Located in:
- Program-specific Requirements for Adult Education and Family Literacy Act ProgramsThe Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the following as it pertains to Adult Education and Literacy programs under title II, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA).
d. 1. Describe How the State Will Establish and Operate Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education Programs Under Section 243 of WIOA, for English Language Learners Who Are Adults, Including Professionals with Degrees and Credentials in Their Native Countries.
Current Narrative:
The goals of IEL/Civics Education are 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.
IEL/Civics grant applications identify the eligible service population as English language learners who are adults, which may range from adults with no previous formal education to professionals with degrees and credentials in their native countries. IEL/Civics providers awarded funds through WIOA Section 243 will be encouraged to identify their target population.
All IEL/Civics grantees are required to provide all four instructional components as outlined in WIOA including: 1. English Literacy 2. Civics (defined as instructing on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and civic participation in the U.S.A.) 3. Workforce Preparation (operationalized in Minnesota as the ACES Transitions Integration Framework that identifies key workforce preparation skills in the areas of self-management, developing a future pathway, navigating systems, effective communication, learning strategies, and critical thinking) 4. Work Training and Certification (including Integrated Education and Training) Minnesota grantees will be required to address the College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS), Minnesota’s Academic, Career and Employability Standards (ACES) and North Star Digital Literacy Standards. In addition, grantees will be required to provide English instruction contextualized to both civics content and occupational training with the occupational training opportunities comprising both short-term certificate programs and well as more extended career pathways.
All local IEL/Civics providers must, within their grant application, articulate a plan that outlines how the provider will develop an instructional program that integrates all four essential IEL/Civics instructional components. In addition, providers will be eligible for ongoing technical assistance and be required to evaluate the effectiveness of their programming and report on outcomes, lessons learned and best practices.