Enacted in 1998, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) is the primary federal legislation that supports basic education for out-of-school adults. Commonly called “adult education,” the programs funded by AEFLA typically support educational services at the secondary level and below, as well as English language training. Actual services are typically provided by local entities using a combination of federal and non-federal funds. Specific curricula vary based on the needs and objectives of the local student population.
In FY2013, approximately $575 million was appropriated for AEFLA. Of this sum, approximately $21 million was set aside for national activities and incentive grants. The remaining $554 million was allocated to the states via formula grants. To receive a federal grant, states are required to provide a match so that non-federal resources account for at least 25% of the total resources dedicated to adult education. Many states contribute well beyond their required match, though there is substantial variation among the states.
The statute specifies that 82.5% of each state’s grant must be subgranted to local providers of educational services. These local providers are most commonly local education agencies (typically school districts) or institutions of higher education (typically community, junior, or technical colleges). Nonprofit agencies, correctional institutions, and other entities may also receive grants.
Adult education activities provided at the local level are divided into three broad categories:
Adult Basic Education (ABE), which includes instruction for adults whose literacy and numeracy skills are below the high school level;
Adult Secondary Education (ASE), which includes instruction for adults whose literacy skills are approximately at the high school level, including adults who are seeking to pass the General Education Development (GED) test; and
English literacy (EL), which includes instruction for adults who are not proficient in the English language.
In program year 2011-2012 (the most recent year for which complete data are available), approximately 1.8 million individuals participated in state adult education activities for an average of 124 hours each. A plurality of the students (47%) participated in ABE while a smaller share (40%) participated in EL activities. The remaining share of adult education students (13%) participated in ASE activities. Non-federal funds accounted for the majority of spending on these activities.
The authorization of appropriations for AEFLA expired at the end of FY2003, though the programs it supports have continued to be funded through the annual appropriations process. AEFLA was enacted as Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) and AEFLA reauthorization debate has also been part of broader efforts to reauthorize WIA.
Enacted in 1998, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) is the primary federal legislation that supports basic education for out-of-school adults. Commonly called "adult education," the programs funded by AEFLA typically support educational services at the secondary level and below, as well as English language training. Actual services are typically provided by local entities using a combination of federal and non-federal funds. Specific curricula vary based on the needs and objectives of the local student population.
In FY2013, approximately $575 million was appropriated for AEFLA. Of this sum, approximately $21 million was set aside for national activities and incentive grants. The remaining $554 million was allocated to the states via formula grants. To receive a federal grant, states are required to provide a match so that non-federal resources account for at least 25% of the total resources dedicated to adult education. Many states contribute well beyond their required match, though there is substantial variation among the states.
The statute specifies that 82.5% of each state's grant must be subgranted to local providers of educational services. These local providers are most commonly local education agencies (typically school districts) or institutions of higher education (typically community, junior, or technical colleges). Nonprofit agencies, correctional institutions, and other entities may also receive grants.
Adult education activities provided at the local level are divided into three broad categories:
In program year 2011-2012 (the most recent year for which complete data are available), approximately 1.8 million individuals participated in state adult education activities for an average of 124 hours each. A plurality of the students (47%) participated in ABE while a smaller share (40%) participated in EL activities. The remaining share of adult education students (13%) participated in ASE activities. Non-federal funds accounted for the majority of spending on these activities.
The authorization of appropriations for AEFLA expired at the end of FY2003, though the programs it supports have continued to be funded through the annual appropriations process. AEFLA was enacted as Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) and AEFLA reauthorization debate has also been part of broader efforts to reauthorize WIA.
Many adults in the United States have low levels of literacy or numeracy, or limited English language proficiency.1 Under the authorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), the federal government has made grants to states to provide services to improve these skills among adults who are not enrolled in school. Commonly called "adult education" efforts, these investments provide educational services to adults at the secondary level and below, as well as English language training.
Adult education services are typically provided by local entities using a combination of federal and non-federal funds. Students include those seeking to develop basic skills, those seeking to obtain a secondary credential, and English language learners of various educational backgrounds. Curricula vary based on student needs and objectives. According to the most recent annual data, the average adult education student received 124 hours of instruction. Adult education instructors are a combination of full-time, part-time, and volunteer personnel.
AEFLA programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) through its Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE).2 In FY2013, appropriations under the act were $575 million. Of this appropriation, $554 million was distributed to the states via formula grants.
This report will provide background information on AEFLA and the activities it funds. The report begins with a description of the law itself. This description focuses on AEFLA's largest component, the state grants program. The second half of the report uses program data to describe the implementation of the state grants program, including the data on providers and participants.
