ADULT EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING
The ability to understand, speak, read, and write English as the nation’s common language is crucial to the successful integration of immigrants into our society. Without English, immigrants are often locked into low wage jobs, blocked from acquiring new skills and new jobs, denied equal access to health and other services, and shut off from contact with the larger society. Vocational and post-secondary educational opportunities also enable immigrants and their children to realize their full potential. These resources cover the topics of immigrant adult education and workforce training.
Arranged in order of publication date with the most recent on top. Scroll down for all entries. Selection does not necessarily imply endorsement of findings or research methodology by Diversity Dynamics and its partner organizations. We regret that we may not be able to repair broken links promptly.
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International Student Mobility: A Post-Pandemic
Reset or a Broader Challenge? |
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Immigrant-Origin Students in Higher Education, With slowing U.S. population growth presaging declines in post-secondary enrollment,
this report explores the growing impact of immigrant-origin students on the higher education sector. The term “immigrant-origin
students” refers to first-generation immigrants born abroad and U.S.-born second-generation students with
one or more immigrant parents. The study looks at this population’s growth and change over time, citizenship status,
race and ethnicity, enrollment characteristics, and distribution by state. Immigrant-origin students represent the fastest-growing
group of students in higher education, driving over 90 percent of the domestic enrollment growth at U.S. colleges and universities
from 2000 to 2022. In 2022, immigrant-origin students accounted for 5.8 million or 32 percent of all students enrolled
in U.S. colleges and universities, up from 20 percent in 2000. A wide range of factors, the study finds, have been responsible
for shaping these trends. These include federal immigration policies like DACA; state-specific incentives related to post-secondary
attainment and workforce development; institutional DEI and socioeconomic mobility efforts; and national innovation and security
imperatives driving enrollment in STEM fields. A demographically diverse group, with 82% identifying as students of color,
immigrant-origin students play a key role in filling workforce gaps in critical sectors, increasing tax revenues and consumer
spending, driving innovation and entrepreneurship, and bringing diverse skill sets and sociocultural assets to an increasingly
globalized U.S. economy. A better understanding of immigrant-origin students’ pathways to and through higher education,
the study concludes – including challenges related immigration policies at the state and national levels, language barriers,
and a sense of belonging on college campuses – is key to ensuring the sustainability of the higher education sector,
growing a trained workforce, strengthening national resilience and security, and promoting economic prosperity nationwide.
(Jeffrey Gross, Ph.D.) |
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2023 State Policy Review: Strengthening Workforces Through Immigrant
and Refugee Inclusion, |
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Leveraging Date to Ensure Equitable and Effective Adult Skills
Programming for Immigrants, |
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Investing in the Future: Higher Ed Should Give Greater Focus to
Growing Immigrant-Origin Student Population, |
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Five Solutions to Reverse the Declining Popularity
of the U.S. Among International Students, |
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The Skills and Economic Outcomes of Immigrant and U.S.-Born College
Graduates, |
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Diverging Pathways: Immigrants’ Legal Status and Access to
Postsecondary Credentials, |
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Building the New High Road: Immigrants & Workforce Development, |
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The Importance of Skills and Qualifications for College-Educated
Immigrants’ Economic Integration, |
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The IELCE Program: Understanding Its Design and
Challenges in Meeting Immigrant Learners’ Needs,
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Remote Adult ESOL Case Studies, |
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Engaging Immigrant Talent Toolkit, |
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A Different Way: Reorienting Adult Education Toward
Democracy and Social Justice, |
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Strengthening Training and Advancement of Essential Workers in Low-Wage Jobs: Recommended Actions
for Funders, |
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There are no Hard-to-Serve Learners, Only Ill-Served
Ones, |
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Ending DACA Would Limit Access to Higher Education
in Ten States, |
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Migration Policy Institute, September 3, 2020,
8 pp. |
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Amplifying Impact: How policies that combine investment
in English language skills with digital learning pay off for workers and businesses, |
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Immigrant-Origin Adults without Postsecondary Credentials: A 50-State Profile, |
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English Plus Integration: Shifting the Instructional Paradigm for Immigrant Adult Learners to Support Integration
Success, |
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Reimagining Skilled Migration Partnerships to Support Development, |
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Collaboration in Support of New Americans, Open Door Collective, April 2017, 5 pp. Authors: Jen Vanek et al The Open Door Collective (ODC) is a network of concerned professionals dedicated to reshaping U.S. society to reduce levels of poverty and economic inequality. ODC members believe that adult education and lifelong learning are important tools in this quest, especially because adults with low literacy, numeracy, and English language skills, are much more likely to live in poverty. In pursuit of its mission, the Collective has produced a series of policy papers, including this one on the importance of adult education for immigrants. The paper outlines some of the deficiencies in the current federally-funded system, including "one-size-fits-all" approaches that fail to address the needs of lower level immigrant learners. The authors recommend that adult educators work together with advocacy groups, resettlement agencies, and immigrant-serving CBOs "to assure equitable access to programs and fair distribution of funds for refugees and immigrants." Do Human Capital Decisions Respond to the Returns to Education? Evidence from DACA, (Paper available free-of-charge to government employees and for a fee to others) National Bureau of Economic Research, February 5, 2018, 58 pp. Authors: Elira Kuka et al This paper suggests that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program had a significant impact on young undocumented immigrants' decision-making. The paper highlights increases in high school attendance and high school graduation rates, increased pursuit of postsecondary education, and greater workforce participation by those pursuing education, as well as decreased teen fertility rates. The study draws on data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the Youth Risk Behavior Factor Surveillance Survey, and a California Department of Education dataset. It uses a "difference in differences" technique to compare youth who would likely have been eligible for DACA with a similarly situated population of non-eligible foreign-born youth. The researchers found that states that had enacted so-called "tuition equity" or "state-level Dream Act" legislation - that is, bills that allow undocumented youth to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges -- saw greater increases in postsecondary participation among DACA youth than states that had not. However, post-secondary participation rates increased for young women, not for young men, leading to speculation that undocumented men are generally more likely to be concentrated in sections of the labor market that depend more on manual labor skills and are less likely to require postsecondary credentials. The study's findings suggest that young undocumented immigrants respond quickly and enthusiastically when policymakers present them with a path to greater educational and workforce opportunities. The findings are especially notable among young Hispanic men, who are often vulnerable to high school dropout pressures, and young women, who demonstrated eagerness to pursue postsecondary education despite the fact that such education was not required in order to obtain DACA status (Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, National Skills Coalition). Ready to work: Understanding Immigrant Skills in the United States to Build a Competitive Workforce, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, January, 2018, 57 pp. Author: Rob Paral In order to maximize the potential of foreign-born workers in the U.S., policy makers and practitioners in the workforce development field must first understand the diverse characteristics, assets and needs of immigrants. This report provides a detailed portrait of the foreign-born working population in the U.S., emphasizing sociodemographic characteristics, immigration status, geographic distribution, and levels of education and training. The study uses an innovative methodology to match American Community Survey (ACS) data with data on educational requirements for specific jobs produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The report finds that immigrants have higher labor force participation rates compared to the U.S.-born with undocumented immigrants participating the most (76 percent compared to 63 percent of all immigrants and U.S.-born). Immigrants tend to be of working age and therefore younger than their U.S.-born peers. Overall, immigrants are overrepresented at the high and low ends of the education spectrum. However, immigrants are more likely to experience a mismatch between the level of education they have and the level their job requires. Among the significant numbers of immigrants working in jobs for which they are overqualified, they earn less than their U.S.-born peers whose skills are also underutilized. The report also points out that there is a significant demand for lower-skilled workers in the U.S. economy, particularly in the transportation, installation, production, and food preparation fields, and immigrants play an important role in filling the 35 percent of jobs that only require a high school degree. The author also suggests that "there is a limit to how many workers can be upskilled and the number of employees who can be placed in a higher-skilled job given the economy's continued creation of low-skilled jobs." Nonetheless, many foreign-born workers would benefit from greater access to additional education and training, particularly professional licenses and certificates. However, age, immigration status and geographic location -- important because states vary in their responsiveness to immigrant need -- affect the likelihood that immigrants will be able to access needed education or training. The authors recommend several areas for further research including an intentional collection of immigrant demographics rather than proxy data from the ACS, projecting future workforce needs and meeting demand for low-skilled labor, and examining how to ensure investments in policies and programs reach immigrants where they are. (Yuki Wiland for The Immigrant Learning Center Public Education Institute) Expanding the Dream: Engaging Immigrant Youth and Adults in Post-Secondary and Adult Education, The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), November, 2017, 15 pp. Authors: Duy Pham & Wendy Cervantes The authors of this brief argue that while the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) has had a positive impact both on the lives of the undocumented immigrants who signed up for it and on the country as a whole, it is not enough, and an updated DREAM act should be passed that provides a lasting reform of the nation's immigration laws. The brief