DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 407 593
CE 074 060
TITLE
State Accomplishments in Volunteerism. Program Year 1994-95.
INSTITUTION
Office of Vocational and Adult Education (ED), Washington,
DC. Adult Learning and Literacy Clearinghouse.
PUB DATE
Apr 96
NOTE
7p.
PUB TYPE
Reports
Descriptive (141)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
*Adult Education; Adult Literacy; Cooperative Programs;
Coordination; English (Second Language); *Literacy
Education; Partnerships in Education; *Staff Development;
State Programs; Teacher Education; Tutoring; *Tutors;
*Volunteer Training; *Volunteers
ABSTRACT
Compiled from information contained in the Program Year
1994-95 Annual Narrative Performance Reports submitted by states to the U.S.
Department of Education, this paper shares selected information on recent
developments in volunteerism in adult education. The paper is organized into
three sections. Selected states are highlighted in each section. Section 1
focuses on use of Section 353 funds to provide tutor training and staff
development to volunteers in these states: Arkansas, District of Columbia,
Idaho, Nevada, West Virginia, and Virgin Islands. Section 2 describes
collaboration--partnerships with both public and private organizations--in
Connecticut, Missouri, and Texas. Section 3 describes volunteer roles and
responsibilities that afford these advantages to adult learners and programs:
lower cost services, more flexibility in class scheduling, more personalized
instruction, more opportunities for mentoring and flexible pacing, greater
availability of support services, and more access to the homebound. These
states are highlighted: Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, North Dakota,
Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico.
(YLB)
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Clearinghouse
L
U.S. Department of Education Division of Adult Education and Literacy Washington, D.C. 20202-7240
State Accomplishments in
Volunteerism
Program Year 1994-95
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
0 Minor changes have heen made to
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Points of view or opinions stated in this
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official OERI positior. or policy.
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Vocational and Adult Education
Division of Adult Education and Literacy
April 1996
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
State Accomplishments in Volunteerism
Program Year 1994-95
In Program Year 1994-95, over 90,000 volunteers served in Federally-funded adult education
and literacy programs. About half of these volunteers worked as tutors on a one-to-one basis or
in small group settings in basic literacy and English as a Second Language classes. The
remainder served in supportive roles.
States which receive Federal funds under the Adult Education Act are required to submit annual
performance reports to the U.S. Department of Education. This paper has been compiled from
information contained in the Program Year 1994-95 Annual Narrative Performance Reports. It
was written to share selected information and facilitate dialogue across the country on recent
developments in volunteerism in adult education.
Descriptive information is not available for Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Utah,
Vermont, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Palau and the Republic
of the Marshall Islands.
The following states did not report on volunteer activities: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, New
Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee,
Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The paper is organized into three sections: teacher training and staff development, collaboration,
and volunteer roles and responsiblities.
Selected states are highlighted in each section. For
more information about specific volunteer activities in a particular state, contact the state's
director of adult education.
Teacher Training and Staff Development
The Adult Education Act (P.L. 100-27), Section 353, requires each state to use at
least 15% of the Federal adult education basic grant to support special
experimental demonstration and teacher training projects. Many states use their
Section 353 funds to provide tutor training and staff development to volunteers. In
recent years, this training has become increasingly important, as programs give
volunteers more extensive responsibilities in instruction and administration.
Arkansas
Adult education provided financial and in kind support for volunteers, cooperated with volunteer
literacy providers, and equipped volunteer teachers and tutors with teaching skills. Arkansas
Literacy Councils, Inc. received a Section 353 grant in the amount of $49,575 to support
volunteer training.
District of Columbia
Volunteer tutors were trained by Delta Adult Literacy Council, Inc.
Idaho
Idaho focused on providing more consistent and intensive training to volunteers. Through
participation with the Northwest Regional Literacy Resource Center and the National Institute
for Literacy, Idaho initiated training for volunteer tutors statewide. Boise State University's
adult learning center provides an example of the importance of professional development for
volunteers in the State of Idaho. This center reported that, "while the program recognizes the
importance and value of volunteers, it has become increasingly evident that a volunteer program
demands administrative time and supervision. Our philosophy in regards to volunteers is that
they need to be able to deliver the same level of instructional quality as our paid staff.
