Family Literacy

Center for Parent Education and Family Support - Housed at the University of North Texas

Children's Learning Institute - Housed at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, CIRCLE is engaged in numerous research, community programs and training activities related to the goal of promoting quality learning environments for young children. Training in the early childhood component of Even Start family literacy is one aspect of their work.

Colorin Colorado - Designed by WETA's Reading Rockets, this website provides information, activities, and advice for Spanish-speaking parents and educators of English language learners.

Early Childhood Research and Practice - ECRP is a peer-reviewed electronic journal sponsored by the Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which covers topics related to the development, care, and education of children from birth to approximately age 8, emphasizing practice-related research and development.

Early Learning Initiative. As part of its focus on early learning, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has launched an Early Initiative web page. The new page is designed to help users learn about key programs, funding opportunities, resources and publications, technical assistance, and interagency work; early learning in the Administration’s proposal for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA); and investments in early learning across federal agencies. The page includes presentation materials, a webinar, blog posts, and public comments from USDE’s Listening and Learning about Early Learning tour.

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) - part of Texas Cooperative Extension within The Texas A&M University System, FCS offers a variet of parenting resources and practical information for families: raising children, housing and environment, eating well, managing money, and staying healthy.

Family Literacy page of CPAL (Community Partnerships for Adult Learning) - Site includes How-To's, Research, Journals, and Website links that explore issues related to family literacy instruction, such as parenting and child development and teaching to different age groups simultaneously. It also includes professional development ideas for family literacy educators, classroom materials, and links to family literacy websites.

First Book - This nonprofit organization annually provides millions of books to schools and programs serving children from low-income families.

Free Parent Education Handouts – Washington Learning Systems site includes numerous downloadable parent-child activities targeted for children from birth through preschool age, developed with federal support for evidence based programs to promote early literacy, language, cognitive, and social development.

Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy – Mission of this Institute at Penn State is to improve family literacy education through research and its application to practice and professional development and to provide national leadership to support and maintain high quality, integrated programs for families with educational needs. Website includes annotated bibliographies on several key topics in family literacy.

Subscribe to the Goodling Institute National Family Literacy Discussion List -- Sponsored by the Goodling Institute and facilitated by the National Center for Family Literacy, this national email discussion list serves as a forum for discussing family literacy program operation and instructional practices, research and evaluation, policies and advocacy.

National Association for the Education of Young Children

NAEYC Journal Articles Available Online - The National Association for the Education of Young Children has an Online edition of their journal, Young Children. Called Beyond the Journal, the online edition offers readers a number of articles, resource lists, and other documents online that are not included in the print issue, as well as some that are published in both venues. On the main Young Children journal page, click on the link to Beyond the Journal.

National Center for Family Literacy

Practitioner Toolkit: Working with Adult English Language Learners was developed by National Center for Family Literacy and National Center for ESL Literacy Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics. Texas practitioners may also request a hard copy free from the Clearinghouse Library.

 Reach Out and Read - ROR is a research-based program that promotes early literacy by bringing new books and advice about the importance of reading aloud into the pediatric exam room. Doctors and nurses give new books to children at each well child visit from 6 months of age to 5 years and "prescribe" parents reading to children from infancy.

 Reading Rockets - Getting ready to read begins long before the first day of kindergarten. A child's experiences with language, letters, and books build the foundation for becoming a reader. Check the early literacy section this reading website for parents and educators for ways to make learning to read as easy as A-B-C! Also see the site's Reading Research section for research and reports to guide decisions about reading instruction.

RIF Leading to Reading - Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. prepares and motivates children to read by delivering free books and literacy resources to those children and families who need them most. RIF’s Leading to Reading Website offers activities and stories for babies and toddlers, preschoolers, and their grownup friends.

Texas Association for the Education of Young Children

Texas Association of Parent Educators

Texas Family Literacy Resource Center - TFLRC is a statewide initiative, funded by the Texas Education Agency through Texas LEARNS to provide a center for statewide professional development and technical assistance for Family Literacy projects.