compares three different federal bills that attempt to regularize the status of the Dreamer population and argues that one in particular - the 2017 Dream Act - has advantages over the others. The brief also highlights the role that adult education programs could play in helping immigrant youth and adults, especially those who have dropped out of high school to support themselves and their families, qualify for regularization programs. Once undocumented learners are out of high school they no longer have a right to public education, and the rules governing the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) prevent undocumented adults from accessing workforce training programs. The authors suggest that removing these restrictions would open up training programs to more adults and provide a boost to the economy. They also believe that such adult education programs could be part of the process of gaining citizenship. To make this possible, the authors note that more money needs to be allocated for workforce training programs and that there needs to be a closer alignment with educational programs to create career pathways. Rather than sequential course work (e.g., completing English language classes prior to entering vocational training), the authors advocate for the creation of integrated education and training programs (Erik Jacobson, Montclair State University). Taking Giant Leaps Forward: Experiences of a Range of DACA Beneficiaries at the 5-Year Mark, Center for American Progress, National UNDACAMENTED Research Project, June 22, 2017, 8 pp. Authors: Roberto G. Gonazalez et al This brief describes the impact of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on a particularly vulnerable segment of the DACA-eligible population: high school dropouts and those whose educations had been interrupted because of financial, legal, and motivational barriers. Based on interviews with 319 such individuals in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, New York, and South Carolina, the report concludes that DACA has been instrumental in opening up important educational and career pathways for this population. DACA recipients have been able to get their high school equivalency diplomas, attend college at affordable rates, obtain driver's licenses, and obtain jobs commensurate with their education and skills. Through their success, the entire economy benefits through increased purchasing power, higher tax revenues, and higher home ownership rates. The authors argue that a permanent solution to the problem of undocumented status, i.e. providing a path to citizenship, would lock in all these benefits. Promising Practices in Immigrant Education Database, Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education CCCIE's database of promising practices in immigrant education provides community colleges with "an opportunity to learn from one another, share new ideas, and expand and improve their programs to serve immigrant students." The database organizes promising practices into five major types of programs or initiatives: Comprehensive Support Services, ESL Programs, Workforce Training/Career Development, Community/Employer Partnerships, Citizenship/Civics Preparation, and Inclusive Practices for Undocumented Students. One example of a promising practice in the Workforce Training category is the Career Pathways Program of Portland (Oregon) Community College. An example in the ESL Programs category is the Language Institute of Columbus (Ohio) State Community College. An example in the Undocumented Students category is the Achieving the Dream Initiative of Rio Hondo Community College in Whittier, CA. The description of each promising practice includes information on outcomes, challenges, funding and sustainability, and contact person. Serving English Language
Learner (ELL) Populations Using Best Practices and Model Partnerships ,California Workforce Development Board, Policy Brief, January, 2017, 23 pp. Author: Jennifer Hernandez This policy brief reviews examples of programs and initiatives that provide workforce development services for individuals who are limited English proficient. A key concern is the fact that programs funded under Title I of the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) do not provide services to many English Language Learners. In fact, fewer than 4 percent of those exiting from WOIA Title I programs are ELLs. To address this service gap, the brief presents models that combine workforce training with English language and literacy skills. Potential partners include adult education providers, public libraries, labor-management partnerships, industry and employers, community colleges and community based organizations. The author stresses the need for workforce development boards to work with WIOA Title II and other adult education providers to identify issues facing ELLs and discuss possible solutions. For example, the author suggests that in addition to conferring with potential employers about what they are looking for, training and education partnerships should reach out to those with DACA status to support their entry into the workforce. The paper also provides general guidelines for service provision, including creating portable/stackable credentials that are part of a career pathway and attending to the logistical needs of program participants. Existing programs are introduced, and a list of federal programs that can support the development of career pathways for ELLs is provided. (Erik Jacobson, Montclair State University) Baltimore Rise: A Case Study in Advancing Local Workforce Development Efforts for New Americans, Higher, and the (Baltimore) Mayor's Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs, March, 2017, 17 pp. Author: Daniel Wilkinson "Higher" is a program of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services designed to provide technical assistance to refugee employment programs at all nine national resettlement agencies and their affiliates. This report describes a pilot project, funded by a Targeted Assistance Grant from the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, to make the workforce development system more responsive to the needs of immigrants and refugees, particularly those with college-level education in their home countries. The project recruited dedicated staff for this project from one of Baltimore's American Job Centers. Related vocational training took place at Baltimore City Community College. "Higher" staff provided technical assistance, based in part on observation and shadowing of American Job Center staff. At the close of the pilot year, the program had connected 117 refugees to vocational training, 75 of whom successfully graduated. In addition, 53 participants had obtained employment. However, these numbers fell short of original targets. The report concludes with recommendations for local areas seeking to improve workforce development opportunities for immigrants and refugees. Foundational Skills in the Service Sector: Understanding and addressing the impact of limited math,
reading, and technology proficiency on workers and employers, National Skills Coalition, February, 2017, 36 pp. Author: Amanda Bergson-Shilcock This paper reviews a recent assessment of the literacy, numeracy and digital problem-solving skills of workers in the service sector and proposes policy responses at the local, state and national level. The service sector encompasses workers in retail; health and social assistance; and leisure and hospitality - 25 percent of whom are immigrants. Drawing on data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) (conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), the author highlights the fact that while there are 20 million American workers employed in the service sector with limited foundational skills, these workers are called upon to use their literacy and numeracy skills on a daily basis. Gaps in foundational skills create potentially dangerous conditions (such as when a worker using chemicals cannot read directions correctly) and reduce productivity. The paper gives examples of creative ways that workers deal with their difficulties, but also notes the limitations to these strategies. Data suggest that workers who do not address issues with their foundational skills have limited occupational mobility and are likely to remain in poorly paid positions. To address the problem, the author suggests tailoring education and workforce training to meet the needs of these workers, increased partnerships between companies in a given sector and efforts that bring together employers and community colleges/education providers. The author also calls for the integration of adult education and workforce training and increased funding for such projects. Underlying all of the suggestions is the idea that supporting the upskilling of workers is the responsibility of workers themselves, companies and local and federal government. (Erik Jacobson, Montclair State University) Fact Sheets: Workforce Collaborations Build a System of Supports for Immigrants, and Collaborations with Libraries Offer New Learning Opportunities for Immigrants, The Networks for Integrating New Americans Initiative, World Education, January, 2017, 6 pp. each These two fact sheets summarize the key lessons learned from the "Networks for Integrating New Americans Initiative" of World Education, funded by the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) of the Department of Education. The first worksheet focuses on projects involving workforce development agencies and adult education programs; the second on projects involving public library systems and adult education programs. Each fact sheet describes three communities that implemented model projects illustrative of each type of collaboration. Changing the Course of Family Literacy, Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy, Penn State University, January, 2017, 16 pp. Authors: Carol Clymer, Blaire Willson Toso, Elisabeth Grinder & Ruth Parrish Sauder Despite the demise of targeted federal funding for family literacy programs in 2011 (known as the Even Start program), states continue to support family literacy programs as a useful strategy for combatting intergenerational poverty. According to this report, there are 11 states and the District of Columbia that provide funding for such programs, either using other federal funding streams that allow family literacy as an optional activity, or state funding sources. The report provides details about many of these programs and stresses the value of the "four-component model" of family literacy. The authors also point out the flaws in the evaluation study that led to the defunding of Even Start. Finally, the report makes a number of recommendations, including establishing a federal discretionary grant program to fund research related to effective practice in this area and identifying performance measures and outcomes to adequately document the results and benefits of family literacy. Talking Jobs: Lessons from ENB's 2016 ESOL Student Employment Survey, English for New Bostonians and National Skills Coalition, 2016, 19 pp. English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes are a critical investment in immigrants' success in America. The study Talking Jobs: Lessons from ENB's 2016 ESOL Student Employment Survey from English for New Bostonians examines a survey of 1,463 adult students in 39 MA ESOL programs. Survey respondents are primarily involved in four main employment sectors: accommodation and food services, retail trade, healthcare and social assistance and other services such as facilities support. While the one million immigrants living in MA are only slightly more likely to work in the labor force compared to native-born workers, immigrant ESOL students have a labor force participation rate of 85 percent, compared to the general immigrant rate of 68 percent. Survey results suggest that foreign credentials are not always recognized by employers, and that limited English proficiency may prevent qualified immigrants from obtaining white-collar jobs. Significantly, half (50 percent) of survey respondents said that their coworkers required English classes. The authors recommend that advocates support investment in adult English programs through public and private sources, and that employers offer ESOL programs to their employees either on- or off-site with tuition reimbursement as incentive. (Sarah Purdy for The ILC Public Education Institute) Serving Immigrant Families through Two-Generation Programs: Identifying Family Needs and Responsive
