Extension of Texas State Plan for
Adult Education and Family Literacy

10.0 Description of the Steps to Ensure Direct and Equitable Access (Sec. 224 (b) (12))

As directed by AEFLA, Texas will provide direct and equitable access to funds through a competitive grant procedure (see Section 6.0 of this plan). Further, the same grant announcement process and application process will be used for all eligible providers. Direct and equitable access includes (1) the right to submit applications directly to TEA; and (2) a process for selecting recipients of funds that gives each applicant a fair chance to receive an award. The Texas Education Agency will award multiyear grants (two or three year period) as required by AEFLA. For 2004-2005 TEA will have continuation grants only for adult education.

10.1 Description of Steps

The Texas Education Agency procedures provide direct and equitable access to funds for eligible providers. Eligible providers apply directly to the Texas Education Agency to serve as fiscal agents for funds to provide services to areas comprised of a single school district area, a portion of a school district area (based on the numbers of undereducated adults to be served), multiple school district areas, a single county, a portion of a county, or multiple counties as authorized by federal law and by the State Board of Education, thus providing direct access to federal funds. Cooperative and consortium projects are encouraged. Further, if two or more applicants are competing for funds allocated to the same geographic area, reviewers of applications will include at least one representative from each category of applicants who are competing.

10.2 Notice of Availability

Through the extensive procedures described in Section 6.3 of this plan, the Texas Education Agency ensures that all eligible providers have direct and equitable access to apply for grants or contracts under this section and that the same grant announcement process and application process is used for all eligible providers in the state (Sec. 231) (c). The public announcement of the availability of funds is posted on several email discussion lists that reach over 3,500 entities on the Texas LEARNS website hosted by the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning (TCALL), housed in the College of Education and Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University. The announcement is officially placed in the Texas Register. The announcement of funds will also be placed on TEA's website and on the website of Texas LEARNS. The database has been expanded to include workforce boards, one-stop workforce centers, public libraries, community action agencies, and faith based agencies.

Further Information
Fiscal agents are required by State Board of Education rule to have an advisory committee. This process allows community input in the development and implementation of adult education and literacy activities as well as provides for local control.

In addition, a State Advisory Committee for Adult Education and Family Literacy was established in 2003. Program administrators from each of the eight GREAT regions of the state elected a representative from the region to the board, and the administration of Texas LEARNS appointed additional members to ensure representation from the workforce development system, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, business interests, and professional organizations including the board of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESL) a national literacy organization with a focus on second language learners.

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