Part D—General Provisions
§3331. Administrative provisions
(a) Supplement not supplant
Funds made available for adult education and literacy activities under this subchapter shall supplement and not supplant other State or local public funds expended for adult education and literacy activities.
(b) Maintenance of effort
(1) In general
(A) Determination
An eligible agency may receive funds under this subchapter for any fiscal year if the Secretary finds that the fiscal effort per student or the aggregate expenditures of such eligible agency for activities under this subchapter, in the second preceding fiscal year, were not less than 90 percent of the fiscal effort per student or the aggregate expenditures of such eligible agency for adult education and literacy activities in the third preceding fiscal year.
(B) Proportionate reduction
Subject to paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), for any fiscal year with respect to which the Secretary determines under subparagraph (A) that the fiscal effort or the aggregate expenditures of an eligible agency for the preceding program year were less than such effort or expenditures for the second preceding program year, the Secretary—
(i) shall determine the percentage decreases in such effort or in such expenditures; and
(ii) shall decrease the payment made under this subchapter for such program year to the agency for adult education and literacy activities by the lesser of such percentages.
(2) Computation
In computing the fiscal effort and aggregate expenditures under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall exclude capital expenditures and special one-time project costs.
(3) Decrease in Federal support
If the amount made available for adult education and literacy activities under this subchapter for a fiscal year is less than the amount made available for adult education and literacy activities under this subchapter for the preceding fiscal year, then the fiscal effort per student and the aggregate expenditures of an eligible agency required in order to avoid a reduction under paragraph (1)(B) shall be decreased by the same percentage as the percentage decrease in the amount so made available.
(4) Waiver
The Secretary may waive the requirements of this subsection for not more than 1 fiscal year, if the Secretary determines that a waiver would be equitable due to exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances, such as a natural disaster or an unforeseen and precipitous decline in the financial resources of the State or outlying area of the eligible agency. If the Secretary grants a waiver under the preceding sentence for a fiscal year, the level of effort required under paragraph (1) shall not be reduced in the subsequent fiscal year because of the waiver.
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Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective on the first day of the first full program year after July 22, 2014 (July 1, 2015), see section 506 of
§3332. National leadership activities
(a) In general
The Secretary shall establish and carry out a program of national leadership activities to enhance the quality and outcomes of adult education and literacy activities and programs nationwide.
(b) Required activities
The national leadership activities described in subsection (a) shall include technical assistance, including—
(1) assistance to help States meet the requirements of
(2) upon request by a State, assistance provided to eligible providers in using performance accountability measures based on indicators described in
(3) carrying out rigorous research and evaluation on effective adult education and literacy activities, as well as estimating the number of adults functioning at the lowest levels of literacy proficiency, which shall be coordinated across relevant Federal agencies, including the Institute of Education Sciences; and
(4) carrying out an independent evaluation at least once every 4 years of the programs and activities under this subchapter, taking into consideration the evaluation subjects referred to in
(c) Allowable activities
The national leadership activities described in subsection (a) may include the following:
(1) Technical assistance, including—
(A) assistance related to professional development activities, and assistance for the purposes of developing, improving, identifying, and disseminating the most successful methods and techniques for providing adult education and literacy activities, based on scientifically valid research where available;
(B) assistance in distance education and promoting and improving the use of technology in the classroom, including instruction in English language acquisition for English language learners;
(C) assistance in the development and dissemination of proven models for addressing the digital literacy needs of adults, including older adults; and
(D) supporting efforts aimed at strengthening programs at the State and local levels, such as technical assistance in program planning, assessment, evaluation, and monitoring of activities carried out under this subchapter.
(2) Funding national leadership activities either directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements awarded on a competitive basis to or with postsecondary educational institutions, institutions of higher education, public or private organizations or agencies (including public libraries), or consortia of such institutions, organizations, or agencies, which may include—
(A) developing, improving, and identifying the most successful methods and techniques for addressing the education needs of adults, including instructional practices using the essential components of reading instruction based on the work of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development;
(B) supporting national, regional, or local networks of private nonprofit organizations, public libraries, or institutions of higher education to strengthen the ability of such networks' members to meet the performance requirements described in
(C) increasing the effectiveness, and improving the quality, of adult education and literacy activities, which may include—
(i) carrying out rigorous research;
(ii) carrying out demonstration programs;
(iii) accelerating learning outcomes for eligible individuals with the lowest literacy levels;
(iv) developing and promoting career pathways for eligible individuals;
(v) promoting concurrent enrollment programs in adult education and credit bearing postsecondary coursework;
(vi) developing high-quality professional development activities for eligible providers; and
(vii) developing, replicating, and disseminating information on best practices and innovative programs, such as—
(I) the identification of effective strategies for working with adults with learning disabilities and with adults who are English language learners;
(II) integrated education and training programs;
(III) workplace adult education and literacy activities; and
(IV) postsecondary education and training transition programs;
(D) providing for the conduct of an independent evaluation and assessment of adult education and literacy activities through grants and contracts awarded on a competitive basis, which shall include descriptions of—
(i) the effect of performance accountability measures and other measures of accountability on the delivery of adult education and literacy activities;
(ii) the extent to which the adult education and literacy activities increase the literacy skills of eligible individuals, lead to involvement in education and training, enhance the employment and earnings of such participants, and, if applicable, lead to other positive outcomes, such as success in re-entry and reductions in recidivism in the case of prison-based adult education and literacy activities;
(iii) the extent to which the provision of support services to eligible individuals enrolled in adult education and literacy activities increase the rate of enrollment in, and successful completion of, such programs; and
(iv) the extent to which different types of providers measurably improve the skills of eligible individuals in adult education and literacy activities;
(E) collecting data, such as data regarding the improvement of both local and State data systems, through technical assistance and development of model performance data collection systems;
(F) determining how participation in adult education and literacy activities prepares eligible individuals for entry into postsecondary education and employment and, in the case of programs carried out in correctional institutions, has an effect on recidivism; and
(G) other activities designed to enhance the quality of adult education and literacy activities nationwide.
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Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective on the first day of the first full program year after July 22, 2014 (July 1, 2015), see section 506 of
§3333. Integrated English literacy and civics education
(a) In general
From funds made available under
(b) Allotment
(1) In general
Subject to paragraph (2), from amounts made available under
(A) 65 percent to the States on the basis of a State's need for integrated English literacy and civics education, as determined by calculating each State's share of a 10-year average of the data of the Office of Immigration Statistics of the Department of Homeland Security for immigrants admitted for legal permanent residence for the 10 most recent years; and
(B) 35 percent to the States on the basis of whether the State experienced growth, as measured by the average of the 3 most recent years for which the data of the Office of Immigration Statistics of the Department of Homeland Security for immigrants admitted for legal permanent residence are available.
(2) Minimum
No State shall receive an allotment under paragraph (1) in an amount that is less than $60,000.
(c) Goal
Each program that receives funding under this section shall be designed to—
(1) prepare adults who are English language learners for, and place such adults in, unsubsidized employment in in-demand industries and occupations that lead to economic self-sufficiency; and
(2) integrate with the local workforce development system and its functions to carry out the activities of the program.
(d) Report
The Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and make available to the public, a report on the activities carried out under this section.
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Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective on the first day of the first full program year after July 22, 2014 (July 1, 2015), see section 506 of