Strang, William TITLE the Major National Adult Literacy Volunteer Organizations
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 359 370 CE 063 997 AUTHOR Tenenbaum, Ellen; Strang, William TITLE The Major National Adult Literacy Volunteer Organizations. A Descriptive Review. Final Report. INSTITUTION Westat, Inc., Rockville, MD. SPONS AGENCY Office of Policy and Planning (ED), Washington, DC. PUB DATE 92 CONTRACT LC89015001 NOTE 181p. PUB TYPE Reports - Research/Technical (143) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC08 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adult Basic Education; *Adult Literacy; Case Studies; Educational Practices; Futures (of Society); *National Organizations; National Programs; *Organizational Effectiveness; Organizational Objectives; Program Content; *Program Effectiveness; State Programs; *Voluntary Agencies IDENTIFIERS *Laubach Literacy Action; *Literacy Volunteers of America Inc ABSTRACT A study confirmed that Laubach Literacy Action (LLA) and Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) remain the primary national providers of volunteer-based literacy instruction. Bothorganizations provide basic literacy instruction and beginning instructionin English as a Second Language ona one-to-one or small-group basis by tutors. Each organization has developed itsown formal training program for tutors and its own training methods and materials. LLA and LVA programs are often considered the outreacharm of the adult education system. As of 1990, LLA reported 98,271 volunteertutors serving 147,087 adult learners through 1,023 local LLA councilsin 45 states. As of 1991, LVA reported 51,437 volunteers serving 52,338 adult learners through 434 state and local LVA affiliateprograms in 41 states. The instructional approaches of bothorganizations are firmly grounded in phonics; however, both organizationsincorporate other teaching approaches and tools to meet students' individual goals and interests. Of LLA's $8.7 million annual budget for 1990, $7.5 million came from the sale of LLA publications.Forty percent of the LVA national budget of $2.2 millioncame from the sale of LVA publications. (Case studies of a state LLAprogram, a state LVA program, and three local programs of each organizationare appended.) (MN) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best thatcan be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educatronal Research and improvement EDU RONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER IERICI his document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization ongulating rt O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of mew or opottons staled ,n th.Sdocu- ment do not necessarily MPrellent &km] OERI positron or policy r L. u L.LL THE MAJOR NATIONAL ADULT LITERACY VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS A Descriptive Review Final Report Ellen Tenenbaum William Strang Westat, Inc. 1992 This study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Policy and Planning. The views expressed in this report, developed under contract to the U.S. Department of Education, do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department, and no official endorsement by the Department should be inferred. CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY vii PAR! 1: DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW AND SUMMARY OF OBSERVATIONS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Purpose of the Study 3 Design of the Study 4 Organization of the Report 5 2. PROFILE OF THE MAJOR NATIONAL LITERACY VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS 7 Introduction 7 History and Development of the Literacy Volunteer Organizations 7 Organizational Structure and Functions 10 Volunteer Tutors and Their Students 17 Evaluations of Literacy Volunteer Organizations 33 3. SUMMARY OF OBSERVATIONS 37 Summary 37 Future Directions for Supporting Literacy Volunteer Organizations 45 REFERENCES 49 PART 2: DESCRIPTIONS OF NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL PROGRAMS 1. LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA PROGRAMS 53 Summary of LVA National Program 53 Case Study of an LVA State Office: LVA-Connecticut 55 Case Studies of Three Local LVA Programs: LVA Stamford/Greenwich, Stamford, Connecticut 61 LVA-Rochester, NY, Inc., Rochester, New York 77 LVA Lancaster-Lebanon Literacy Council, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 95 2. LAUBACH LITERACY ACTION PROGRAMS 113 Summary of LLA National Program 113 Case Study of an LLA State Office: Cal Lit (California) 115 Case Studies of Three Local LLA Programs: Glendale YWCA Literacy Council 121 YMCA Operation Mainstream, New Orleans, Louisiana 139 Opportunity for Adult Reading, Cleveland, Tennessee 157 iii 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project required the assistance and cooperation of many dedicated people working in the adult literacy field. At the national level, Jinx Crouch, president of Literacy