Verizon Thinkfinity - Sponsored by the National Center for Family Literacy and ProLiteracy Worldwide and funded by Verizon Communications, the website is an Internet tool developed to recruit, orient and train literacy volunteers. Online courses are available for existing and potential volunteers, as well as program directors and staff of literacy programs. Some courses are self-paced, others instructor-led, and some will be a blend of the two types.

Wonderopolis - National Center for Family Literacy helps bring learning into the home on a daily basis in bite-size bits that fit into everyday life. Wonder of the Day helps parents nurture a brighter world for their children through discovery, creativity, learning and imagination. Website is supported by Verizon as part of the Verizon Thinkfinity Suite.

See TCALL Links

Awesome Stories This website includes high-interest stories that students in pre-GED® test or Intermediate-Advanced ESL classes would enjoy reading. Categories of the stories include: Biography, Disasters, Famous Trials, Flicks, History, Inspiration, Religion, and Law Buzz. (Requires an Adobe® Flash® browser plug-in to be downloaded from their home page in order to view all the information.)

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary and Thesaurus Site also includes word games and a featured "word of the day" to build vocabulary.

ProLiteracy Education Network – With support from The Verizon Foundation, ProLiteracy hosts this site to provide resources to meet adult literacy needs in the U.S. and around the world. Site is organized around sections for adult Students, Instructors, and Organizations.

Rhyming Dictionary Carnegie Mellon University hosts this site, in which students can find numerous rhymes for any word, as well as games and puzzles related to rhyming.

Skillswise is a website with resources for both adult learners and tutors to help adults improve their reading, writing and math skills. Factsheets, worksheets, quizzes and games to help adults improve their English skills (grammar, spelling, reading, listening, writing, and vocabulary) and math skills (whole numbers; measures, shape and space; fractions, decimals and percentages; and handling data). Skillswise is being developed and created by BBC Interactive Factual and Learning.

Web Sites for Teaching Phonics College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign hosts this site linking to numerous phonics teaching resources.

Community Partnerships for Adult Learning - Site includes How-To's, Research, Journals, and Website links, and Standards pertaining to helping adults succeed in Adult Basic Education/Literacy programs.

Harnessing Technology Web Page - The Harnessing Technology Web pages help adult literacy education (ABE/GED® test/ESL/ESOL) teachers and learners to use computers, television, audio and video cassettes, and other electronic technology to help solve learning and instructional problems. The Web pages grow and improve as practitioners and learners describe problems and contribute good solutions which use technology. Problems and solutions which are unattributed are those of site host David J. Rosen of Boston's Adult Literacy Resource Institute.

Media Library of Teaching Skills (MLoTS) for Adult Learning and Literacy – This free online digital library of short videos of adult education teachers and their classes is intended for use in professional development. Each video is an example of a state-approved content standard, research-based practice, preferred approach, or specific teaching method or skill. Some of the MLoTS videos were made and edited by the MLoTS Team, David J. Rosen and Owen Hartford; some were made by other people and groups.

Practitioner Toolkit: Working with Adult English Language Learners was developed by National Center for Family Literacy and National Center for ESL Literacy Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics. Texas practitioners may also request a hard copy free from the Clearinghouse Library.

ProLiteracy Education Network – With support from The Verizon Foundation, ProLiteracy hosts this site to provide resources to meet adult literacy needs in the U.S. and around the world. Site is organized around sections for adult Students, Instructors, and Organizations.

Activities for ESL Students offers short practice activities for almost every ESL topic you can think of, at every level. There's no audio, but many of the activities include visuals. This is a project of The Internet TESL Journal.

Adult Literacy Education (ALE) Wiki – Learn about adult literacy education or add knowledge from your experience teaching adult learners, from research or professional wisdom, or from your experience as an adult learner. This community of practice has links to research for practitioners, researchers, learners and other adult literacy educators, including English language learning, numeracy, and adult basic and secondary education.

