[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59833-59834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24250]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act

AGENCY: Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings and request for comment on the 
reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary announces a series of public meetings 
and invites comments from the public regarding the reauthorization of 
programs under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (the Act) 
(Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998).

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before October 31, 2002.
    We will hold public meetings about the reauthorization of programs 
under the Act. The dates, times, and places of the meetings are under 
Public Meetings elsewhere in this notice.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning the reauthorization of 
programs under the Act to Gerri Anderson, Conference Manager, 1010 
Wayne Avenue, Suite 300, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910; or by using one 
of the following methods:
    1. E-Mail. We encourage you to e-mail your comments to the 
following address: [email protected].
    2. Facsimile. You may submit comments by facsimile at (301) 589-
4122.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Jones, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4521, Mary E. Switzer 
Building, Washington, DC 20202-7242. Telephone: (202) 205-9260.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

Public Meetings

Dates, times, and addresses

    We will hold public meetings according to the following schedule:
    1. Date: October 15, 2002, Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
    Location: Sheraton Nashua Hotel, Wentworth Ballroom,11 Tara 
Boulevard, Nashua, NH 03062,Phone: (603) 888-9970, Fax: (603) 891-4179.
    Hotel Information: A limited number of rooms has been reserved at 
the Sheraton Nashua Hotel located at 11 Tara Boulevard, Nashua, NH 
03062. To make your reservations, please call 603-888-9970 and refer to 
``OVAE Public Meeting.'' The room rate is $96.12 (tax inclusive) for 
the reserved rooms on a first-come, first-served basis. Check-in time 
is 3 p.m., and check-out time is 12 p.m.
    1. Date: October 25, 2002, Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
    Location: College of The Canyons, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa 
Clarita, CA 91355, Phone: (661) 259-7800, Fax: (661) 259-8302
    Hotel Information: A limited number of rooms has been reserved at 
the Hyatt Valencia Hotel located at 24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia, 
CA 91355. To make your reservations, please call 1-800-233-1234 and 
refer to ``OVAE Public Meeting.'' The room rate is $108.90 (tax 
inclusive) for the reserved rooms on a first-come, first-served basis. 
Check-in time is 3 p.m., and check-out time is 12 p.m.

Participants

    Those who wish to present comments on the reauthorization of 
Federal support for the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act at one 
of the public meetings must reserve time on the agenda for that meeting 
by contacting Gerri Anderson, Conference Manager, 1010 Wayne Avenue, 
Suite 300, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Telephone: (voice) 1(888) 589-4366; 
fax: (301) 589-4122; or via e-mail at: [email protected]. 
Reservations for presenting comments will be accepted on a first-come, 
first-served basis.
    Participants will be allowed approximately 3 to 5 minutes to 
present their comments, depending upon the number of individuals who 
reserve time on the agenda. At the meeting, participants also are 
encouraged to submit two written copies of their comments. Persons 
interested in making comments are encouraged to address the issues and 
questions discussed under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities at the Public Meetings

    The meeting rooms and proceedings will be accessible to individuals 
with disabilities. When making reservations, anyone presenting comments 
at or attending a meeting who needs special accommodations, such as 
sign language interpreters, Braille materials, and communication access 
real-time transcription, should inform Gerri Anderson of his or her 
specific accessibility needs. You should make requests for 
accommodations at least 10 working days prior to the scheduled meeting 
date. Although we will attempt to meet a request we receive after that 
date, we may not be able to make available the requested auxiliary aid 
or service because of insufficient time to arrange it.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Invitation to Comment

    In addition to soliciting comments during the public meetings, we 
invite the public to submit written comments on the reauthorization of 
the Act. We are particularly interested in comments that address the 
issues and questions described under Key Issues for Public Comment 
elsewhere in this notice.
    During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public 
comments about the reauthorization by contacting Gerri Anderson, 
Conference Manager, 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 300, Silver Spring, MD, 
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through 
Friday of each week except Federal holidays.

