INTRODUCTION

Millions of adults in the U.S. lack the literacy skills necessary to secure and maintain employment and fulfill their responsibilities as parents and citizens. Research shows that only a fraction of those at the lowest literacy levels enroll and persist in adult basic and secondary education programs funded by the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA). No comprehensive data exist on the many other publicly and privately funded literacy programs, but estimates reveal that large numbers of adults who need literacy services are not currently receiving them.¹

To meet these needs, some communities across the country have formed partnerships for adult education; their purpose is to increase the availability and quality of adult education and other literacy services. These partnerships include publicly and privately funded adult education providers, local government, workforce development and social service agencies, businesses, and other community organizations. Since 2002, the Community Partnerships for Adult Learning (C-PAL) initiative supported by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) of the U.S. Department of Education has been exploring how such partnerships can enhance the quality and quantity of services offered, so that information on promising approaches can be made available to others concerned with improving adult education.

C-PAL staff identified relevant research, hands-on guides, websites, and other resources that support community partnerships and made them available on the project website (http://www.c-pal.net). Between March and June 2003, C-PAL staff also visited twelve communities that are increasing their capacity to serve adults through local partnerships. These site visits were designed to identify the strategies and issues partnerships face and to learn more about how the partnerships operate and what benefits they bring to adult learners and their communities. All of these community partnerships—in large metropolitan areas, small cities, and rural and suburban areas—have found innovative ways to leverage their resources to enhance adult education services.

This report summarizes findings from the site visits to these partnerships. It describes how leveraging resources can help communities meet federal, state, and local policy goals, such as expanding access to adult basic, secondary, and workplace education programs; improving the quality of curriculum and instruction; and helping parents support their children's academic achievement. It also describes how partnerships help expand and improve adult education services and the roles in this process played by partners from specific sectors of the community: business, government, community colleges, and nonprofit community- and faith-based organizations. The report concludes by discussing some important issues these communities face as they seek to sustain and expand their partnerships. Appendix A explains the site selection process and highlights from each partnership are presented in Appendix B.