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Narrative Analysis Tool

Instructions

The Narrative Report responses below can be further filtered by one or more states, as well as keywords.

For more information on Narrative Reports please see the technical assistance documents.

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Keywords
    Narrative Selection Switch - (Click box below for list)
State Describe when your State held a competition [the latest competition] for IELCE program funds and the number of grants awarded by your State to support IELCE programs.
Alabama Alabama held a multi-year competition for IELCE funding in early 2021 for PY2021-24.  The IELCE Request for Funding Proposal (RFP) was released on February 24, 2021 and proposals were due on April 5, 2021. Announcements of the competition were posted, and a bidder’s webinar was held.  Questions from the field were received and responded to during the bidder’s webinar and listed in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document which was posted on the Request for Funding (RFP) website for all interested parties to see.  Eight IELCE proposals were received and reviewed.   A key component of the review was the demonstration of sufficient need for IELCE services in the community to warrant additional programming.  All eight applicants were selected for funding based on a demonstrated need in their service area and the ability to provide IELCE instruction and services to English language learners.  The total amount awarded for IELCE in PY 2021-22 was $305,189.
Alaska Alaska held an open competition in March 2021 for the IELCE program. Alaska Literacy Program (ALP) was awarded a four-year statewide IELCE grant for PY 2021-PY 2025.
American Samoa INTEGRATED ENGLISH LITERACY AND CIVICS EDUCATION (IELCE) PROGRAM American Samoa does not receive any Civics funding as of now. There is a talk about applying for this funding in the future but it is not certain at this moment. Therefore, AELEL as the eligible agency for AEFLA funding will continue to integrate English literacy programs and all existing educational programs, job training, and career pathways offered at the state one-stop center.
Arkansas ADWS/AES held a competition in February 2020 for a four-year grant for July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2024, to fund IELCE programs, and awarded seven (7), local providers with Section 243 funding. ADWS/AES plans to conduct its next RFP in 2023-2024.
California In program year 2019–20, the CDE completed the second competitive Request for Application (RFA) following the 13 considerations specified in WIOA, Title II: AEFLA. CDE awarded grants for a three-year cycle starting with PY 2020–21. Completing a successful grant competition in the midst of the pandemic was a major accomplishment only made possible by the work done over the past few years to move the RFA process completely online. The RFA solicited agencies to offer IELCE as defined in WIOA Section 243. In PY 2021–22, 111 agencies including two consortiums were funded for IELCE.
Colorado AEI held the competition for 2020-24 in 2019-20 and the competition materials, including the Request for Applications, were reviewed and approved by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, as outlined in the Corrective Action Plan in response to the October 2018 virtual review. The request for proposals was released on January 31, 2020. Eligibility confirmations (for demonstrated effectiveness) were due February 24, 2020. Due to COVID-19, the competition was temporarily paused and eligible providers were required to submit applications by June 8, 2020. Intents to Award were released on July 27, 2020.  Grantees were evaluated on their applications which required demonstration of effectiveness, evidence of need in local areas, proposed instructional services, satisfaction of IET components and integration with the local workforce system. Six grantees were awarded IELCE funding and received funds for 2021-22 totaling $917,622.
District of Columbia OSSE AFE, in collaboration with the DC WIC, held the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) and WIC Career Pathways grant competition in FY21. Four of 12 eligible providers were selected to provide Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) and Training to District residents in FY21 and received continuation funding in FY22.    
Georgia In November 2020, GOAE closed its competitive grant round for the next four-year cycle which runs from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025. To ensure services were available across the entire state, GOAE relaunched its Integrated English Literacy & Civics Education (IELCE) grant competition from March 2021 to April 2021. OAE awarded grants to 12 adult education programs throughout Georgia. A total of $1,951,350 was allocated in FY22 between the 12 adult education programs.  In June 2021, one IELCE adult education provider opted to return its IELCE grant award, leaving 11 IELCE providers for FY23.  IELCE program spending was monitored throughout FY22 and was included on the FY22 mid-year report.  Adult education programs found to be underspending IELCE funds were provided technical assistance by GOAE senior leadership.  A total of 3,077 IELCE students were served during FY22. Services for many programs continued to be impacted by the effects of COVID-19. In fact, two adult education programs remained full virtual for the year.
