Adult Basic Education Direct Services Grant

Adult Basic Education Direct Services Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Last Updated: July 24, 2023

Summary

The Adult Basic Education Direct Services program aims to enhance adult literacy and education, assisting individuals in gaining essential skills for employment and self-sufficiency. Funded through WIOA Title II, it addresses the needs of diverse adult learners, including those seeking high school equivalency and English language improvement. Emphasizing partnerships with local agencies, the program fosters community engagement while providing year-round, real-time instructional support to help participants achieve their educational and career goals.

Overview

Program Purpose Federal WIOA Title II The purpose of this funding is to create a partnership among the federal government, states, and localities to provide, on a voluntary basis, adult education and literacy activities, in order to: Assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency;Assist adults who are parents or family members to obtain the education and skills thatare necessary to becoming full partners in the educational development of their children; andlead to sustainable improvements in the economic opportunities for their family;Assist adults in attaining a secondary school diploma and in the transition to postsecondary education and training, including through career pathways; andAssist immigrants and other individuals who are English language learners in improving theirreading, writing, speaking, and comprehension skills in English; and mathematics skills; andacquiring an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom, and the responsibilities of citizenship. State Act 143 Act 143 aims to provide coordination and broaden the scope of educational activities to uneducated and undereducated adults in the commonwealth and their families, including those who speak other languages, and to provide programs to those individuals who have previously been unserved. The goals of the Act include: Increased and improved services to adult learners and their families through the coordination of funding streams and programs across state agencies; andIncreased and expanded adult and family literacy education programs so that adults and their families will function more effectively in their personal lives and as citizens and be better prepared for workforce training and employment that they may become more responsible and productive members of society. Adult Basic Education Direct Service Grant PDE requires successful applicants for Adult Basic Education Direct Service 064 grant funds to provide a full range of services throughout the course of a program year. PDE requires programs to provide the following to be considered full service: Adult education and literacy activities as defined in WIOA, including instruction for adult basic education students at all educational functioning levels Adult Basic Education (ABE) levels 1-6, including high school equivalency test preparation as needed.English language acquisition activities as defined in WIOA, including instruction for English- as-a-Second Language (ESL) students based on area needs. Such instruction must include supporting ESL students to transition successfully to ABE instruction within the programing funded by the grant and to earn a high school equivalency credential, if needed. PDE has identified 19 counties in which successful applicants must provide these services. See Appendix C.Year-round, real-time instruction (in person, remote, or a combination of in person and remote), including during the summer. Programs may have a reduced schedule over the summer but must provide real-time instruction that meets community needs.Supplemental distance learning opportunities to students participating in real-time instruction.Year-round student support services to help students address barriers to participation.Year-round student support services to help students identify education and career goals, develop employability skills, and successfully transition to postsecondary education/training and/or employment, as appropriate. Integration of workforce preparation activities and activities to promote digital literacy and digital resiliency into instruction and support services.A cadre of volunteer classroom aides to provide additional instructional support to students participating in classroom instruction. (All grant recipients must use at least 10 percent of the state grant funds to recruit, train, and support volunteer classroom aides, except those that are not eligible providers under state law.)A program administrator who is a full-time employee of the grantee agency. If the program administrator is not working 100 percent on division-funded activities, the agency must provide evidence that this individual has sufficient time allocated to these activities to meet all of the requirements of the program administrator position. (Note: The program administrator does not have to be paid from grant funds; however, the person must have sufficient time allocated to activities supported by the grant.) PDE also requires all successful applicants under this RGA to be partners in the local PA CareerLink© site and delegates all the roles and responsibilities of a one-stop partner to the grantees. Additional Allowable Activities In addition to the required services listed above, applicants may propose to provide one or more of the following activities: Corrections education (to ensure that Pennsylvania does not exceed the federal and state ceilings for corrections education, applicants may not budget or expend more than 20 percent of the grant amounts for corrections education). Integrated English literacy and civics education activities (not the Section 243 program).Integrated education and training activities (federal funds only).Workplace literacy activities. Applicants should refer to the Adult Education and Family Literacy Guidelines for more information on these activities to ensure that proposed activities are compliant. Multi-Year Contracts Successful grant applications will be approved for a five-year grant cycle. Grant funds will be awarded through annual one-year notifications of funding contingent on the availability of funds. Program Funding Requests Applicants may apply for up to the maximum allocated for the areas in which they propose to provide services. Applicants should apply for those funds necessary to meet the grant requirements, provide the proposed services to the number of students they can serve based on need and interest in the service area, and meet the state imposed performance targets. PDE requires programs to provide a 25 percent match on the federal portion of the funds, and applicants should consider that requirement when determining funding requests. PDE reserves the right to adjust the actual grant award amount and contracted enrollment of successful applicants during the grant contract approval process. Applicants may apply for funding up to a maximum of $2,250.00 per contracted student, with the total requested not to exceed the amount allocated to the proposed service area. PDE strongly encourages applicants requesting the maximum allowable cost per student to prioritize the use of funds for full-time direct service staff positions with benefits.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Eligible ApplicantsFederal: WIOA Title II FundsAs defined in WIOA, an eligible provider is an organization that has demonstrated effectiveness in providing adult education and literacy activities that may include:A local education agency;A community-based organization or faith-based organization;A volunteer literacy organization;An institution of higher education;A public or private non-profit agency;A library;A public housing authority;A non-profit institution that is not described in any of the above and has the ability to provide adult education and literacy activities to eligible individuals;A consortium or coalition of the agencies, organizations, institutions, libraries, or authorities described above;A partnership between an employer and an entity described above; andOther organizations not listed aboveState Act 143 FundsAs defined in Act 143, an eligible local education provider is an approved educational agency, institution, or organization making use of either professional or voluntary personnel, which may be any of the following:School districts;Intermediate units;Area vocational-technical schools;Community colleges;Literacy councils;Local libraries;Community-based organizations that are private, nonprofit organizations and are representative of communities or significant parts of communities and which provide adult or family literacy education programs; andAny other educational entity recognized by the Secretary of Education for providing appropriate and effective adult or family literacy education programs.Eligible Program ParticipantsSuccessful applicants will provide adult basic education services to individuals who meet the following eligibility criteria:Services Provided with Federal WIOA Title II FundsHas attained 16 years of age;Is not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school under state law and;Is:Basic skills deficient;Does not have a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and has not achieved an equivalent level of education; orIs an English language learner.Services Provided with Pennsylvania Act 143 of 1986 FundsIs 17 years of age or older;Is a resident of Pennsylvania; andIs not currently enrolled in a public or private secondary or postsecondary school.