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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