Common Acronyms in Adult Education
AAACE: The American Association for Adult and Continuing Education provides leadership for the field of adult and continuing education by expanding opportunities for adult growth and development. ()
ABE: Adult Basic Education an umbrella term used to describe a range of educational services for adults from basic literacy (including English for non-native speakers of English), numeracy, and high school equivalency (GED)/ adult diploma programs (ADP).
ABE Teacher's License: A voluntary license for MA adult literacy teachers.
ACLS: Adult and Community Learning Services is a unit at the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that oversees and improves no-cost basic educational services (ABE) for adults in Massachusetts. ACLS funds programs in Massachusetts to provide educational services to adults with academic skill levels below 12th grade, and/or adults who need English language skills to succeed in our communities. Through both federal and state grants, ACLS funds a broad network of education providers/programs, including local school systems, community-based agencies, community colleges, libraries, volunteer organizations, correctional facilities, and others. ACLS also funds innovative projects to enhance programs' delivery of services, including curriculum frameworks, health education, English Language Civics, community planning, distance learning, native language literacy, family literacy, workplace education, and technology.
ACLS also funds the professional development of teachers and other professionals in ABE programs through the System for Adult Basic Education Support (SABES).
Assessment Policy (ACLS): An assessment policy was developed for MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education-funded programs to provide guidance in reporting scores to show students' educational gain. The policies require that programs to use the TABE test for ABE learners, the BEST Plus for ESOL learners seeking to improve their oral skills, and the REEP for ESOL learners seeking to improve their writing skills. The Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual can be found on the ACLS website (under Assessment News) .
AFL-CIO (MA): The major duties of the Mass AFL-CIO are political education, legislative action, organizing and education & training. The state federation also advocates on a wide range of topical issues, including: jobs, the economy, workers compensation, health and safety in the workplace, paid family leave, welfare and unemployment insurance benefits, collective bargaining issues, etc.
ADA: The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation.
ADP/EDP: The Adult Diploma Program/External Diploma Program is designed for individuals at least 18 years old who have acceptable basic skills in reading, writing and math. The ADP provides an alternative way of earning a high school diploma. To earn a high school diploma, a student completes assignments and demonstrates general life skills in the following areas: Community Awareness, Personal and Family Health, Occupational Preparedness, Personal and Social Awareness, Consumer Awareness, Individual Skill Area. Credit may also be given for program specific areas such as history, high school math and/or employment and training.
Adult Literacy Hotline: The Massachusetts Adult Literacy Hotline provides referrals to programs that offer one-on-one tutoring, small group or classroom instruction to adult learners. Callers will receive information about basic reading, math, adult basic education, English language training, family literacy, GED preparation or testing sites. The Hotline can help adult learners and volunteer literacy tutors locate the most convenient programs and GED testing sites across the state.
ASE: Adult Secondary Education
BEST: The Building Essential Skills through Training initiative provides education and training through interagency partnerships; managed by Commonwealth Corporation. Funding was awarded to Workforce Investment Boards with partnerships from defined agencies/sectors; BEST 1, BEST Older Youth. An RFP for BEST III is posted at http://www.commcorp.org/cwi/programs/best/BESTIII.htm
BEST Plus: BEST Plus is a recent adaptation of the Basic Skills English Test (BEST) oral interview. Like the original BEST test, BEST Plus assesses interpersonal communication using everyday language.
BHE: The MA Board of Higher Education oversees the public higher education system, including the University of MA, MA state college system, and the MA community college system. The BHE is a key partner in the Reach Higher Initiative.
CASAS: The Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System provides resources for instruction and assessment. CASAS provides competency-based curriculum and assessment tools to help ABE learners in attaining basic literacy skills to function effectively on the job, in the community and in the family.
CAL: The Center for Applied Linguistics is a private, non-profit organization. CAL is a group of scholars and educators who use the findings of linguistics and related sciences to identify and address language-related problems. CAL carries out a wide range of activities including research, teacher education, analysis and dissemination of information, design and development of instructional materials, technical assistance, conference planning, program evaluation, and policy analysis.
CBO: Community Based Organization
CDBG: Community Development Block Grant
CHOC: County House of Corrections
COABE: The Commission on Adult Basic Education is organized to advance national and international adult education and literacy opportunities for all persons. COABE's mission is to provide leadership, communication, professional development and advocacy for adult education and literacy practitioners in order to advance quality services for all adult learners.
