TEXAS Adult & Family Literacy QUARTERLY

Professional Wisdom for Adult and Family Literacy

The Texas Adult Education Credential: Improving Instructional and Programmatic Outcomes Through the Use of Professional Development and Critical Self-Reflection

by Michelle Janysek, Mary Helen Martinez, and Emily Miller-Payne

Each year, approximately three million adults enroll in adult education programs. These programs benefit adult learners by providing them with valuable labor market skills as well as two of the most basic prerequisites for postsecondary education, high school equivalency and English language literacy (Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy, 2005). Participants in adult education also have better health, higher incomes, and greater civic participation than nonparticipants with similar backgrounds (Southern Regional Education Board, 2005).

Given these outcomes and the economic benefits of more skilled labor markets, policymakers have been encouraged recently to increase investments in high quality adult education programs (Southern Regional Education Board, 2005). As with K-12 and postsecondary education systems, improvements to adult education programs have focused on establishing standards for program activities and student preparedness for work and postsecondary education. Adult education providers are also now expected to offer accelerated learning opportunities so participants will be more likely to complete programs, and to integrate educational programs with social services and job or postsecondary placement (Porter, Cuban, Comings, & Chase, 2005; Southern Regional Education Board; Wrigley, Richer, Martinson, & Strawn, 2003). Some adult education advocates have also called for integrating programs more thoroughly into postsecondary institutions and increasing the status of adult education instructors and administrators by making compensation, training, and expectations more similar to those of postsecondary faculty (Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy, 2005).

These goals and activities require skilled oversight by administrators who are knowledgeable about the needs of adult learners, effective program management, and adult education curriculum and instruction. Also necessary are teachers who possess the knowledge and skills to facilitate adult learning. Formal training and credentialing can facilitate these goals by establishing high standards for adult education instructors and administrators and increasing the status and resources of adult education programs. To this end, the Texas Adult Education Credential Project was established in 1998 in response to calls from the Texas Association for Literacy and Adult Education (TALAE) and the field to develop professional credentials for adult educators. The project receives funding from the Texas Education Agency through Texas LEARNS and is operated by The Education Institute at Texas State University-San Marcos. The goal of the project is to develop a professional workforce of adult educators able to connect adult education theory and practice to enhance student success.

The Texas Adult Education Credential Project offers two separate credentials - a teacher credential and an administrator credential. The Teacher Credential was fully implemented in 2004; the Administrator Credential was implemented in 2008. The establishment of professional credentials for adult education practitioners is one of the most innovative projects in adult education in the nation. Adult educators in general are typically not required to hold specialized licenses or professional credentials. Only five states, Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, and West Virginia, along with the District of Columbia, offer licenses in adult education that are required for instructors. Ten other states require adult education teachers to hold valid K-12 teaching licenses. Only Texas currently offers licenses or credentials for adult education administrators.

The Teacher Credential Model emphasizes the link between current theory in adult education and professional practice. Originally intended as a move toward accountability, the teacher credential demonstrates that teachers have participated in meaningful professional development activities which represent a core body of knowledge and skills needed to foster learning in the adult education classroom.

Teachers submit an Electronic Portfolio as evidence that they have obtained and applied the knowledge and skills necessary to improve instructional outcomes. Teachers complete professional development activities that focus on six core content areas, implement the newly obtained knowledge and/or skills in their classrooms, and provide a written reflection detailing the outcomes of implementation thus linking theory to practice. The six core content areas of the Teacher Credential were originally aligned with the Texas Adult Education Instructor Proficiencies and Indicators of Program Quality as well as research in the field of adult education.

The Administrator Credential Model emphasizes the value of experience and encourages the use of collaborative learning communities and mentor relationships. The administrator credentialing process provides an opportunity for novice administrators and administrators employed in less comprehensive roles such as instructional coordinator to obtain a variety of experiences intended to prepare them for increased responsibility and continued career growth and serves as a tool for program improvement. Experienced administrators may obtain a new perspective and understanding of their role through introspection and reflective practice.

As with the Teacher Credential, administrators also submit an Electronic Portfolio which consists of six common products. The Electronic Portfolio is the means by which administrators demonstrate that they possess the knowledge and skills detailed in the Administrator Credential Content Framework. The Content Framework was developed by Texas administrators and specifies the knowledge and skills that administrators in the state of Texas have determined to be necessary in order to perform the role of administrator.

Both the Teacher Credential and the Administrator Credential value the experiences of the individual educator while providing the opportunity to tie theory to practice thus allowing for the development of strong adult education programs which ultimately result in improved student success.

References

Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy. (2005). To ensure America’s future: Building a national opportunity system for adults. Strengthening links between adult education and community colleges. New York: NY.

Porter, K. E., Cuban, S., Comings, J. P., & Chase, V. (2005). “One day I will make it”: A study of adult student persistence in library literacy programs. New York: MDRC.

Southern Regional Education Board. (2005). Investing wisely in adult learning is key to state prosperity. Atlanta, GA.

Wrigley, H. S., Richer, E., Martinson, K., & Strawn, J. (2003). The language of opportunity: Expanding employment prospects for adults with limited English skills. Washington, D.C.: Center for Law and Social Policy.

About the Authors

D. Michelle Janysek is the Director of the Texas Adult Education Credenital Project at Texas State University-San Marcos. She has a Ph.D. in Adult, Professional, and Community Education from Texas State University, a M.F.A. from Texas Tech University, and a B.F.A. from Southwest Texas State University.

Mary Helen Martinez is a Grant Coordinator for the Texas Adult Education Credential Project and the Central GREAT Center at Texas State University-San Marcos. She has a M.A. in Developmental and Adult Education from Texas State University and a B.S. from Southwest Texas State University.

Emily Miller-Payne is the Director of the Education Institute and Principle Investigator of the Texas Adult Education Credential Project at Texas State University-San Marcos. She has a Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction: Reading from New Mexico State University, a M.A.T. from New Mexico State University, and a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.