AEFLA was enacted as Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA; P.L. 105-220). It replaced the National Literacy Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-73) and the Adult Education Act of 1966 (P.L. 89-750).
AEFLA authorized such sums as necessary to carry out its functions from FY1999 through FY20003. When the program was not reauthorized, the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) automatically extended AEFLA authorization for one year. Since the expiration of this extension, the program has continued to be funded through the annual appropriations process. AEFLA reauthorization has been debated in the context of broader efforts to reauthorize WIA.3
The statutory purpose of AEFLA is to
(1) assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency;
(2) assist adults who are parents to obtain the educational skills necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children; and
(3) assist adults in the completion of a secondary school education.4
To fulfill this purpose, statute authorizes funds for adult education activities, which it defines as services or instruction below the postsecondary level for individuals who are at least 16 years old, are not enrolled in school nor required to be enrolled in school under state law, and either
(i) lack sufficient mastery of basic educational skills to enable the individuals to function effectively in society;
(ii) do not have a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and have not achieved an equivalent level of education; or
(iii) are unable to speak, read, or write the English language.5
AEFLA specifies portions of its annual appropriation that are set aside for certain programs.6 The remaining funds (which are typically more than 95% of the annual appropriation) are distributed to the states through formula grants.7
AEFLA specifies how funds are allotted to each state as well as the proportion of each state's grant that must be allotted to various activities. The act also sets criteria for how state grant funds must be subgranted to local service providers.
Section 211(b) of AEFLA specifies a two-step process through which state grant funds are distributed. First, there is an initial allotment of $250,000 to each state and $100,000 to each eligible outlying area.8 The second step of the allotment process distributes the remainder of the funding by formula. The formula is based on each state's share of qualifying adults. Qualifying adults are those who are
States must match their grants so that 25% of the state's total adult education resources are from non-federal sources.9 Non-federal matches may be cash or in-kind.10 In outlying areas, the non-federal share must be at least 12%.
AEFLA's hold harmless provisions specify that states and outlying areas shall receive grants equal to at least 90% of the grant they received in the previous fiscal year.11 AEFLA's maintenance of effort provisions require each state and outlying area to expend at least 90% of what it spent in the prior year on adult education activities.12
Table B-1 in Appendix B lists the annual allotments to each state from FY2011 to FY2013.
Since FY2000, appropriations legislation has set aside a portion of the AEFLA state grant funding for integrated English literacy and civics education services (EL-Civics) to limited-English-proficient populations. In FY2013, this set-aside was $70.81 million or about 12.8% of state grants funding.13 The remainder of state grant funds were allotted using the formula described in the previous section.
The provisions of the EL-Civics grants are enumerated in annual appropriations legislation and are not established elsewhere in law. EL-Civics funds are distributed to the states based on recent immigration data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).14 Typically, 65% of the EL-Civics funding is distributed based on each state's relative share of immigrants admitted for legal permanent residence in the 10 most recent years and 35% is distributed based on each state's relative share of immigrants admitted for legal permanent residence in the three most recent years.
Table B-2 in Appendix B lists the annual EL-Civics allotments to each state from FY2011 to FY2013.
Section 222 of AEFLA specifies several requirements on how states must allocate their grant funds:
All recipients of local subgrants must use funds for the provision of one or more of the following services: adult education and literacy services, family literacy services, and/or English literacy programs. Entities eligible to receive local subgrants include local educational agencies, community and faith-based organizations, institutions of higher education, and other nonprofit organizations.16
AEFLA requires states to consider certain factors when selecting local subgrant recipients. Most of these considerations relate to a subgrantee's ability to successfully serve qualifying adults (particularly high-need populations) and accurately report performance data.17
Section 224 of AEFLA specifies that, to receive a grant, each state must submit, or have on file, a state plan. Plans are five years in duration. State plans must contain18
As an alternative to developing a specialized AEFLA plan, WIA allows states to develop a unified plan that combines AEFLA requirements with other federally funded workforce development programs.19
Section 212 establishes a performance accountability system for grantees under AEFLA. It requires grantees to track participation and other core indicators of performance. These core indicators are
States report their performance via the online National Reporting System (NRS). Reports from the NRS provide the program data presented in the "AEFLA Implementation and Program Data" section later in this report.
Section 211(a) of AEFLA specifies several set-asides from sums appropriated under the act.
