DTAE, OAL, GED Testing Service, and the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System (AFPLS) are equally committed to public service and increasing the accessibility of educational programs and resources. To that end, the noted entities have organized a partnership that has set a national precedence in education. The AFPLS is the first public library, in the history of the GED Testing Program, to serve as GED Testing Center. The AFPLS GED Pilot Project is a success thus far, and the department is enthusiastic about its future progress.

Certified Literate Community Program
The Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP) relies on community support to promote literacy. Fifty-four communities have achieved Participant status, and thirteen of those Participants have gone on to achieve certification as Certified Literate Communities. Approximately 25 other communities are in various stages of organizing. CLCP is a business-education-government partnership in which a community establishes an independent non-profit collaborative with a mission of improving the literacy levels of children, families and workers in their communities.

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 17 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 7,000 students have participated in the Health Literacy Pilot Program in Georgia.

 
Annual Adult Literacy Celebration
“Adult Literacy: Moving Forward in Georgia” was the theme of the annual statewide staff development program, as more than 800 Adult Literacy teachers, local program directors, volunteers, GED chief examiners and proctors, business and community leaders, CLCP directors and board members, Literacy Ambassadors, and members of the State Board of Technical and Adult Education participated in the three-day event. Convened by Tom Jones, award-winning news reporter and broadcast journalist for WSB Television in Atlanta, the 2004 program featured keynote presentations by Chief Learning Officer Morcease J. Beasley of Stephenson High School in DeKalb County and retired Chairman and CEO of BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., Mr. B. Franklin Skinner. The closing session emcee was Ms. Hamilton Northcutt, producer, host and writer for Georgia Public Broadcasting and the speaker was the Assistant Commissioner of Adult Literacy.

A highlight and tradition of the program was the celebration of GED, hosted by Mr. Rhubarb Jones, vice-chairman of the State Board and national award-winning host of EAGLE 106.7 FM radio. Joining him were Mr. Harold Reynolds, chairman of the State Board and DTAE Commissioner Michael F. Vollmer. Honoring five exemplary GED graduates from around the state, Kim Lee, Director of Assessment, Evaluation and GED Administrator for the Office of Adult Literacy, Interim Commissioner Coy Hodges, and the Assistant Commissioner presented awards to the top students of the year: the EAGLE GED student, TANF GED student, Youth Challenge GED student, the Golden EAGLE GED student, and the GED Award for Exemplary Performance.

Nine staff development tracks were offered for participants to continue to sharpen their skills and increase the effectiveness of local programs. The tracks included: managed intake and managed enrollment; administering forms 9 and 10 of the Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE); post-secondary transitional planning; working with younger adult learners; increasing English language proficiency; best practices in civics and citizenship education; General Educational Development update; administrative systems required in local programs; and program improvement and program evaluation.

Professional Development
In FY2005, the Office of Adult Literacy continued to provide relevant content, insightful strategies, and necessary organizational supports in Georgia’s adult education staff development program. Our aim was to ensure that teachers, local program administrators, and support personnel whose preparation, competence, development, and actions influence the teaching and learning environment were strengthened through increased knowledge and skills. The following were professional development activities designed for administrators, instructional staff, technical and support staff to increase knowledge and skills:

Local Program Directors
SDA Directors increased their management skills by focusing on program planning for health literacy; program improvement; program review training; state content standards; workplace literacy; and IBM web adaptation technology.

Instructional Staff
Full-time and part-time teachers attended quarterly training sessions on topics such as program improvement; workplace literacy; vocational rehabilitation and communicating with learners with disabilities; effective instructional strategies and practical resources for the English Literacy classroom; developing a SDA instructional plan; administering the BEST assessment instrument; trends and issues in juvenile justice and education for teachers in institutionalized settings; developing and cultivating a winning attitude to break down barriers to success; instructional methodology and resources for TANF teachers; trends and tools for administering the BEST Plus assessment instrument with various educational functioning levels.

Teachers’ Academy – Celebrating 10 Years of Excellence
“The Teacher Within” was the focus of the annual statewide academy attended by more than 150 full-time and part-time teachers. The three-day academy featured daily goals which were “To explore emotional components to teaching/examine initial stages to teaching;” “To explore basic dynamics/tools to good teaching;” and “To examine specific teaching tools/provide content and meaning to emotional elements.” During the course of the academy, teachers concentrated on such subjects as the heart of teaching, at risk learners, establishing a safe learning environment, collaborative teaching, assessing student learning, barriers to teaching/learning, exploring critical moments in teaching, and examining the question, “Why Teach?” In the three-day period, all participants had the opportunity to look deep within, reflect, and explore the many possibilities available through teaching.

Administrative and Technical Staff
Teams from service delivery areas attended a series of sessions designed to cover training and technical assistance in database management and reporting; data compilation training for the National Reporting System (NRS), personnel database, and data quality. These sessions held quarterly formed the nucleus for a statewide data collection and reporting process centered on local program data.