Adult education and literacy programs in the United States provide the foundational skills that adults and youth need in order to pursue further education and career opportunities; ensure physical, socio-emotional, and financial well-being for themselves and their families; and participate fully in community life. Programs may include instruction in one or more of the following areas:

• Basic skills in reading, numeracy, writing, and digital skills for adults who experienced limited or interrupted formal schooling, or have development needs in these skill areas
• English oral communication and reading/writing for speakers of other languages (ESOL)
• High school equivalency test preparation (for example, GED preparation) and adult secondary completion (for example, the National External Diploma Program)
• Family literacy
• Citizenship test preparation and Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE)
• Workforce preparation and integrated education and training (IET)

To make program participation possible and effective for adults managing the competing demands of family, workplace, and education, many adult education programs also provide one or more of the following wraparound services:

• Flexible scheduling
• Job and career counseling
• Child care
• Transportation

Adult Education Systems

In the United States, adult education is structured at the state level, with each state, plus the inhabited territories and the District of Columbia, determining how administration and oversight will be handled and how funding will be allocated. For example, the adult education office may be housed within the K-12 education department, or within the community college or technical college division, or within the labor department’s workforce development agency.

For a directory of state adult education directors and offices, visit the Directory of Adult Education State and Territory Directors on the website of the National Association of State Directors of Adult Education.

Adult education courses and programs can be provided by a variety of organizations, including community colleges, school districts, community centers, community-based nonprofits, and adult secondary schools. Providers range from formal programs with salaried professional teachers and staff to community-based organizations that offer basic literacy classes in conjunction with housing, job counseling, and other social supports, to all-volunteer tutoring taking place through community centers and houses of worship.

To find adult education programs by city and state, visit the National Literacy Directory.

Federal Support for Adult Education

The federal government supports adult education through three main initiatives: the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Higher Education Act, and the Carl T. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V).

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

Higher Education Act and Pell

Perkins V and CTE

The federal government’s primary investment in career and technical education (CTE) comes through the Carl T. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. This act was reauthorized in 2018 as the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (SCATE), and is commonly known as Perkins V (“Perkins Five”) because it is the fifth iteration of this law.

The Perkins Act defines its purpose as “to develop more fully the academic knowledge and technical and employability skills of secondary education students and postsecondary education students who elect to enroll in CTE programs and programs of study.“ The law is intended to promote state-level development and implementation of career and technical education pathways that are articulated from the secondary to the postsecondary level and align with in-demand occupations identified by employers and other state-level stakeholders. A CTE program of study must integrate academic and technical content, align with state standards for the secondary level, and end in attainment of a postsecondary credential.

Aspects relevant to adult education:

• CTE programs provide opportunities for learners to participate in concurrent enrollment, in which they complete postsecondary courses while still working toward high school completion. This opportunity is available to qualified learners who are pursuing a high school equivalency through GED, National External Diploma Program, or other equivalency option.
• Section 3 of Perkins V proactively includes a significant percentage of participants in adult education by adding to the law’s purpose “increasing the employment opportunities for populations who are chronically unemployed or underemployed, including individuals with disabilities, individuals from economically disadvantaged families, out-of-workforce individuals, youth who are in, or have aged out of, the foster care system, and homeless individuals.’’

For more information on Perkins V, visit the websites of Advance CTE and the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE).