Literacy – Spanning the US :: Lafayette Co MS :: Bradford-Wyoming Co WY :: Fulton MO :: Guilford Co NC

Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

@LCLitCouncil

Lafayette County Literacy Council hosts Adult Education Ceremony

Oxford Eagle: 2.28.2018 by Anna Gibbs

The Lafayette County Literacy Council and Oxford First United Methodist Church hosted their fourth annual adult education ceremony last night, as part of the ABLE adult education program.

ABLE, which stands for Adult Basic Literacy Education, is a service that pairs “learners” with “coaches,” who provide everything the learner needs to pass their high school equivalency tests or simply improve their basic literacy skills. The program is open to any Lafayette County resident who is above the age of 18 and needs to obtain their GED, pass a workplace test or even a driver’s license test. There is a $15 registration fee, but all other services are free for the learner.

Barbara Wortham, Program Coordinator for ABLE, says the program aims to help more people in the community improve their quality of life through education.

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Approximately 4,300 people in Lafayette County do not have a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. Sarah McLellan, director of the Lafayette County Literacy Council, says the goal of ABLE and other GED programs, like those at Northwest Mississippi Community College and WIN Job Center, is to put a dent in that number. What sets ABLE apart is the personalized non-classroom approach for each learner.  READ MORE >>

Bradford-Wyoming Co

Literacy Program

Teaching people to read

WC Examiner: 2.28.2018 by C J Marshall

For many people, the greatest gift they receive in their lifetime is the gift of literacy.

According to Aubrey Carrington, Program Coordinator for the Bradford-Wyoming County Literacy Program, more than 30 million adults nationwide cannot read or do math above the third grade level.

These people must rely on a support network to provide such basic functions as reading instructions, understanding street signs, and adding up a simple row of numbers.

Locally, the Literacy Program provides tutoring to adults in such situations to help them lead more productive lives. Volunteers are always needed to provide such tutoring, and the program will be offering training workshop at the Tunkhannock Public Library in March.  READ MORE >>

HiSET class takers reach for future

News Tribune: 2.28.2018 by Helen Wilbers

He spent six years in a classroom where he couldn't hear a single word.

That's how determined Tim Schultz is to complete the High School Equivalency Test (formerly GED).

"I've been working on it for a while now," Schultz said Tuesday through an American Sign Language interpreter.

Until five months ago, Schultz had no access to an interpreter, which made following classes difficult. With the help of an interpreter and the Adult Education and Literacy Program's classes at John C. Harris Community Center, he is making progress toward his goal of a better job.

"I would just like to go work at a hospital, and whatever they let the deaf do, I'll do," he said.

Schultz didn't earn a diploma because he spent his teenage years working for a higher cause.

"I'm a Jehovah's Witness," he explained. "I was spreading the word to other deaf (people)."

Now, he's among the 15 people enrolled in the evening HiSET class at the community center. On Tuesday, the students — who appear to range from teens to middle-aged — settled down with textbooks and worksheets while enticing smells wafted in from the soup kitchen next door.

Cliff Atterberry, the evening class's teacher, hustled around assuring that everyone had the right books.  READ MORE >>

@readingconnect

Reading Connections literacy agency in Guilford County seeks to teach people how to read

MyFox8: 3.02.2018 by Chad Tucker

Adriana Adams' father knew no English when he came to the United States as an immigrant from Cuba.

"He had to rely on the kindness of several teachers that he had," said Adams. "That took him along the journey from someone who knew no English to someone who was a pastor in this community for 30 years."

Today, Adams continues that kindness working with Reading Connections, an adult literacy agency in Guilford County.

"We meet people where they are on their literacy journey," she said. "We want to make sure they get a tailored education experience."

With volunteer tutors the agency helps around 1,000 people each year with reading, math and resumes.

"Whether they are an English language learner or someone who never learned to read in school or someone who is looking for a job, we want to meet them where they are," said Adams.

Currently more than 50 people are on a waiting list for help which is why the agency is searching for more volunteers.  WATCH VIDEO

Read This — US Literacy Gap Needs Closing via The Hill

Read this — US literacy gap needs closing

The Hill: 4.03.2018 by Norma Nelson, Executive Director of Readers 2 Leaders

The Oklahoma teacher strike reminds us that our nation does not adequately fund public education. Oklahoma teachers have not had a raise in 10 years. Starting pay for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree in the state is $31,600.

The lack of adequate funding in education is not simply an Oklahoma problem — it is a national crisis with deep moral implications. Children across the U.S., particularly those of color, bear the burden of our broken education system. 

In 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Brown v. Board of Education that school segregation was unconstitutional, and with that decision came the hope that integration would give young people of color access to an equitable education. The recent passing of Linda Brown, the young black girl then at the center of the case, begs the question. Has the promise of integration and equitable education been fulfilled?