CAELA -- The Center for Adult English Language Acquisition -- was created to help states build their capacity to promote English language learning and academic achievement of adults learning English. Funded by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), U.S. Department of Education, CAELA accomplishes its mission through building state capacity for improving the skills of teachers and administrators in adult ESL programs; developing an easy-to-use repository of resources that are accessible through the CAELA Web site; producing easily accessible materials that synthesize research and make applications to practice; developing a toolkit of training materials for professional developers; and providing technical assistance to adult ESL teachers, programs, and states.

The Center for Literacy -- Located at Baylor University's School of Social Work, the center's mission is to support research, development, and evaluation of programs and models that help people become proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English. Baylor's School of Social Work brings a distinctive faith-integrated approach to quality education.

Colorin Colorado - Designed by WETA's Reading Rockets, this website provides information, activities, and advice for Spanish-speaking parents and educators of English language learners.

Eating Well, Living Well – Website developed by San Diego Community College has free nutrition lessons for English language learners (ELL) at various levels and a resource list of free nutrition-related materials as well as special links for ELL teachers.  These materials, developed with federal funds, are designed for agencies that serve adults eligible for food stamps.

English for All - FREE, multimedia system for high-beginning level adult students. ESL/basic skills/life skills course includes twenty 15-minute video segments with real-life stories featuring a multi-ethnic cast and a friendly host, who explains language and skill content throughout each show. The 20 video segments can be accessed in streaming video online or as reproducible VHS tapes (a Clearinghouse loan item - call 800-441-READ to check them out). English for All Print Materials include over 400 pages of exercises and activities in Portable Document Format (PDF), also downloadable from the Web site or available free on CD-ROM from the Clearinghouse (call 800-441-READ to request). English for All Website also includes interactive student activities and a course management system for teachers to track student progress.

EL/Civics Online – Series of online professional development courses for ESL instructors and volunteers who wish to incorporate EL/Civics content into their adult ESL classrooms will assist teachers in creating interesting, effective ESL lessons. EL/Civics Online is a collaborative project of the U.S. Department of Education/Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services/Office of Citizenship (USCIS).

English Literacy (EL/ESL) page on website of CPAL (Community Partnerships for Adult Learning) - Site includes How-To's, Research, Journals, and Website links about English Literacy, ideas on how to incorporate learners' interests into the curricula, and other helpful materials.

ESL Monkeys - English-as-a-second-language teaching materials and learning resources for teachers, students & schools. Search for ESL jobs, lesson plans, English schools/programs, books, school resources and more.

Florida Adult ESOL Task Force Lesson Plans

Harnessing Technology Web Page - The Harnessing Technology Web pages help adult literacy education (ABE/GED® test/ESL/ESOL) teachers and learners to use computers, television, audio and video cassettes, and other electronic technology to help solve learning and instructional problems. The Web pages grow and improve as practitioners and learners describe problems and contribute good solutions which use technology. Problems and solutions which are unattributed are those of site host David J. Rosen of Boston's Adult Literacy Resource Institute.

Idiom Quest - Idiomquest is a searchable database of American English idioms. It is designed to be used as a reference site to support the learning interests of students (TOEFL, ESL, EFL), businesses, and linguists.

Interesting Things for ESL Students has games, quizzes, exercises and lots of other activities. The site offers explanations of hundreds of idioms, together with quizzes to practice them. This site is non-commercial and has no advertising and was created by Charles I. Kelly and Lawrence E. Kelly.

Internet Picture Dictionary The Internet Picture Dictionary is an online multilingual picture dictionary designed especially for ESL students and beginning English, French, German, Spanish and Italian language learners of all ages. There are also activities to help remember new vocabulary: flashcards, fill-in-the-blank, word scrambles, stinky spelling and straight recall.

