Adult Education Administrator's Manual
Revised August 2007
Introduction
The Partnership between
the
Texas Education Agency and Texas LEARNS
On July 31, 2003, Texas
Education Agency (TEA)
outsourced the non-discretionary grant management functions, program
assistance, and other statewide support services for the adult education
and family literacy programs in Texas to the Harris
County Department of Education
(HCDE), a local education agency
governed by an elected Board of Trustees, who appoints a County School
Superintendent. HCDE implements responsibilities defined in the TEA/HCDE
contract through Texas LEARNS,
the Texas Adult Education and Family Literacy Partnership.
HCDE, a long-time provider and one of the state’s 55
fiscal agents for adult education co-operatives, serves a large
portion of Houston and the Harris County area. HCDE’s Adult
Education Division's non-profit consortium provides literacy services
to educationally disadvantaged adults in a joint effort to combat
illiteracy and implement workforce development. Included in the group
are literacy program providers, business and industry partners, community
agencies, the local workforce development board, career development
centers, 15 public school districts, and 3 learning
centers that comprise the Harris County Adult Education Consortium.
The Responsibilities of Texas LEARNS:
HCDE is directed under Sec.
11.301 (formerly Sec. 17.31), Texas Education Code, * to perform
functions conferred upon them by the Commissioner of Education. Texas
LEARNS is responsible for non-discretionary
grant management functions, program assistance, and other statewide
support services. * (Download
MS Word viewer.)
The Texas Education Agency retains the sole authority to:
- award Adult Education and Family Literacy Grants to local providers,
- allocate federal and/or state funds to local providers,
- score grants submitted by local providers, and
- monitor local providers for compliance with state and federal law.
How Texas LEARNS operates:
Texas LEARNS employs 13 full-time employees
to carry out the state administrative functions. Texas
LEARNS staff includes
a state director, an assistant state director, seven grant service
managers, a
state Even Start and Family Literacy assistant state director, a policy
coordinator, an administrative assistant, a program assistant, a systems
analyst, and an office clerk/receptionist. The Texas
LEARNS State Director reports directly to the HCDE Superintendent.
In order to improve program quality and focus local providers on the
necessity of linking adult education services to student outcomes, Texas
LEARNS created
eight Adult Education regions. In the near future, there will also
be a State Professional Development Coordinator assisting the eight
Project GREAT Centers. Additionally, each of the eight grant services
managers will be responsible for providing grant management services,
technical assistance, and support services for the Adult Education
fiscal agents within their assigned region.
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