Commonwealth Corporation: a quasi-public organization responsible for administering and delivering a wide range of public and privately-funded initiatives designed to meet the labor needs of businesses; improve current and emerging workers' skills; foster career success through lifelong learning; and retain, sustain, improve and create job-generating businesses. ()
Community Planning: The purpose of the Department's Community Planning requirement is to ensure that the needs of all under-educated and/or limited English proficient constituencies are accounted for, and that strategic plans are developed that identify how and when every such constituency will ultimately be served.
Career Centers: Thirty-two One-Stop Career Centers in MA offer employment services for job seekers and assistance to employers in finding qualified workers. The Department of Workforce Development charters career centers and the local charter process is operated by the local Workforce Investment Board. Under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), a variety of state agencies are mandated to support career center operations to ensure that they are a one- stop system. ACLS is a mandated partner of the Career Center, as are the MA Rehabilitation Commission, the MA Commission for the Blind, the Department of Transitional Assistance, and veterans' services.
Countable Outcomes: The ACLS Countable Outcomes policy is the culmination of the work of the past decade. It includes the outcomes required by the National Reporting System, as well as the incorporation of student goals related to family and community outcomes. Through this policy, ACLS hopes to support learner centered practice that serves students, teachers and programs, as well as promote broader public policies that enhance the work done in ABE classrooms in many different settings throughout the state.
Curriculum Frameworks: The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, with experienced adult education practitioners, has developed seven curriculum frameworks for use by adult basic education programs. These outline what adults need to know and be able to do, and explain the principles for enabling adult learners to succeed. The frameworks include: English Language Arts, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Mathematics and Numeracy, History and the Social Sciences, Health, and Science and Technology/Engineering. The seventh, the Common Chapters for the Massachusetts Adult Basic Education Curriculum Frameworks, is a short overall exploration of why curriculum frameworks are important and how they can be used.
DAEL: The mission of the Division of Adult Education and Literacy, of the USDE is to supplement and complement the efforts of states, the local school systems, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education.
DCS: Division of Career Services (MA) formerly part of the Division of Employment and Training, operates employment service programs, the Workforce Training Fund, and oversees the state's 32 One-Stop Career Centers.
Distance Learning: As defined by The American Center for the Study of Distance Education, Penn State, "Distance education is planned learning that normally occurs in a different place from teaching and as a result requires special techniques of course design, special instructional techniques, special methods of communication by electronic and other technology, as well as special organizational and administrative arrangements."
ESE: MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, MA
DOL: U S Department of Labor
DTA: MA Department of Transitional Assistance, MA
DUA: The MA Division of Unemployment Assistance (formerly DET- The Division of Unemployment Assistance) administers the Unemployment Insurance program, the Medical Security Plan and produces Massachusetts' jobs and economic data.
DWD: The MA Department of Workforce Development is the policy arm of the workforce development system in the Commonwealth. The mission of the Department is to enhance the quality, diversity and stability of the workforce by making new career opportunities and training available for workers, job seekers and employers. The Department oversees several major job training programs and the One-Stop Career Center system.
DYS: The MA Division of Youth Services is a state agency that serves at risk and court-involved youth.
EFF: Equipped for the Future is a national initiative that seeks to understand what adults need to know and be able to do in order to carry out their roles and responsibilities as workers, parents and family members, citizen and community members. Developed by the National Institute for Literacy, EFF's goal is to develop adult learning standards that can guide instruction and assessment and improve the quality and results of adult literacy programs. The framework includes the four purposes for learning and the three role maps. The 13 common activities that overlap the roles and the EFF Content Standards reflect what is important for students to know and be able to do and are linked to the fundamental purposes that motivate adult learning. The EFF Special Collections are also a good resource: http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/collections/eff/eff.html
EL Civics: English Literacy and Civics Education Program is an integrated program of educational services to immigrants and other limited English proficient populations to acquire the basic skills they need to function effectively as parents, workers, and citizens. Local providers implementing El/Civics programs are charged with incorporating instruction on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and civic participation.
ERIC: The Education Resources Information Center sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education, produces the world's premier database of journal and non-journal education literature. The new ERIC online system, released September 2004, provides the public with a centralized ERIC Web site for searching the ERIC bibliographic database of more than 1.1 million citations going back to 1966. Effective October 1, more than 107,000 full-text non-journal documents (issued 1993-2004), previously available through fee-based services only, will be available for free.
ESOL: English for Speakers of Other Languages
Even Start: Even Start is a comprehensive, federally funded, family literacy demonstration program. Even Start has 5 required program components: adult education; age appropriate education for children (0-7); parent and child time together (interactive literacy); parenting education; and home visits to reinforce learning at home.