Actual appropriations activities have varied from these statutory directives. For example, NIFL has not received funding since FY2009 and some of its functions have been consolidated into National Leadership Activities. Since NIFL stopped receiving AEFLA funding, the set-aside for National Leadership Activities in appropriations legislation has exceeded 1.5% of AEFLA appropriations. Annual set-asides are listed in Table A-1 in Appendix A.
As discussed in the prior section, AEFLA specifies certain requirements for state grants (and local subgrants) but leaves many decisions to the states and localities. This section will use program data from the NRS to illustrate the nature of states' and localities' adult education services, providers, students, and outcomes.25 NRS data are typically reported by program year (PY), which runs nine months behind the fiscal year (e.g., PY2011-2012 was from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012). As such, the data discussed in this section will not align precisely with fiscal year information discussed elsewhere in this report.
When interpreting the data in this section, it is important to note that many states contribute beyond their AEFLA-required match. Localities and private entities may also contribute to adult education activities, and federal funds subsequently account for only a minority of the funds used to provide local adult education services.
AEFLA-funded adult education services are typically administered at the local level. NRS data (and most other adult education literature) divides these services into three primary categories.
States have diverse adult education populations and there are large variations among the states in terms of enrollment levels in each program. For example, in PY2011-2012, Nevada reported that 80% of its adult education students were enrolled in EL courses while Louisiana reported that 81% of its adult education students were enrolled in ABE courses.
Eligible providers of AEFLA-funded services include both public and private entities. Table 1 presents data on the allotment of federal AEFLA funds and state funds to eligible providers in PY2011-2012. Local education agencies (typically school districts) were the largest recipients of both federal and state adult education funding.
Table 1 may exclude some non-federal, non-state contributions to adult education activities such as local funding and in-kind contributions. Comprehensive estimates of non-federal effort are available from each state's annual Financial Status Report (FSR). States' final FSR reports for the 2011-2012 program year will be available after September 2013. Aggregated data on non-federal effort from prior years' FSRs are not readily available.26
|
Provider Agency |
AEFLA Funding Total |
AEFLA Funding % of Total |
State Funding Total |
State Funding % of Total |
|
Local Education Agencies |
$254,239,492 |
50.6% |
$1,082,312,982 |
77.8% |
|
Institutions of Higher Education |
$158,903,708 |
31.6% |
$214,474,276 |
15.4% |
|
Community Junior or Technical Colleges |
$144,122,868 |
28.7% |
$209,969,359 |
15.1% |
|
Four-Year Colleges or Universities |
$6,041,315 |
1.2% |
$3,109,273 |
0.2% |
|
Other Institutions of Higher Education |
$8,739,526 |
1.7% |
$1,395,644 |
0.1% |
|
Public or Private Nonprofit Agencies |
$68,670,126 |
13.7% |
$52,600,030 |
3.8% |
|
Community-Based Organizations |
$54,036,910 |
10.8% |
$47,210,692 |
3.4% |
|
Faith-Based Organizations |
$10,701,670 |
2.1% |
$4,811,538 |
0.3% |
|
Libraries |
$3,931,545 |
0.8% |
$577,801 |
<0.1% |
|
Other Agencies |
$20,345,302 |
4.1% |
$41,067,663 |
3.0% |
|
Correctional Institutions |
$12,904,283 |
2.6% |
$29,943,503 |
2.2% |
|
Other Institutions (non-correctional) |
$732,725 |
0.1% |
$4,640,433 |
0.3% |
|
All Other Agencies |
$6,708,293 |
1.3% |
$6,483,728 |
0.5% |
|
Total |
$502,158,628 |
100.0% |
$1,390,454,951 |
100.0% |
Source: National Reporting System, Aggregate NRS Table 14 for PY2011-2012. Tables generated at http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/reports/ on April 4, 2013. Data for Maine have not yet been approved by ED and were not included in this table.
Note: Due to rounding, the sum of subgroups may not equal totals. Since funds are reported on a program year basis, they may not correspond with fiscal year funding levels discussed elsewhere in the report. State funding may not include local, private, or in-kind contributions to adult education activities.