Program Approaches, Migration Policy Institute, November, 2016, 49 pp. Authors: Maki Park, Margie McHugh, & Caitlin Katsiaficas More resources for two-generation programs could help break cycles of intergenerational poverty and increase stability in immigrant families, according to this report funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundaton. The report seeks to fill the knowledge gap regarding the importance and impact of two-generation programs-services providing adult education, workforce training or parenting skills as well as early childhood development opportunities-in serving immigrants and refugees with young children. Data analysis reveals that the children of immigrants are more likely to live in poverty and in households where parents have low education and limited English proficiency than their U.S.-born peers. The authors examine eleven exemplary programs that utilize a two-generation approach and identify the program elements that seem to be most conducive to success. Due to the complex immigrant status restrictions applied to federal and local family services, English language programs have become the primary path by which immigrant parents with young children participate in two-generation services. With the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), intergenerational programs are threatened with extinction, as the metrics for evaluating these programs do not fit the family-oriented goals of these programs. The authors maintain that better data analysis and more customized funding are necessary for equitable access to these two-generation programs. Given their analysis of factors that make for exceptional two-generation programs, the authors recommend increasing federal support for parent-focused literacy initiatives and greater flexibility in evaluating them. (Sarah Purdy for The ILC Public Education Institute) State Sociodemographic Portraits of Immigrant and U.S. Born Parents of Young Children Migration Policy Institute, December, 2016 Authors: Maki Park, Margie McHugh, & Caitlin Katsiaficas As children in immigrant families comprise a growing share of the U.S. population ages 0-8, MPI has published a set of 30 fact sheets providing an overview of key sociodemographic characteristics of native- and foreign-born parents of young children in states with the largest number of immigrant families. The data sets are designed to help states and community stakeholders target early-childhood and parent-focused investments towards programs that close school readiness gaps and ensure that parents have the education and skills to support their families. Skills and Training for New Americans: Creating a Thriving Economy that Works for All of Us, National Immigration Forum, November 2016, 23 pp. Published as the United States prepares for a new administration in Washington, this brief reviews the important role that immigrants play in the nation's economy and highlights barriers to their full participation and upward mobility (such as lack of English language skills and access to training). Five main ways of overcoming these barriers are presented. The first strategy is building English and basic skills through adult education. The paper presents data about the impact of adult education programs and advocates for increasing expenditures in this area. The second strategy is increasing access to employment training services under WIOA Title I, largely through programs that integrate English education with targeted vocational training. The third strategy focuses on making higher education more affordable and responsive to the needs of learners (e.g., by providing flexible scheduling and expanding Pell Grant eligibility to include year-round learners and those with college degrees earned in their home countries). The fourth strategy focuses on building digital skills that support both employment needs and allow adults to solve problems they face in their everyday lives (e.g., accessing information online). The fifth strategy focuses on tapping the talents of foreign-trained immigrants. The paper reviews promising programs that allow immigrant professionals to return to their occupations and highlights federal policy that makes this a priority. For each of the strategies under consideration, the paper provides data about both current conditions and about the potential impact of the proposed changes. In addition to making the case for increased expenditures, the paper argues for regulatory changes that would provide more flexibility to states, programs and learners. (Erik Jacobson, Montclair State University) Skills for Good Jobs: An Agenda for the Next President National Skills Coalition, November, 2016, 38 pp. This transition paper constitutes an effort by the National Skills Coalition to reimagine workforce, career and foundational education at the federal level. Its key concern is moving millions of adults into middle-skills jobs that will lift them out of poverty. One key strategy calls for more explicit coordination of efforts across multiple departments and agencies. A second important strategy envisions expanded education and training opportunities for people, both through additional funding and by changing regulations so that those receiving public support can upskill rather than be forced to take jobs that are unlikely to provide upward mobility. The report is organized into eight policy suggestions (e.g., "developing a job-driven community college compact for today's students" and "support(ing) the development of five million new apprentices") and it details what it believes can be achieved in the first 100 days of the next administration, the first year and the term as a whole. One of the policy areas the report addresses is the need to integrate the country's growing immigrant workforce. The Coalition proposes that any newly created path to citizenship includes opportunities to develop foundational skills and participate in occupational training. The report also directly addresses the need to help immigrants and the community at-large take advantage of the skills immigrant workers already possess. The report includes detailed information about how new interagency working groups can be created and how changes in tax policy can help to pay for new educational and training expenditures. (Erik Jacobson, Montclair State University) Integrated Education and Training Policy Toolkit, National Skills Coalition, October 2016, 10 pp. Author: Amanda Bergson-Shilcock This toolkit provides information that state policymakers, educators, and advocates can use to promote the creation or expansion of integrated education and training (IET) programs. Noting that middle-skill jobs constitute 54 percent of the US labor market but that only 44 percent of the existing workforce is trained to this level, the toolkit shines a light on model programs that are helping lower-skilled workers qualify for these jobs. The toolkit defines IET as a program that simultaneously offer basic skills instruction, including contextualized ESL, along with occupational or industry-specific training. Among the programs profiled in the toolkit are: Washington State’s I-Best program, Iowa’s Pathways for Academic Career and Employment, and Minnesota’s Fast TRAC program. The Toolkit also discusses how states can incentivize the creation of such programs and how various sources of funding can be tapped to cover their cost. The publication concludes with five criteria that should be met in setting up such programs, including targeting high demand industry sectors and utilizing non-instructional staff to provide supportive counseling services. The appendix includes a template that can be used to develop state legislation supporting IET. A companion publication to the Toolkit is a 50-state scan of IET policies and programs, which found that at least 18 states have enacted an IET policy. Improving Immigrant Access to Workforce Services: Partnerships, Practices & Policies, The Aspen Institute, July, 2016, 18 pp. Authors: Marcela Montes & Vickie Choitz This paper begins by reviewing data showing the need for better integrating immigrants into the workforce development and training system, including economic indicators that point to the marginalization of many immigrants. The study itself consists of a literature review and interviews with 16 representatives of different organizations, including national workforce development institutes and local community-based organizations and training programs. A key concern was the underrepresentation of immigrants in WIOA Title I programs. The paper suggests a number of reasons for this problem, including policies that do not incentivize working with the immigrant population and the limited connection and coordination between workforce training providers and community-based organizations. To address the situation, the paper argues for both changes in federal policy and leveraging of existing policy. The authors also detail the need for better sharing of the lessons being learned by projects that are successfully making these types of connections, including workforce development projects that intentionally take into the account the needs of immigrant populations. In addition, the authors suggest that immigrant-focused organizations need to increase their efforts to develop partnerships and to be part of regional boards that are striving towards integration of services. The authors also conclude that there is a need for more accurate data systems so that the participation of immigrants in workforce programs can be better assessed. To accomplish these difficult but important tasks the authors stress the importance of increased dialogue among all stakeholders. (Erik Jacobson, Montclair State University) Digital Divide Narrows for Latinos as More Spanish Speakers and Immigrants Go Online, Pew Research Center, July, 2016, 23 pp. Authors: Anna Brown, Gustavo López, & Mark Hugo Lopez This paper presents a demographic analysis of internet access in 2015 with a focus on the Latino population of the United States. The research suggests the picture is complex. For example, since 2009 the rate of Latino adults who report using the Internet has climbed to 84 percent, which has drastically decreased the gap in internet use between Latino and white adults (the white rate currently stands at 89 percent). However, only 46 percent of Latinos access the Internet through a broadband home connection (compared to 73 percent of whites). Use of mobile devices is comparative (80 percent for Latinos and 76 percent for whites). The study also notes that the Latino population that does not have access to internet (16 percent) is largely foreign-born and Spanish-language dominant. Levels of education, income and age are also associated with different patterns of access. Although the authors do not present any implications for practice based on these results, it would seem that programs that provide education and services to Latino populations must be cognizant of the complexity of their digital access. For example, given that a Latino client or student might be more likely to access information from a mobile device, attention must be paid to how a program's online site is set up. In addition, the disparity in access between US-born and foreign-born Latinos needs to be addressed during outreach and communications (Erik Jacobson, Montclair State University). Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers: Year One Report The National Council for Workforce Education, May, 2016, 33 pp. Authors: Darlene G. Miller & Nancy Poppe This paper summarizes the results of the first year
of an initiative called Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers (BCPIW). The goal of this project
is to establish and support partnerships between community based-organizations, in particular worker centers, and community
colleges in their locale. The report presents an argument for the need for such collaboration, reviews the process the BCPIW
followed to identify best practices, and presents case studies of eight partnerships across six different states. The partnerships
focused on expanding immigrants' access to education and training by adapting curriculum, creating new programs of study and
developing wrap-around services to address learners' non-academic needs. Participants suggested that the peer-learning model
used by the initiative was helpful in building trust and familiarity between the worker centers, CBOs and community colleges,
and the paper goes into some detail about the nature of the on-going assistance the collaborating partners received. The case
studies include descriptions of successes (e.g., the creation of new curricular pathways to support immigrant students' progress
towards industry certification) and hurdles they encountered (e.g., the difficulty of identifying potential employer partners).