School segregation still exists, as a 2016 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office recently shows. Between 2000 and 2014, the percentage of K-12 public schools that had high numbers of poor black or Hispanic students increased from 9 to 16 percent.

Since the 2000-2001 school year, students eligible for free and reduced lunch also increased by 142 percent. Black and Hispanic students have poverty rates two to three times higher than white students.

Low teacher pay, segregated schools and equity gaps that continue to fall squarely along racial and income lines 64 years after Brown v. Board of Education are keeping whole generations of children in our country from reaching their full potential.

Early literacy is one area where lack of progress is particularly alarming. A student’s ability to read on grade level by the end of 4th grade is a key indicator of future success in school and in life.

Investment in early literacy is critical. Students who do not read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school, and low literacy in pre-teen girls is a strong predictor of teenage pregnancy.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation found that investments made in the first four to six years of school (including pre-K) produced a long-term return to society of $8.24 for every $1 invested.

It is time to recognize that all children, regardless of income or race,deserve the basic human right of early literacy.

It is critical to align policy, funding and community efforts to make this happen. Early literacy is not just a “nice to have,” it is vital. Our children deserve the chance to succeed.  READ MORE >>

National Book Foundation - Book Rich Environments :: Book Deserts

Eight Publishers Commit Over 420,000 Books to Second Year of Book Rich Environments Initiative

National Book Foundation: April 2018

The Book Rich Environments (BRE) initiative, now in its second year, aims to combat lack of literary access, often termed “book deserts,” by connecting communities with resources that help foster life-long, joyful relationships between readers and books. BRE is a collaboration between the National Book Foundation, which serves as lead partner, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Urban Libraries Council, and the National Center for Families Learning, a new partner. This unique program works with HUD-assisted communities to strengthen home libraries, facilitate book-distribution events, and provide the information and tools to establish long-term connections between families, libraries, and other literary resources.

This year, with book contribution commitments from eight U.S. book publishers (Algonquin Books for Young Readers/Workman Publishing, Candlewick Press, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, and Simon & Schuster), BRE has secured a total of 422,000 free, high-quality, diverse books that will go to children and families in HUD-assisted communities.

BRE programming will once again take place throughout the U.S., from Missouri to Colorado to New York, where last year, through BRE, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) received the largest book donation in its history.  37 sites across 19 states will participate, and two sites will be joining for the first time . . . READ MORE >>

Survey of Adult Education-Participation/Motivation :: CAPE Research Project 2017-2018

CAPE Research Project 2017-2018

Survey of Adult Education-Participation/Motivation

VALUEUSA:  6.22.2017

VALUEUSA is a national non-profit organization committed to adult learner involvement and leadership. In 2017 and 2018 the CAPE research team will survey the motivations of and conduct group interviews with 140 adults. Adults will identify and prioritize deterrents, root causes, and solutions with researchers. These data will inform the field of adult education to motivate adults to participate.

The Critiquing Adult Participation in Education (CAPE) research is a national research project designed to meet the needs for greater knowledge. According to PIAAC, millions of US adults need basic skills. Current adult education resources serve approximately 10% of these adults annually, leaving 30 million without participation. The deterrents and the solutions are pressing issues for policymakers and adult educators. The CAPE research will answer those questions by surveying adults in two states on their motivations to forego education and find solutions to boost participation.

How can you help? VALUEUSA would greatly appreciate your suggestion of a major city in your state, as well as contacts with local adult education programs in that city and smaller communities within an hour’s drive, that could refer VALUEUSA to potential host organizations. Contact us at office@valueusa.org or call (484) 443-8457.

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Madison Co NC :: Provo UT :: Stanislaus Co CA

Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

Tutors needed for expanding literacy program

Citizen Times: 2.27.2018 by Leigh Anne Rhodes

The ability to read this sentence is something many take for granted. The need for literacy education remains, however, as evidenced by an increasing number of local residents enrolling in a growing Madison County Public Libraries program.

MCPL staff launched Literacy Connections two years ago in response to an increasingly common scenario. Students who drop out of high school often find themselves in limbo, without the level of education needed to pursue advanced degrees at schools like A-B Tech, according to Madison County Library Director Melanie Morgan.

The situation led Morgan to start the Literacy Council for Madison County. With the support of the Madison County Board of Commissioners and A-B Tech, the organization's formation paved the way for grants to create reading programs benefiting students of all ages.

Funded by a federal grant, Literacy Connections aims "to empower learners of all ages with the opportunity to reach their highest potential through diverse literacy and high school equivalency instruction" according to its mission statement. Suzanne DuVall has overseen the program's development since its start two years ago.  READ MORE >>

@ProjectReadUtah

Nonprofit improves Utah Valley citizens’ lives through reading

Daily Universe: 2.27.2018 by Laurie Bradshaw

Provo nonprofit Project Read has impacted thousands of people in Utah Valley by teaching adults to read.

