Why is there a need for new and collaborative responses to raise community literacy levels? Adult education and family literacy service delivery in the United States is not succeeding in its mission to increase literacy levels to provide all with the skills they need to succeed. Many question whether there is a system at all because it cannot be defined or fully described. It includes federal government agencies, national networks, local coalitions, community-based organizations, state adult education programs, correctional institutions, workforce literacy projects and family literacy programs. The components of this "system" are not always collaborative, do not use the same accountability measures and are not identified in any one data location. There are also multiple funding streams including state and federal grants, private foundations, corporations and individual donors with different reporting requirements. To improve the efficiency of the adult education delivery service in the United States there is an urgent need for partnerhsip among the sectors of service to increase effectiveness and to explore the concept of collaboration across funding streams and program areas. What does it take to make change? - The government at the local, state and national level must solidly back the effort. - There must be political will and local commitment. - There must be the capacity to organize collaboration as well as mobilize agencies and individuals. - The effort must be linked to the broader effort to reduce poverty and increase social equity. - There must be a resource infusion. - All must work from the same definition of literacy. - There must be central coordination but programming must be individually relevant. - Efforts must embrace high program quality and instructional excellence. - Collaboration and must be tied to follow up and on-going support. What does the coalition model look like? Imagine a "pebble in the pond" model with learners at the center, service delivery providers surrounding them; with supports for effective service provision and the many community at large partners working to support increased literacy levels. Working with a collaboration coalition model allows whole communities to be engaged together in the literacy effort.

Who are the stakeholders needed at the table to create a successful coalition?

Who are the literacy providers in coalition efforts? Literacy providers come in many shapes and sizes and all have a place at the coalition table. Some providers focus only on literacy programming but for others literacy is but one component of more broadly-based social service. - schools - community service centers - drug abuse centers - colleges - housing complexes - women's hostels - faith-based sites - employment sites - homeless centers - jails - family centers - early childhood programs Why should providers join a coalition? Coalitions offer providers numerous benefits, including:

What are the types of literacy embraced by coalitions? - basic skills and GED - English for speakers of other languages - health literacy - family literacy - workforce literacy (pre-employment preparation) - workplace literacy (supporting incumbent workers) - financial literacy - computer literacy - early childhood and school readiness - after school support Do governmental departments at the national, state and local levels support coalitions? Governmental agencies find it easier to work with local coalitions instead of the multiplicity of individual providers. When coalitions apply for governmental funds they are often able to access larger grants than can be acquired individually. Are school districts partners in coalitions? It takes the community-at-large to break the cycle of intergenerational illiteracy but there is a growing awareness of the need for school districts to collaborate with community organizations to support the success of children. Coalitions that include support to school districts are sometimes referred to as "full-service coalitions." Which services can be best accomplished by a collaborative approach? - Collaborative fundraising can be more successful than local competitiveness. - A shared development center to access project funding for major governmental grants can be more successful than all providers applying separately for a small amount and achieving only limited success. - Coordinated staff development focusing on best practice models that result from the research and dissemination of both local and national data, can increase effectiveness and efficiency among service delivery programs. - Centralized helplines to coordinate volunteer recruitment, learner placement and information sharing can be highly effective. - Coordinated marketing campaigns use funds more efficiently and speak with a stronger single voice for advocacy, awareness and outreach. Why should a coalition develop a regional literacy plan?

How do you know if you are successful? Short-term indicators: - annual report card to the community to show impact and good stewardship of funding - increased literacy levels measured with an accountability system used by all providers - more children entering kindergarten ready to learn and stay on or above grade level through their school years - a smoother transition for learners between basic skills, ESL, GED and vocational training (for adult learners) - a well-coordinated feeder pattern from literacy programs to further education institutions and vocational training - increased public involvement in education - impact evaluation to show levels of progress Long-term indicators: - lower recidivism and decreased crime rate - increased self sufficiency - increased employment levels - higher wages and less poverty - increase in community value for education and literacy

What are the potholes that we may fall into... and how do we climb out of them? Building a literacy coalition is very hard work.  It is hard to build, hard to maintain and hard to sustain. Coalitions have learned from past mistakes, from poor judgment, from lack of trust, and from plain hard-headedness. Sometimes it has felt as though coalitions were the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf was constantly at the door, huffing and puffing to blow the house down. These are some of the lessons that have been learned: - Communication. Every partner needs to be involved in the planning and development process. - Respect. All partners must feel valued and know that they are important to success. - Money. Competition for funds breaks collaborative spirit. Developing a sharing philosophy is challenging and requires community trust, but it must be accomplished to succeed. Noncompetitive grant making helps coalitions succeed. - Governmental funding restrictions. Because many grants require applications to flow through local education agencies, community-based programs do not have direct access to resources. Sometimes despite good work and track records, programs are frustrated by non-collaborative attitudes of traditional school systems and governmental agencies. - Turf issues. Building a spirit of trust and cooperation that breaks down turf barriers is challenging and time-consuming, but partnerships must embrace mutual goals and a shared vision. - Creativity and flexibility. Changing things that do not work well is hard, but change brings forward movement. How can Literacy Powerline help?