Guam Guam does not receive IELCE funds for this program.
Hawaii In PY 2017 – 2018, the state held a competition for adult education services. One award was made for IELCE program funds to the Hawaii State Department of Education Community Schools for Adults. The award was for the total amount allowable for the State of Hawaii.  It was determined in PY 2020 - 2021 that the competition held in 2017 was invalid because it did not meet the requirements of Title II in WIOA. A new competition is necessary. However, the challenge with executing this is the state director position has experienced turnover in personnel since December 2018, with the position vacant for an extended period. The 2017 competition did not employ specific strategies to address IELCE services to specific subpopulations. However, the Request for Proposals explained IELCE and the activities' intent, which include providing services to adult English Language Learners with degrees and credentials from their native country.
Idaho Idaho’s most recent IELCE competition for IELCE program funds was in the spring of 2022.  A total of 5 applicants applied.  4 were funded.  One of the applicants lost their director in the middle of the competition process, and the state director met with the intern staff to discuss their application.  They felt they were not fully prepared to run an effective IELCE program without the prior director’s leadership.  A mutual agreement resulted in not funding the program; however, they may apply in future competitions.  The competition required that applicants submit a narrative to address the strategies to be used to recruit and place learners in in-demand industries and occupations that lead to economic self-sufficiency and integrate these services with Idaho’s workforce system in combination with IET activities. 
Illinois The ICCB held its AEFLA competition, including IELCE 243, in PY20. In PY21, a second competition was held to expand the number of IELCE providers. A total of 32 programs located in urban, suburban, and rural Illinois received IELCE funding.
Indiana State town halls were held in December 2019 to announce the competition. IDWD released the multi-year grant competition for IELCE funds in February 2020. Eight grants were awarded; implementation began July 1, 2020. Subsequent years were grant continuations. Local providers may utilize both Section 243 funds and other funding for the provision of service.  
Iowa On February 14, 2020, the Department released a request for proposals for a five-year federal grant to provide adult education and literacy Section 231 activities and services as well as a proposal for Section 243, Integrated English Literacy and Civics Engagement. During PY 2021-22 five (5) Iowa AEL providers continued to carry out IELCE services with allocations ranging from $25,204 to $70,612. Each year, providers set targets for the number of IELCE participants to be served in the upcoming program year.
Kansas The most recent IELCE competition occurred concurrently with Kansas’s section 231 competition. The competition took place in the 2017-2018 program year, and five-year grants were awarded to seven IELCE providers: Butler Community College, Dodge City Community College, Garden City Community College, Johnson County Community College, Kansas City Kansas Community College, Seward County Community College, and WSU Tech.
Kentucky Kentucky most recently conducted a competitive Request for Applications in March 2022 for the 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2025 Grant Cycle. As a result of the competition, three Adult Education eligible applicants were awarded IELCE funding under section 243: Bluegrass Community and Technical College; Jefferson County Public Schools; and Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College.
Louisiana The competitive RFP was conducted in the spring of 2021. Seven programs were awarded IELCE funding. The seven funded programs ensured that adult English language learners, including professionals with degrees and credentials in their native countries, are provided instruction in literacy and English language acquisition, math, and instruction on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and civic participation with the opportunity to access workforce training/preparation activities. 
Maryland In PY 2020, the Adult Education and Family Literacy services team released a competitive grant application for IELCE/IET to all local providers in the State. Twelve programs applied and were awarded WIOA 243 funds to implement IELCE, IET, and IET Bridge programs.
