Polis Legislation Pays Tribute To Adult Education & Family Literacy

Press Release

Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) today led the U.S. House of Representatives in passing bipartisan legislation supporting the designation of the week of October 18, 2009 as Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. The resolution, authored by Polis, pays tribute to adult education and family literacy programs for their impact on the education of our nation's adult learners and their families.

"English language literacy and fluency are essential to our economic well-being," said Polis. "Adult education and family literacy programs have helped millions of Americans lead productive lives and participate in every aspect of the bounty offered by our great nation. In this time of economic upheaval, we need to encourage their growth and acknowledge their contribution to society."

The supply of adult education and family literacy services is wholly inadequate to meet the growing demand. In Colorado, an estimated 585,000 adults, or 18 percent of the state's population over 16 years of age, have not attained a high school diploma or equivalent and are not enrolled in school. Yet in school year 2007-2008, federally funded adult education and family literacy programs provided services for fewer than 15,000 individuals, of whom 79 percent were between 19 and 44 years of age.

"Colorado has recognized that building an educated workforce requires broader scrutiny of our educational process," said Pamela M. Smith, State Director of Adult Education & Family Literacy for the Colorado Department of Education. "Because intergenerational literacy skills transfer, improving the education of parents can change the inevitable cascading pathway toward nonliteracy for their children. Family literacy programs do break this cycle of illiteracy. We appreciate the recognition by Congress that these programs are considered a significant part of the solution."

Family literacy programs work with parents without a high school diploma or GED to obtain the essential secondary education credentials they need to get and maintain jobs, continue their education, and contribute to the economic well being of the state. They also provide parents with the knowledge and skills they need to be their child's first and most important teacher and help ensure that their children start school on an equal footing with their peers.

"There are currently an estimated 90 million adults in this country lacking the literacy skills to reach their full potential, including many recent immigrants and unemployed workers," said Polis. "Whether you are new to this country, going back to school, or starting over after being laid off, these programs help American workers gain the skills and higher education credentials they need to get jobs and achieve economic self-sufficiency for their families."

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