Consequently, the overall number of volunteers involved in the program has declined, but the
number of volunteers actually teaching full semester classes or managing and teaching in
outreach program sites has increased." The importance of volunteers in Idaho adult education is
evidenced by the fact that many local literacy councils were initiated by the adult learning centers
through the work of VISTA volunteers.
State Accomplishments in Volunteerism: 1994-95
Nevada
Volunteer instruction has been enhanced through staff development activities and the
development ofthe-Tutor CompetencyCertification Program by the Nevada. Literacy Coalition.
West Virginia
Through a grant from the Benedum Foundation, the West Virginia Center for Adult Literacy and
Learning employed a volunteer literacy training specialist to coordinate and expand training
services to volunteer literacy tutors.
Virgin Islands
One hundred seventy-six (176) volunteers were trained for literacy programs. Two adult
education/tutoring literacy centers were established for residents on St. Thomas and St. Croix.
Collaboration
In order to increase program capacity and better serve adult learners, Federally-
funded adult education programs are making greater efforts to collaborate through
partnerships with both public and private organizations. These organizations
include national volunteer non-profits, Federal and state volunteer agencies,
businesses and public and private schools.
Connecticut
Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. is operating a hotline in collaboration with the State
Department to provide information on adult education opportunities.
Missouri
Efforts were continued to establish stronger links between local ABE programs and volunteer
literacy organizations. Thirty-five volunteer literacy organizations were identified in Missouri.
Texas
In Program Year 1994-95, 2,671 volunteers were assisting local programs. Since 1982, the state
Board of Education has helped adult literacy councils to mobilize a private sector capacity that
assists the adult education system in locating, counseling and teaching adults with low literacy
State Accomplishments in Volunteerism: 1994-95
skills. Over 40 literacy councils are now in operation. At the local level, some programs are
coordinating with VISTA and AmeriCorps volunteers. Close coordination is also in place with
the state library and local libraries that have established literacy programs.
Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities
The use of volunteers in instruction and administration affords a number of
advantages to adult education learners and programs, including: lower cost
services, more flexibility in class scheduling, more personalized instruction, more
opportunities for mentoring and flexible pacing, greater availability of support
services and more access to the homebound.
Illinois
The State Department encouraged the use of volunteers in almost every aspect of the adult
education process. A total of 7,461 volunteers served in different capacities. Services included
one-on-one and small group tutoring for educationally disadvantaged students. Approximately
6,652 students received services from volunteers. This number represents adults who were not
enrolled in any instructional program.
Louisiana
Literacy Instructors Teaching Adults was continued as a part of the regular adult education
program in Acadia Parish. The program was designed to provide basic literacy and survival
skills to adult non-readers to enable them to function more effectively in the community and to
train community volunteer tutors to work with adult non-readers. The tutoring sessions were
conducted in various locations and facilities convenient to students.
Volunteer Instructors Teaching Adults, Inc. (VITA), a community-based volunteer literacy
organization, was funded by the Bureau of Adult and Community Education to provide
instruction to adults sixteen years of age and older who read below the sixth grade level. VITA
offered approximately 24 community tutoring sites in the parish, and volunteers averaged 7-8
hours of tutoring per month. VITA also participated in literacy programs at the Lafayette Parish
Correctional Center and in a workplace literacy program.
Nevada
A total of 460 volunteers served as tutors and aides. Not all programs reported using volunteers,
but those that did reported that more than 7,000 hours were contributed.
State Accomplishments in Volunteerism: 1994-95
5
North Dakota
Volunteers are trained and technical assistance is provided upon request.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania funds Tutors for Literacy in the Commonwealth, through the State Adult Literacy
Act, to provide training and support to tutors and tutor trainees in literacy councils and other
locations.
Puerto Rico
One special project was developed with the University of Sacred Heart at San Juan. Fifteen adult
volunteers were trained in teaching techniques for reading and writing.
State Accomplishments in Volunteerism: 1994-95
7
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and improvement (OERI)
Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)
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