AEFLA services are provided by a combination of paid staff and volunteers. Table 2 presents data on state and local adult education personnel in PY2011-2012. Local teachers were the largest personnel group and almost 85% of this group was either part-time or volunteers. As is the case with other program components, the characteristics of each state's adult education personnel varied by state. For example, nearly 50% of Kentucky's teachers are full-time while more than 70% of the teachers in Pennsylvania are volunteers.
|
Position |
Number |
Share of Personnel |
|||
|
Full-Time |
Part-Time |
Unpaid Volunteer |
Total |
||
|
Local Teachers |
72,202 |
14.5% |
59.2% |
26.3% |
100.0% |
|
Local Paraprofessionals |
17,600 |
13.9% |
28.4% |
57.7% |
100.0% |
|
Local Administrative, Supervisor, and Ancillary Services |
12,256 |
41.2% |
41.0% |
17.8% |
100.0% |
|
Local Counselors |
2,242 |
30.8% |
59.1% |
10.1% |
100.0% |
|
State Administrative, Supervisory, and Ancillary Services |
482 |
76.8% |
22.0% |
1.2% |
100.0% |
Source: Calculations by CRS based on data from National Reporting System, Aggregate Table 7 for PY2011-2012. Tables generated at http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/reports/ on April 4, 2013.
Data on the demographics and other characteristics of AEFLA participants are available from NRS. Table 3 presents data on the approximately 2 million individuals that participated in adult education programs in PY2011-2012.
The characteristics of adult education participants vary by the type of services. For example, the ASE population tended to be younger (57% under the age of 25) and have a higher concentration of white students (48%) than the overall adult education population. Conversely, the EL population tended to be older (84% age 25 or over) and have a higher concentration of Hispanic or Latino students (65%) than the overall adult education population.
|
Number |
Share of Population |
|
|
Age |
1,818,806 |
100.0% |
|
16-18 |
184,085 |
10.1% |
|
19-24 |
433,776 |
23.8% |
|
25-44 |
834,485 |
45.9% |
|
45-59 |
295,586 |
16.3% |
|
60+ |
70,874 |
3.9% |
|
Race |
1,818,806 |
100.0% |
|
White |
480,789 |
26.4% |
|
Black or African American |
407,383 |
22.4% |
|
Hispanic or Latino |
709,213 |
39.0% |
|
Asian |
148,968 |
8.2% |
|
Othera |
72,453 |
4.0% |
|
Employment Status |
1,818,806 |
100.0% |
|
Employed |
579,815 |
31.9% |
|
Unemployed |
734,233 |
40.4% |
|
Not in the Labor Force |
504,758 |
27.8% |
Source: National Reporting System, NRS Aggregate Table 2 for PY2011-2012; Longitudinal Report Table 10 for PY2011-2012. Tables generated at http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/reports/ on April 4, 2013.
a. "Other" aggregates three categories: American Indian or Native Alaskan; Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; and two or more races.
AEFLA requires grantees to track the nature and duration of their services as well as student outcomes. Data on educational gains are available for all participants. Data on other outcomes (such as entering employment or postsecondary education) are more limited.
Table 4 presents data on participants' hours of attendance and educational progress. Educational progress is defined as completing a level of curriculum within the ABE, ASE, or EL tracks. The ABE program has four levels, the ASE program has two, and the EL program has six.27 Progress is determined through a pre-test administered to a participant at intake and subsequent post-tests at specified intervals.28
|
Entering Educational |
Total Number Enrolled |
Average Hours of Participation per Enrollee |
Share |
|||
|
Completing Level |
Separating Before Completing Level |
Remaining within Level |
Total |
|||
|
Total, All Programs and Levels |
1,818,806 |
124 |
43.8% |
32.4% |
23.7% |
100.0% |
|
Adult Basic Education (ABE) |
853,213 |
109 |
43.4% |
35.2% |
21.4% |
100.0% |
|
Adult Secondary Education (ASE) |
231,969 |
88 |
39.2% |
36.9% |
23.9% |
100.0% |
|
English Literacy (EL) |
733,624 |
153 |
45.8% |
27.8% |
26.4% |
100.0% |
Source: Shares calculated by CRS based on Aggregate Table 4 Data for PY2011-2012. Table generated at http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/reports/ on April 4, 2013.
Notes: There are four levels within ABE, two levels within ASE, and six levels within EL. For definitions of each educational functioning level, see tables at 34 C.F.R. 462.44.