A theme that emerged across the experiences of the eight partnerships is the need for institutions and organizations to be
intentional about how immigrants and refugees navigate their spaces and programs, rather than letting polices and approaches
develop in an ad hoc fashion. (Erik Jacobson, Montclair State University) Teaching Toward Equity: The Importance of English Classes to Reducing Economic Inequality in New York, The Center for Popular Democracy & Make the Road New York, March, 2016, 12 pp. Author: Kate Hamaji This position paper focuses on the potential impact that ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes can have on reducing the persistent income inequality that immigrants in New York City and State are experiencing. Hamaji begins by reviewing data about the employment status and wages of immigrant adults who are limited English proficient (LEP), noting that they are slightly less likely to be employed and earn significantly less than immigrants who are English proficient. Hamaji suggests that helping these LEP individuals to become proficient in English would not only boost their own earning power, it would contribute to the overall economic health of the city and state. In addition to addressing strictly economic issues, Hamaji also discusses how limited proficiency in English also negatively impacts immigrants' ability to defend their rights as workers (e.g., fighting back against wage theft and unsafe working conditions) and their confidence when advocating on behalf of their family (e.g., when speaking with their children's teachers or doctors). To this end, the paper includes testimonials from three ESOL students who have benefitted from their classes. Hamaji presents data that suggests while the size of the immigrant population in New York City and State has continued to increase, the number of seats available to LEP learners has declined over the last decade. The report concludes by asking for increases in funding in a variety of programs that provide ESOL, adult education and workforce development programs (Erik Jacobson, Montclair State University). Workforce Development Rhetoric and the Realities of 21st Century Capitalism, Literacy & Numeracy Studies, 24:1 (2016), 22 pp. Author: Erik Jacobson This paper questions the reigning orthodoxy in the workforce development field, as reflected in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) passed by Congress on a bipartisan basis in 2014. WIOA posits the existence of a "skills gap" between the hiring requirements of employers and the availability of qualified workers to meet those requirements. Not only does the author marshal evidence to challenge this assumption, he also questions whether the purpose of adult education should be solely to meet the needs of employers. Jacobson cites the "disproportionate growth in low-skill, low-wage work that started in the 1990s," a decrease in middle-wage jobs, and the increase in demand for high-skilled, white-collar workers. This "polarization of the workforce" leaves little room for lower skill workers to train for family-sustaining jobs, as there are so few of them to go around. Put in another way, Jacobson writes, "we cannot train our way out of poverty one worker at a time." Instead, we need to focus on the economic conditions that give rise to inequities in society and the structural solutions that might reduce those inequities, such as a floor on wages to reduce the growing number of poverty-level jobs, investments in infrastructure improvements to create new jobs, and strengthening the safety net for all workers. Jacobson urges adult education teachers to weave a social justice perspective into their work, to question the "methods fetish" in education, and to recognize that "education alone is not enough to move a whole class of people out of poverty..." Building Career Pathways for Adult Learners: An Evaluation of Progress in Illinois, Minnesota,
and Wisconsin After Eight Years of Shifting Gears, The Joyce Foundation, September, 2015, 43 pp. Authors: Brandon Roberts & Derek Price The Joyce Foundation launched the Shifting Gears Initiative in the six Midwestern states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin in 2007. The purpose of the initiative was to help low-skilled adults transition to post-secondary education and family-sustaining employment through the development of "bridge programs," i.e. programs that would connect basic skills education (including ESL) to post-secondary education in high demand occupational sectors. The foundation invested $12.7 million dollars in the project between 2007 and 2014. This report is the project's second evaluation study, focusing on the three states of Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin - the only states receiving renewal funding from 2012 to 2014. Although the project made "demonstrable progress" during this period, the number of total participants remained small, never reaching more than 5 percent of the adult learners in need. The total number served in 2014 was 3,700. The percentage of bridge participants who earned a postsecondary credential during the period from 2011 to 2014 was 6 percent in Illinois, 15 percent in Minnesota, and 25 percent in Wisconsin. Wisconsin's favorable results seem to have been driven by the exceptionally good outcomes for immigrant participants. The Shifting Gears Initiative was a precursor to the federal Workforce Opportunity and Innovation Act in 2014, which drew some of its inspiration, especially its emphasis on "career pathways," from the project. Tuition Equality Act is a Half-Measure Without Access to Financial Aid, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP), April, 2015, 11 pp. Author: Erika J. Nava This report argues that in-state tuition for qualified undocumented students is insufficient to lower the barriers to college access for these students, who tend to be from lower-income families and therefore reliant on state higher education assistance to cover college costs (New Jersey at present does not provide such assistance). NJPP surveyed 11 public colleges and universities in New Jersey to determine the impact of a 2013 law granting in-state tuition to undocumented students. Despite the large size of New Jersey's undocumented population, only 251 new undergraduate undocumented students enrolled at these institutions during 2014. With a substantial drop in state aid for public colleges since 2007, the average cost of tuition and fees at these schools has risen by 24 percent to an average level of $13,002 -- 42 percent more than the national average of $9,139. Citing sources indicating that the average family income of undocumented families in New Jersey is $39,100 (about $75,000 less than that of New Jerseyans in general), and pointing out that undocumented students are not eligible for federal Pell grants, the author suggests that many of these students will have a hard time continuing their education without access to New Jersey's need-based Tuition Aid Grant, which currently provides 82,000 awards per year. The balance of the report addresses arguments of opponents who claim that such a policy change would either cost too much or take opportunities away from other low-income students. In the Shadows of the Ivory Tower: Undocumented Undergraduates and the Liminal State of
Immigration Reform, The UndocuScholars Project, The Institute for Immigration, Globalization & Education, University of California, Los Angeles, January, 2015, 29 pp. Authors: Robert T. Teranishi, Carola Suárez-Orozco, and Marcelo Suárez-Orozco Funded by the Ford Foundation, this study is the product of a joint effort by the Institute for Immigration, Globalization, and Education at the University of California, Los Angeles and the UndocuScholars Project. Based on survey responses from 909 undocumented individuals from 34 states, the report sheds light on the range of issues facing undocumented students seeking to access and succeed in higher education. The survey captures basic demographic information about these students, including country of origin, age at arrival in the U.S., college majors, and socioeconomic background (61.3 percent, for example, come from homes with an annual household income of less than $30,000). The researchers found that 65.9 percent of the sample had applied for and received deferred action under the DACA Program and that these students had derived important advantage from the program, including the ability to work while going to school. However, DACA did not eliminate all the barriers and uncertainties that these students face, including "residual worries" about deportation both for themselves, if and when the DACA program ends, and their loved ones. A "surprising" finding of the study was high anxiety levels for DACA recipients, notwithstanding the short-term reprieve from deportation. The report emphasizes that state and local authorities, as well as higher education personnel, can adopt policies that are either inclusionary or exclusionary. Perhaps, the most important public policies affecting these students are whether they qualify for in-state tuition and whether they can apply for state-funded tuition assistance. The authors review the variations that exist around the country on these questions. The authors also identify ways to improve the campus climate for undocumented students, including developing "safe spaces" for these students. They conclude by proposing a nine-point program for creating an "undocufriendly" campus. Missing in Action: Job-Driven Educational Pathways for Unauthorized Youth
and Adults, National Skills Coalition, February 2015, 14 pp. Authors: Rachel Unrah & Amanda Bergson-Shilcock This paper examines the disconnect between the manpower needs of the American economy and the educational and training requirements imposed on undocumented immigrants seeking to regularize their status. The authors review current or proposed legislation or administrative actions, including the DREAM Act, the original Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program, the new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and future comprehensive immigration reform. They observe that these requirements "have not lined up with what the labor market actually demands, and to date, no policy has included the investments or infrastructure needed to support job-driven educational pathways for unauthorized youth and adults." For example, provisions of the DREAM Act "do not reflect the educational outcomes demanded by the labor market." Applicants for legalization are required to obtain a two-year degree and are not allowed to substitute an industry-recognized, middle-skill credential. Although the provisions of the DACA program are less onerous than the DREAM Act, i.e. requiring that applicants only be enrolled in a career-focused education or literacy program, the program presents a "Catch-22" for applicants, as Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is only open to people who are already work-authorized, not those applying for work authorization. The authors urge advocates and policy-makers n the immigrant integration field to fashion "an intentional, pro-active skills strategy" as they consider various reform proposals. (Ariella Katz-Suchov for The ILC Public Education Institute) Through an Immigrant Lens: PIAAC Assessment of the Competencies of Adults in the United