Low Educated Second Language and Literacy Acquisition (LESLLA) for Adults – International forum of researchers who share an interest in research on the development of second language skills by adult immigrants with little or no schooling prior to entering the country of entry. Goal of the LESLLA is to share empirical research and information to help inform and guide further research on second language acquisition for the low-educated adult population.

Practitioner Toolkit: Working with Adult English Language Learners was developed by National Center for Family Literacy and National Center for ESL Literacy Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics . Texas practitioners may also request a hard copy free from the Clearinghouse Library.

Project CONNECT - On this web site, adults enrolled in adult education classes can practice their English skills and learn about working, studying and living in the United States -- all online using a computer with reading, writing, audio, video, Internet and email activities. Teachers can set up online class groups, send and receive email with their classes and review student work. Project Connect was created by PBS, the National Center for Adult Literacy at the University of Pennsylvania and Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky in partnership with KET - The Kentucky Network.

ProLiteracy Education Network – With support from The Verizon Foundation, ProLiteracy hosts this site to provide resources to meet adult literacy needs in the U.S. and around the world. Site is organized around sections for adult Students, Instructors, and Organizations.

Pumarosa - This free website for Spanish speakers learning English provides lessons on English words and phrases as well as grammar exercises. Lessons are at beginning and intermediate levels. Beginning level lessons include audio demonstrating pronunciation in both English and Spanish. It also can be used by students whose native language is other than Spanish.

Skillswise is a website with resources for both adult learners and tutors to help adults improve their reading, writing and math skills. Factsheets, worksheets, quizzes and games to help adults improve their English skills (grammar, spelling, reading, listening, writing, and vocabulary) and math skills (whole numbers; measures, shape and space; fractions, decimals and percentages; and handling data). Skillswise is being developed and created by BBC Interactive Factual and Learning.

The Study Zone offers extensive interactive practice with grammar, reading, vocabulary, and idioms. Hosted by the English Language Center at University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Teaching Reading to Adult English Language Learners: A Reading Instruction Staff Development Program - Prepared by the Center for Applied Linguistics for Virginia's Adult ESOL Program and published by The Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center, this 15-hour training will acquaint participants with the fundamental knowledge and skills required to teach reading effectively to adult, nonnative speakers of English. Content is based on research on the reading process in general, on the process of learning to read as an adult, and learning to read in another language. (This is a PDF document - download Adobe® Acrobat® Reader)

The Idiom Connection offers explanations of hundreds of idioms, together with quizzes to practice them.

Tex-TESOL

Thinkfinity - The At Home & Afterschool section of this site provides resources, games and tools for parents and kids, with support from The Verizon Foundation.

Beyond the GED: Making Conscious Choices About the GED and Your Future -- This set of classroom materials was designed by NCSALL to provide learners with practice in graph and chart reading, calculation, analyzing information, and writing, while they examine the labor market, the role of higher education, and the economic impact of the GED® test. Clearinghouse disseminates free copies to Texas educators only.

GED® Test 2002 Online Professional Development from Kentucky Educational Television - Information on the GED® tests and strategies in such areas as problem solving, calculator use, graphic literacy, essay writing, or critical thinking skills.

The GED® 21st Century Initiative - The GED Testing Service® plans to transform the GED® test into a comprehensive program that will prepare more adult learners for postsecondary education, training, and careers.

GED Connection - 39 half-hour video programs for the GED preparation classroom. Series also includes three student workbooks and FREE Internet learning activities, quizzes, and practice tests.

GEDforFree.com - Site offer free GED® test online practice test and preparation course, supported by advertising. Designed for adults with a ninth-grade education or higher, the course provides a preparation and training program in the test topics, and includes tips and strategies. Special attention is paid to GED® test math.

GED Teacher Resource Center - New Readers Press hosts this free online hub for free resources, support, and teacher-to-teacher communication for GED® test educators.

GED® Testing Centers in Texas - This site has an alphabetical list of GED® test Testing Center sites with office hours, testing fees and days of week testing is administered.

