End-of-Year 2009-10 Progress Report to the California Legislature: Implementation and Impact of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Title II Adult Education and Family Literacy Act
Author: CASAS (Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems)
Date: 2011-02-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Outcome Measures,Program Effectiveness,Adult Basic Education,Adult Learning,Adult Students,Family Literacy,Program Implementation,State Legislation,English (Second Language),Second Language Programs,Annual Reports,Educational Needs,Enrollment Trends,Geographic Location,Grants,Educational Objectives,Performance Based Assessment,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Skill Analysis,Federal Aid,Funding Formulas,Transitional Programs

The Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) provide funding for states and territories to provide instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) to adults in need of these literacy services. California State Budget Act language for fiscal year 2009-10 (Item 6110-156-0890 provision 3) requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to report on the implementation of the WIA, Title II. Fiscal year 2009-10 represents the eleventh year of WIA, Title II implementation. Two major implementation goals are to: (1) increase performance outcomes; (2) increase student success in transitions to postsecondary education and to the workforce. The WIA, Title II multiyear grants are funded on a pay-for-performance basis. California's federal funding allocation plan is based on documented student performance and goal attainment in educational programs. It requires all agencies to collect the following information on all students for whom they receive federal funding: (1) Demographic and educational program information; (2) Individual student progress and learning gains in the literacy skill levels of reading, writing, and speaking, the English language, numeracy, English language acquisition; and other literacy skills; and (3) Student outcomes, including the completion of a General Educational Development (GED) Test certificate, attainment of a high school diploma, acquisition or retention of unsubsidized employment, and entered postsecondary education or training. Each year, California uses the student performance data to negotiate performance goals with the U.S. Department of Education (ED), Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), for eleven literacy levels within the program areas of ABE, ASE, and ESL, and the four core follow-up outcome measures of: (1) entered employment; (2) retained employment; (3) entered postsecondary education or training; and (4) attained a GED certificate or high school diploma. The literacy level performance goals are based on the percentage of all enrollees who complete a literacy level within the program year. The core follow-up outcome measures are based on the percentage of adult learners who identify specific goals for their enrollment and achieve their goals after exiting the program. Appended are: (1) Progress Measures; (2) WIA Title II Enrollments and Performance; (3) CASAS Skill Level Descriptors for ABE and ASE; and (4) CASAS Skill Level Descriptors for ESL. (Contains 2 footnotes.) [For the 2009 edition of this report, see ED540984.]