Building a quality workforce and enhancing effective parenting
through adult education and family literacy.
National Education Goal
Every adult citizen will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in the global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Vision
All Maryland adults will have access to adult learning and basic skills instruction to enable them to be effective workers, family members, partners in their children's education, and citizens. Learners will develop the necessary skills for continuous learning, decision making, communication, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Programs
Consolidated Adult Education provides resources for instruction to assist adults to master the basic educational skills needed for effective functioning in society and to speak, read, and write English. Instruction is also provided to prepare for the GED test and the Maryland Adult External Diploma. Classes serve adults who are at least 16 years old and not enrolled or legally required to be enrolled in secondary school. Reading, math, communication, computer literacy and other basic skills, English Language Skills, Workplace Education, and GED instruction services are available in each of Maryland's 42 jurisdictions. (Federally Funded - AEFLA*)
Adult General Education (AGE)** provides financial support and technical assistance to local school systems to prepare adults for the GED battery of tests to demonstrate competency at the high school graduate level. (State Funded)*
Family Literacy provides resources for family literacy services funded by AEFLA. Technical assistance and program improvement consultation are provided to grantees and to other federal, state, and locally funded family literacy partners. Each program promotes integrated services in early childhood education, adult education, parent and child literacy activities, and parenting skills. (Federally Funded - AEFLA*)
Workplace Education Program** provides contextual basic skill instruction to existing workers through business-education partnerships to enable workers, in need of more advanced skills, to maintain or advance in their jobs. (Federally Funded - AEFLA*)
Literacy Works (LW)** provides funding to local Lead Agencies to coordinate with other providers to improve local program integration and services. Each county operates a Local Literacy Works Team that serves as a local coordinating body to ensure services to adults seeking adult education and literacy services. A major activity of the program is the coordination of the Literacy Works Management Information System for tracking learner achievement and program outcomes for local service providers. (State Funded)*
Maryland Adult External Diploma (EDP)** provides an alternative route to a high school diploma for adults, 18 years old and over. It is a national competency-based, applied-performance assessment process that rewards skilled adults with a Maryland high school diploma for the demonstration of nationally validated competencies. This program is available in 13 counties and Baltimore City. (Federal and State Funded)*
Maryland State Adult Literacy Resource Center, the Resource Center for Language and Culture and the Maryland Adult Education Professional Development Program provide a range of services including professional development workshops, seminars and conferences, distribution of resource and assessment materials, and dissemination of information showcasing model programs and practices. The state of the art Centers also coordinate information and referral for teachers, administrators, learners and volunteers. These programs provide technical assistance and continuous improvement consultation to AEFLS funded local programs. (Federal funded - AEFLA*)
General Educational Development (GED) Testing Program provides a national high school performance assessment for adults who did not finish high school. Adults who pass the assessment earn a Maryland high school diploma. The GED Tests cover five academic areas-writing skills, social studies, science, literature and the arts, and mathematics. Testing is held each month at various centers across the state. An application and scheduling fee are required.
*AELFA - Adult Education and Family Literacy Act
**Included in Consolidated Adult Education and Literacy Services Grants
The Maryland State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion or disability in matters affecting employment or in providing access to programs. For inquiries related to departmental policy, contact the Equity Assurance and Compliance Office, Maryland State Department of Education, 200 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Phone: 410-767-0425, TTY/TDD: 410-333-6442, Fax: 410-767-0431.
Adult Education and Literacy Services Branch
Building a quality workforce and enhancing effective parenting
through adult education and family literacy.
National Education Goal
Every adult citizen will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in the global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Vision
All Maryland adults will have access to adult learning and basic skills instruction to enable them to be effective workers, family members, partners in their children's education, and citizens. Learners will develop the necessary skills for continuous learning, decision making, communication, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Programs
Consolidated Adult Education provides resources for instruction to assist adults to master the basic educational skills needed for effective functioning in society and to speak, read, and write English. Instruction is also provided to prepare for the GED test and the Maryland Adult External Diploma. Classes serve adults who are at least 16 years old and not enrolled or legally required to be enrolled in secondary school. Reading, math, communication, computer literacy and other basic skills, English Language Skills, Workplace Education, and GED instruction services are available in each of Maryland's 42 jurisdictions. (Federally Funded - AEFLA*)
Adult General Education (AGE)** provides financial support and technical assistance to local school systems to prepare adults for the GED battery of tests to demonstrate competency at the high school graduate level. (State Funded)*
Family Literacy provides resources for family literacy services funded by AEFLA. Technical assistance and program improvement consultation are provided to grantees and to other federal, state, and locally funded family literacy partners. Each program promotes integrated services in early childhood education, adult education, parent and child literacy activities, and parenting skills. (Federally Funded - AEFLA*)
Workplace Education Program** provides contextual basic skill instruction to existing workers through business-education partnerships to enable workers, in need of more advanced skills, to maintain or advance in their jobs. (Federally Funded - AEFLA*)
Literacy Works (LW)** provides funding to local Lead Agencies to coordinate with other providers to improve local program integration and services. Each county operates a Local Literacy Works Team that serves as a local coordinating body to ensure services to adults seeking adult education and literacy services. A major activity of the program is the coordination of the Literacy Works Management Information System for tracking learner achievement and program outcomes for local service providers. (State Funded)*
Maryland Adult External Diploma (EDP)** provides an alternative route to a high school diploma for adults, 18 years old and over. It is a national competency-based, applied-performance assessment process that rewards skilled adults with a Maryland high school diploma for the demonstration of nationally validated competencies. This program is available in 13 counties and Baltimore City. (Federal and State Funded)*
Maryland State Adult Literacy Resource Center, the Resource Center for Language and Culture and the Maryland Adult Education Professional Development Program provide a range of services including professional development workshops, seminars and conferences, distribution of resource and assessment materials, and dissemination of information showcasing model programs and practices. The state of the art Centers also coordinate information and referral for teachers, administrators, learners and volunteers. These programs provide technical assistance and continuous improvement consultation to AEFLS funded local programs. (Federal funded - AEFLA*)
General Educational Development (GED) Testing Program provides a national high school performance assessment for adults who did not finish high school. Adults who pass the assessment earn a Maryland high school diploma. The GED Tests cover five academic areas-writing skills, social studies, science, literature and the arts, and mathematics. Testing is held each month at various centers across the state. An application and scheduling fee are required.
*AELFA - Adult Education and Family Literacy Act
**Included in Consolidated Adult Education and Literacy Services Grants
| The Maryland State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion or disability in matters affecting employment or in providing access to programs. For inquiries related to departmental policy, contact the Equity Assurance and Compliance Office, Maryland State Department of Education, 200 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Phone: 410-767-0425, TTY/TDD: 410-333-6442, Fax: 410-767-0431. |
Adult Education and Literacy Services Branch