GED® Testing Service

Lessons and Practice Exercises for Teaching Use of the Casio fx-260 Calculator - Jeri Braunagel of Missouri Valley Adult Education Association designed lessons and practice exercises for teaching use of the Casio fx-260 calculator, which students may use in the GED® 2002 version tests.

ProLiteracy Education Network – With support from The Verizon Foundation, ProLiteracy hosts this site to provide resources to meet adult literacy needs in the U.S. and around the world. Site is organized around sections for adult Students, Instructors, and Organizations.

Road Map to the U.S. Constitution – This site is dedicated to providing students of all kinds with knowledge of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Steck-Vaughn GED® Practice Test Online - This free service is intended to familiarize learners with the types of items they will see on the actual GED® Test.

Texas Education Agency GED® (General Educational Development) Unit - The GED® Unit issues GED® records and transcripts and maintains records of testing activities, among other functions for GED® Test takers in Texas..

The Writing Process - Cleveland State University developmed this guide to the three major steps in the writing process: planning, drafting and polishing.

Transitioning Adults to College: Adult Basic Education Program Models -- NCSALL Occasional Paper describes five models that staff of the New England Literacy Resource Center categorized through a survey of adult education centers around the U.S., which have transition components. Five models are described, include: Advising, GED®-Plus, ESOL, Career Pathways, and College Preparatory. Themes and recommendations are also desribed, which others contemplating adult transition services might find helpful. Clearinghouse disseminates free copies to Texas educators only.

"Advice and Information on Grant Seeking and Proposal Writing" The Ohio Literacy Resource Center site houses numerous resources on proposal development, the differences between public and private funding sources, and strategic planning.

Department of Education Forecast of Funding - This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which the Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications for new awards for FY 2002 and provides actual or estimated deadline dates for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts--organized according to the Department's principal program offices--and include programs and competitions the Department has previously announced, as well as those it plans to announce at a later date. Note: This document is advisory only and is not an official application notice of the Department of Education.

Division of Discretionary Grants at Texas Education Agency

General Fundraising page of PNNOnline - PNNOnline delivers news, information, and resources to all segments of the nonprofit world in order to help them better achieve their goals.

Grants and Funding - a page on Houghton-Mifflin Publishing's "Education Place" website, offers help with grant writing, including the "Grantionary" -- a glossary of terms related to grants and funding; Tips for Writing a Proposal; and links to online grant writing courses.PNNOnline delivers news, information, and resources to all segments of the nonprofit world in order to help them better achieve their goals.

Grant Writing Tips - You will find hints that will help you as you begin to write your grant proposals located in this section of the SchoolGrants site.

National Priorities Project Database - The NPP Database offers a wide range of state, and county-level data and statistics relating to federal policies and our communities, including adult education and Even Start funding. Much of the information goes back to 1983, and is updated regularly.

"The Numbers Side of Grant Writing"  - During these tough economic times, this PNNOnline resource shows how to secure funds by showing a grantor that you can properly handle and control costs while delivering the promised services.

SchoolMatters. Web-based national education data service provides in-depth information and analysis about public schools, districts and state education systems. This data service could provide useful information for grant proposal writers. Once you follow the links to the Texas page, particularly note the Advanced Search under Search & Comparison Tools, which allows you to find data by county or city.

Eating Well, Living Well – Website developed by San Diego Community College has free nutrition lessons for English language learners (ELL) at various levels and a resource list of free nutrition-related materials as well as special links for ELL teachers. These materials, developed with federal funds, are designed for agencies that serve adults eligible for food stamps.

Staying Healthy: An English Learner's Guide to Health Care and Healthy Living - Florida Literacy Coalition created this curriculum with student resource book written at the 4th through 5th grade levels, integrating health literacy and English language learning (ELL).

