Workplace and Family Literacy

PATHS Workplace and Family Literacy Initiative

Since the inception of PATHS in summer of 1998, a key component of the curriculum has been the assessment of reading, writing and mathematics skills. An evaluation of basic skills assessment scores (6th grade and below) from early cohorts prompted the inclusion of a 24 contact -hour literacy component. While meeting programmatic goals and objectives, and raising the student's level of awareness that deficits existed, as designed, the literacy component was insufficient to address the needs of TANF customers. Research showed that moving welfare recipients from the rolls to work involved more than just finding them jobs. It also entailed making sure that they received employment-focused adult basic education. Current research also shows that incorporating family literacy instruction into a well-designed welfare-to-work program can be an essential ingredient to long-term self-sufficiency.

Data collected from the National Adult Literacy Survey of 1993 and the 1990 U.S. Census indicated that the District of Columbia has the highest percentage of adults at the lowest levels of literacy among the 50 states. The survey also indicated that 27% of District residents over the age of 18 do not hold high school diplomas; and many among those with diplomas lack basic literacy skills, reading below the 8th grade level.

TABE pre-assessment revealed that of the 76 participants in the PATHS program in March 1999, 61% scored at the sixth grade level or lower in reading comprehension; 75% scored below the sixth grade level in math, and 43% scored below sixth grade level in language arts. In April 1999, 29 new participants took the TABE and 55% performed below the sixth grade level in reading comprehension; 76% scored below the sixth grade level in math, and 41% scored below the sixth grade in language arts.

According to the Adult Literacy Survey, "Nearly 92% of the employment opportunities in the D.C. area are in serve-producing industries, where written communication and language skills are essential to qualify for better paying jobs". Studies have also shown that there is an "inextricable oink between under-education and chronic intergenerational welfare dependency." Children's literacy levels are strongly linked to the educational levels of their parents, especially their mothers. Thus, parents on welfare often have children who end up on welfare.

We believed these statistics show a critical need to develop innovative and creative approaches to improve basic literacy and work place skills to enable welfare recipients in the District to achieve long-term sufficiency. Until TANF recipients in the District of Columbia improve their basic education skills, these adults cannot effectively compete for today's jobs or be prepared for the opportunities of tomorrow's workplace.

The UDC PATHS Workplace and Family Literacy Project is designed to specifically meet these critical needs by integrating adult basic education with workplace-focused skills training. The program accomplishes its goals and objectives by improving reading and math skills using workplace-oriented instruction and providing family literacy training.

A model for our program was the Mott Adult High School program because it was a winner of the Secretary's Award for Outstanding Adult Education and Literacy Programs, U.S. Department of Education. PATHS incorporated several of Mott's "best practices" in the design of PATHS Workplace and Family Literacy program and curriculum.

These include:

While the Mott Adult Education program served as the model for our basic program design, PATHS added unique elements to the PATHS Workplace and Family Literacy Program tailored to the needs of the District of Columbia clients. These elements include the following:

Expected outcomes as indicated by the acquisition of key competencies include communication skills, math skills, workplace proficiencies and strategies for meeting family needs and responsibilities.