NOTICES
Availability of Program Year 2000-01 State Act 143 of 1986 Grants for Adult Literacy and Family Literacy Programs
[30 Pa.B. 238] Act 143 of 1986, as approved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and signed into law on October 22, 1986, established the Pennsylvania Adult Literacy Education Grant Program. This program is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for adult literacy and family literacy programs that will:
1. Enable out-of-school youth and adults 17 years of age and older who are nonreaders or who read below the 5th grade level or who lack basic English language proficiency to improve their basic skills in order to increase their prospects for a more productive life;
2. Expand the availability of adult literacy, family literacy and other adult education programs, including volunteer programs, in the Commonwealth; and
3. (family literacy only) Provide services that are of sufficient intensity in terms of hours, and of sufficient duration, to make sustainable changes in a family, and that integrate all of the following:
a. Interactive literacy activities between parents and their children.
b. Training for parents regarding how to be the primary teacher for their children and full partners in the education of their children.
c. Parent literacy training that leads to economic self-sufficiency.
d. An age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences.
Eligible applicants include literacy councils, libraries, local education agencies, community colleges, and public and private nonprofit agencies, organizations and institutions. Priority consideration will be given to applications to conduct programs that expect to enroll high numbers of eligible adults who: (1) are receiving public assistance, (2) do not have high school diplomas, (3) are members of minority groups, and/or (4) have less than a 5th grade reading level. Priority will also be given to programs that provide client outreach and referral activities that are coordinated with other adult education and literacy programs; county assistance offices; social service agencies; public libraries; Team PA Career Link One-Stop Centers; Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs; elementary schools, family centers, and preschool programs such as Head Start and licensed child care centers (if Family Literacy); or other community groups or agencies that provide services and assistance to persons in need of basic literacy skills.
For Act 143 Family Literacy Programs, consideration will be given in the following order of priorities:
1. Applications for Renewal of grants to currently-funded family literacy programs, providing sufficient progress is made toward meeting program goals and objectives;
2. Applications for New programs in counties not served by a family literacy program that propose comprehensive services that include the four required components (Adult Education, Early Childhood Education, Parent Time and Parent-and-Child Together Time); and
3. Applications designed to Expand current family literacy programs, such as existing Even Start or Act 143, into unserved areas of counties.
Restrictions placed upon the State Department of Education for the administration of the grant by Act 143 are:
1. No more than 20% of the annual appropriation shall be used to provide education to institutionalized adults.
2. No more than 20% of the annual appropriation shall be used for programs of equivalency for a certificate of graduation from a secondary school.
3. At least 20% of the annual appropriation shall be used for training volunteer adult literacy tutors.
4. No more than 10% of any grant to an eligible agency may be used for support services.
5. No more than 10% of any grant to an eligible agency may be used for administration.
All Act 143 applications must be completed on-line and submitted via the e-grant website at http://www.egrants.ed.state.pa.us to the Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education, on or before the following dates:
Act 143 Family Literacy Renewal Applications March 10, 2000 Act 143 Adult Literacy Applications March 24, 2000 Act 143 Family Literacy New and Expanded Applications April 6, 2000 Instructions and the Application Guidelines are available by ABLEsite at www.paadulted.org and by the e-grant website.
Potential applicants are urged to attend the proposal development workshop to learn the latest changes to program guidelines and new requirements for submitting e-grant applications for adult education and family literacy programs funded through (1) the Federal Workforce Investment Act, Section 231, (2) State Adult Literacy Program, Act 143 of 1986, and (3) the Federal Even Start Family Literacy Program. This workshop will be conducted by teleconference on January 31, 2000 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. For the nearest downlink site and to ensure that space, materials and handouts are available, all attendees must register to attend by contacting the Distance Learning Center at (800) 236-5293. For individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, the Pennsylvania Relay Service (800) 654-5984 (TTY) can be used to call the Distance Learning Center. In order to ensure timely administration and processing of e-grant applications, both the grant writer and the fiscal officer should attend the workshop.
EUGENE W. HICKOK,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 00-67. Filed for public inspection January 7, 2000, 9:00 a.m.]
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