Unified Health Communication 101: Addressing Health Literacy, Cultural Competency, and Limited English Proficiency - Free on-line training for health professionals is offered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

AdultEd Online – Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, this site offers teachers and administrators free tools to identify classroom technology integration skills and distance teaching skills and potential, and to create a professional plan based on each individual’s specific needs. AdultEd Online is also developing U.S.A. Learns -- A Web Portal for Adult Learners, scheduled to be available for general use beginning in the fall of 2008.

Computer Training Tutorials - Explanations, tutorials and tips about computers and the Web. Chris Rippel of the Central Kansas Library System developed this site, which includes (among other things) a wonderful interactive mouse tutorial called Mousercise in English, Spanish, Danish and Hmong versions, with new language versions being added periodically.

Intro to the Personal Computer: This is the ON Button - West Virginia Adult Basic Education

Project CONNECT - On this web site, adults enrolled in adult education classes can practice their English skills and learn about working, studying and living in the United States -- all online using a computer with reading, writing, audio, video, Internet and email activities. Teachers can set up online class groups, send and receive email with their classes and review student work. Project Connect was created by PBS, the National Center for Adult Literacy at the University of Pennsylvania and Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky in partnership with KET - The Kentucky Network.

Project IDEAL – This consortium of states works together to develop effective distance education programs for adult learners, using collaborative research and practice to raise the quality of distance education across the country. The Project IDEAL Support Center at the University of Michigan provides member states (including Texas) with technical assistance for program planning, teacher training, and program evaluation.

"Teach Me Technology" online course for literacy students and instructors - Verizon Thinkfinity offers this free online course as a basic introduction to computers for adult learners who have never used a computer. Course also includes suggestions for instructors, tutors, mentors, or volunteers to facilitate computer skill building. See menu link to Free Online Courses.

Technology page on website of CPAL (Community Partnerships for Adult Learning) - Site includes How-To's, Research, and Website links on how computers and other technology can be acquired and effectively used to help adults learn and make professional development more accessible to instructors.

Headtstrong: Empowering the Dyslexic Community - Nonprofit organization provides information about dyslexia, self-advocacy and new technologies in multimedia formats. Nationally broadcast documentary, Headstrong: Inside the Hidden World of Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder can be viewed on the site.

Large-Print Classroom Materials - Library Reproduction Service (LRS) sells custom-made enhanced LARGE PRINT copies of GED® test preparation, ABE, Literacy, ESL, and Vocational Education materials from publishers such as Contemporary, Steck-Vaughn, Glencoe, KET, Gage and Cambridge.

Learning Disabilities Association of Texas - LDAT is a nationally affiliated non-profit parent/professional organization chartered in 1963 to promote the education and general welfare of individuals with learning disabilities. LDAT membership includes parents, educators, adults with learning disabilities and professionals from a variety of related fields.

Learning Disabilities page on website of CPAL (Community Partnerships for Adult Learning) - Site includes How-To's, Research, Journals, and Website links intended to help educators identify and address learning disabilities in adult learners.

Minnesota Adult Basic Education (ABE) Fully-Accessible Online Disability Resource Guide

National Association for Adults with Special Learning Needs (NAASLN)

2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy - The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) is a nationally representative assessment of literacy among adults (age 16 and older) residing in households and prisons in the United States. Data collection was completed in 2004, and the process of releasing data was begun in December 2005. For reports and updates on plans to release more data, see the NAAL website.

2003 International Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey - ALL reports on the literacy and numeracy skills of adults ages 16-65 in six countries. ALL is designed to answer questions about the extent to which adults can use information from written materials to understand text and tables and apply mathematics to solving problems likely encountered in real life.

Adult Learning in Focus: National and State-by-State Data - Report contains national and state-by-state data on adult learning, including data and comparative charts on adult educational attainment, adult learning participation, affordability, accessibility and aspiration. Council for Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL) has teamed with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) to provide states with this information needed to assess state performance on adult learning and identify where to direct future strategies.

