I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1562
To provide assistance to States and local communities to improve adult
education and literacy, to help achieve the National Educational Goals
for all citizens, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 8, 1997
Mr. CLAY (for himself and Mr. KILDEE) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To provide assistance to States and local communities to
improve adult education and literacy, to help achieve
the National Educational Goals for all citizens, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
TITLE I—AMENDMENT TO THE ADULT
EDUCATION ACT
AMENDMENT
SEC. 101. The Adult Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1201
et seq.; hereinafter referred to as ‘‘the Act’’) is amended
in its entirety to read as follows:
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‘‘TITLE III—ADULT BASIC EDUCATION AND
LITERACY PROGRAMS
‘‘SEC. 301. (a) SHORT TITLE.—This title may be
cited as the ‘Adult Basic Education and Literacy Act’.
‘‘(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents
for this title is as follows:
‘‘TABLE OF CONTENTS
‘‘Sec. 301. Short title; table of contents.
‘‘Sec. 302. Findings; purpose.
‘‘Sec. 303. Authorization of appropriations.
‘‘PART A—ADULT EDUCATION AND LITERACY
‘‘Sec. 311. Program Authority; Priorities.
‘‘Sec. 312. State Grants for Adult Education and Literacy.
‘‘Sec. 313. State Leadership Activities.
‘‘Sec. 314. State Administration.
‘‘Sec. 315. State Plan.
‘‘Sec. 316. Awards to Eligible Applicants.
‘‘Sec. 317. Applications From Eligible Applicants.
‘‘Sec. 318. State Performance Goals and Indicators.
‘‘Sec. 319. Evaluation, Improvement, and Accountability.
‘‘Sec. 320. Allotments; Reallotment.
‘‘PART B—NATIONAL LEADERSHIP
‘‘Sec. 331. National Leadership Activities.
‘‘Sec. 332. Awards for National Excellence.
‘‘Sec. 333. National Institute for Literacy.
‘‘PART C—GENERAL PROVISIONS
‘‘Sec. 341. Waivers.
‘‘Sec. 342. Definitions.
‘‘FINDINGS; PURPOSE
‘‘SEC. 302. (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that:
‘‘(1) Our Nation’s well-being is dependent on
the knowledge and skills of all of its citizens.
‘‘(2) Advances in technology and changes in the
workplace are rapidly increasing the knowledge and
skill requirements for workers.
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‘‘(3) Our social cohesion and success in combat-
ing poverty, crime, and disease also depend on the
Nation’s having an educated citizenry.
‘‘(4) There is a strong relationship between par-
ents’ education and literacy and their children’s edu-
cational achievement. The success of State and local
educational reforms supported by the Goals 2000:
Educate America Act and other programs that State
and local communities are implementing requires
that parents be well educated and possess the ability
to be a child’s first and most continuous teacher.
‘‘(5) There is a strong relationship between lit-
eracy and poverty. Data from the 1993 National
Adult Literacy Survey show that adults with very
low levels of literacy are ten times as likely to be
poor as those with high levels of literacy.
‘‘(6) Studies, including the National Adult Lit-
eracy Survey, have found that more than one-fifth of
American adults demonstrate very low literacy skills
that make it difficult for them to be economically
self-sufficient, much less enter high-skill, high-wage
jobs, or to assist effectively in their children’s edu-
cation.
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‘‘(7) Many Americans desire English instruction
to help them exercise their rights and responsibilities
as citizens.
‘‘(8) National studies have also shown that ex-
isting federally supported adult education programs
have assisted many adults in acquiring basic literacy
skills, learning English, or acquiring a high school
diploma (or its equivalent), and that family literacy
programs have shown great potential for breaking
the intergenerational cycle of low literacy and having
a positive effect on later school performance and
high school completion, especially for children from
low-income families.
‘‘(9) Currently, the Adult Education Act lacks
adequate accountability requirements, and contains
set-asides and categorical programs that are often
narrowly focused on specific populations or methods
of service delivery, thus inhibiting the capacity of
State and local officials to implement programs that
meet the needs of individual States and localities.
‘‘(10) The Federal Government, in partnership
with States and localities, can assist States and lo-
calities to improve and expand their adult education
and literacy programs through provision of clear
performance goals and indicators, increased State
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and local flexibility, improved accountability, and in-
centives for performance.
‘‘(11) The Federal Government can also assist
States and localities by supporting research, develop-
ment, demonstration, dissemination, evaluation, ca-
pacity-building, data collection, professional develop-
ment, and technical assistance activities that further
State and local efforts to improve student achieve-
ment in adult education and literacy programs.
‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—(1) It is the purpose of this title to
create a performance partnership that includes the Fed-
eral Government, States, and localities to help provide for
adult education and literacy services so that, as called for
in the National Education Goals, all adults who need such
services will, as appropriate, be able to—
‘‘(A) become literate and obtain the knowledge
and skills needed to compete in a global economy
and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizen-
ship;
‘‘(B) complete a high school education; and
‘‘(C) become their children’s first teacher and
remain actively involved in their children’s education
in order to ensure their children’s readiness for, and
success in, school.
‘‘(2) This purpose shall be pursued by—
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‘‘(A) building on State and local education re-
forms supported by the Goals 2000: Educate Amer-
ica Act and other Federal and State legislation;
‘‘(B) consolidating numerous Federal adult edu-
cation and literacy programs into a single, flexible
State grant program; and
‘‘(C) tying local programs to challenging State-
developed performance goals that are consistent with
the purpose of this Act;
‘‘(D) holding States, and localities accountable
for achieving such goals;
‘‘(E) building program quality through such
measures as improving instruction, encouraging
greater use of technology in adult education and lit-
eracy programs, and improving the professional de-
velopment of educators working in those programs;
‘‘(F) integrating adult education and literacy
programs with States’ school-to-work opportunities
systems, secondary and postsecondary education sys-
tems, job training programs, welfare programs, early
childhood and elementary school programs, and
other related activities;
‘‘(G) supporting State leadership and program
improvement efforts; and
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‘‘(H) supporting the improvement of State and
local activities through nationally significant efforts
in research, development, demonstration, dissemina-
tion, evaluation, capacity-building, data collection,
professional development, and technical assistance.
‘‘AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
‘‘SEC. 303. (a) STATE GRANTS FOR ADULT EDU-
CATION AND LITERACY.—For the purpose of carrying out
this title there are authorized to be appropriated
$394,000,000 for fiscal year 1998 and such sums as may
be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1999 through
2005.
‘‘(b) RESERVATIONS.—From the amount appro-
priated for any fiscal year under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall reserve not more than 5 percent to carry out
section 318(c)(2) and part B of this Act, of which not
more than 3 percent of the amount appropriated for any
fiscal year after 1999 under subsection (a) may be used
for awards for national excellence under section 332.
‘‘PART A—ADULT EDUCATION AND LITERACY
‘‘PROGRAM AUTHORITY; PRIORITIES
‘‘SEC. 311. (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—In order to
provide adults with the skills they need as workers, citi-
zens, and parents, funds under this part shall be used to
support the development, implementation, and improve-
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ment of adult education and literacy programs at the
State and local levels.
‘‘(b) PROGRAM PRIORITIES.—In using funds under
this part, States and local recipients shall give priority to
adult education and literacy programs that—
‘‘(1) are built on a strong foundation of re-
search and effective educational practice;
‘‘(2) effectively employ advances in technology,
as appropriate, such as using computers in the class-
room and technology that brings learning into the
home;
‘‘(3) provide learning in ‘real life’ contexts, such
as work, the family, and citizenship;
‘‘(4) are staffed by well-trained instructors,
counselors, and administrators;
‘‘(5) are of sufficient intensity and duration for
participants to achieve substantial learning gains,
such as by earning a basic skills certificate that re-
flects skills acquisition and has meaning to employ-
ers;
‘‘(6) establish measurable goals for client out-
comes, such as levels of literacy achieved and attain-
ment of a high school diploma or its equivalent, that
are tied to challenging State performance standards
for literacy proficiency;
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‘‘(7) coordinate with other available resources
in the community, such as by establishing strong
links with elementary and secondary schools, post-
secondary institutions, one-stop career centers, job
training programs, and social service agencies;
‘‘(8) offer flexible schedules and support serv-
ices (such as child care and transportation) that are
necessary to enable individuals, including adults with
disabilities or other special needs, to attend and
complete programs; and
‘‘(9) maintain a high-quality information man-
agement system that has the capacity to report cli-
ent outcomes and to monitor program performance
against the State goals and indicators.
‘‘STATE GRANTS FOR ADULT EDUCATION AND LITERACY
‘‘SEC. 312. (a) STATE GRANT.—From the funds
available for State grants under section 303 for each fiscal
year, the Secretary shall, in accordance with section 320,
make a grant to each State that has an approved State
plan under section 315, to assist that State in developing,
implementing, and improving adult education and literacy
programs within the State.
