[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 155 (Friday, November 5, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2275-E2276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              THE LITERACY INVOLVES FAMILIES TOGETHER ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM F. GOODLING

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 4, 1999

  Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill to improve 
programs for family literacy, better known as LIFT (Literacy Involves 
Families Together). The purpose of this legislation is to improve the 
quality of services provided under the Even Start Family Literacy 
Program and other Federal programs providing family literacy services.
  As the author of the Even Start Family Literacy Program when it was 
first enacted in 1988, I want to be sure that the services provided to 
program participants are of the highest quality. Family literacy 
programs that are intensive and provide participants with high quality 
services are a very effective means of breaking the cycle of illiteracy 
that occurs in many families.
  As we all know, parental support is instrumental to a child's 
academic success. Unfortunately, there are many parents who are unable 
to support their child's education because they themselves have dropped 
out of school or have a low level of literacy. Family literacy programs 
provide adult education services to parents and, at the same time, help 
ensure that their children do not fall behind in school. By working 
with parents and children at the same time, family literacy programs 
have successfully helped parents reduce their dependency on Federal 
assistance, obtain employment, or even advance in their current jobs. 
For children, the picture is just as bright. Children who participate 
in family literacy programs with their parents perform well in school.
  Mr. Speaker, the legislation I am introducing will improve family 
literacy programs through several important changes to current law. For 
example, this legislation would authorize and provide funding for a 
research project to find the most effective ways to improve literacy 
among adults with reading difficulties. The National Institute for 
Child Health and Human Development has provided us with high quality 
scientific research on the best method for teaching children to read 
and the bill requires instructional programs for children to be based 
on scientifically based reading research. Unfortunately, there is no 
comparable body of research on teaching reading to adults. And yet, the 
statistics on adult illiteracy in this country are staggering.
  According to the National Adult Literacy Survey, 40 million adults, 
or 20 percent of the U.S. adult population, scored at the lowest of 
five levels of literacy. In real terms, this means that 40 million 
adults struggle to maintain good jobs, have a difficult time supporting 
their children's education, and have poor participation

[[Page E2276]]

rates in community activities. In order to have high quality family 
literacy programs, we need to ensure the instruction provided to both 
adult and child participants is based on sound scientific research on 
reading. By authorizing research on how adults learn to read as a part 
of this legislation, we are taking a positive step in this direction.
  In addition, the LIFT Act would help raise the quality of family 
literacy programs by allowing States to use a portion of their Even 
Start dollars to provide training and technical assistance to Even 
Start providers. States would provide such training through a grant, 
contract, or other agreement with an organization experienced in 
providing quality training and technical assistance to family literacy 
instructors. States could not, however, reduce the level of service to 
program participants in order to provide such training and technical 
assistance.
  The LIFT Act would also permit Even Start projects to operate for 
more than 8 years. I have heard from many projects that they will have 
difficulty continuing to operate once Federal support for their project 
is totally eliminated. As such, the LIFT Act would allow projects to 
receive Federal support for more than 8 years, but would reduce the 
level of support to 35 percent of the cost of operating the project. 
States would, however, be able to eliminate funding for any project if 
it did not meet program goals and State indicators of program quality.
  The final change I want to highlight is a provision which would focus 
additional program dollars on high needs populations. Once funding for 
the Even Start Family Literacy Program reaches $250 million, a total of 
6 percent of funding would be reserved to serve migrants and Native 
Americans. These are some of our most vulnerable families and I believe 
it is most appropriate to use additional funds to serve their needs. At 
the present time, a total of 5 percent of program dollars are reserved 
for Even Start projects for migrants and Native Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, these are but a few of the highlights of this important 
legislation. Its enactment will ensure the long-term success of Even 
Start and other family literacy programs operated with Federal funds by 
providing for quality improvements. I urge my colleagues to join me in 
support of this legislation.

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