Rhode Island Department of Education Celebrates Adult Education and Family Literacy Week

Published on Tuesday, September 17, 2024

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) today recognized National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, which is held from September 16 through 20, 2024. The week emphasizes the importance of adult education and family literacy initiatives in order to empower individuals with the skills needed to improve their career opportunities, support their children’s education, and contribute to the overall economic and social wellbeing of Rhode Island.

“Adult learners play a vital role in the fabric of Rhode Island life,” said Governor Dan McKee. “They are our colleagues, neighbors, families, and friends and have much to contribute to the state economy with the skills they are building through adult education programs. Whether it be reading, math or workforce development, I commend Rhode Island’s adult learners for their hard work, especially during this important week.”

“We are committed to supporting all of our Rhode Island students, whether they are part of our K through grade 12 school system or adult learners seeking to continue their education in order to achieve their highest potential,” said Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “During Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, and every week, we strive to make education more accessible for everyone. Our adult learners play a key role in every facet of modern society – and we must continue to invest in their goals.”

Rhode Island Adult Education, a program operated and supported by RIDE, offers learners skills and credentials for employment, citizenship, and family and community leadership. Classes offered include reading and mathematics, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), high school certificate/GED, job skills training and citizenship. The courses are offered in-person, online or hybrid at various locations across the state and in partnership with local programs. 

“As an adult educator, I believe in the power of lifelong learning,” said 2024 Rhode Island Adult Educator of the Year Donna Moise. “Every student comes with their own story, and it is our role to support, guide, and inspire them to reach their full potential. Education is a pathway to new opportunities, and I am honored to walk that path with my students. We look forward to celebrating and sharing resources with the greater Rhode Island community during this Adult Education and Family Literacy Week.”

RIDE-funded adult education providers work with more than 6,000 Rhode Islanders each year to develop academic and English language skills foundational to success in career and educational pathways. In FY23-24, the statewide network of providers served 6,321 adult learners, the highest number since 2011.

Rhode Island's adult education network has consistently been the highest performing among all New England states, and exceeded the national median, as measured by the percentage of adult learners who demonstrate a skill gain within a program year. Apart from a dip in outcomes experienced nationwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic in FY20-21, Rhode Island has had the highest rate of Measurable Skill Gains (MSG) in the New England region for more than a decade. MSG are a federal reporting indicator based on the number of adult learners who demonstrate a skill gain on a standardized test, by passing one or more of the official GED subject exams, or by completing an industry-recognized credential, among other kinds of gains. Of the learners enrolled in FY23, more than 4,000 were working on improving their English language skills, 984 were enrolled in job training programs, and 195 adult learners completed their high school equivalency.

National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week comes as RIDE launches a statewide campaign to build awareness about the availability of adult education programming to support adult Rhode Islanders in achieving their educational and career goals. The outreach campaign, which includes transit and radio ads, was made possible in part by Rhode Island's $5 million investment of State Fiscal Recovery Funds (SFRF) in adult education in the FY22-23 state budget. SFRF, which consists of COVID relief funding disbursed over three fiscal years, is supporting a suite of adult education initiatives designed to build equitable access to programming. In addition to the outreach campaign, SFRF investment supports regional Adult Education Information Centers, where prospective learners can drop in to get individualized support with finding programs that best suit their needs and begin the enrollment process. SFRF funds have also allowed local providers to update equipment and devices used for digital literacy and distance instruction, and to expand core services to respond to unmet demand. 

In August, RIDE received a $40 million federal grant to improve literacy skills for students, with a particular focus on accelerating learning amongst multilingual learners (MLLs) and differently-abled students. The grant is the largest competitive literacy award RIDE has received since Race to the Top and is double what the agency received in 2019. Further, RIDE recently announced $5 million in funding for local education agencies (LEAs) to hire and provide high-quality curriculum professional development for instructional coaches in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics. 

Throughout the week, RIDE will be sharing information about adult education programs and highlighting the EnrollRI website which includes program locations, resources, and more. Visit our pages on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to view the content, and visit enrollri.org/adulted for a complete dashboard of information. 

###