Michigan Michigan most recently held a competition for IELCE program funds in the Spring of 2020. A total of 16 IELCE applications were approved for funding. The number of IELCE providers in this grant cycle doubles the number funded in the previous grant cycle. While the majority of the IELCE providers in Michigan are in Southeast Michigan and West Michigan, there are now IELCE providers in 5 of the 10 regions of the state.
Minnesota 2021–2022 was the last year of the three-year IELCE grant cycle; 14 IELCE grantees were funded for the grant period (nine Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and five Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)). MDE held a competition for the IELCE program funds during the Spring of 2022. The application announcement was made in January with applications due in March; grantees were announced in June. These grantees will be funded for three years. There are 12 grantees with grant amounts ranging from $35,000 to $150,000. Eight of the grantees are LEAs and four are CBOs.
Mississippi The OAE held a competition for IELCE funds in combination with the competition for AEFLA funds using the same Request for Application. Two programs were approved and received multi-year grants for Section 243 funds. 
Nebraska Nebraska Adult Education hosted a request for applications (RFA) competition for AEFLA funding in early 2021 for the 2021-2022 program year, which began on July 1, 2021.  A total of three subrecipients were awarded funding.  This number represents half of the number of IELCE providers when compared with the previous funding cycle. Three providers cited complexities of service delivery and overly complicated regulatory requirements under Section 243 as reasons not to apply for IELCE funding.  
Nevada A competition for Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) funds was held in the 2019-2020 program year for a three-year funding cycle and four programs were funded. The next competition will be conducted spring of 2023 for the next three-year cycle.
New Jersey NJ DOL continues to offer competitive IELCE program funding. A new competition for Title II 243, 225, and 231 funds was held in Spring of 2021.
  • The Department awarded a total of 17 NJ Title II providers 243 funding.
  • The Notice of Grant Opportunity required eligible providers to demonstrate strong plans that aligned with the needs of the local area and WDB local plans;
  • The IET monitoring tool was revised in 2021 and is used to observe every Title II agency utilizing 243 dollars for the IELCE program. Spending and direct instruction are observed virtually (and in-person when possible).
  • All providers funded with 243 dollars must provide annual forms which outline the curricula, training plan and placement for IET/IELCE students.
  • Title II program directors and staff continue to share best practices and challenges via a structured monthly forum with Regional Coordinators. This new forum was started in 2020 and continues virtually.
  • NJ DOL is progressing towards program goals of ensuring that IELCE program activities are integrated with the local workforce development system by way of a required MOU which details the collaboration and pathway for literacy activities between the One-stop, WDB, and Title II lead agencies/partners. Title II providers applying for funding during the competition period were required to collaborate with the local WDB and document the collaboration via an IET planning form as part of their application. NJ DOL OAL staff shared labor market information to all as a tool to help in planning.
New Mexico New Mexico held a competition for both AEFLA and IELCE in spring of 2021. Eight Adult Education programs applied for IELCE funding: six previously funded programs and two new programs. All eight were selected for funding. Seven of the programs are connected to higher education institutions and one is a community-based organization. The programs receiving IELCE funding are Catholic Charities (CC), Doña Ana Community College (DACC), Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell (ENMU-Ros), Eastern New Mexico University- Ruidoso (ENMU-Rui), Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), University of New Mexico- Los Alamos (UNM-LA), University of New Mexico- Taos (UNM-T), and University of New Mexico- Valencia (UNM-V).
North Carolina For program year (PY) 2021-22, North Carolina held an open competition for the IELCE award of $1,444,875. Through the RFP process, IELCE federal award sub-grantees were awarded funding for a four-year grant period (2021-25). A total of 31 programs were approved by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges. All programs were required to submit a narrative, which included information regarding how they reach out to the target population as specified in the IELCE federal award. Additionally, to ensure that the target population are receiving equitable and fair services, providers were required to engage in professional development opportunities that would strengthen their abilities to provide comprehensive outreach services to target populations as outlined in the IELCE federal award. In PY 2021-22, as reported in Table 9 of the NRS report, 1,219 participants were served using 243 funds with 53% achieving an outcome.
Northern Mariana Islands Not Applicable.
Ohio The Ohio Department of Higher Education held a competition for WIOA Title II funds in PY 2021. The 3-year grant application covers State Fiscal Years 2022, 2023, and 2024.  The grant period is between July 1, 2021-June 30th, 2024.  In PY 2021, we had 16 IELCE providers. 
Oklahoma ODCTE held a multi-year IELCE grant competition in the spring of 2022 for 2022-2026 awards. The grant opened on Jan. 1, 2022, with three grant opportunities including adult education, corrections, and IELCE. The deadline for submitting applications was Feb. 15, 2022. The application included all thirteen considerations established in Title II and was open to all eligible providers. It contained the local application criteria listed in Section 223(e) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title II Adult Education and Literacy. Additional criteria were also established based on §463.70, §463.74, §463.73, and §463.36-38. Applications were reviewed by Workforce Boards in terms of alignment with workforce plans. Review teams scored applications using a rubric. There were three IELCE applications submitted and all three received funding for the four-year grant cycle.  
Oregon Oregon awarded Section 243 funds to four providers as of July 1, 2017. An additional competition for IELCE was completed in 2019, resulting in two additional providers, bringing the total to six for the Program Year 2021-22. The awards were made separately from the Comprehensive Grants. Grantees committed to offer IET activities and to collaborate with the local workforce system as defined in the final regulations. Grantees provided updates to the State Team on IET activities over the course of the year. Enrollment declined and curriculum development activities were placed on hold during the 2020-21 program year due to the pandemic and corresponding Governor’s Executive Orders.
Puerto Rico The AEP didn’t implementing IELCE activities under section 243(c)(1) because the service provider in the competitions that were held requested these funds.
South Carolina Grant monies totaling $353,988 were awarded to twelve programs for fiscal year 2021-22, which included 10 school district programs and two literacy associations benefitting directly from the grant. Awards ranged from $25,428.14 to $41,712.57, with amounts based primarily on the previous year’s size of ESL population, performance, and IET participation.  
South Dakota Because of increased State General Funds for Adult Education appropriated during the 2022 Legislative Session, South Dakota’s WIOA Title II Program was compelled to conduct a multiyear grant competition in spring 2022.  By announcing the Request for Proposal on 28 March 2022 (with a 13 May 2022 submission-deadline), the agency ensured that eligible applicants used the same process and had direct, equitable access to compete for these federal funds.  Resultant of the competition, one local provider was awarded the entirety of South Dakota’s Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education pass-through funding.  (While other providers deliver English Literacy and Civics Education, most of these services are considered “activities” rather than full-fledged IELCE “programs” due to the Integrated Education and Training [IET] requirements.)
Tennessee In January 2021, TDLWD published a RFP which announced the availability of funds and the competition requirements for one IELCE grant in Hamilton County, Tennessee (Chattanooga area). After no viable applicants, we renewed our efforts to inform the public about the grant, and then re-announced the competition in June 2021. The awardee was TCAT Athens, our current AE program provider. In PY20, we had six IELCE grants awarded to the areas in the state with the largest numbers of immigrant populations. Most of the IELCE grant funds and student participation were associated with our major metropolitan areas: Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.
Texas PY 21-22 marked the fourth year under a five-year grant cycle, outlined in the last Request for Applications (RFA) that occurred in 2018, with 37 grants being awarded to perform IELCE activities. In the 2018 RFA, applicants were required to apply for and support both 231 and 243 activities. The reason for this approach was to ensure that the large number of Internationally Trained Professionals (ITPs) in Texas had access to IELCE coursework, IET and other career pathway options. Texas’ allocation methodology mimics the federal model in that funds are allocated to the 254 counties on a needs-based formula using factor data. In a state as large as Texas, this means 243 funds divided into county level allocations were small and the need for coenrollment in 231 activities was necessary to ensure services for ITP were robust and included funds for career pathways including the development of integrated education and training models. In a recent review of Texas’ upcoming RFA, OCTAE provided an interpretation of the statutory language that does not allow for this practice to continue. As such, the state will need to consider how best to serve the over 20,000 identified ITPs that currently exist within the AEL provider network and the over 134,000 skilled immigrants in Texas working low paying remedial jobs [1] in some part due to lack of English language fluency.   It is unclear at this time how OCTAE’s recent statute interpretations will affect the implementation of IELCE services in Texas under the next RFA.   [1] Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix. (Washington, DC: Migration Institute, 2016) https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/BrainWaste-Texas-FactSheet-FINAL.pdf
Virgin Islands Currently this is not a funded program offering in the USVI.
Washington We recently completed the open and competitive grant process for the 2022 – 23 year. Twenty-eight IELCE grants were awarded during this cycle. Each provider outlined how they will utilize the funds as described in a budget and match narrative. Since the IELCE grant process aligned with our Master Grant, providers also submitted detailed descriptions of how the programs will offer IELCE instruction and navigation for English Language Learners through our IET pathways.
Wisconsin The WTCS, in cooperation with eligible providers across the state, offers Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) under Section 243 of WIOA, for English language adult learners, including immigrant professionals with degrees and credentials from their native countries. During the 2021-2022 program year, nine AEFLA providers who received funds for these purposes provided instructional services and civics education concurrently and contextualized across the state to meet the need of these adult learners. As part of the IELCE programming, providers used funds under Section 243 to: 
  • Prepare adults with limited English proficiency, including internationally trained immigrant professionals, across the state for placement in unsubsidized employment in high demand industries that leads to economic self-sufficiency. The funds under this section were awarded to providers for the purposes of providing integrated instructional services that targeted occupational skills training that leads to economic self-sufficiency, civics education, digital literacy, workforce preparation, and instruction in English acquisition; and also,
  • Coordinate occupational skills training with the local workforce development system and other local and state providers. In Wisconsin, all funded AEFLA grantees are required to work with their local boards and become familiar with their local planned activities to ensure that adult learners are benefitting from occupational training services that lead to economic self-sufficiency.
During the reporting period, AEFLA participants returned to in-person classes. Some providers still maintained some virtual and/or hybrid learning formats. Providers have reported that lower-level language learners often prefer face-to face classes until they have improved their digital literacy and language proficiency, Providers are also using both in-person and online pre and post testing. AEFLA providers, under section 243, were also able to identify IET opportunities for adult participants within the service area where they resided in the following occupational areas: construction, healthcare, commercial driver licenses, business, childcare, culinary, welding, and manufacturing.  All AEFLA IELCE proposed activities and budgets under Section 231 are reviewed by WTCS staff to ensure that the activities meet all statutory requirements under WIOA. The WTCS held an open competition for providers of adult education under Title II of WIOA during the program year 2020-21. Providers were awarded on a four-year cycle (2021-22 through 2024-25) with updated applications submitted each year for continued funding. The competition resulted in nine funded IELCE providers, with a wide reach of participants and regions across the state. To meet all statutory requirements, funds under section 243 were made available through a competitive grant application process. The competitive grant announcement was shared through posting on the WTCS website and posting it on the state's Public Notices site. All eligible providers were offered the same information and all applications are evaluated using identical scoring criteria. Applications were scored by multiple readers utilizing the published guidelines for scoring. This process meets the requirements specified in Title II of WIOA with every effort made to ensure direct and equitable access.
Wyoming The State ran an IELCE competition in Spring 2020 and had only one applicant, the ACES program at Laramie County Community College (LCCC) in Cheyenne, WY. Consequently, the full $60,000 was awarded to this sole applicant.