimedia  |
|    |    |      |      |     Curriculum.* Trainers will teach the    |
|    |    |      |      |     employment class instructors how to use |
|    |    |      |      |     the curriculum effectively. The classes |
|    |    |      |      |     will be approximately 6-8 weeks in      |
|    |    |      |      |     length. Classes may be offered in all   |
|    |    |      |      |     20 ABE programs in the state,           |
|    |    |      |      |     potentially reaching 3,000 -- 4,000     |
|    |    |      |      |     students.                               |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   Staff will attend the U.S. Department   |
|    |    |      |      |     of Education workshop that assists      |
|    |    |      |      |     states in designing professional        |
|    |    |      |      |     development plans for math instruction. |
|    |    |      |      |     Funds will help implement training      |
|    |    |      |      |     statewide so that ABE/GED/ESL           |
|    |    |      |      |     instructors can teach math concepts     |
|    |    |      |      |     vital to students' success in the       |
|    |    |      |      |     workplace, postsecondary education, and |
|    |    |      |      |     daily life more effectively.            |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   Funds will help develop content         |
|    |    |      |      |     standards in line with the Nebraska     |
|    |    |      |      |     state standards for K-12. English as a  |
|    |    |      |      |     second language standards will be the   |
|    |    |      |      |     first section developed.                |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   The state also will use the funds to    |
|    |    |      |      |     continue a GED marketing campaign to    |
|    |    |      |      |     help adults learn about the legitimate  |
|    |    |      |      |     options available to earn a high school |
|    |    |      |      |     credential. The emphasis will be on     |
|    |    |      |      |     what passing the GED tests and earning  |
|    |    |      |      |     a high school diploma can mean to the   |
|    |    |      |      |     individual in terms of employment       |
|    |    |      |      |     and/or further training.                |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 4  | NV | \    | \$   | -   The Nevada Adult Connection (using      |
|    |    | $661 | 220, |     \$28,000 of incentive funds) will unify |
|    |    | ,574 | 524  |     partnerships to create a network of     |
|    |    |      |      |     support and serve as the baseline for   |
|    |    |      |      |     the state's five-year action plan that  |
|    |    |      |      |     can be used by the partners.            |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | ```{=html}                                  |
|    |    |      |      | <!-- -->                                    |
|    |    |      |      | ```                                         |
|    |    |      |      | -   Mini-grants to the state's adult        |
|    |    |      |      |     education programs will enhance adult   |
|    |    |      |      |     education and English as a second       |
|    |    |      |      |     language programs through the purchase  |
|    |    |      |      |     of new curricula, software and other    |
|    |    |      |      |     materials.                              |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 3  | ND | \    | \    | -   Seven programs will provide learners    |
|    |    | $644 | $287 |     with instruction in ESL, GED, certified |
|    |    | ,150 | ,585 |     nursing assistant training, college     |
|    |    |      |      |     preparation, reading, and employability |
|    |    |      |      |     skills.                                 |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   The state also will provide the adult   |
|    |    |      |      |     learning center staff with training in  |
|    |    |      |      |     research and instructional methodology. |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 2  | OK | \    | \    | -   Oklahoma will use incentive funds to    |
|    |    | $688 | $419 |     implement *Career Readiness*            |
|    |    | ,143 | ,466 |     certificates for workers. This          |
|    |    |      |      |     initiative is the result of             |
|    |    |      |      |     collaboration among education,          |
|    |    |      |      |     workforce development, and economic     |
|    |    |      |      |     development agencies.                   |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   Incentive funds will support            |
|    |    |      |      |     development of multi-agency teams to    |
|    |    |      |      |     work out common processes and implement |
|    |    |      |      |     a unified plan to address individual    |
|    |    |      |      |     needs of businesses in the 12 workforce |
|    |    |      |      |     areas. This initiative promotes         |
|    |    |      |      |     cooperation and collaboration between   |
|    |    |      |      |     state agencies, businesses, and         |
|    |    |      |      |     community organizations.                |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   The grant will assist *Centers of       |
|    |    |      |      |     Excellence* in collaborating with       |
|    |    |      |      |     business brokers, rural specialists,    |
|    |    |      |      |     higher education, career specialists,   |
|    |    |      |      |     community development groups, adult     |
|    |    |      |      |     education, manufacturer's extension     |
|    |    |      |      |     agents, workforce specialists, WIB      |
|    |    |      |      |     service providers, economic development |
|    |    |      |      |     specialists, Career Technology Centers, |
|    |    |      |      |     industrial coordinators and counselors  |