In addition to educational gains, AEFLA requires states to track participant outcomes regarding employment, the completion of a secondary degree, and entrance into postsecondary education.29 Unlike the fairly comprehensive data on demographics and educational progress, data on these post-school outcomes are somewhat limited. These data are limited by two primary factors:
Due to these limitations, the available data on follow-up measures in Table 5 should be interpreted with caution. While the available data can provide some insight into the subsequent outcomes for some AEFLA participants, using these data to evaluate program efficacy may be difficult.
|
Core Follow-Up Outcome Measures |
Number of Participants |
Percent Achieving Outcome |
||
|
Population with Main or Secondary Goal |
Outcome data Available via Survey or Data Matching |
Achieving Outcome |
||
|
Entered Employmenta |
221,799 |
170,104 |
80,938 |
47.6% |
|
Retained Employmentb |
169,799 |
133,170 |
87,172 |
65.5% |
|
Obtained a GED or Secondary School Diplomac |
250,579 |
234,341 |
143,816 |
61.4% |
|
Entered Postsecondary Education or Trainingd |
101,343 |
82,222 |
47,731 |
58.1% |
Source: National Reporting System, NRS Aggregate Table 5 for PY2011-2012; generated at http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/reports/ on April 4, 2013. Data for the District of Columbia, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Maine were not yet approved by ED at the time of retrieval and may be subsequently revised.
Notes: Percent achieving outcome is the number of participants achieving the outcome divided by the number of participants for which outcome data are available. Participants for which outcome data are not available are excluded from these calculations. Definitions for PY2011-2012 are from the November 2011 edition of Implementation Guidelines: Measures and Methods for the National Reporting System for Adult Education, published by ED. Definitions for subsequent program years may vary somewhat.
a. Population includes participants who are not employed at the time of program entry, have a goal of entering employment, and exited the program during the program year. To achieve the outcome, participants must enter employment by the end of the first quarter after program exit. A job obtained while the student was still enrolled can be counted as achieving the goal if the participant is still employed the quarter after program exit.
b. Population includes participants who either (1) are not employed at the time of program entry, have a goal of obtaining employment, and enter employment by the end of the first quarter after exit; or (2) are employed at entry and have a goal of improved or retained employment. To achieve the outcome, a participant must remain employed in the third quarter after exit.
c. Population includes participants with a goal of passing the GED test or obtaining a secondary school diploma (or equivalent) who exit during the program year. To achieve the outcome, a participant must attain a passing score on a GED test or obtain a diploma or state recognized equivalent, documenting satisfactory completion of secondary studies.
d. Population is all participants with a goal of placement in postsecondary education or training who exit during the program year. To achieve the outcome, participants must enroll in a postsecondary education or occupational skills training program, regardless of whether the adult education services were completed.
Appendix A. AEFLA Funding, FY1999-FY2013
|
Fiscal Year |
AEFLA Total |
State Grant Funds |
National Institute for Literacy |
National Leadership Activities |
|
|
Total |
EL-Civics Set-Aside |
||||
|
1999 |
$385,000 |
$345,339 |
n/a |
$6,000 |
$14,000 |
|
2000 |
470,000 |
450,000 |
25,500 |
6,000 |
14,000 |
|
2001 |
560,500 |
540,000 |
70,000 |
6,500 |
14,000 |
|
2002 |
591,060 |
575,000 |
70,000 |
6,617 |
9,500 |
|
2003 |
587,217 |
571,262 |
69,545 |
6,517 |
9,438 |
|
2004 |
590,233 |
574,372 |
69,135 |
6,692 |
9,169 |
|
2005 |
585,406 |
569,672 |
68,582 |
6,638 |
9,096 |
|
2006 |
579,552 |
563,975 |
67,896 |
6,572 |
9,005 |
|
2007 |
579,563 |
563,975 |
67,896 |
6,583 |
9,005 |
|
2008 |
567,468 |
554,122 |
66,710 |
6,468 |
6,878 |
|
2009 |
567,468 |
554,122 |
67,895 |
6,468 |
6,878 |
|
2010 |
639,567 |
628,221 |
75,000 |
0 |
11,346 |
|
2011 |
607,443 |
596,120 |
74,850 |
0 |
11,323 |
|
2012 |
606,295 |
594,993 |
74,709 |
0 |
11,302 |
|
2013 |
574,667 |
563,955 |
70,811 |
0 |
10,712 |
Source: Department of Education FY2000 through FY2014 budget justifications. Additional details on Congressional Action from FY2011 to FY2013 are available at http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/tables.html.
Note: State grant funds include set-asides for WIA Title V incentive grants. Appropriation levels were taken from subsequent years' budget documents and include sequestration, rescissions, and other post-appropriation adjustments, where applicable.
