National Coalition for Literacy

Health Literacy ForumAdult Education Overview

Lennox L. McLendon

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Comprehensive

• English, reading, math, science, social studies• Adults functioning on twelve grade levels• With family, work, and community

responsibilities• Half of whom are learning disabled• Customizing the content (reading, math

English) to student needs and societal goals

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How are we doing?

• The US Department of Education funds 96 education programs

• Only Four of those programs are rated “Effective” by the Office of Management and Budget

• Adult Education is one of those four programs

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Edna

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Loretta

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Richard

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Villas

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Cheryl and Bobby

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Roberto

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Customizing Learning

Student Goals: •helping children, being their first teacher, •learning English and Citizenship, •maintaining employment, •independent living, •reading and math skills

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Skills and Context

• Skills– Root words, prefixes and suffixes– Reading comprehension– Four function mathematics

• Contexts– Student Goals– Student Needs• Health literacy• Civic involvement

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Adult Education

• Everything to everybody

• Anything for anybody

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Foundation

• Education Reform (No Child Left Behind)• Welfare reform• Job training• Economic development/global

competitiveness• Non-recidivism• Homeland security• Public health

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Customizing Learning

Student Goals: •helping children with homework, •learning English and Citizenship, •maintaining employment, •independent living, •reading skills

Managing Community Resources: •public health, •mental health, •job training, •social services,

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The Need

• 205 Million adults in the US• 93 Million have Basic or Below Basic Literacy Skills

(National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2005)• 45% of adults in the country – 36 Million have not finished high school– 57 Million have finished high school but have limitations

with reading, math and/or English skills

• 3 Million—the number adult ed can serve a year.– Waiting lists in 40 of 43 states reporting

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Health Literacy: Working Together

• Adult Education– Health Literacy materials, curriculum and

professional development

• Health Community– Training for health care providers regarding

serving adults with limited literacy

• ??How pervasive is either??

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We can help each other• 46% of adults cannot read and follow medical

instructions (AMA Foundation)– Can we connect adult education state offices with

state medical associations?– Can adult educators help promote public health

initiatives—state and federal?– Can health professionals help promote expanding

adult education services—state and federal?• What other strategies can we create to enable

46% of adults to read and follow medical instructions

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• Quit worrying about your health. It'll go away."- Robert Orben .

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• Lennox McLendon• National Council of State Directors of Adult

Education• dc2@ncsdae.org• 202.624.5250

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