Project Read, headquartered in the Provo City Library, has provided tutoring to about 100 people per year since it started in 1984, according to Project Read Office Manager Aleah Spencer. The program aims to change lives and provide opportunities through reading.

“They’re making a better life — not just for themselves, but for their children and their grandchildren,” said Project Read Executive Director Shauna Brown.

Brown has been with the program for over 17 years and said she has seen significant changes in the students she works with.

An experience Brown finds particularly memorable is a student who, through reading, improved not only her career, but also her health.

“She came to us in her 50s and was reading probably at a fourth-grade level,” Brown said.

“She weighed 341 pounds. One of the most important things for her to learn was how to read food labels, and she lost 181 pounds.”

Brown said after learning how to read, this student was able to take computer classes at UVU, giving her a new, marketable skill.

“It has changed her health; it has changed her employment; it has changed her relationships, just because of her confidence in herself,” Brown said. “Literacy is something that can be really embarrassing. It’s not something people can see. 

It’s not something you share.”  READ MORE >>

Turlock woman among those recognized for literacy achievement

Turlock Journal: 2.27.2018

Three outstanding adult students — including one Turlock woman — and two advocates for adult literacy will be recognized at the 2018 Celebrate Literacy awards ceremony.

The awards banquet will be hosted by the Literacy Network of Stanislaus County, and will take place 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 2 at the Petersen Event Center, 720 12th St. in downtown Modesto. Awards will be presented for outstanding achievement in English as a Second Language, Literacy, and High School Diploma or Equivalency.

The Betty Mulnix Service Award will be presented to a distinguished practitioner in the field of literacy and the Jean and Clyde Dunlap Award will be presented to a Stanislaus County administrator who has made outstanding contributions to the cause of literacy.

Turlock resident Arowa Ghazi will be presented with the High School Diploma or Equivalency Outstanding Achievement award. She was born and raised in the traditional culture of Yemen where she was entitled to the Bride Price for her hand in marriage.  Instead of demanding material items like money, clothes, or a house, she made her fiancé promise to provide her with an education.  He agreed, but did not follow through after the wedding — that was just the beginning of Arowa’s story.  READ MORE >>

State of America’s Libraries 2018 :: American Libraries

State of America’s Libraries 2018

New report affirms the invaluable role of libraries and library workers

American Libraries: 4.09.2018

The State of America’s Libraries

On April 9, the American Library Association (ALA) released The State of America’s Libraries report for 2018, an annual summary of library trends released during National Library Week, April 8–14, that outlines statistics and issues affecting all types of libraries. The report affirms the invaluable role libraries and library workers play within their communities by leading efforts to transform lives through education and lifelong learning.

During this time of rapid social change, libraries of all types are providing welcoming spaces to an increasingly diverse population; working with the community to offer social service support and health resources, career, and small business development assistance; and combating fake news by providing tools to assess and evaluate news sources.

The function of libraries as community centers is readily recognized. A Brookings Institution article even referred to librarians as “ad hoc social workers and navigators” who “help local people figure out the complexities of life.” This role is especially evident, and never more essential, than in times of crisis, and 2017 had its share of adversity—from natural disasters to shootings on school campuses.

The report found that libraries continue to face challenges that carry with them the potential for censorship, to a variety of books, programs, and materials. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) tracked 354 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2017. Some individual challenges resulted in requests to restrict or remove multiple titles or collections. Overall in 2017, 416 books were targeted—direct attacks on the freedom to read.

Other library trends addressed in the State of America’s Libraries 2018 report include:

Voter perceptions, use, and attitudes toward public libraries

Health and digital literacy initiatives

Sustainability as a library’s core value

School libraries and student outcomes

Three major trends that are affecting libraries

Library advocates and federal funding

The State of America’s Libraries

Public libraries continue to play a vital and expanding role in serving their communities. Through innovative programs and partnerships, they are narrowing the digital divide and the achievement gap for low-income families, as well as expanding access to health information.

Digital literacy

With more than 16,500 physical locations in communities of all sizes across the country, public libraries make powerful partners in bridging the digital divide. They are essential providers of public internet access, computers, and training that community members need to compete in today’s digital world

Health literacy

Low health literacy is a major source of economic inefficiency in the US healthcare system. Nine in ten adults have difficulty understanding and making use of the health information they encounter every day. Last summer, PLA and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) launched a nationwide initiative to increase public library workers’ knowledge and skills related to consumer health services.

