Located in:
- Program-specific Requirements for Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Programs
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the following as it pertains to adult education and literacy programs and activities under title II of WIOA, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA).
c. Corrections Education and other Education of Institutionalized Individuals
Describe how the State will establish and operate programs under section 225 of WIOA for corrections education and education of other institutionalized individuals, including how it will fund, in accordance with the requirements of title II subtitle C, any of the following academic programs for:
- Adult education and literacy activities;
- Special education, as determined by the eligible agency;
- Secondary school credit;
- Integrated education and training;
- Career pathways;
- Concurrent enrollment;
- Peer tutoring; and
- Transition to re-entry initiatives and other post release services with the goal of reducing recidivism.
Each eligible agency using funds provided under Programs for Corrections Education and Other Institutionalized Individuals to carry out a program for criminal offenders within a correctional institution must give priority to serving individuals who are likely to leave the correctional institution within 5 years of participation in the program.
Current Narrative:
PDE, Division of Adult Education will compete funds for services under Section 225 as part of the overall application for Section 231 funds. Eligible providers submitting applications under Section 231 will have the option to include corrections education under Section 225 as part of the services to be provided. Thus, Section 225 funds will be included in the multi–year grants for Title II direct service funds where there is a local need. All aspects of the grant competition as described in sections III.b.5.B.i and ii and Title II Local Activities of the State Plan apply to Section 225 funds. The competition will be open to all eligible providers. PDE has policies, procedures, and guidelines in place to ensure that all eligible providers have direct and equal access to apply and compete for funds. The notice of availability of funds is first published through the Pennsylvania Bulletin, the commonwealth’s official gazette for information and rulemaking. Once the notice is published, all grant information is posted to the PDE website on the Division of Adult Education Grant Competitions webpage, which is accessible to the public. The division creates a grant competition information video with closed captions, which is available to the public on YouTube. Policies established by PDE’s Communications Office ensure the accessibility of all grant-related documents that are posted to the website. PDE will conduct the grant competition through its eGrants system. Through this system all eligible providers have access to the same grant application for funds, including Section 225 funds. The applications in which Section 225 funds are included will address the seven requirements and thirteen considerations. All applications will be reviewed by teams of at least three using the same rubric and scoring criteria. The rubric will include special consideration to eligible providers that prioritize corrections education services to individuals who are likely to leave the correctional institution within five years of participation in the program. As appropriate, PDE will include individuals with knowledge of corrections education on application review teams.
Through the competition, PDE will ensure that there is at least one eligible provider offering corrections education services in the state. Entities funded to provide corrections education will provide at least one of the allowable activities listed in section 225 and will be required to ensure that priority of service is given to those individuals who are likely to leave the correctional institution within five years of participation in the program.