Appendix B. AEFLA Grants to States and Outlying Areas, FY2011-2013
Table B-1. AEFLA Grants to States, FY2011-2013
(excludes EL-Civics Grants, which are listed in Table B-2)
|
Grantee |
FY2011 |
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
|
Alabama |
$9,520,213 |
$9,579,239 |
$9,088,850 |
|
Alaska |
918,644 |
929,924 |
898,919 |
|
Arizona |
11,450,928 |
10,590,633 |
9,980,874 |
|
Arkansas |
5,712,738 |
5,676,617 |
5,297,517 |
|
California |
72,825,539 |
74,427,797 |
71,230,654 |
|
Colorado |
6,133,088 |
6,094,776 |
5,739,165 |
|
Connecticut |
4,527,412 |
4,662,122 |
4,439,837 |
|
Delaware |
1,471,150 |
1,518,064 |
1,478,724 |
|
District of Columbia |
1,137,010 |
1,103,228 |
1,070,355 |
|
Florida |
30,662,909 |
31,038,637 |
29,670,257 |
|
Georgia |
17,139,168 |
16,815,540 |
15,982,788 |
|
Hawaii |
1,588,671 |
1,659,543 |
1,626,247 |
|
Idaho |
2,147,294 |
2,182,925 |
2,067,540 |
|
Illinois |
18,893,675 |
18,640,584 |
17,408,635 |
|
Indiana |
9,661,398 |
9,571,412 |
8,982,766 |
|
Iowa |
3,355,410 |
3,391,695 |
3,226,015 |
|
Kansas |
3,355,192 |
3,422,191 |
3,274,835 |
|
Kentucky |
8,850,695 |
8,766,623 |
8,203,425 |
|
Louisiana |
8,972,585 |
9,055,340 |
8,594,550 |
|
Maine |
1,769,175 |
1,741,358 |
1,603,257 |
|
Maryland |
7,691,436 |
7,888,511 |
7,357,666 |
|
Massachusetts |
8,257,777 |
8,099,621 |
7,689,541 |
|
Michigan |
13,419,141 |
12,623,242 |
11,935,152 |
|
Minnesota |
5,022,396 |
5,085,523 |
4,804,353 |
|
Mississippi |
6,389,755 |
6,272,954 |
5,932,954 |
|
Missouri |
9,039,282 |
8,820,305 |
8,266,224 |
|
Montana |
1,284,020 |
1,242,934 |
1,162,247 |
|
Nebraska |
2,131,202 |
2,165,498 |
2,033,764 |
|
Nevada |
4,829,004 |
4,943,602 |
4,725,873 |
|
New Hampshire |
1,575,928 |
1,523,454 |
1,445,444 |
|
New Jersey |
11,887,152 |
11,890,448 |
11,212,010 |
|
New Mexico |
3,910,247 |
3,966,322 |
3,811,142 |
|
New York |
32,694,835 |
32,579,394 |
30,968,520 |
|
North Carolina |
16,219,755 |
16,510,505 |
15,567,536 |
|
North Dakota |
947,550 |
959,829 |
914,175 |
|
Ohio |
15,698,631 |
15,288,148 |
14,429,143 |
|
Oklahoma |
5,865,864 |
5,897,105 |
5,614,916 |
|
Oregon |
4,933,855 |
5,009,468 |
4,774,550 |
|
Pennsylvania |
17,311,298 |
16,983,158 |
15,900,404 |
|
Rhode Island |
2,064,796 |
2,055,919 |
1,936,550 |
|
South Carolina |
8,476,144 |
8,400,669 |
8,032,414 |
|
South Dakota |
1,183,101 |
1,145,317 |
1,110,518 |
|
Tennessee |
11,779,315 |
11,581,647 |
10,886,025 |
|
Texas |
49,255,542 |
49,815,407 |
47,675,857 |
|
Utah |
2,766,570 |
2,779,187 |
2,703,616 |
|
Vermont |
881,946 |
875,060 |
831,224 |
|
Virginia |
11,458,209 |
11,737,155 |
10,813,789 |
|
Washington |
7,745,973 |
7,915,685 |
7,617,021 |
|
West Virginia |
3,823,017 |
3,831,120 |
3,557,393 |
|
Wisconsin |
6,478,733 |
6,408,082 |
6,031,232 |
|
Wyoming |
763,770 |
751,008 |
719,322 |
|
American Samoa |
245,248 |
247,297 |
241,549 |
|
Guam |
429,887 |
434,542 |
421,486 |
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
355,982 |
359,594 |
349,463 |
|
Puerto Rico |
13,301,621 |
12,284,314 |
11,320,719 |
|
Virgin Islands |
510,463 |
516,254 |
500,009 |
|
Freely Associated States |
25,420 |
22,878 |
20,590 |
|
Indian set-aside |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Non-state allocations |
10,522,611 |
10,505,395 |
9,963,675 |
|
Total |
$521,270,370 |
$520,284,799 |
$493,143,276 |
Source: Department of Education, http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html, accessed December 18, 2013; 2011 data available from http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/history/index.html.