Adult Literacy Education (ALE) Wiki – Learn about adult literacy education or add knowledge from your experience teaching adult learners, from research or professional wisdom, or from your experience as an adult learner. This community of practice has links to research for practitioners, researchers, learners and other adult literacy educators, including English language learning, numeracy, and adult basic and secondary education.

A First Look at the Literacy of America’s Adults in the 21st Century This report presents long-awaited key results of the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL).

American Community Survey - America is changing, and so is the United States Census. The new American Community Survey (ACS) provides data every year -- giving communities the current information they need to manage change. Questions on topics that include education, transportation, housing and ancestry generate data that help determine how more than $300 billion in federal and state funds are distributed each year. The ACS also streamlines the decennial census, eliminating the need for a separate long form in 2010.

August 2006 NAAL Webcast Archived Online - The National Institute for Literacy has made available an archived version of its August 15, 2006 webcast, "Adults with Basic and Below Basic Literacy Levels: Findings from NAAL and Implications for Practice". Transcript and slides are also available for download.

Literacy in Everyday Life: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy - This April 2007 NCES report provides extensive information on the literacy of American adults age 16 and older and changes in their performance since 1992. Furthermore, it examines the relationship between literacy and several demographic variables including education, occupation, and income.

Immigration Data Hub - The Migration Policy Institute's Data Hub gives instant access to the latest immigration statistics, maps, and numbers for the United States and other countries, showcasing the most current national and state-level demographic, language, education, social, and economic facts about immigrants to the US.

Language Use and English Speaking Ability: 2000 - Part of a series that presents population and housing data collected by the Census Bureau in 2000, this October 2003 report presents data on language spoken at home and the ability to speak English of people age five and over. It describes population distributions and characteristics for the United States, regions, states, counties, and selected metropolitan areas, including the following Texas cities: Brownsville, El Paso, Laredo, and McAllen. PDF -

National Assessment of Adult Literacy: Indirect County and State Estimates of the Percentage of Adults at the Lowest Literacy Level for 1992 and 2003 - This January 2009 report from National Center for Education Statistics uses data from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL - see below) along with data from the 2000 Census to synthesize estimates of percent of adults lacking Basic Prose Literacy Skills for all states and counties. In addition to allowing users to view adult literacy percentages for any given state, an Interactive Web Tool also allows for comparisons to be made between two states, two counties in the same state, two counties in different states, and between the years 1992 and 2003 for a state or a county.

Rural America at a Glance (2003). Six-page brochure highlights the most recent indicators of social and economic conditions in rural areas for use in developing policies and programs to assist rural areas. Download the brochure from website of the Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture by clicking the link above.

SchoolMatters. Web-based national education data service provides in-depth information and analysis about public schools, districts and state education systems. This data service could provide useful information for grant proposal writers. Once you follow the links to the Texas page, particularly note the Advanced Search under Search & Comparison Tools, which allows you to find data by county or city.

State Policy Assessment Reports of the Working Poor Families Project (WPFP) - Site provides data on education and skills training available to working adults; employment opportunities for entry-level and low-wage workers; conditions of low-income working families; and conditions and employee benefits at existing jobs, compiled from the federal government's American Community Survey, Current Population Survey, and Occupational Employment Survey. WPFP is funded by the Annie E. Casey, Ford, Joyce, and Mott foundations.

Texas State Data Center and Office of the State Demographer – functions as a focal point for distribution of Census information for Texas, disseminates population estimates and projections for Texas, as well as other information from the federal government, state government, and other sources.

The Modern Language Association Language Map - This interactive map of languages in the United States uses data from the 2000 United States census to display the locations and numbers of speakers of thirty languages and three groups of less commonly spoken languages in the United States. The Language Map illustrates the concentration of language speakers in zip codes and counties.

The New Neighbors: A User's Guide to Data on Immigrants in U.S. Communities by Randolph Capps, Jeffrey Passel, Dan Perez-Lopez, and Michael Fix. This resource from the Urban Institute can help local policymakers, program administrators, and advocates use U.S. Census and other data to identify the characteristics, contributions, and needs of immigrants in their communities.

