|
January 2018 - The Literacy Assistance Center (LAC) is pleased to release Investing in Quality: A Blueprint for Adult Literacy Programs and Funders. Funded by the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, the report details 14 "Building Blocks" of a comprehensive, community-based adult literacy program, identifies the resources needed to fully implement the Building Blocks, and includes a first-of-its-kind cost model. The LAC plans to use this report as part of our technical assistance to the field, as well as to advocate for increased funding rates for programs. The LAC launched the Investing in Quality project in the fall of 2016 to help develop a common vision for building the capacity and investing in the future of New York City’s adult education system. The goal of the project was to create a “blueprint” for high-quality, community-based adult literacy programs |
|
that could be used to guide program design, inform policy decisions, and identify true costs. The report expands on earlier work that defined “indicators of program quality” for adult literacy programs, and incorporates new input from over 90 adult literacy program leaders and over 100 adult literacy students.
The report is divided into four main sections plus an Introduction that provides the background and context for the project. The first section summarizes the 14 Building Blocks for a Quality Adult Literacy Program for easy reference. The second section describes each Building Block in detail. The third section, Key Elements for Investment, outlines the critical areas that programs need to invest in to create high-quality, sustainable adult literacy services. Finally, the Defining Costs section presents a sample operating budget for a hypothetical mid-size adult literacy program that incorporates all of the Building Blocks and Key Elements for Investment.
The sample operating budget yields a cost of $7,400 per seat, or “slot,” for 400 hours of instruction and connected support. The report uses the "cost per slot" because it is a more reliable and stable unit of measure than the "cost per student" due to the variability of program models and periods of student engagement. The sample budget and the resulting cost per slot are not intended to be used as a formula for all quality programs, but rather as a new point of reference and guide for funders and the field.
Investing in Quality was created as a tool for programs and funders to use in a variety of ways: to inform new program design or development; to spur program reflection and continuous improvement; to understand and articulate quality program practices; to identify key areas for professional development; to delineate and benchmark program costs; and to pave the way for funding levels that fully support sustainable, comprehensive, quality adult literacy programs and a citywide adult literacy infrastructure.
For more information, please contact Ira Yankwitt at iray@lacnyc.org.
The report is divided into four main sections plus an Introduction that provides the background and context for the project. The first section summarizes the 14 Building Blocks for a Quality Adult Literacy Program for easy reference. The second section describes each Building Block in detail. The third section, Key Elements for Investment, outlines the critical areas that programs need to invest in to create high-quality, sustainable adult literacy services. Finally, the Defining Costs section presents a sample operating budget for a hypothetical mid-size adult literacy program that incorporates all of the Building Blocks and Key Elements for Investment.
The sample operating budget yields a cost of $7,400 per seat, or “slot,” for 400 hours of instruction and connected support. The report uses the "cost per slot" because it is a more reliable and stable unit of measure than the "cost per student" due to the variability of program models and periods of student engagement. The sample budget and the resulting cost per slot are not intended to be used as a formula for all quality programs, but rather as a new point of reference and guide for funders and the field.
Investing in Quality was created as a tool for programs and funders to use in a variety of ways: to inform new program design or development; to spur program reflection and continuous improvement; to understand and articulate quality program practices; to identify key areas for professional development; to delineate and benchmark program costs; and to pave the way for funding levels that fully support sustainable, comprehensive, quality adult literacy programs and a citywide adult literacy infrastructure.
For more information, please contact Ira Yankwitt at iray@lacnyc.org.