Enrollment in Adult ESL Classes Rises in Southern States - Learning the Language - Education Week

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Enrollment in Adult ESL Classes Rises in Southern States

By Mary Ann Zehr on August 4, 2010 11:00 AM --> | No Comments

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The enrollment of adults in English-as-a-second-language classes rose modestly in Southern states from 2005 to 2008, the Southern Regional Education Board says in a report released today. In the same time period, enrollment in adult basic education programs (which teach content for grades 1-8) decreased very slightly, and adult secondary education (which covers the content of grades 9-12) decreased by 6 percent, the report says.

The report, "A Smart Move in Tough Times: How SREB States Can Strengthen Adult Learning and the Work Force," urges Southern states to enroll larger numbers of adults in adult-learning programs, including ESL classes. The report contends that more programs need to be available for "undereducated adults" in the South who left high school prematurely and took jobs in factories or agriculture.

Participation of adults in ESL classes in 16 Southern states increased from 207,011 to 210,237, or 2 percent, from 2005 to 2008, according to the report. Florida serves more students than any other state in all three kinds of adult-learning programs featured in the report. It enrolls 41 percent of the Southern region's adults participating in ESL classes.

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via blogs.edweek.org

While enrollment in Adult ESL classes are on a rise, Adult literacy classes have slightly decreased. We need all Adult literacy class attendance to increase. Do your part advocate education especially adult literacy within your community and within you spectrum of influence. The government's 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy estimated that 30 million Americans lack basic literacy skills.

Posted via email from FreshStart Literacy

What is Family Literacy?

What is family literacy? An educational solution to address the social foundation of poverty: poverty due to low literacy rates. Family literacy is a program that offers literacy instruction for the whole family versus adults only with separate instruction/tutoring for children.

Family literacy offers educational opportunities for each family member to improve literacy levels, life skills, increase self-esteem and provide hope for self-sufficiency.  This is based on idea that parents and children learn optimally when educationally engaged together.  Family literacy inspires families and communities!

Family literacy helps to limit some barriers to success, such as un/underemployment, poverty, poor health and inadequate housing. When parents battle with literacy and basic life skills, the children often have restricted opportunities for success. Family literacy is “education’s intervention” attempting to eradicate this destructive cycle giving families the tools they need to leave a legacy of education for generations to come!

Parents are typically eager to assist in the terms of their children's educational development however due to the lack of time in double-income households, deficient parental literacy, and familial financial constraints many are neither able to teach nor able to finance their children’s supplemental educational endeavors. This is where the FreshStart Literacy meets the need by providing its services made available by sliding scale payments, government and foundational grants as well as other funding options.

Posted via web from FreshStart Literacy