USA CountiesTM - features more than 5,900 data items for the United States, the 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), and all of the nation's 3,141 counties or county equivalents. Data are available on county residents' ages, ancestries, education, employment, and income, as well as poverty, the labor force, available social programs, and more. The Census Bureau manages this source for data on U.S. counties.

U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts Page - You can access data from the 2000 Census on educational attainment (which is not the same as literacy level) by Texas county on the U.S. Census website's Quick Facts Page.

AdultEd Online - Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, this site offers teachers and administrators free tools to identify classroom technology integration skills and distance teaching skills and potential, and to create a professional plan based on each individual's specific needs. AdultEd Online is also developing U.S.A. Learns -- A Web Portal for Adult Learners, scheduled to be available for general use beginning in the fall of 2008.

Children's Learning Institute - The goal of CLI is to be the pre-eminent source for proven clinical and educational programs covering early childhood through late teens. Their services include clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment of learning disorders, and cutting-edge research on techniques to enhance a child’s home and learning environment. Their team includes experts in the fields of child development, education, medicine, neurodevelopment and research analysis.

EL/Civics Online – Series of online professional development courses for ESL instructors and volunteers who wish to incorporate EL/Civics content into their adult ESL classrooms will assist teachers in creating interesting, effective ESL lessons. EL/Civics Online is a collaborative project of the U.S. Department of Education/Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services/Office of Citizenship (USCIS).

ELL-U – National Adult English Language Learning Professional Development Network

Harnessing Technology Web Page - The Harnessing Technology Web pages help adult literacy education (ABE/GED® test/ESL/ESOL) teachers and learners to use computers, television, audio and video cassettes, and other electronic technology to help solve learning and instructional problems. The Web pages grow and improve as practitioners and learners describe problems and contribute good solutions which use technology. Problems and solutions which are unattributed are those of site host David J. Rosen of Boston's Adult Literacy Resource Institute.

Media Library of Teaching Skills (MLoTS) for Adult Learning and Literacy – This free online digital library of short videos of adult education teachers and their classes is intended for use in professional development. Each video is an example of a state-approved content standard, research-based practice, preferred approach, or specific teaching method or skill. Some of the MLoTS videos were made and edited by the MLoTS Team, David J. Rosen and Owen Hartford; some were made by other people and groups.

National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium - Incorporated in 1990 by state adult education directors, NAEPDC provides professional development, policy analysis, and dissemination of information important to state staff in adult education.

National Initiatives Relevant to Professional Development in Adult Literacy - In April 2007, Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers developed this information about major staff development efforts across the United States.

Practitioner Toolkit: Working with Adult English Language Learners was developed by National Center for Family Literacy and National Center for ESL Literacy Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics. Texas practitioners may also request a hard copy free from the Clearinghouse Library.

Professional Development page on website of CPAL (Community Partnerships for Adult Learning) - Site includes How-To's, Research, Journals, and Website links on how to strengthen instructional methods, strategies, and skills of teachers in adult education programs.

ProfessionalStudiesAE.org – This portal for online professional development for adult educators is sponsored by ProLiteracy and World Education and offers both self-paced, free courses and facilitated courses for a fee.

ProLiteracy Education Network – The Instructor and Organizations sections of this site offer free online courses for teachers and program leaders. With support from The Verizon Foundation, ProLiteracy hosts this site to provide resources to meet adult literacy needs in the U.S. and around the world.

Pro-Net 2000: Professional Development Network for Adult Educators Funded by the US Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education

Teaching Reading to Adult English Language Learners: A Reading Instruction Staff Development Program - Prepared by the Center for Applied Linguistics for Virginia's Adult ESOL Program and published by The Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center, this 15-hour training will acquaint participants with the fundamental knowledge and skills required to teach reading effectively to adult, nonnative speakers of English. Content is based on research on the reading process in general, on the process of learning to read as an adult, and learning to read in another language.