Note: Non-state allocations are allotted to WIA Title V Incentive grants.
|
Grantee |
FY2011 Actual |
FY2012 Actual |
FY2013 Estimate |
|
Alabama |
$232,214 |
$240,648 |
247,550 |
|
Alaska |
106,998 |
107,857 |
108,253 |
|
Arizona |
1,303,665 |
1,321,765 |
1,274,870 |
|
Arkansas |
188,079 |
190,420 |
184,178 |
|
California |
16,938,499 |
16,506,124 |
14,717,879 |
|
Colorado |
840,142 |
860,625 |
851,064 |
|
Connecticut |
914,336 |
900,821 |
867,149 |
|
Delaware |
148,260 |
150,161 |
149,326 |
|
District of Columbia |
193,848 |
195,777 |
187,457 |
|
Florida |
8,209,887 |
8,014,070 |
7,432,428 |
|
Georgia |
1,750,656 |
1,755,573 |
1,729,364 |
|
Hawaii |
467,286 |
464,169 |
462,362 |
|
Idaho |
174,342 |
179,156 |
168,509 |
|
Illinois |
3,100,243 |
3,033,889 |
2,779,095 |
|
Indiana |
507,376 |
536,663 |
531,205 |
|
Iowa |
277,347 |
288,163 |
285,103 |
|
Kansas |
329,071 |
340,044 |
330,513 |
|
Kentucky |
330,088 |
339,920 |
335,050 |
|
Louisiana |
252,309 |
263,031 |
264,759 |
|
Maine |
105,723 |
104,292 |
100,287 |
|
Maryland |
1,722,519 |
1,758,941 |
1,696,411 |
|
Massachusetts |
2,142,083 |
2,153,860 |
2,097,150 |
|
Michigan |
1,352,634 |
1,341,874 |
1,253,164 |
|
Minnesota |
1,018,670 |
1,012,407 |
913,794 |
|
Mississippi |
104,699 |
107,246 |
106,278 |
|
Missouri |
503,750 |
507,770 |
474,361 |
|
Montana |
60,000 |
60,000 |
60,000 |
|
Nebraska |
241,794 |
259,463 |
266,771 |
|
Nevada |
776,346 |
768,631 |
723,943 |
|
New Hampshire |
176,879 |
179,332 |
170,063 |
|
New Jersey |
3,895,302 |
3,931,658 |
3,692,762 |
|
New Mexico |
252,901 |
250,826 |
237,856 |
|
New York |
9,467,113 |
9,631,839 |
9,632,498 |
|
North Carolina |
1,060,840 |
1,084,518 |
1,094,024 |
|
North Dakota |
60,000 |
60,000 |
60,000 |
|
Ohio |
999,640 |
1,002,874 |
947,137 |
|
Oklahoma |
302,595 |
301,878 |
296,576 |
|
Oregon |
634,531 |
624,338 |
554,382 |
|
Pennsylvania |
1,591,838 |
1,610,056 |
1,617,285 |
|
Rhode Island |
252,725 |
261,809 |
256,603 |
|
South Carolina |
283,817 |
287,174 |
280,801 |
|
South Dakota |
60,000 |
63,075 |
73,058 |
|
Tennessee |
547,183 |
549,487 |
548,026 |
|
Texas |
6,022,770 |
6,139,529 |
6,032,333 |
|
Utah |
376,941 |
390,706 |
385,831 |
|
Vermont |
60,000 |
60,000 |
60,000 |
|
Virginia |
1,989,433 |
1,995,018 |
1,909,680 |
|
Washington |
1,664,784 |
1,658,631 |
1,561,581 |
|
West Virginia |
60,000 |
60,000 |
60,000 |
|
Wisconsin |
490,349 |
479,705 |
437,104 |
|
Wyoming |
60,000 |
60,000 |
60,000 |
|
American Samoa |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Guam |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Puerto Rico |
247,495 |
262,721 |
245,366 |
|
Virgin Islands |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Freely Associated States |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Indian set-aside |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
|||
|
Total |
$74,850,000 |
$74,708,534 |
$70,811,239 |
Source: Department of Education, http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html, accessed December 18, 2013; 2011 data available from http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/history/index.html.