Voter perceptions

OCLC, the ALA Office for Library Advocacy, and PLA collaborated in 2018 to update the seminal research published in OCLC’s From Awareness to Funding report (PDF) in 2008 in order to get a current understanding of voter perceptions, use, and attitudes toward public libraries, librarians, and library funding.

Several themes emerged from the new survey, From Awareness to Funding: Voter Perceptions and Support of Public Libraries in 2018 (PDF), among them:

➤A majority of US voters believe public libraries are essential to communities and a source of civic pride.

➤Voters still highly value such traditional library services as free access to books and quiet areas, but they also increasingly value the library as a community hub.

➤A disconnect still exists between the services libraries offer and public awareness and support for those services.

➤Although a majority of voters are likely to support library funding at the local ballot box, fewer are committed to definite support.

➤A majority of voters still do not realize that the primary source of library funding is local.

Other key findings:

➤Some 55% of voters view the library as an essential public institution, and 58% feel that public libraries advance education.

➤As many as 44% of voters (up from 35% in 2008) view the library is a place for people in the community to gather and socialize. They increasingly see this as an important role for libraries.

➤A total of 70% of voters visited a public library in the last year, in addition to 52% who visited online.

➤“Foundational” library services—including quiet spaces, access to books and technology, and Wi-Fi access—continue to be very important for two-thirds of voters.

➤The majority of voters (58%) indicate they are likely to vote for local ballot efforts that benefit libraries. A strong majority also support federal funding for libraries and are willing to donate money to support libraries.

➤There is confusion, however, in terms of the disproportionate impact of local funding for public libraries. Almost 60% believe public library funds come from sources other than local.

Library Reports & Statistics

Current
Public Library Surveys - IMLS

Star Libraries, Library Journal

State of America’s Libraries - ALA
State Library Administrative Agencies (SLAA) Survey (Biennial), IMLS
Library Surveys, Pew
2013

Public Library Data Service Statistical Report: Characteristics and Trends: US and Canada

2012
Creating a Nation of Learners-Strategic Plan: 2012-2016, IMLS
Libraries, patrons, and e-books, Pew
2011
Who’s in the Queue? Demo Analysis Public Access Computer . . . , IMLS
2010
Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings
2005
Long Overdue: Attitudes About Libraries, Public Agenda

Library / Literacy Funding

2018

From Awareness to Funding: Voter Perceptions and Support of Public Libraries in 2018, OCLC

2017
Library & Literacy Funding Chart: FY 2017 -by President, House, and Senate - (ALA)

2011
Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, ALA
2008
From Awareness to Funding: A Study of Library Support in America, OCLC
2007
Worth Their Weight: Assessment . . . Library Valuation, ALC/ALA
Return On Investment - ROI
Economic Impact of Public Libraries (various ROIs), WI Dept Public Instruction

Public Libraries – A Wise Investment - Library Research Service

How Education Deficiency Drives Mass Incarceration via GenFKD

How Education Deficiency Drives Mass Incarceration

Education reform may hold the key to meaningful criminal justice reform.

GenFKD: 11.18.2016 by Caitlin Curley

Education And Correctional Populations
BJS

A common thread through the American incarceration system is a widespread inmate education deficiency. Education needs to be a priority in reforming the system and reintegrating inmates into society.

By the numbers: Educational backgrounds of prisoners

The most recent report conducted nationally by the U.S. Department of Justice about the educational backgrounds of prisoners was in 2003. This national report states that of all incarcerated citizens in the United States, about 65 percent had not received a high school diploma, with just over 41 percent having dropped out and 23 percent obtaining a GED. Almost 23 percent had obtained just a high school diploma and 13 percent had gotten a postsecondary education.

More recent reports at the state level seem to corroborate these earlier findings, and hint at how little progress has been made on prison reform in the past decade, A 2014 report from Minnesota’s corrections department shows that over 74 percent of incoming prisoners did not have a high school diploma and only 17 percent had a postsecondary education. Meanwhile, a 2016 report from Georgia shows that over half of incoming prisoners did not have a high school diploma or a GED and only around 8 percent had attended some college.

Why did so many prisoners leave school?

There are several reasons that inmates are less likely to have been educated, but a primary factor may be found in the fact that prisoners have a disproportionately high rate of learning disabilities. Among those who had not completed high school or the GED in the national study, 59 percent had a speech disability and 69 percent had a learning disability.  READ MORE >>

Literacy Reports & Statistics

Prison

2013: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Correctional Education, Rand

2011: Correctional Education, OVAE

2010: Prison Count, PEW

2009: One in 31: The Long Reach of American Corrections, PEW

2006: Locked Up Locked Out: Educational Perspective on US Prison Population, ETS

2003: Literacy Behind Bars, NAAL 2003

2003: Education And Correctional Populations, BJS

1994: Literacy Behind Prison Walls, NCES