States, Migration Policy Institute, February, 2015, 36 pp. Authors: Jeanne Batalova & Michael Fix This report analyzes immigrant-related data from the 2012 Program for the International Assessment of Adults Competencies (PIACC), which evaluated the cognitive skills of adults (ages 16 to 65) in 24 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Including the United States. Approximately 166,000 adults, including 5,010 in the United States, participated in the survey. The results for the US were quite disappointing. The US average literacy score (270) ranked 16th out of 24 countries and below the OECD average of 273. Fifteen percent (636 persons) of the US total survey sample of 5,010 persons was foreign-born. Immigrants had substantially lower proficiency scores than the US-born in all three tested domains: English literacy proficiency, numeracy, and problem-solving skills. However, removing immigrants from the survey sample did not significantly improve the US overall ranking. The report goes on to take a granular look at various subcategories of immigrants. For example, literacy scores are lower for Hispanics and Blacks than for other immigrants, and over half of immigrants with bachelor's degrees are not proficient in literacy or numeracy, suggesting the need for targeted programs to serve this subset of the immigrant population. Unlike their counterparts in other OECD countries, immigrants with the lowest literacy levels in the US tend to be working, not unemployed, which, the authors observe, argues for the development of workplace literacy programs to serve them. This report was commissioned by the American Institutes for Research and funded through a contract with the National Center for Education Statistics. Restructuring California's Adult Education System, Legislative Analyst's Office, December 5, 2012, 28 pp. The report recommends a comprehensive restructuring of the adult education system in California with clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of adult schools and community colleges. The report finds that adult schools in California (currently numbering around 300) and community colleges (112 in total) each have comparative advantages in delivering adult education. However, there should be a "clear and consistent distinction between adult education and collegiate education." The report further recommends that categorical funding for adult education in local school systems should be restored (In 2009, the legislature allowed school systems to use funds previously dedicated for adult education for general purposes). Additional recommendations include eliminating the requirement that instructors at adult schools hold a K-12 teaching credential so that faculty at community colleges can teach at adult schools, and instituting a "modest enrollment fee" of $25 per course for students in both adult schools and noncredit community college programs. The report also recommends that the system narrow its focus from 10 to 6 instructional programs, including ESL and citizenship and workforce preparation.The Legislative Analyst's Office has also produced a video about the report. New York State’s Language Barrier, Center for an Urban Future, January, 2015, 8 pp. Authors: David Giles and Barbara Wijering New York State has seen significant growth in its immigrant population in the last decade mostly outside of New York City, according to the report “New York State’s Language Barriers.” Despite this growth, authors David Giles and Barbara Wijering argue that funding and implementing needed English as a Second Language (ESOL) programs are not keeping pace. The data, sourced from the American Community Survey and the Literacy Assistance Center, show that during the same eight-year period in which the immigrant population increased significantly (ranging from eight percent to 48 percent depending on the county), the number of state-funded ESL seats dropped by 32 percent. As state funding remained flat during this period, fewer students received more hours of instruction. While the increase in instructional hours was beneficial for those students, it left all of the others out. As a result, state residents with self-reported low English proficiency increased by 14 percent between 2005 and 2013. The authors emphasize the importance of English proficiency to immigrants’ workforce integration and economic success. Increasing access to ESOL education through state funding for this growing section of the workforce, this article states, will generate an economic spark for upstate New York cities and counties, and for employers and residents alike. (Jamie Cross for The ILC Public Education Institute Lessons from the Local Level: DACA's Implementation and Impact on Education and Training Success, Migration Policy Institute, January, 2015, 53 pp. Authors: Sarah Hooker, Margie McHugh & Angelo Mathay Focusing on promising educational strategies in seven states with large immigrant populations (California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Texas), this study explores the connection between educational success and the ability of DREAMers to qualify for immigration relief. Funded with support from the Gates Foundation, the study covers initiatives in four different settings: high schools, postsecondary education, adult education, and legal services. For each setting, the report offers a number of "takeaways," including the following: (High Schools) Dropout prevention and recovery programs can be important educational strategies for out-of-school DACA-eligible youth; (Postsecondary Education) In-state tuition laws (without restrictions on access to GED completers) need to be expanded, along with eligibility for state financial aid (now available in only five states); (Adult Education) Spanish language instruction for high school equivalency is an effective strategy for out-of-school youth; and (Legal Services) Legal service providers need guidance in providing referrals to education and training programs for DACA applicants, while schools need guidance in how to share information without running afoul of privacy regulations. The report concludes with the following observation: "As many cities and states seek to reap economic and social gains from bringing DACA youth into the formal labor market and building their human capital, the initiatives described in this report provide important lessons for achieving the twin goals of assisting youth who may qualify for new immigration relief measures while also promoting their education and career advancement." Bridging the Gap for Foreign-Educated Immigrants: A Guide for Community Colleges, Global Talent Bridge in partnership with the Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education, 2014, 34 pp. Primary Author: Alexandra Lowe Foreign-educated immigrants, i.e. immigrants with college degrees or credits from their home country, often lack the knowledge and resources needed to obtain a job worthy of their educational accomplishments. This immigrant "brain waste" has overall negative effects such as missed economic growth, wasted skills and loss of tax revenue. This report draws attention to the central role that community colleges can play in helping skilled immigrants transition into professional careers. The guide encourages community colleges to think of foreign-educated immigrants as economic and social assets, who can fill skill shortages in key sectors and occupations, if properly guided and assisted. It identifies resources for community college educators and administrators, with suggestions as to how to reach out to foreign-educated immigrants and integrate them into existing programs and resources. The Guide also describes promising practices from community colleges across the country and includes profiles of individual students who traversed the pathway to successful careers in America. Among the many observations in the report are the following: foreign-educated immigrants learn about their local community college purely by chance (targeted outreach would lead to higher enrollments); foreign-educated immigrants don't want to start all over again (credential recognition and prior learning assessments are important steps on the path to career reentry); long years of enrollment in non-credit English language courses can serve as a disincentive to career advancement (co-enrollment in credit-bearing courses and "bridge programs" are effective strategies); and foreign-educated immigrants are often unaware of financial assistance options (teachers and advisors should communicate this information to students). (Ariella Katz Suchow for The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.'s Public Education Institute) ESL Participation as a Mechanism for Advancing Health Literacy in Immigrant Communities, Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives, October 14, 2014, 17 pp. Authors: Maricel G. Santos et al Over a 4-year period (2008-2012), a team of San Francisco-based researchers studied the potential of the adult ESL classroom to produce improvements in health literacy, especially as it relates to the prevention of Type-2 diabetes within immigrant communities. The project consisted of several phases, including a teacher survey and a classroom pilot involving 5 teachers and 116 learners. The project was motivated by the belief that health literacy is not solely a matter of cognitive skill development, but also the result of the social interaction and social support that takes place in the classroom. This report questions the "oversimplified logic" that constructs health literacy as an individually experienced set of reading and writing skills. The report underscores the importance of health knowledge in native language, peer-to-peer learning, the commitment of teachers to health literacy, and the ripple effect of students serving as agents of change within their communities. The report concludes that "adult literacy practitioners are strategic intermediaries in the work of immigrant health care" and that health care organizations and funders should partner with the adult education system in the effort to promote greater health literacy. Investing in English Skills: The Limited English Proficient Workforce in U.S. Metropolitan Areas, Brookings, September, 2014, 47 pp. Author: Jill H. Wilson In this report, author Jill H. Wilson utilizes 2012 American Community Survey data to examine the Limited English Proficient (LEP) population in the U.S. and the metropolitan areas where they reside. Numbering nearly one in 10 of working-age adults (19.2 million people between the ages of 16 and 64), LEP individuals earn 25 to 40 percent less than their English-proficient counterparts. Although LEP individuals tend to live in large metropolitan areas, their numbers are growing faster in smaller metro areas. The report provides detailed analyses of the LEP population by metro area, including information on levels of education, poverty rates, median annual earnings, home languages, and occupations. She notes, for example, that two-thirds of working-age LEP adults are concentrated in just six industries, with accommodations and food services attracting the highest percentage. Despite the growth in the size of the LEP population, there has been a decline in federal and state funding of English for Speakers of Other Languages programs. As the LEP population is going to play a significant role in U.S. economic growth over the next four decades, Wilson suggests closing this gap. One way would be to implement a more equitable distribution of Workforce Investment Act funding to support English instruction, i.e. counting all LEP individuals in determining the funding formula for states rather than just the 40 percent without a high school diploma. She also calls for innovations in instructional approaches, such as worksite classes and online and mobile technology to increase access to English learning opportunities. (Robert Smith for The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.'s Public Education Institute) Diploma, Please: Promoting Educational Attainment for DACA- and Potential DREAM Act-Eligible Youth, Migration Policy Institute, September, 2014, 37 pp. Author: Margie McHugh Examining the intersection of education policy and immigration policy, this report assesses the educational needs of important sub-populations of immigrant youth, who will be unable to obtain immigration benefits (under DACA and future immigration reform) unless they achieve certain educational goals. The three groups of most concern are: immigrants age 16 or older with low levels of education (often below 8th grade) who never attended school in the U.S.; immigrants who dropped out of high school for a variety of reasons, e.g. need to work, pregnancy, lack of credit attainment, or some combination thereof; and high school graduates without post-secondary education, who would fail to qualify for legalization under the Senate version of immigration reform (and likely under any subsequent version) without two years of college. The need for educational opportunities for these groups comes at a time when the existing adult education system is under severe strain, largely caused by state budget cuts. Over a five-year period ending in 2012-2013, adult education enrollment declined by 612,616, or 27 percent nationally. The report gives examples of "promising practices and emerging models" designed to serve these young people, including the Plaza Comunitarias Spanish language high school equivalency program of the Mexican government, drop-out recovery programs operated by school districts, a range of college affordability strategies, and "bridge programs" to accelerate transitions to post-secondary education. The report also identifies various system-level improvements, including a marketing campaign targeting DACA-eligible youth, "personalized guidance and navigation support at the front end of adult education," and breaking down program silos, by for example, training leaders in the workforce development, adult education, and post-secondary fields to gain expertise on issues of immigration policy and practice. English-Speaking Ability of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2012, U.S. Census Bureau, June, 2014, 14 pp. Authors: Christine P. Gambino, Yesenia D. Acosta, & Elizabeth M. Grieco Using data from the 2012 American Community Survey, this report examines English use at home and English-speaking ability among the foreign-born population in the U.S. The report also discusses the relationship between English-speaking ability and place of birth, level of education, and years spent living in the United States. A number of charts permit comparisons between states and with national averages. As might be expected, the percentage of