CLS & TN Adult Education
The Center for Literacy Studies has worked with the Tennessee Division of Adult Education since the Center’s founding in 1988. Through this partnership, the Center has provided high quality ongoing professional development for teachers and program administrators in adult literacy education for almost 30 years. The Center has assisted Tennessee adult education programs [in a quality journey – get wording from Jim’s pages]. In addition, the Center developed and continues to improve the Division’s technological infrastructure for instruction, professional development, reporting/accountability, and continuous program improvement.
Interest Areas: ESOL | PD for Instructors | Program Leadership & Continuous Improvement | Technology
1988 – Center for Literacy Studies founded, partnership begins with the Tennessee Department of Education, Office of Community and Adult Education.
1993 - Center for Literacy Studies designated TN State Literacy Resource Center, and Resource Lending Library established - over 2000 books, journals, videos, and materials produced by programs and practitioners.
1998 - Preparing Tennessee's Workforce: Real Lives, Real Results published. Tells the stories of over a hundred Tennessee adults and the adult education programs that changed their lives.
1999 – Office of Adult Education moves to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development
2005 – Office of Adult Education promoted to Division of Adult Education within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development
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Professional Development for Instructors
1990 – Center for Literacy Studies facilitates regional workshops for Adult Education Instructors & the Supervisors’ Institute. Report -Teacher in a Different Way
1996 – Families First, Tennessee's groundbreaking welfare reform program begins. Center for Literacy Studies provides regular training for Families First teachers, connecting workplace skills with adult basic education curriculum and activities.
1997 - Tennessee Holocaust Commission commissions the Center for Literacy Studies to collect and develop Lessons from the Holocaust - a "toolkit" of resources for teaching the Holocaust and related diversity issues to adult literacy learners in Tennessee.
Teacher Support Network?
2001 - Annual Academy for Instructional Excellence - brought together ALL literacy and GED instructors...also launched Professional Development Framework and Tracking System?
2002 - Keys to Effective LD Teaching Practice published, and regional training workshops held. Resource based on results of action research projects by TN instructors implementing the Bridges to Practice materials developed by ...
EFF?
2005 - Orientation CD
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Program Leadership & Continuous Improvement
1990 – Center for Literacy Studies facilitates Adult Education Supervisors’ Institute. Report - ABE Supervisors' Institute handbook
1994 – TN begins focus on an interagency performance accountability system for adult education programs in Tennessee.
1995 – Annual Leadership Institute established. These annual gatherings, renamed Leadership Summit in 2005, provide information and support for all Local Program Administrators as well as opportunities for networking, renewal and fresh perspectives.
1997 – Center for Literacy Studies hosts internet accessible reporting and accountability database for local adult education program data.
2003 - Adult Education added to internet-based Consolidated Management and Tracking System (CMATS). This interagency reporting and accountability database allows data sharing on individual student informationi amongst agencies in the Department of Labor and Workforce development. Regional CMATS trainings established.
2005 - TN establishes monthly online certification training for practitioners performing CMATS data entry and analysis.
2006 - CMATS Assistance Network established.
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1999 - AEOnline web site established. Providing resources and information for TN adult educaiton practitioners.
2000 - Statewide Supervisor Discussion list established. Statewide Instructors discussion list established 2001? 2
2001 - TN launches first online professional development course: Adult Education: Teacher and Student. a second online course, Adult Education: Teaching Tools launched in January of 2002.
2003 - TN Establishes Distance Education for adult learners... Online Tools workshops for adult learners learning at a distance begun in 2004.
2004 - TN launches Introduction to Learning Disabilities for Adult Learners online professional development course.
2006 - TN launches ESOL Basics:[get the rest of this] online course.
2007 - AEOnline web site revision
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The need for ESL instruction in Tennessee has grown dramatically over the past 30 years – TN has one of the fastest growing Immigrant populations in the country.
1999 - TN sponsors the first ESL Institute for Tennessee practitioners
2000? - ESOL Support Practitioners network established?
2001 - Tennessee Adult ESOL Curriculum Resource Book published. The Center worked with TN instructors to collect hundreds of teacher-created ESOL lesson plans.
2003 - Tennessee ESOL in the Workplace handbook published. Developed in conjuction with Tennessee practitioners and employers.
2004 - World Comes to Tennessee: A Resource Book for Adult Education and ESOL Teachers of Advanced Level ESOL Students published.
2006 - ESOL Field Support Team established. Program Supervisors and Instructors working in conjunction with Center staff to assist local programs to establish and/or improve ESOL programs.
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