‘‘(b) RESERVATION
OF
FUNDS.—(1) From the
amount awarded to a State for any fiscal year under sub-
section (a), a State may, subject to paragraph (2), use
up to 18 percent for State leadership activities under sec-
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tion 313 and the cost of administering its program under
this part.
‘‘(2) A State may not use more than 5 percent of
the amount awarded to it for any fiscal year under sub-
section (a), or $80,000, whichever is greater, for the cost
of administering its program under this part.
‘‘(c) FEDERAL SHARE.—(1) The Federal share of ex-
penditures to carry out a State plan under section 315
shall be paid from the State’s grant under subsection (a).
‘‘(2) The Federal share shall be no greater than 75
percent of the cost of carrying out the State plan for each
fiscal year, except that with respect to Guam, American
Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Islands the
Federal share may be 100 percent.
‘‘(3) The State’s share of expenditures to carry out
a State plan submitted under section 315 may be in cash
or in kind, fairly evaluated, and may include only non-
Federal funds that are used for adult education and lit-
eracy activities in a manner that is consistent with the
purposes of this title.
‘‘(d) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.—(1) A State may
receive funds under this part for any fiscal year only if
the Secretary finds that the amount expended by the State
for adult education and literacy, in the second preceding
fiscal year, was not less than 90 percent of the amount
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expended for adult education and literacy, in the third pre-
ceding fiscal year.
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall reduce the amount of the
allocation of funds to a State under section 320 for any
fiscal year in the proportion to which the State fails to
meet the requirement of paragraph (1) by expending in
the second preceding fiscal year for adult education and
literacy less than 90 percent of the amount the State ex-
pended in the third preceding fiscal year for adult edu-
cation and literacy.
‘‘(3) The Secretary may waive the requirements of
this subsection for one fiscal year only if the Secretary
determines that a waiver would be equitable due to excep-
tional or uncontrollable circumstances, such as a natural
disaster or any unforeseen and precipitous decline in the
financial resources of the State.
‘‘(4) If the Secretary reduces a State’s allocation
under paragraph (2), or grants a waiver under paragraph
(3), the level of effort required under paragraph (1) shall
not be reduced in the subsequent fiscal year because of
the reduction or waiver.
‘‘STATE LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES
‘‘SEC. 313. (a) STATE LEADERSHIP.—(1) Each State
that receives a grant under section 312(a) for any fiscal
year shall use funds reserved for State leadership under
section 312(b) to conduct activities of Statewide signifi-
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cance that develop, implement, or improve programs of
adult education and literacy, consistent with its State plan
under section 315.
‘‘(2) In using funds reserved for State leadership ac-
tivities, each State shall, to the extent practicable, avoid
duplicating research and development efforts conducted by
other States.
‘‘(b) USES OF FUNDS.—(1) States shall use funds
under subsection (a) for one or more of the following—
‘‘(A) professional development and training;
‘‘(B) developing and disseminating curricula for
adult education and literacy programs;
‘‘(C) monitoring and evaluating the quality of,
and improvement in, services and activities con-
ducted with assistance under this part, including es-
tablishing performance goals and indicators under
section 318, in order to assess program quality and
improvement;
‘‘(D) establishing State content standards for
adult education and literacy programs;
‘‘(E) establishing challenging State performance
standards for literacy proficiency;
‘‘(F) promoting the integration of literacy in-
struction and occupational skill training, and link-
ages with employers;
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‘‘(G) promoting, and providing staff training in,
the use of instructional and management software
and technology;
‘‘(H) establishing program and professional de-
velopment networks to assist in meeting the pur-
poses of this Act;
‘‘(I) developing and participating in networks
and consortia of States, and in cooperative Federal-
State initiatives, that seek to establish and imple-
ment adult education and literacy programs that
have significance to the State, region, or Nation; and
‘‘(J) other activities of Statewide significance
that promote the purposes of this title.
‘‘(2)(A) beginning in fiscal year 2000, States may use
funds under subsection (a) for financial incentives or
awards to one or more eligible recipients in recognition
of—
‘’(i) exemplary quality or innovation in adult
education or literacy services and activities; or
‘‘(ii) exemplary services and activities for indi-
viduals who are most in need of such services and
activities, or are hardest to serve, such as education-
ally disadvantaged adults and families, immigrants,
individuals with limited English proficiency, incar-
cerated individuals, homeless individuals, recipients