Volunteers of America, and Peter Waite, executive director of LaubaCh Literacy Action, made themselves and their staffs available to answer numerous questions patiently during our visit to Syracuse, New York. The state literacy organizations were equally generous in helping us understand their critical role. We gratefully acknowledge the time and insights given by Juanita Stanley of California Literacy, Inc., and Julie Stone of LVA Connecticut. Most importantly, we thank the directors, staff members, volunteers and students of Literacy Volunteers of Stamford/Greenwich; Opportunity for Adult Learning in Cleveland, Tennessee; LVA Rochester, New York; Operation Mainstream in New Orleans; LVA Lancaster/Lebanon, Pennsylvania; and the Glendale YMCA Literacy Council in southern California. The descriptive reviews of their programs required long days of interviews. Their willingness to cooperate, particularly taking time from their very busy schedules to explain important practices, made the site visits extremely productive. Ellen Tenenbaum William Strang Rockville, MD, 1992 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Volunteers are assuming increasingly important roles in educational institutions across the country, particularly in adult education and literacy. The primary providers of adult literacy and basic skills education in the United States are the federally funded, state-administered adult education programs, and the two major national volunteer literacy organizations, Laubach Literacy Action (LLA) and Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA). The Adult Education Act of 1966 is the major federal source of funding for adult education programs. The Act has spurred the growth of adult education, in terms of both program expansion and thetraining of professionals. Student enrollment in adult education reached 3.6 million in 1990, compared with 389,000 in 1967. Federal funding for the states' adult education programs has increased from S26 million in 1967 to $255 million in FY 1993. Adult education students may enroll in classes in (1) Adult Basic Education (ABE) for literacy and math instruction at or below a 6th or 7th grade level; (2) Adult Secondary Education (ASE), usually in preparation for the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) test, a nationally recognized equivalent to the high school diploma; or (3) English as a Second Language (ESL) class for non-native speakers for English. Adult education programs are most commonly administered by public school districts, and are typically taught by certified teachers who teach adult education on a part-time basis, assisted by volunteer classroom aides. However, the adult education programs rely heavily on volunteers (over 90,000) to provide direct instruction and program support. Literacy volunteer organizations. Laubach Literacy Action (LLA) and Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) are the primary national providers of volunteer-based literacy instruction. Between LLA and LVA, about 150,000 volunteers are actively tutoring or providing administrative support. Basic literacy instruction and beginning ESL instruction are provided on a one-to-one or small-group basis by tutors trained through the formal LLA or LVA tutor training sequence. In fact, many adult education staff of state-administered programs are using the LLA or LVA methods and materials. The two nonprofit organizations administer educational programs in a combined total of over 1,400 localities spanning nearly all states. These programs are often considered the outreach arm of the adult education system, providing individual instruction at the beginning stages of the continuum of learning. The U.S. Department of Education recognized the need to learn more about the literacy volunteer programs currently in place that promote adult literacy through tutor recruitment, training, and teaching. A vii ADULT LITERACY VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS descriptive profile of Laubach Literacy Action and Literacy Volunteers of America wasundertaken because there had been few descriptive or evaluative studies conducted on the use of volunteers inadult literacy programs. Little was known about volunteers' qualifications, training, or experiencein tutoring adults. Further, little was known about the operations of volunteer-based adult literacy programs, or about exemplary elements and componentsof effective programs. Methodology. This project began with a review of relevant literature on volunteers in adult literacy 1 education. The organization and operations of both LLA and LVA were studied during a visit toSyracuse, New York, where both national offices are located. LLA and LVA subsequently suggested a number of activelocal programs to observe. These were programs known for maintainingsystematic data, having a sizeable number of active tutor/learner matches, and implementing effective practices in recruiting, training, and supportingvolunteers.