| 1. |
Defining literacy is a complex issue and, depending on definitions, the literacy rate in the United States can vary dramatically. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) is an occasional federally sponsored survey that measures components of adult literacy and numeracy. The most recent NAAL was conducted in 2003. The findings of this assessment illustrate the complexity of measuring literacy and are available at http://nces.ed.gov/naal/. |
| 2. |
The exception to this is Workforce Investment Act Title V incentive grants, which are funded under AEFLA and part of ED's budget but administered by the Department of Labor. |
| 3. |
For information on reauthorization efforts in the 113th Congress, see CRS Report R42990, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization Proposals in the 113th Congress: Comparison of Major Features of Current Law and H.R. 803; and CRS Report R43265, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization Proposals in the 113th Congress: Comparison of Major Features of Current Law and S.1356. |
| 4. |
Section 201 of AEFLA (20 U.S.C. 9201) |
| 5. |
Section 202 of AEFLA (20 U.S.C. 9202) |
| 6. |
The set-asides are discussed in the "Set-Asides for Other Purposes" section later in this report. |
| 7. |
The formula for these funds is established in AEFLA. Since FY2000, however, appropriations legislation has reserved a portion of state grant funds for English Literacy-Civics (EL-Civics) formula grants to states. This reservation effectively creates two formula grants within the state grants program: one that allots the set-aside using the EL-Civics formula in appropriations legislation (described in the "English Literacy-Civics Grants" subsection later in this report) and a second that allots the remaining state grant funds using the formula in AEFLA. |
| 8. |
For the purposes of state grant allotments, the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are classified as states. American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are classified as outlying areas. By the definition in AEFLA, the freely associated states of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau are also considered outlying areas but their grant eligibility is governed by Compact of Free Association and does not follow the process outlined in AEFLA. Since FY2005, Palau has been the only freely associated state that receives AEFLA funding and since then, its annual grant has equaled 90% of its grant from the prior year. In FY2013, Palau's grant was $20,590 or 0.00004% of total AEFLA state grant funding. |
| 9. |
This matching requirement can also be viewed as states providing $1 of resources for every $3 in federal funding. |
| 10. |
See 20 U.S.C. 9222(b). 34 C.F.R. 461.1(c) further specifies when determining non-federal contributions, ED shall consider "(1) Expenditures from State, local, and other non-Federal sources for programs, services, and activities of adult education, as defined in [AEFLA], made by public or private entities that receive from the State Federal funds made available under [AEFLA] or State funds for adult education; and (2) Expenditures made directly by the State for programs, services, and activities of adult education as defined in [AEFLA]." |
| 11. |
If federal appropriations are insufficient to meet this threshold, each grantee's share of current year funding will be ratably reduced. |
| 12. |
See 20 U.S.C. 9251(b). |
| 13. |
Appropriations legislation set aside $74,850,000 for EL-Civics activities and the appropriation was reduced under sequestration. |
| 14. |
EL-Civics funds are limited to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. |
| 15. |
Allowable state leadership activities are listed in Section 223 of AEFLA (20 U.S.C. 9223). |
| 16. |
The full list of eligible providers is available in Section 203(5) of AELFA (20 U.S.C. 9202(5)). |
| 17. |
The 12 statutory considerations are listed in Section 231(e) of AEFLA (20 U.S.C. 9241(e)). |
| 18. |
In addition to the components below, state plans must also contain several assurances that the state will comply with certain provisions of AEFLA. See 20 U.S.C. 9224(b) for complete required contents. |
| 19. |
See 20 U.S.C. 9271. |
| 20. |
For details on permissible activities, see AEFLA Section 243 (20 U.S.C. 9253). |
| 21. |
ED has not allocated funds to NIFL since FY2009. NIFL's priority activities have been consolidated into AEFLA's National Leadership Activities. |
| 22. |
For additional details on NIFL, see AEFLA Section 242 (20 U.S.C. 9252). |
| 23. |
In the ED budget, incentive grants are part of the state grants program. |
| 24. |
Incentive grants are authorized under Section 503 of WIA. Prior to PY2007, states also needed to achieve superior performance under Title III of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 to receive an incentive grant. |
| 25. |
All data in this section were generated using the user-directed NRS database at http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/reports/. |
| 26. |
Individual states' final FSRs from PY2010-2011 and prior years can be generated from the NRS database at http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/FSRtables/index.cfm. |
| 27. |
For detailed descriptions of each educational level, see tables at 34 C.F.R. 462.44. |
| 28. |
Testing procedures are not uniform across the states. For information on how states establish their tests other testing requirements and procedures, see 34 C.F.R. 462.1-44. |
| 29. |
See 20 U.S.C. 9212(b)(2)(A). These post-program outcomes are often described as "follow-up objectives." |