FTE: Full-time Equivalent - The number of staff and FTE must be completed on ESE budget pages. That number of staff can only be expressed in whole numbers while FTEs must be in decimals. The figure used for the FTE should represent the percentage of the salary (or salaries) the grant is supporting.
Family Literacy: The Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium defines family literacy as coordinated learning among different generations in the same family, which helps both adults, and children reach their full personal, social, and economic potential.
Massachusetts High School Equivalency Diploma: (commonly referred to as "the GED") is the credential earned for successfully meeting the score requirements on the battery of five tests of General Educational Development.
GED: (General Educational Development) - By successfully meeting the score requirements on the battery of five Tests of General Educational Development, a tester earns the Massachusetts High School Equivalency Diploma.
GED Testing Service: Based in Washington, DC, this agency oversees the development and administration of the GED tests worldwide.
GLE: Grade Level Equivalency
Grants: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Grants for Schools and How to Manage Them
Homeless, Adult Education for the Homeless: ABE and or ESOL services for undereducated and limited English proficient individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
INS: Immigration and Naturalization Service (also see USCIS)
IDC: (Indirect Costs) The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education determines an indirect cost rate for each city, town, or regional school district for application to state and federal grants and contracts, unless prohibited by federal regulations. The rates are developed for school districts as the maximum allowable rate for a given fiscal year.
LEA: Local Educational Agency
LD: (Learning Disabled) A learning disability is a neurological condition that interferes with a person's ability to store, process, or produce information. Learning disabilities can affect one's ability to read, write, speak, spell, compute math, reason and also affect a person's attention, memory, coordination, social skills and emotional maturity.
Learning Modalities: The different ways that information is taken in, for example, visual (with eyes), auditory (with ears), tactile (through touch), and kinesthetic (through movement).
LEP: Limited English Proficient
Letter of Certification: The official document verifying that an individual has earned a Massachusetts High School Equivalency Diploma, emblematic of passing the GED tests, usually issued when a tester has misplaced his or her original diploma.
LINCS: Literacy Information and Communication System, see National Institute for Literacy (NIFL)
Literacy: The term "literacy", as defined by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 means an individual's ability to read, write, and speak in English, compute, and solve problems, at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individual, and in society
LVA: Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. is a fully integrated national network of local, state, and regional literacy providers that give adults and their families the opportunity to acquire skills to be effective in their roles as members of their families, communities, and workplaces.
LWIB: (Local Workforce Investment Board) MA has sixteen LWIB regions (also referred to as SDA regions) that represent the workforce development areas as defined by the federal government and as referenced in the Workforce Investment Act. These include: Berkshire, Boston, Bristol, Brockton Area, Cape Cod and the Islands, Central MA, Franklin/Hampshire, Greater Lowell, Hampden, Lower Merrimack Valley, Metro North, Metro South/West, New Bedford Area, North Central, North Shore, and South Coastal. Local Workforce Investment Boards have policy oversight of the publicly funded workforce development activities/services offered throughout the regions.
MassAAL: The MA Alliance for Adult Literacy is an organization formed by current and former students of adult literacy programs, including Adult Basic Education, ESOL, and GED. MassAAL is funded by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Adult and Community Learning Services.
MATSOL: MA Association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages is a statewide group whose mission is to provide professional development and support to educators working with English language learners.
MBLC: The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is the agency of state government with the statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth. The Board also strives to provide every resident of the Commonwealth with full and equal access to library information resources regardless of geographic location, social or economic status, age, level of physical or intellectual ability, or cultural background.
MCAE: The MA Coalition for Adult Education is a statewide membership organization of educators, adult students, and others who support equal educational opportunities for adults. MCAE is dedicated to the advancement of adult education through high quality services and professionalism in the field from basic literacy and English for Speakers of Other Languages through transitions to post-secondary education.
MFLC: The Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium is a statewide initiative with the mission of forging effective partnerships among state agencies, community organizations, and other interested parties to expand and strengthen family literacy and support. It is funded by an Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Education with generous support from the Commonwealth.
MIRA: The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition is committed to promoting the rights, opportunities, and well-being of immigrant and refugee communities. Their work focuses on policy advocacy, public education, capacity building and leadership development in newcomer communities.
MOA: A Memorandum of Agreement is a formal document that delineates roles and responsibilities in collaborative partnerships.
MOU: A Memorandum of Understanding is a formal document that delineates roles and responsibilities in formal partnerships. An MOU is used between local Workforce Investment Boards and other entities regarding collaborations to support operation of the MA One-Stop Career Centers.
MOSES: The MA One Stop Employment System supports the Division of Career Services integrated One-Stop approach. Staff at Career Centers enter data into MOSES during intake. Additionally, MOSES has an internet version for job seekers, employers and training providers.