the U.S. foreign-born population speaking a language other than English at home increased from 70 percent in 1970 to 85 percent in 2012, with 2012 variations ranging from a high of 91 percent in Texas to a low of 49 percent in Montana. With regard to English-speaking ability, half the foreign-born in the U.S. aged 5 and older spoke English less than "very well." The report includes a color-coded map of the states showing states "significantly higher" or "significantly lower" than the national average on English-speaking ability. The balance of the report analyzes English-speaking ability by country of origin. Two Years and Counting: Assessing the Growing Power of DACA, American Immigration Council, Special Report, June, 2014, 13 pp. Authors: Robert G. Gonzales & Angie M. Bautista-Chavez This research brief presents findings from the National UnDACAmented Research Project which analyzes the impact of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program on the lives of young people who qualified for the program. Based on a national survey of 2,684 DACA-eligible young adults between the ages of 18 and 32, the report found that almost 60 percent of DACA beneficiaries surveyed obtained a new job, and 45 percent increased their earnings. Economic benefits, however, were greatest for those who attended four-year colleges and who had already received their bachelor's degree. The survey included a smaller subsample of 244 respondents who, although qualified for the program, did not apply. People in this group had less schooling, worked longer hours and were more likely to have children of their own. The primary obstacle for this group (mentioned by 43 percent) was the $465 application fee. The report mentions that "stopping-out," or leaving school with the intention of returning, remains an important trend among DACA-eligible college students, largely because of the unavailability of federal financial aid for this population. Indeed, undocumented youth are three times more likely than similar youth to stop-out. The report concludes with a series of recommendations, including offering immigration relief to family members of DACA recipients and making DACA recipients eligible for federal and state tuition assistance programs. In Their Own Words: A Nationwide Survey of Undocumented Millennials, Invitation to a Roundtable: A Discussion of Return on Investment in Adult Education, Council for the Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAAL), March 17, 2014, 23 pp. + appendices Authors: James Parker & Gail Spangenberg This publication summarizes an invitational CAAL Roundtable attended by 26 national and state leaders that was convened to provide perspectives on the challenge of producing Return on Investment (ROI) in adult education. Held in New York City on November 8, 2013, the Roundtable built on an earlier CAAL report entitled Stepping up to ROI in Adult Education (September, 2013). This earlier report discussed the results of a national survey of state ABE directors designed to explore state experiences in collecting and using ROI data. Both the Roundtable and the earlier report were funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The Roundtable devoted attention to three issues in particular: progress in developing ROI measures in six leadership states (AR, CA, IN, KY, MN, and VA); the challenge of developing ROI data for "special needs subgroups," i.e. immigrants, correctional populations, and the working poor; and how data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) might be used to create "the common taxonomy necessary for messaging and communicating ROI..." The Roundtable concluded with several ideas to supplement the recommendations in the "Stepping Up" report, including the development of "coherent, integrated, and accessible" state databases which should be able to "track students from one program type to another and to enable significant wage record matches." Adult Education and Immigrant Integration: Networks for Integrating New Americans (NINA) Theoretical
Framework World Education, September 30, 2013, 49 pp Lead Authors: Silja Kallenbach, Kien S. Lee, Susan Downs-Karkos, and Madeleine Beaubien Taylor Contributing Authors: Jennifer Brennan and Andy Nash Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult education, the NINA Initiative will provide intensive technical assistance to immigrant integration projects in five U.S. communities. The purpose of this report is to outline the theoretical framework that will guide World Education and its partner organization in selecting sites to participate in the project. NINA will be guided by a theory of change premised on the importance of collaboration and "alignment" across an array of organizations, including adult education providers, workforce development programs, public school systems, social service providers, refugee resettlement agencies, immigrant rights organization, employers, unions, government agencies, and immigrant mutual assistance associations. According to the authors, as these organizations "align their goals, core competencies, resources, strategies, and data collection around a common immigrant integration agenda, they will achieve greater impact related to the three dimensions of integration: linguistic, economic, and civic." The report draws insights from "contemporary network science," which posits the importance of trust-building, complementary capacities among participating organizations, a shared measurement system, and a "backbone support organization" with the capacity to coordinate the various elements of the project. The report also provides details about integration strategies that have proven effective both historically and in recent years. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals at the One-Year Mark, Migration Policy Institute (MPI), August, 2013, 16 pp. Authors: Jeanne Batalova, Sarah Hooker, & Randy Capps On the one-year anniversary of the DACA program, MPI profiles the young people who have applied for the program and discusses the barriers faced by those who have not. Application rates show wide variation by state. While 49 percent of the currently eligible population has applied for DACA nationally, states like North Carolina (74 percent) and Georgia (63 percent) are higher than the national average, whereas states like New York (34 percent) and Florida (35 percent) are lower. These variations may have something to do with the nationality background of the eligible population; Mexicans, who comprise 59 percent of all currently eligible youth, have the highest application rate of 64 percent, whereas Colombians (application rate of 28 percent), Filipinos (16 percent) and Dominicans (14 percent) have the lowest. The report also examines the plight of the 423,000 individuals who meet all eligibility requirements except for the educational requirement, i.e. lacking a high school diploma or its equivalent and not enrolled in school. Many have work and parenting responsibilities that prevent them from returning to school; 71 percent are in the labor force, as compared to 55 percent of currently eligible youth. Forty-two percent have not completed any high school grades, and over two-thirds are limited English proficient (LEP). The report proposes an expansion adult education, literacy, and workforce programs for these young people so that they will not be trapped in unauthorized status. Immigration Facts: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Connected Teaching and Personalized Learning: Implications of the National Education Technology Plan
(NETP) for Adult Education, American Institutes for Research, May 31, 2013, 36 pp. Funded by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) of the U.S. Department of Education, this report is described as a "blueprint for education reform enabled by technology." The report examines how specific components of the congressionally-mandated National Educational Technology Plan of 2010, developed primarily for the K-12 system, have the potential to transform adult education. The report discusses promising innovations and makes recommendations in each of five broad areas: engaging and empowering learners, collecting and analyzing information on student progress, the professional development of teachers, infrastructure development, and measures to boost the productivity of the entire adult education system while operating within existing resource constraints. Examples of these measures include new platforms to ensure the "content interoperability" of online learning modules, and the development of a unified student learning record, showing student achievements and credentials across multiple learning venues. The report concludes by suggesting that these reforms have "the potential to help the adult education field address the need for increased infrastructure and capacity to meet the demand of the nearly 40 million people who are in need of adult basic education but are not served." Comprehensive Immigration Reform: A Proposal for a Skills Strategy that Supports Economic Growth and
Opportunity National Skills Coalition, June, 2013, 19 pp. In order to realize the "tremendous economic potential" of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR), the National Skills Coalition (NSC) puts forth this proposal to help legalized immigrants satisfy the educational and training requirements for permanent residence. The NSC, a network of 3,200 professionals in business, labor, education and community-based organizations, argues that provisions in the proposed Senate CIR for skills investment are deficient in both funding and scope to achieve a system whereby immigrants can proceed to permanent residence and fully function as productive members of society. NSC proposes the incorporation of three new grant programs into the Senate immigration reform bill. These programs "would dramatically increase the resources available for skills training...without increasing the cost of the bill." More than $1.5 billion might be raised through an increase in H-1B visa fees and by reprogramming a portion of the money in the existing Social Security Earnings Suspense File (ESF), most of which was contributed by undocumented immigrants. NSC also urges that such investments "use common performance measures that are consistent with workforce development programs" and that these investments be channeled through the "existing workforce development infrastructure." Their plan addresses the wide range of immigrants' skill levels and employment goals and urges a role for community-based organizations "as a bridge into the public workforce system." Finally, NSC urges that the proposed "Office of Citizenship and New Americans," which will coordinate the federal government's immigrant integration work, be moved from the Department of Homeland Security to the Executive Office of the President. Repairing the Nation's Education System for Adult English Learners, Lexington Institute, July, 2013, 15 pp. Authors: Sean Kennedy & John Walters This report argues that the current system for helping adult immigrants learn English is "broken." As the population of limited English proficient adults has soared to 23 million, enrollment in federally-funded programs has declined. Even for the small fraction of immigrants served by these programs, proficiency gains have been low and drop-out rates have been high. The report points out wide variations among the states in 2009-2010 performance levels. New York, for example, improved proficiency levels for 53 percent of its enrolled ESL students, while New Jersey reported an "abysmal" 27 percent. The authors lay partial blame for this situation on "traditional government providers," who use a "one-size-fits-all approach," schedule course times at inconvenient hours, and fail to adapt instruction to the needs of specific groups of learners, including people who lack literacy in their native languages. In addition, the metrics used to track student progress, i.e. single level proficiency gains, have limited value in evaluating program worth. By way of contrast, the report describes and lauds programs operated by community-based organizations, adult charter schools, and employers. Casa de Maryland, for example, operates a drop-in English program for day laborers unable to find work on a particular day; the PUENTE Learning Center in Los Angeles uses a Computer-Assisted Language Learning Project, or CALIS, developed by Duke University to enable students to learn at their own pace; and the Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., the nation's first charter school for adults, combines workforce training with ESL instruction. The report concludes with three overarching recommendations: first, hold programs accountable for outcomes through data; second, design programs around learner needs and goals; and third, establish funding models built around success, including adult public charter schools. College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education, MPR Associates, Inc., 2013, 150 pp. Author: Susan Pimentel Produced