The Impact of Workforce Development Policies on Literacy Instruction for Adult English Learners

Abstract

AbstractWorkforce development has been a primary focus of funding throughout the United States, with significant increases over the past 10 years (The Council for Community and Economic Research, 2019). As funding expands, policies related to workforce development and college and career readiness (CCR) will continue to have implications for adult education students, including adult English Learners (ELs). To closely examine how these policies influence the literacy development of adult ELs, I observed a newly implemented CCR class at a community‐based organization in New York City over a 10‐month period. The content of the course was driven in part by the nation‐wide College and Career Readiness for Adult Education Standards as well as funding from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act; however, since the CCR standards are not a curriculum, states (and individual organizations) can individually interpret the standards. The result is a range of instructional practices not only across states, but also across organizations and even specific classes. In this Column, I argue for a broader understanding of the challenges many adult ESL instructors face when balancing policy requirements and the breadth of literacy instruction necessary to improve students’ access to careers and college.