NCAL: National Center on Adult Literacy was established with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The Center is currently supported by federal, state, and local agencies as well as by private foundations and corporations. NCAL is part of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. NCAL's mission incorporates three primary goals: to improve understanding of youth and adult learning, to foster innovation and increase effectiveness in youth and adult basic education and literacy work, and to expand access to information and build capacity for literacy and basic skills service provision.
NCFL: The mission of the National Center for Family Literacy is to create educational and economic opportunity for the most at-risk children and parents.
NCLC: The National Center for ESL Literacy Education focuses on the language and literacy education of adults and out-of-school youth learning English. NCLE is a resource for research-based materials and information for teachers, program directors, researchers, policy makers, immigrants and US residents whose native language is other than English.
NCSALL: The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy is a federally funded research and development center focused solely on adult learning. The Center is a partnership of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, World Education, Rutgers University, Portland State University in Oregon, and the Center for Literacy Studies at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
NGA: The National Governors' Association is the funder of the Reach Higher initiative managed by Commonwealth Corporation
NUCLI: Nursing Career Ladder Initiative, managed by Commonwealth Corporation, aims to increase access to nursing programs in MA by developing a nursing career ladder.
NELRC: New England Literacy Resource Center The mission of the New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC) is to strengthen adult literacy services in New England through sharing and collaborative special projects among State Literacy Resource Centers (SLRC) or their equivalents, adult literacy practitioners and policy-makers in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
NESA: The mission of the National Even Start Association is to provide a national voice and vision for Even Start Family Literacy programs
NIFL: The National Institute for Literacy is administered by the Secretaries of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services. Most of NIFL's funds support programs and services designed to improve the quality of literacy programs nationwide. Primary activities include:
- Bringing technology to the literacy field through LINCS, a state-of-the-art Internet-based information and communication system.
- Improving services to adults with learning disabilities through Bridges to Practice, a four volume research-based guide.
- Promoting adult literacy system reform through Equipped for the Future, a long-term initiative that developed content standards to ensure that every adult can gain the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill real-world responsibilities as workers, parents and citizens.
- Connecting those in need of adult, child, and family literacy services with information about programs in their communities through America's Literacy Directory, an easy-to-use on-line searchable database.
- Providing copies of NIFL publications through the National Institute for Literacy Hotline and Clearinghouse, where English- and Spanish-speaking operators are available between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.
- Offering policy information to government agencies, Congress, and the adult literacy field through briefings, Policy Updates on developments of national importance, and State Policy Updates on issues of concern to state and local literacy programs.
NLL: Native Language Literacy-see pre-literacy for Speakers of other languages for ESOL
NRS: The National Reporting System for Adult Education is an outcome-based reporting system for state administered, federally funded adult education programs. Developed with the support of the U.S. Department of Education's Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL), the NRS continues to promote a cooperative process with state adult education directors and DAEL to identify appropriate learner outcomes for adult education
ORI: The Office for Refugees and Immigrants is responsible for oversight of refugee resettlement and immigrant and newcomer programs in Massachusetts.
OVAE: The Office of Vocational and Adult Education, (Division of Adult Education, USDE) provides information on adult education and literacy, career and technical education, high schools, community colleges, and much more. Review the resources on their pages to find out about recent research and examples of effective programs. Review strategic plans, annual and semi-annual reports, and other plans and reports for more about the U.S. Department of Education and its programs.
Productive by 21: A MA interagency effort managed by Commonwealth Corporation that promotes education and training efforts to support at-risk youth in becoming productive adults. ESE is a partner agency.
Perkins (Carl B.) This funding authorizes federal legislation for funding of the nation's vocational technical school systems.
Pre: literacy for Speakers of other languages for ESOL, formerly Native Language Literacy. Pre-literacy for Speakers of other languages for ESOL uses state and Federal funds to address the needs of large numbers of adults lacking functional literacy (i.e., below "6th grade or equivalent") in the same native language, other than English. These services must be accompanied with instruction in English for Speakers of Other languages.
Program Specialist: ACLS Program Specialists provide technical assistance and oversight to ABE programs as well as special initiatives such as Family Literacy, Even Start and Workplace Education, Distance Learning, etc.
PAWG: The Performance and Accountability Working Group is made up of teachers and directors of ABE programs and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education staff who are working together to develop recommendations for performance accountability in adult basic education programs.
Reach Higher: An initiative managed by Commonwealth Corporation through a grant by the National Governor's Association to connect the MA public higher education system, especially community colleges, with the MA workforce development system. ABE is considered a critical link in providing access of many residents to the post secondary educational system.