under contract to the Office of Vocational and Adult Education of the U.S. Department of Education, this report provides guidance in adapting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) to adult education programs in the U.S. A major goal of the report is to isolate the content in the areas of English language arts, literacy, and mathematics most relevant to preparing adult students for success in higher education and training programs. The author believes that there are "non-negotiable knowledge and skills" that must become the focus of adult education programs in the U.S. However, most adults have limited time for study and come to programs with "some measure of schooling and a wealth of life experiences, making some CCSS content unnecessary to include;" programs must be selective in how they incorporate the common core into their work. The project utilized two independent panels to select the standards with the greatest applicability to the adult student population. Among the broad themes found in the recommended standards are: complexity (regular practice with complex text): evidence (reading, writing, and speaking grounded in such texts); and knowledge (building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction). The author recognizes that there are supports and interventions that must be provided to make the standards relevant for English language learners and students with learning disabilities, but does not elaborate on what these supports and interventions should be. Linguistic Marginalities: Becoming American without Learning English Journal of Transnational American Studies, 2012, 28 pp. Authors: Miranda E. Wilkerson & Joseph Salmons Trained in speech and linguistics, the authors of this study challenge the common assumption that learning English is crucial to the successful integration of immigrants and their children into American society. By studying a 19th and early 20th century German-American community in southeastern Wisconsin, the researchers found that German monolinguals did not live on the margins of society, as might be presumed, but were "generally integrated...socially, economically, and geographically." German monolinguals held jobs across the economic spectrum; they lived "right next door" to English monolinguals; they showed enthusiasm for American patriotic celebrations; and their commitment to education, albeit in German, was as strong, if not stronger, than their English-speaking neighbors. Although founded by Anglo-Americans, and with a substantial presence of non-Germans, the town of Hustisford in Dodge County, according to the authors, may have been "typical of many towns in America's heartland..." The authors conclude "that an ability to speak English has never characterized an American identity nor made a person a better citizen." A Golden Opportunity: Strategies to Focus Adult Education on College and Career, Learning Works, March, 2013, 16 pp. Authors: Barbara Baran & Julie Strawn Noting that "there is no state in which basic skills looms larger in importance than California" and that "most students in basic skills programs make minimal progress," this report focuses on "four levers" that can be used to reorient adult education programs from "basic literacy" (presumably inclusive of ESL instruction) and GED preparation to a system "designed to help students prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education connected to labor market opportunities." The report draws from interviews with senior administrators and educators in seven states that have attempted to achieve this type of educational reform: Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Washington. The four levers are: instituting effective governance structures (the Governor of California has proposed the reinstatement of dedicated state funding for adult education but shifting administration of this funding from the Department of Education to the community college system), developing system-wide strategic plans and new funding guidelines, spurring the development of sustainable and scalable educational initiatives, and using data to make the case for refocusing adult education on college and careers. The report was prepared by Learning Works, an organization founded by the Career Ladders Project for California Community Colleges. Post-traditional Learners and the Transformation of Postsecondary Education: A Manifesto
for College Leaders, American Council on Education, January, 2013, 18 pp. Author: Louis Soares Higher education is facing a disruption, but the biggest driver of change is getting lost in the hype. That's the message of this "manifesto for college leaders," written by Louis Soares, a fellow at the Center for American Progress. "There is indeed a transformation coming in American higher education," writes Soares, "It is not driven by technology or MOOCs, though these tools abet the change. It will be driven by the rise of post-traditional learners." The author defines post-traditional learners as the working-age population, between ages 25-64, who lack a college credential but are seeking to get ahead while balancing jobs with educational and family responsibilities. The report argues that colleges must rethink their institutional, instructional and business models to improve how they serve the post-traditional learner -- a reassessment that may require "question(ing) the foundations of the academy." In many settings, the post-traditional learner has become the norm rather than the exception in the educational market of the 21stcentury. The needs and circumstances of these learners will likely lead to alternative forms of credentialing and learning and the development of a "new ecosystem for learning validation outside of the academy." Regrettably, the author writes, many college leaders "seem more intent on protecting the existing enterprise than solving the nettlesome challenges of education an ever more diverse and demanding group of learners." (Adapted from a review by Paul Fain of "Inside Higher Education") Strengthening State Systems for Adult Learners: An Evaluation of the First Five Years of Shifting Gears, The Joyce Foundation, December, 2012, 39 pp. Authors: Brandon Roberts & Derek Price The Joyce Foundation launched the Shifting Gears Project in 2007 with the goal of helping six Midwest states significantly increase the number of low-skilled adults who enter postsecondary education and obtain occupational credit-based credentials to succeed in the 21st century economy. Between 2007 and 2011, the Foundation awarded a total of about $8 million in grants to Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, "with the expectation that officials in these states would pursue a systems change agenda for making existing education and skills development systems work better for adult learners. Shifting Gears emphasized the need for aligning policy and priorities across adult basic education, workforce development, and community and technical college systems to improve transitions to postsecondary education." This evaluation found that four of the six states (Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) "demonstrated traction on the ground by implementing innovative strategies to serve low-skilled adults...At the end of 2011, about 4,000 low-skilled adults were participating in new programs -- a modest number that is expected to grow considerably during the next several years," as new models are scaled up and adopted by more institutions. The report does not provide a breakdown of enrollees by race, ethnicity or country of birth. One of the conclusions of the evaluation is that states must "repurpose or reallocate existing financial resources" in order to maintain and expand these new programs. In addition, "it will be important for states to conduct rigorous analyses that provide credible findings demonstrating the new ways of serving low-skilled adults is (sic) superior to the status quo." Preparing for the new GED Test: What to Consider Before 2014, The Working Poor Families Project (WPFP), Fall, 2012, 17 pp. Author: Carol Clymer The first part of this policy brief is a primer on the new GED test, scheduled to be introduced in January of 2014. According to the author, the revamped test will have "profound implications" for low-skilled adults seeking to progress to post-secondary education and employment. (Reviewer's Note: According to a 2010 Pew study, roughly half of Latino immigrant adults in the U.S. lack a high school diploma). Potential problems include: increased test costs, fewer test centers, a shift to computerized testing, and more difficult test content aligned with the common core standards. The author then proceeds to review what states are doing to address these problems, including efforts to devise different pathways to high school equivalency. Many states already have non-GED high school equivalency diploma programs, including the National External Diploma Program (NEDP), credit make-up approaches, and diplomas awarded for college credits. The paper urges WPFP state partners to use the GED test make-over as an opportunity to raise important questions about the capacity of state systems to help low-skilled adults advance to higher levels of education and employment. In particular, the author urges policy makers to consider five other non-GED possibilities for high school equivalency: the National External Diploma Program; competency-based high school equivalency programs developed in Hawaii, Vermont and Wisconsin; new programs under development in Minnesota and Washington; alternative adult-appropriate exams, such as those being considered by New York and Texas; and college-credit approaches. It is imperative, the report concludes, that "all students, especially working adults, have practical and cost-effective options to meet their basic skill and educational needs." Graduating to College: Three States Helping Adult Education Students Get a College
Education, The Working Poor Families Project, Policy Brief, Summer, 2012, 16 pp. This policy brief discusses the obstacles facing low-income adults seeking to improve their economic circumstances through post-secondary education. It also showcases three states that have made "creative leaps forward" in developing educational pathways for this population and makes recommendations for state policy makers interested in helping low-income adults transition to higher education. The three states (Kentucky, Maine, and Minnesota) were chosen because they have many adult education providers outside the community college system, and thus must achieve alignment and articulation of different systems, i.e. local education agencies (K-12 school systems), community-based organizations, and community colleges. Kentucky Adult Education promotes access to postsecondary education by setting statewide and county-level goals, e.g. number of adults earning GEDs who transition to postsecondary education, and by conducting a "Go Higher Kentucky" marketing campaign. Maine's "College Transitions" program is a preparatory course, serving 4.4 percent of the state's total adult education population that builds the skills to enter college within a 12-18 month period. Finally, Minnesota FastTRAC is a career pathways program for adults who have low skills or limited English proficiency. Offered in five stages, each "bridge" class combines basic skills instruction with occupationally-specific post-secondary training. Since 2011, 34 Minnesota FastTRAC programs have been implemented on 20 college campuses. (Lorin Mordecai) Adult College Completion Tool Kit, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), 2012, 69 pp. This publication contains "a wealth of resources and tools" to help undereducated adults transition to postsecondary education. In producing the Tool Kit, OVAE seeks to advance President Obama's goal for the United States to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. The primary audience for the Tool Kit are administrators of state literacy programs and adult education practitioners. The publication outlines effective strategies for college transition and organizes them into three categories: facilitating access to college, ensuring quality of instruction, and promoting college completion. Sidebars give examples of effective programs. An appendix contains links to, and descriptions of, more than 50 resources discussed in the report, many of them developed with OVAE funding. The Tool Kit also includes handouts for four target student populations: adult basic education students, incarcerated individuals, veterans, and high-skilled immigrants. Dreaming Big: What Community Colleges