|    |    |      |      |     to develop career pathways with         |
|    |    |      |      |     industry input through innovative       |
|    |    |      |      |     processes. They will operate in         |
|    |    |      |      |     coordination with the Local Workforce   |
|    |    |      |      |     Investment Board and serve access sites |
|    |    |      |      |     across the state.                       |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      | -   Funds will help implement a web-based   |
|    |    |      |      |     *Career Management System*. This tool   |
|    |    |      |      |     will bring partners together on line    |
|    |    |      |      |     and provide joint services through a    |
|    |    |      |      |     single web-based system. It will also   |
|    |    |      |      |     provide a virtual link between          |
|    |    |      |      |     workforce and economic development.     |
|    |    |      |      |     This system will allow the state to     |
|    |    |      |      |     offer access to quality services for    |
|    |    |      |      |     more people with leveraged resources.   |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 4  | OR | \    | \    | -   Oregon will use incentive funds to      |
|    |    | $714 | $250 |     pursue *Pathways to Advancement*        |
|    |    | ,422 | ,000 |     initiatives in two broad areas:         |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      |     -   Developing and testing replicable   |
|    |    |      |      |         "bridge models" for ABE, GED, ESL   |
|    |    |      |      |         and developmental education;        |
|    |    |      |      |                                             |
|    |    |      |      |     -   Aligning *Pathways to Advancement*  |
|    |    |      |      |         linkages between workforce partners |
|    |    |      |      |         and community colleges to           |
|    |    |      |      |         strengthen and/or develop secondary |
|    |    |      |      |         and postsecondary professional      |
|    |    |      |      |         technical *Pathways to Advancement* |
|    |    |      |      |         linkages.                           |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 1  | PA | \    | (Not | -   Pennsylvania's incentive funds will     |
|    |    | $853 | Av   |     help support a *Youth in Transition     |
|    |    | ,980 | aila |     Project* to encourage development of    |
|    |    |      | ble) |     high quality educational opportunities  |
|    |    |      |      |     for disconnected youth to receive       |
|    |    |      |      |     relevant education, counseling, and     |
|    |    |      |      |     training focused on high school         |
|    |    |      |      |     completion, and preparing for and       |
|    |    |      |      |     transitioning to postsecondary          |
|    |    |      |      |     education and successful careers. The   |
|    |    |      |      |     project is designed to raise awareness  |
|    |    |      |      |     of the severity of the dropout issue in |
|    |    |      |      |     Pennsylvania and to highlight the       |
|    |    |      |      |     underlying needs of the population that |
|    |    |      |      |     is aging out of foster care.            |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 2  | SC | \    | \    | -   Adult education incentive dollars will  |
|    |    | $709 | $432 |     fund expanded adult education services  |
|    |    | ,298 | ,361 |     in one-stop career centers across the   |
|    |    |      |      |     state. These services will include a    |
|    |    |      |      |     portable credential for basic workplace |
|    |    |      |      |     skills.                                 |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 2  | TN | \    | (Not | -   Incentive grant funds will help         |
|    |    | $740 | Av   |     increase the state's number of GEDs by  |
|    |    | ,699 | aila |     paying for GED instruction and          |
|    |    |      | ble) |     materials.                              |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 2  | WV | \    | \    | -   The state will use incentive funds to   |
|    |    | $685 | $417 |     enhance and expand the distance         |
|    |    | ,054 | ,584 |     learning program (*Advantage GED*) to   |
|    |    |      |      |     rural and hard-to-reach areas. The      |
|    |    |      |      |     Adult Education and Workforce           |
|    |    |      |      |     Development Office will direct this     |
|    |    |      |      |     activity.                               |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+
| 3  | WI | \    | (Not | -   Funds will be used to encourage new     |
|    |    | $713 | Av   |     approaches to preparing and upgrading   |
|    |    | ,988 | aila |     the skills of high school youth,        |
|    |    |      | ble) |     dislocated workers and incumbent        |
|    |    |      |      |     workers, as well as developing strong   |
|    |    |      |      |     collaborative models at the local level |
|    |    |      |      |     that could be replicated statewide.     |
|    |    |      |      |     This collaborative approach will        |
|    |    |      |      |     include coordination among the          |
|    |    |      |      |     workforce development and education     |
|    |    |      |      |     systems.                                |
+----+----+------+------+---------------------------------------------+

In summary, adult education programs are working collaboratively with
workforce investment partners to expand programs and services to
students in need of basic skills and secondary education options. States
continue to promote the integration of services with the one-stop career
centers. More information on these activities can be obtained by
contacting the state director of adult education in the specified state
at the following website:
<http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/org_list.cfm?category_cd=DAE>.