REB: Regional Employment Board - see LWIB
REEP: The Arlington (Virginia) Education and Employment Program (REEP) developed the REEP test to assess ESOL learners' writing skills in English. MA ESE-funded programs use the REEP to report ESOL students' educational gain. Tests are scored using a rubric that measures English language writing facility across five areas: content and vocabulary; organization and development; structure; mechanics; and voice. For resources on their Adult ESL curriculum and writing assessment, go to: http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/instruct/ctae/adult_ed/REEP/reepcurriculum/index.htmlRFP-
Request for Proposals: The ESE notifies all school districts and other interested parties about the availability of grants through the Request for Proposals (RFP) process. There are three formats for Requests for Proposals, each providing specific and related information about the included grant program(s). Most Requests for Proposals are found on the Grants Management web site: http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/grants/
Roundtable: The MA Worker Education Roundtable is a statewide network of unionists, educators and labor-management education programs. Their mission is to promote and provide high quality education programs for Massachusetts' union members. The Worker Education Roundtable is dedicated to promoting partnerships of employers, unions and educators to provide high quality education and training for MA union members.
SABES: The System for Adult Basic Education Support is a comprehensive training and technical assistance initiative for educators and programs. SABES assists Adult Basic Education practitioners further develop the skills, talents and knowledge needed to provide exemplary educational services to adult learners.
SDA: Service Delivery Areas-see LWIB
SMARTT: The System for Managing Accountability and Results through Technology ABE program management and reporting database system enables programs to plan for, manage and submit comprehensive error-free statistical data on performance directly to the ESE via the Internet.
Terms related to the SMARTT Program Planning and data collection include:
Class plan, rate based classes, service type, non rate based class, class funding detail, flex/foundation services, staff plan, staff development, program development, teaching/prep time ratio, contact hourly rate for teachers, salary analysis, summary sheet, prototype administrative costs, and program plan status.
Simple Verification: The process by which an employer, an employment agency, or a post-secondary educational or training institution may receive faxed verification that an individual earned the Massachusetts High School Equivalency Diploma, emblematic of his or her passing the GED tests. Used when an official document is not required.
Spanish GED: Massachusetts High School Equivalency Certificate in Spanish (commonly referred to as "the Spanish GED") - This is the credential earned for successfully meeting the score requirements on the battery of five tests of General Educational Development in Spanish.
SPL: Student Performance Level
STC: School to Career-term used to describe either specific initiatives or a general approach to better connect school systems and workforce development systems with a goal of preparing students for the world of work.
TA: Technical Assistance
TABE: The Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) assesses basic reading, mathematics, and language skills. The assessment yields objective-mastery information for skills usually learned in Grades 1-12, and provides percentile and scale scores. Grade equivalent scores are also provided for TABE. (see ACLS Assessment Policy)
TESOL: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages is a national organization whose mission is to ensure excellence in English language teaching to speakers of other languages.
USCIS: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS)
USDE: The mission of the US Department of Education is mission is to strengthen the Federal commitment to assuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual; encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in Federal education programs and to promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through Federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information.
WIA: (The Workforce Investment Act) The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 represents a national consensus to consolidate and coordinate all of the workforce preparation and development programs into a unified workforce investment system.
WIB: (State or SWIB) State Workforce Investment Board is a 65 member Board composed of a diverse group of business, government, youth, and community leaders whose mission is to advise and help the Governor develop a strategic plan for the commonwealth's workforce development system. The Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board serves as the Governor's principal advisory board on workforce development.
The Board fulfills this mandate in three ways: linking workforce development to economic development, mobilizing the private sector, and continuously improving the state delivery system. The Board is comprised of private sector employers, agency heads, legislators, and representatives from state and local workforce development entities. For the current membership, go to http://www.mass.gov/dlwd/swib.html.
As required by WIA, a majority of the board and its chair must be from the private sector. This requirement helps ensure that employer and business interests throughout the Commonwealth play a key role in advising the Governor about the needs of Massachusetts workforce system, and helping make the system "demand driven."
Workforce Training Fund: The Workforce Training Fund is an employer-funded program that provides grant funds to MA employers to upgrade the skills of their current or newly hired employees.
Workplace Education: Through partnerships among businesses, workers, labor organizations, and adult education providers, contextualized instruction is provided to incumbent workers. Projects are supported with a combination of primarily state and local matching resources for up to three years at which point programs are expected to institutionalize these services and continue with local and/or private funds.
|
State Government · State Services 
