Certified Literate Community Program
The Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP) relies on community support to promote literacy. Fifty-three communities have achieved Participant status, and ten communities have received Certified Literate Community status. Approximately 30 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 CLCPs receive two signs when they reach Participant status.

Health Literacy Pilot Program
The Office of Adult Literacy (OAL) has implemented health literacy classes in 18 pilot sites in the Service Delivery Areas. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) definition of health literacy focuses on one key aspect: “The ability to use printed and written information associated with a broad range of health-related tasks to accomplish one’s goals at home, in the workplace, and in the community.” Through the use of experience-based instruction, OAL has developed “To Your Health,” a curriculum guide that enhances students’ ability to gather information, ask appropriate and informed questions, and make competent health decisions.

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. To date, more than 5,000 students have participated in the Health Literacy Pilot Program in Georgia.

 
Annual Adult Literacy Celebration
“Adult Literacy: Still Making a Difference in Georgia” was the theme of the annual celebration, as more than 1000 Adult Literacy teachers, local program directors, business and community leaders, local elected officials, and Literacy Ambassadors participated in one of the largest statewide staff development programs. Convened by Tony Harris, Emmy-Award winning journalist and television news anchor for CBS-46 Atlanta. The 2003 celebration featured keynote presentations by Georgia’s State Superintendent Kathy Cox and the Chancellor of the University System, Dr. Thomas C. Meredith.

A highlight of the conference was the celebration of GED, hosted by Rhubarb Jones, a member of the State Board of Technical and Adult Education and honoring six exemplary GED graduates from around the state. A national presentation was made by Joan Auchter, Executive Director of GED Testing Service in Washington, D.C., along with the inaugural announcement of Atlanta as the first public library GED testing site in the nation. Ms. Mary Kaye Hooker, Director of the Atlanta Fulton County Public Library System and Mr. Lamar Veatch, Director of the Georgia Public Library System participated in the announcement. Ms. Kim Lee, Director of Assessment, Evaluation and GED Administrator at the Office of Adult Literacy, was recognized with a resolution from the state board acknowledging her achievements and applauding her as the recipient of the 2003 GED Distinguished Service Award.

Six staff development tracks were offered for conferees to continue to sharpen their skills: administrative professionals were helped to achieve greater efficiency on the job; Adult Literacy teachers learned to apply and integrate best practices in the ABE classroom; teachers fine tuned instructional techniques with student-centered educational plans; health literacy teachers expanded their use of print and web-based resources in the classroom; English Literacy (ESL) and Citizenship Education teachers explored multilevel adult classes, language development activities for beginning adult learners, recruitment and partnerships with refugee groups, and naturalization and citizenship processes; and Chief GED Examiners, Alternate Examiners and Proctors covered state statistics, special needs, in-school youth option program, Spanish/French tests, marketing campaigns, and other GED test administration subjects.

Staff Development
Effective staff development for FY04 focused on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required of full-time teachers, part-time teachers, SDA Directors, and administrative personnel. The learner-based philosophy was centered on the belief that all adult learners could learn and perform at high levels. Our goals were to develop a framework that would provide effective staff training for improved adult education through engaged learning and the integration of technology in all curricular areas. The Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education has a long history of providing intensive professional development opportunities for Georgia’s adult education teachers and local program directors. Intensive professional development activities traditionally have provided teachers with the opportunities to explore a variety of topics in a more in-depth process.

In FY04, the Office of Adult Literacy provided rigorous and relevant content, strategies, and organizational supports to ensure the preparation and career-long development of teachers and others whose competence, expectations and actions influence the teaching and learning environment of our adult learners. The following were results from our professional development activities:

• Infused current research and "best practices" into classroom instruction.
  
  
• Provided high quality on-site professional development opportunities for veteran staff and new staff.
  
  
• Created new opportunities to stay current on issues within local SDAs.
  
  
• Trained teachers in daily life experiences which provided an excellent backdrop for meaningful discussions in class.
  
  
• Focused staff development in the English Literacy Program on instruction at beginning levels for limited English proficient adults.
  
  
• Developed new opportunities to conduct action research projects.
  
  
• Established new opportunities for input into policies and procedures set by SDAs.
  
  
• Increased confidence in teaching skills.
  
  
• Validated teachers’ knowledge and expertise by colleagues, SDA Directors, and adult learners.
  
  
• Created immediate application of course work.
  
  
• Provided ongoing support from the Office of Adult Literacy.
  
  
• Devised opportunities to observe and interact with experienced educators.
  
  
• Provided promotion opportunities for staff.
  
  
• Enhanced local programs’ capabilities to deliver quality workplace learning classes.
  
  
• Facilitated a series of management-focused sessions for Adult Literacy Directors to enable SDAs to reach desired outcomes.
  
  
• Increased the operating skills of administrative professions at the local and state levels.