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking 
Record

    On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or 
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs 
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public 
rulemaking record for this notice. If you want to schedule an 
appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Background and Description of the Act

    The Act authorizes Federal support to States to provide adult 
education and literacy services, including adult basic education, adult 
secondary education, English literacy, and family literacy programs of 
instruction. For fiscal year (FY) 2002, Congress appropriated $505 
million for these grants to States. Since FY 2000, Congress also has 
appropriated additional funds for grants to States for

[[Page 59834]]

integrated English literacy and civics education services to immigrants 
and other limited English proficient populations. For FY 2002, $70 
million was appropriated for this purpose.
    Under these programs States distribute funds to local providers 
through a competitive process. Eligible providers include: local 
educational agencies, community-based organizations, volunteer literacy 
organizations, correctional education agencies, institutions of higher 
education, libraries, public housing authorities, and other public or 
private nonprofit agencies.
    The statutory authorization for this program expires on September 
30, 2003. In order to contribute in a timely manner to congressional 
reauthorization discussions, we are beginning a review of this program. 
To ensure public participation in our review and decision-making, we 
invite public comment on these issues.
    You may obtain an electronic copy of the Act on the Internet at the 
following site: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/CTE/legis.html.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the Act in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact number listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

Key Issues for Public Comment

    Comments are encouraged on the following priority issues.
    1. Narrowing the Achievement Gap. The 1992 National Assessment of 
Adult Literacy (NAALS) indicated that approximately 90 million adults 
were reading at levels that were insufficient to allow them to 
participate fully in the economy and obtain new skills necessary for 
success. In 2002, an updated version of NAALS will be conducted, which 
will likely indicate that tens of millions of Americans continue to 
live with low literacy. Yet programs funded under the Act currently 
serve only about 2.7 million individuals each year. This disparity 
between available resources and need is likely to persist for the 
foreseeable future.
    [sbull] How can we improve the targeting of Federal resources on 
effective programs that will produce the greatest return on the Federal 
investment?
    [sbull] What are the features of effective adult education and 
literacy programs that should be given higher priority for Federal 
resources?
    [sbull] How can we improve the performance of adult education 
programs, increasing their success only in not increasing the number of 
completers but also in generating more rapid knowledge and skill gains?
    [sbull] How can we improve the array of services available to 
support adult learners who are currently not accessing learning through 
the present system?
    [sbull] Can non-traditional service providers be better integrated 
into a multi-faceted delivery system? What changes would promote the 
delivery of high-quality, accountable services by community-based 
organizations, faith-based organizations, and businesses?
    [sbull] How should our national program funds be targeted to help 
States close the achievement gap?
    2. Increasing Accountability for Student Performance. The Act 
established a State accountability system that holds States and other 
grant recipients accountable for meeting annual, agreed-upon levels of 
performance on a set of ``core indicators'' specified in the statute. 
Do these core indicators measure student performance and demonstrate 
the impact of the Federal investment well? How could data be reported 
differently to enhance their meaning to the public, to students, and to 
policymakers?
    3. Coordination with Federal Employment and Training Programs. 
Title I of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) created a one-stop 
delivery system that links multiple Federal education and training 
programs in order to make these services more accessible to the public, 
to reduce duplication of services, and to facilitate coordinated 
planning across programs. Adult education and literacy programs 
supported by the Act are ``mandatory partners'' that are required to 
participate in the one-stop delivery system. They are also represented 
on local workforce investment boards that govern the one-stop system in 
local areas.
    [sbull] Have the one-stop delivery system's goals of improving 
public access to adult education services, improving academic 
achievement, reducing duplication, and facilitating coordination been 
achieved in local areas? What changes are needed to promote the further 
attainment of these goals? How have memoranda of understanding [MOUs] 
among the delivery system's partners worked to benefit adult education 
participants?
    [sbull] States negotiate annual levels of performance for WIA Title 
I employment programs for a set of ``core indicators'' that one similar 
to those established under the Act. Placement in employment, for 
example, is measured for both WIA Title I and the Act. Should these 
indicators be measured consistently across these programs and others, 
using the same population and other definitions? If so, how should this 
common employment measure be constructed and what definitions should be 
used? Are there other indicators (e.g., educational attainment) for 
which there should also be common measurement approaches and 
definitions?
    [sbull] Have WIA incentive grants helped States look at ways to 
promote student achievement across programs and help close the 
achievement gap?

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9201, et seq.

    Dated: September 19, 2002.
Carol D'Amico,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Vocational and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 02-24250 Filed 9-23-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P