Certified Literate Community Program
The Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP) relies on community support to promote literacy. Fifty-two communities have achieved Participant status, and six communities have received Certified Literate Community status. Approximately 25 other communities are in various stages of organizing. CLCP is a business-education-government partnership resulting in improved literacy levels of children, families and workers in entire communities. It addresses both problems of adult literacy funding and the need to recruit more adult students to participate in literacy programs.

Road signs featuring the “Reading – Key to the Future” logo identify a community as a Participating Certified Literate Community. New CLCP’s receive two signs when they reach Participant status.

Workplace Learning Program
Georgia’s Workplace Learning Programs are sponsored by business organizations and provide adult education services, including literacy, GED preparation and job related basic skills instruction.

Thousands of Georgians each year participate in Workplace Learning partnerships, which have shown continuous growth involving nearly 800 organizations and businesses over the past decade.

The benefits of Workplace Learning include increased productivity and profitability, employees making greater contributions to the company, as well as gaining self-esteem and adding value to families and communities.

The Georgia Tax Credit for Adult Basic Skills Education offers employers a tax incentive for providing basic skills education for employees to enhance reading, writing, or mathematical skills up to and including twelfth grade.

Health Literacy Pilot Program
The Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education, Office of Adult Literacy (OAL) has implemented health literacy classes in twelve pilot sites within the OAL Service Delivery Areas. The geographical areas are in and around the following cities: Atlanta, Americus, Clarkesville, Columbus, Doraville, Dublin, Lawrenceville, Macon, Morrow, Savannah, Thomasville and Warner Robins.

Health Literacy involves more than just the ability to read and understand the words and procedures associated with health care. It involves comprehension, communication and action. One of the Healthy People 2010 objectives is to "improve the health literacy of persons with inadequate or marginal literacy skills." Therefore, OAL health literacy classes strive to give instruction on information gathering and asking appropriate and informed questions to increase their ability to make competent healthcare decisions. More than 1,000 students have participated in the health literacy program.

 
Annual Adult Literacy Celebration
“Adult Literacy: Making a Difference in Georgia” was the theme of the annual celebration, as more than 1300 participated in one of the largest statewide staff development programs in the country. Convened by Jane Robelot, award-winning journalist, anchor and reporter for WGCL-Television’s CBS News, this year’s celebration featured keynote presentations by Georgia’s Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, Mr. Neely Young, Editor and Publisher of Georgia Trend Magazine, and Dr. Kenneth Samuel, member of the Georgia Council on Adult Literacy.

A broad array of seminars ranged in focus from offering tips on successful GED Instruction to Basic English Skills testing, and included information from adult basic education, English Literacy, the new GED 2002 test battery, workplace learning, national resources, community and collaborative partnerships supporting adult literacy.

The Workplace Recognition Dinner saw over 25 organizations with newly formed workplace learning programs honored for their new commitment to educating their employees. Stellar workplace students from across the state, know as Workplace Education STARS, were also honored for their achievements in the classroom.

An entire day was dedicated to the successes of Georgia’s GED program. “GED: Passport to the Future” included a luncheon hosted by award winning radio personality and member of the State Board of Technical and Adult Education Rhubarb Jones, which honored exemplary GED graduates from across the state, as well as a 70’s theme dinner celebration, complete with a GED game show.

Staff Development
The Office of Adult Literacy has a long history of providing intensive professional development opportunities for Georgia’s adult education staff. Intensive staff development activities provide teachers with the opportunity to engage in a change process in which they gradually acquire a body of knowledge and skills to improve the quality of teaching for learners and ultimately to enhance learner outcomes. In addition, staff development encourages other Adult Literacy personnel to explore a variety of topics on a more in-depth level. The Office of Adult Literacy believes as one expert in the field of education says that teaching is “the learning profession.” Adult literacy personnel are continually studying and learning how to serve adult students better by attending staff development opportunities. In FY2003 the Office of Adult Literacy offered staff development as follows:

Local Program Managers
In FY 2003 Adult Literacy Directors held quarterly management training sessions to enhance their skills in administering local adult literacy programs. Among the training subjects were strategic planning, SDA Self-Assessment Reporting, and collecting quality data. Directors developed and shared best practices in managing local programs, including every major function of their position. A resource book was developed as a companion to the best practices to be maintained in every Service Delivery Area.

VOITZ Volunteers
The Office of Adult Literacy recognizes volunteers to be one of the most valuable educational resources within our statewide program. During FY 2003 the VOLITZ Volunteer program provided staff development and training for 30 selected volunteers representing more than half of the Service Delivery Areas. The session provided a briefing on all programs operated by the Office of Adult Literacy, and culminated in hands-on training using the book, Tips at Your Fingertips: Teaching Strategies for Adult Literacy Tutors. Volunteers increased their knowledge, skills, and grasp of successful instructional strategies to help learners and support Adult Literacy teachers in classroom settings, small groups, and with individual learners.

Support Staff
The Adult Literacy Support Staff were provided great opportunities to enhance their professional skills at staff development activities in FY 2003. The kick off session for the Administrative Professionals was offered at the annual literacy conference. “Power Up Your Attitude – Power Up Your Life” inspired the support staff to gain an even greater appreciation for the contributions they make to the success of the organizations they support. “Administrative Professionals: Strengthening the Link” was the theme for the 2003 Administrative Professionals Week, where a two-day training session was held focused on team building exercises combined with strategies and practices used in administrative field and central office operations.

Instructional Staff
Full-time teachers attended quarterly professional development sessions for the purpose of exploring effective instructional strategies, field testing new methodologies, and using technology in the classroom. The topics often addressed local and state staff development needs, providing a vehicle for colleagues to share information, and having new opportunities to stay current on issues in education. Intensive professional development activities traditionally have provided teachers with opportunities to explore a variety of topics on a more in-depth level. Through staff development, teachers in all programs share their practical classroom skills and gain increased confidence in teaching skills and validation of their knowledge and expertise by colleagues.

Teachers’ Academy
The Annual Teachers' Academy, an intensive professional development for adult literacy teachers in Georgia, addresses national and state trends in the delivery of adult education services. The 2002 Teachers’ Academy focused on Teaching Methodologies. National practitioners in the field of Adult Literacy Curriculum and Reading Instruction trained more than 160 teachers in the week-long event.