Adult Education
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Access the Latest Adult Education Documents:

• Position Statement on Adult English as a Second or Additional Language Programs (March 2010; PDF)
  TESOL urges countries where English is the common, dominant, or official language to make commitments to developing national systems of high quality, appropriate language and literacy services specifically tailored to the needs of adults learning ESL/EAL in their populations. These systems should involve all stakeholders in the review, creation, and implementation of education policies and be no less in quality, recognition, and support than the system in place for public primary, secondary, and higher education.
• U.S. Citizenship and Adult ESL at the 2010 TESOL Convention
  In October 2008 a new U.S. naturalization exam was launched. Learn more about the new exam and elements of immigration policy and citizenship with these special workshops sponsored by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Office of Citizenship.
• TESOL Supports the Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English Skills Act (July 2009; PDF)
  TESOL wrote a letter in support of the Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English Skills Act (S 1478/HR 3249), a bill that would provide much needed resources for adult ESL and civics education in the United States. This document contains copies of the letters sent to sponsors in the both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
• TESOL Supports the Adult Education and Economic Growth Act (July 2009; PDF)
  TESOL has written a letter of support for the Adult Education and Economic Growth Act of 2009 (HR 3238/S 1468), a bill that would bring needed improvements to the adult education system in the United States, including critical enhancements for adult ESL programs. The attached includes letters to sponsors in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
• Written testimony of Dr. Donna Kinerney for the Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives (PDF, May 2009)
  On May 5, Dr. Donna Kinerney, Instructional Dean, Adult ESOL & Literacy Programs at Montgomery College in Wheaton, Maryland, USA testified about adult ESL under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) before the Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives. A copy of her written testimony is available here.
• TESOL Submits Written Testimony on Adult ESL under WIA (PDF; May 2009)
  On May 5, the Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing on programs and development under Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which is the primary funding vehicle for adult education in the U.S. Following the hearing, TESOL submitted written testimony on adult ESL under WIA.
• TESOL Supports the Strengthening Communities through English and Integration Act (July 2008; PDF)
  TESOL's letter of support for the Strengthening Communities through English and Integration Act, a new bill that would provide critically needed resources for ESL in the United States. The bill was introduced by Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY).
• Position Statement on Adolescent English Language Learners in Adult ESL Programs in the United States (March 2006; PDF)
  Adolescent English language learners are a broad and diverse group with many different needs. Compounding the challenges for these students in particular are cultural and social adjustments they often face as they meet the demands of U.S. high schools. TESOL strongly opposes efforts to encourage the early withdrawal of adolescent English language learners from high school in order to boost the academic ratings and test scores at the high school level.
• Naturalization Test Redesign Overview (June 2005; PDF)
  This document from the Office of Citizenship, US Department of Homeland Security, presents an overview of the proposed plan to redesign the US naturalization test. This plan, which is presented as a blueprint, is provided with permisson of the Office of Citizenship.
• TESOL Letter in Response to Change in Naturalization Test Redesign Process (May 2005; PDF)
  On March 29, 2005 the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced a sudden change in direction for the redesign of the United States naturalization exam, a process that had been underway since 2001. As TESOL had been a participant stakeholder in this process, the following letter expressing TESOL's concern on this decision was sent as a response.
• Position Statement on the Redesign of the U.S. Citizenship Exam (October 2004; PDF)
  TESOL urges test developers to continue to seek guidance from adult educators at each step to ensure that the test is fair and appropriate for the many examinees who have limited experience with formal education and standardized test formats.
• Recommendations for the Reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act
  (April 23, 2003) Letter co-signed by TESOL to members of the Senate with recommendations for the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.
• Adult ESL Language and Literacy Instruction: A Vision and Action Agenda for the 21st Century (October 2001)
  This discussion, which complements From the Margins to the Mainstream: The Action Agenda for Literacy (National Literacy Summit, 2000), focuses on the characteristics and needs of adults learning English as a second language, the programs that serve them, and the policies that affect them. Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) envisions a system for the education of adult English language learners that provides high quality language and literacy services for this linguistically and culturally diverse population.

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