Update on State Initiatives

TCALL Celebrates 20 Years of Transforming Lives

by Douglas J. Palmer, Professor and Dean
College of Education and Human Development
Texas A&M University

Dear Readers:

2009 truly is a time for celebration in the College of Education and Human Development. Not only is the college celebrating 40 years of transforming lives, but our Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL) is celebrating 20 years of meeting the literacy needs of adult learners and their families across the state. TCALL was established in 1989 as a Center of the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University, housed in the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development. TCALL’s faculty Principal Investigator is Dr. Mary V. Alfred, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College.

Our college leads the way in enhancing education and health outcomes for all, and as the oldest center in our college and the state’s only adult literacy resource center, TCALL is a leader. TCALL’s efforts have resulted in important research and the development and implementation of innovative instructional and outreach programs in adult and family literacy.

TCALL serves literacy programs in a variety of nonprofit settings, including school districts, community colleges, community-based organizations, regional education agencies, faith-based organizations and prisons. These programs offer a variety of educational services for adults, ranging from beginning and secondary-level literacy to English as a Second Language.

The Adult Literacy Clearinghouse Project is a significant initiative that has been in existence since TCALL’s beginning. Substantial resources of this grant are effectively utilized by TCALL and leveraged through creative collaborations to provide resources, services, and support to professional development for literacy professionals working with illiterate adults. This is just another example of how TCALL’s collaborative efforts increase the dissemination of significant information to other researchers, practitioners and stakeholders.

One of TCALL’s biggest strengths is its ability to engage doctoral students in cutting-edge adult and family literacy research through its TCALL and Barbara Bush Fellows programs. The partnership TCALL has made with Barbara Bush and The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy has far-reaching effects in adult and family literacy beyond our regional and state borders.

TCALL is a vital component of our college, and I look forward to collaborating with them well into the future for the benefit of the constituents we serve. Together, we can successfully play an essential role in the generation and application of new knowledge that influences educational-related practices. I wish the TCALL administration, faculty, staff and students a happy 20th Anniversary and look forward to the continued work of TCALL to transform lives across Texas.

Best wishes,

Douglas J. Palmer
Professor and Dean
College of Education and Human Development
Texas A&M University