Narrative: III. b. 5. B. i.

The Division of Workforce Services, Adult Education Section follows the guidelines set forth by the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) in determining applicant eligibility when conducting a state competition for Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Funds (AEFLA). Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires State eligible agencies to award multiyear grants or contracts on a competitive basis to eligible providers within the State or outlying area.  These grants or contracts enable eligible providers to develop, implement, and improve adult education and literacy activities within the State.  Eligible providers must use AEFLA funds to establish or operate programs that provide adult education and literacy activities, including programs that provide these activities concurrently.  Additionally, each State eligible agency must conduct a competition that ensures that all eligible providers have direct and equitable access to apply and compete for AEFLA funds and that the same grant or contract announcement and application process are used for all eligible providers.

The Adult Education Section will award multi-year grants to eligible local providers through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process for the purpose of developing, implementing, and improving adult education and literacy within the state. The time-period for the next Request for Proposal for Title II AEFLA funds is scheduled for July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.  

Local adult education providers must be organizations that have demonstrated effectiveness in providing adult education and literacy activities and may include: local education agencies such as school districts; community-based organizations, or faith-based organizations; volunteer literacy organizations; institutions of higher education; public or private nonprofit agencies; libraries; public housing authorities; other nonprofit institutions that have the ability to provide literacy services to adults and families; consortia of the agencies, organizations, institutions, libraries or authorities previously described or a partnership between an employer and an agency previously described.

Applications are screened to determine if it is from an eligible provider of demonstrated effectiveness before the application is reviewed, scored, and considered for funding. The same process is used to determine if an application is from an eligible provider of demonstrated effectiveness. Only applications that are determined to be from eligible providers of demonstrated effectiveness are forwarded for review, scoring, and consideration for funding. 

The eligibility phase of review is conducted by Adult Education Section staff using the form that precedes the application in the Request for Proposal, which is titled, “Demonstrated Effectiveness: Pre-Screening Requirement”. An eligible provider may meet the requirements for eligibility as described below:

1. An applicant that has been previously funded under AEFLA, as amended by WIOA, must submit performance data required under section 116 to demonstrate past effectiveness.
2. An applicant that has not been previously funded under AEFLA, as amended by WIOA must provide performance data to demonstrate its past effectiveness in serving basic skills deficient eligible individuals, including evidence of its success in achieving outcomes for participants related to employment, attainment of secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and transition to postsecondary education and training.
3. Be currently located and providing services within the state of Arkansas. (State requirement)

An applicant(s) must provide three years of performance data on its record of improving the skills of eligible individuals, particularly eligible individuals who have low levels of literacy.  This must be demonstrated in the following content domains: reading, writing, mathematics, English Language Acquisition, and other subject areas relevant to the services contained in the State's application for funds. In addition, an applicant must also provide information regarding its outcomes for participants related to employment, attainment of secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and transition to postsecondary education and training.

In the case of applicants applying as a consortium, demonstrated effectiveness data from each member of the consortium is evaluated to determine if each member is an eligible provider of demonstrated effectiveness.  All consortium members must be determined to be an eligible provider of demonstrated effectiveness for the consortium application to be forwarded for review, scoring and consideration for funding.

Applications not meeting all pre-screen requirements will not be read. Applications that do not illustrate demonstrated effectiveness will not be considered. Applicants not meeting the pre-screening requirement will be notified along with all declined applicants. In the event an applicant’s proposal is not approved, the applicant may send a Letter of Appeal to the Director for Adult Education Section providing a justification for the appeal. A response will be mailed to the applicant within five calendar days of the date the appeal letter was received. All appeal decisions will be final.