Can Do to Help Undocumented Immigrant Youth Achieve their Potential, Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education (CCCIE), September, 2012 This report profiles "the exemplary practices of community colleges that are improving the educational prospects of undocumented students." CCCIE is a national network of 23 community colleges and other organizations that have joined forces to address the needs of immigrant students. The report details the many challenges faced by undocumented students in accessing and completing higher education. Despite these challenges, such as lack of eligibility for federation tuition or work study assistance, a number of community colleges have developed strategies and approaches that are enhancing educational opportunities for these students. These approaches are grouped into five categories: increase college access, make college more affordable, support college readiness and success, offer pathways for nontraditional students, and improve college retention and completion. The report also reviews research findings suggesting a substantial return on investment through enhanced services and supports for these students. Finally, the publication provides contact information for ten of the colleges whose policies and practices are highlighted in the report, as well as links to resources that may prove useful to colleges working with this population. New Americans in Postsecondary Education:
A Profile of Immigrant and Second-Generation American Undergraduates, National Center for Educational Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, July, 2012, 29 pp. Using data from a nationwide sample of undergraduate students conducted in 2007-2008, this study focuses on the differences in postsecondary education enrollment between immigrant and non-immigrant students. Twenty-three percent of undergraduates in the survey were immigrant and second-generation Americans. Larger percentages of Hispanic and Asian new Americans (32-38 percent) were in the lowest income group than all undergraduates (25 percent). Hispanic and Asian New Americans were also more likely to have a parent who did not attend college at 55 percent and 38 percent versus 33 percent of all undergraduates. In high school, 25 percent of Hispanics took calculus compared to 46 percent of Asians and 29 percent of all undergraduates. Hispanic immigrants were also more likely to take remedial courses at 52 percent than Asian immigrants (40 percent) and all undergraduates (35 percent). In terms of postsecondary enrollments, immigrant Hispanic and Asian students enrolled in community colleges at 51 percent and 54 percent as opposed to all undergraduates at 44 percent. However, second-generation Asian students enrolled in 4-year colleges at 55 percent, which was higher than Hispanics (36 percent) and all undergraduates (46 percent). Immigrant Asians (40 percent) and Hispanics (36 percent) had lower rates of full-time enrollment in school than all undergraduates (47 percent). Finally, the report found that Asians had a greater propensity to major in STEM fields or business than Hispanics or all undergraduates. (Lorin Mordecai) In a Time of Scarce Resources: Near Term Priorities in Adult Education, Limited English Proficient Workers and the Workforce Investment Act: Challenges
and Opportunities, Sinking or Swimming: Findings from a Survey of State Adult Education Tuition and Financing Policies, Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research, Training Futures: A Case Study of a Nonprofit-Community College Partnership, Talent is Ready: Promising Practices for Helping Immigrant Professionals
Establish Their American Careers, Breaking the Language Barrier: A Report on English Language Services
in Greater Boston, Sound Investments: Building Immigrants' Skills to Fuel Economic
Growth,
DREAM vs. Reality: An Analysis of Potential DREAM Act Beneficiaries,
Evidence-Based, Student-Centered Instructional Practices, Promoting Learner Transitions to Postsecondary Education and Work: Developing
Academic Readiness Skills from the Beginning, Policy
Handbook on Adult English Language Learning, English Language Learning:
Diverse Federal and State Efforts to Support Adult English Language Learning Could Benefit from More
Coordination, General Accounting Office, July, 2009, 68 pp. This study surveys the landscape of adult English language instruction in the United
States and urges greater collaboration and information-sharing among the three federal agencies most heavily involved in the
delivery of English language services to the adult immigrant population: Education, HHS, and Labor. The authors note
that only the federal Department of Education tracks performance data specific to English language learners through its Adult
Education State Grant Program, making it difficult to assess the effectiveness of a "multifaceted" federal
effort. The report also examines the extent of coordination among providers on the state and local level, and mentions
numerous promising practices. Twelve states, including New Jersey, were selected for in-depth study, on the basis of the size
or rate of growth of their LEP populations. The GAO concludes by recommending regular meetings among federal agencies to develop
joint initiatives, the development of time frames for the accomplishment of interdepartmental objectives, and a coordinated
approach to research on effective educational practices in the field. Expanding Horizons: Pacesetters in Adult Education
for Work, Taking Limited English Proficient Adults
into Account in the Federal Adult Education Funding Formula, Migration Policy Institute, June, 2009, 11 pp. Title II of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 is the primary federal funding source for both general adult literacy education and adult English language instruction in the United States. As Congress considers reauthorization of WIA, this report suggests that the time is ripe to "revisit" the current state funding formula. The current formula is based on the number of individuals in each state lacking a high school diploma. As such, the formula omits from consideration the 11.2 million limited English proficient adults in the United States with high school diplomas, who although eligible to participate in WIA-funded programs, are not counted in the formula. It also fails to consider the greater costs associated with educating immigrants, who may need both literacy and English language training. The report notes the adverse impact of the formula on northeastern states like Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, where there are more immigrants with high school diplomas than elsewhere in the United States.
The Importance of Social Interaction and Support for Women Learners: Evidence from Family Literacy Programs, Research Brief #2, Goodling Institute for Research on Family Literacy, Pennsylvania State University, May, 2008, 5 pp. Based in part
on interviews and focus groups conducted with immigrant learners, this research brief emphasizes the "psychosocial"
value of center-based programs for women in poverty. According to the authors, classroom-based "relationships are c rucial to physical, mental, social, and economic well-being, yet they are
often considered less important than instrumental outcomes such as increasing children’s school readiness or obtaining
employment." Empty Promises: The Unmet Need for ESL Instruction across
Illinois, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, May, 2009, 42 pp. (Original Link Broken) This report urges an enhanced role for community-based organizations (CBOs) in the delivery of ESL education in Illinois and questions the soundness of a 2001 decision to transfer responsibility for adult education from the Illinois State Board of Education to the Illinois Community College Board. The report laments plunging class enrollments at a time of growing need for language instruction and spotlights the innovative educational work of several CBOs in the greater Chicago area. Finally, the report calls for true partnerships between community colleges and CBOs to improve educational outcomes for low-level ESL learners. Supporting and Supervising Teachers Working with
Adults Learning English, Center for Adult English Language Acquisition, Center for Applied Linguistics, March, 2009, 6 pp. This brief offers pointers
for supervisors overseeing adult ESL programs, many of which use part-time or volunteer teachers. In 2006, only
15% of adult ESL teachers in the United States were full-time teachers. 49% were part-time, and 35% were volunteers. At the
same time, some supervisors lack sufficient formal training in adult ESL language instruction. The brief describes a "collaborative
approach" to supervision, as well as professional development approaches, suitable for such situations. Uses of Technology in the Instruction of Adult English
Language Learners, Center for Adult English Language Acquisition, Center for Applied Linguistics, February, 2009 This brief explores the potential of new technology to promote language learning and to create new opportunities for interaction between and among students and instructors. The brief reviews research on onsite, blended, and online approaches and summarizes key issues that should be considered when using technology to support instruction for English language learners. Expanding ESL, Civics, and Citizenship Education in Your Community: A Start-Up
Guide,
Investigating the Language and Literacy Skills Required for Independent Online Learning, National Institute for Literacy, October, 2008, 43 pp. Acknowledging the paucity of research data, especially about adults engaged in online learning outside the confines of formal programs, as well as the impediment of the digital divide, the author of this report concludes that "learners at even the lowest levels of literacy and language proficiency can engage with online learning content." Not only does this approach facilitate "self-directed learning," but it also holds out the promise of "boosting system capacity" so that more adults can benefit from current programs. To realize this goal, research must pinpoint the kinds of supports necessary to facilitate online learning, taking into consideration the advance of mobile technology which may supercede desktop equipment and broadband connections. ESL and Literacy: Finding Common Ground, Serving Learners' Needs, A Survey of the Literature, The Centre for Literacy of Quebec, August, 2008, 13 pp. This paper reviews available research on the special challenges associated with teaching English
to adult immigrants with limited literacy in native language. Among the issues covered in the paper are: how to define
"ESL literacy learners," how to assess literacy levels, whether acquistion of native language literacy
improves outcomes in English, and the training needs of instructors working with this population. The paper laments the "amorphous
nature of the field itself - existing in the grey area between two fields (ESL and literacy) that tend to operate under different
certification, funding and policy frameworks." Adult ESL Teacher Credentialing and Certification, Center for Adult English Language Acquisition, Center for Applied Linguistics, January, 2008, 8 pp. Recognizing the importance of developing a qualified teacher workforce in the field of immigrant adult education, the authors of this report review current state practices related to teacher credentialing and certification. The report also features a section on the efforts of professional associations to implement content and teacher standards for adult English language programs. Professional Development for Adult ESL Practitioners: Building Capacity, Center for Adult English Language Acquisition, Center for Applied Linguistics, October, 2007, 17 pp. In an effort to address the dearth of professional development opportunities for adult ESL practitioners, this research brief reviews the literature on professional development from 1990 to 2007 and identifies eight key components of successful professional development. Workplace Instruction and Workforce Preparation
for Adult Immigrants, Center for Adult English Language Acquisition, Center for Applied Linguistics, September, 2007, 8 pp. This policy brief discusses and evaluates various strategies for helping immigrants succeed in the workplace, including workplace classes, vocational classes, and community ESL programs. Research Utilization in the Field of Adult Learning and Literacy: Lessons Learned by NCSALL About Connecting Practice, Policy, and Research, National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL), Harvard Graduate School of Education, August, 2007, 39 pp. This "swan song" paper was published upon conclusion of NCSALL's 10-year history as a major national research and dissemination center in the field of adult education funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The paper is written for policymakers at the national and state level concerned about promoting evidence-based adult education practice. The paper outlines the "five main lessons" learned by NCSALL in its quest to connect practice, policy, and research. NCSALL's partners included the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, Portland State University, the Center for Literacy Studies at the University of Tennessee, and World Education.
Supporting
English Language Acquisition: Opportunities for Foundations to Strengthen the Social and Economic Well-being of Immigrant
Families, |