Adult Literacy in Connecticut:
How Contextualized Learning Can Bridge the Skills Gap
Background
In today’s society, basic literacy skills are essential to lead a productive and sustainable life. Literacy not
only increases success for an individual in the workforce, it also has a lasting impact on the greater
community and future generations to come.
Recent studies show that thirty million Americans
currently do not possess the necessary skills to perform
everyday literacy-related tasks.i The consequences of lowliteracy among adults extend beyond the struggle of
finding meaningful employment. Individuals faced with
this obstacle are more likely to be impoverished, become
involved with the justice system, and have higher health
care costs.
Between crime, government welfare assistance, and inefficient output within the workplace, low
literacy costs the nation $225 billion dollars annually.ii This is more than the 2013 budget for the United
States Departments of Labor, Homeland Security, Education, Agriculture, and Health & Human Services
combined.iii While efforts have been made to alleviate this issue, continued support and broadening of
these efforts are essential to the growth of the Connecticut workforce.
Adult Literacy in Connecticut
Connecticut is profoundly affected by the gap in adult literacy. According to the 2012 American
Community Survey, 10% of Connecticut residents over the age of 25 do not possess a high school
diploma or equivalent certification.iv Additionally, 20% of Connecticut’s population does not have the
literacy skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century workforce. Most impacted by this epidemic are
the urban areas of Connecticut. The city of Hartford, for example, maintains a 65 to 70% illiteracy rate
among its population.v The literacy struggle in urban areas may be attributed in part to language
barriers, due to the fact that 47% of Hartford residents speak a language other than English at home and
21% identify as speaking English “less than very well”. vi
In addition to adult illiteracy, studies demonstrate a correlation between the education gap and securing
employment.vii The unemployment rate for people in Connecticut with less than a high school diploma
was 23.8%; for people with a high school diploma it was 10.2%.Both of these rates are significantly
higher than for those with some postsecondary education (9%) or a bachelors’ degree (4.4%).viii
Reports in Connecticut indicate that businesses across the state need workers with basic skills in reading
and math, as well as transferable skills. These skills include problem-solving, team work, decisionmaking, and specific occupational skills. Based on the status of adult literacy and education within the
state, Connecticut employers feel that skills necessary for occupations within their field are not being
met by the potential workforce. In the absence of workers with job-ready skills, positions go unfilled.
Furthermore, small businesses, which drive our economy, cannot find the workers needed and do not
have the resources to hire and train people to fill these positions.
Existing Efforts to Improve Adult Literacy
The importance of education has dramatically increased since
the recession.ix In fact, approximately 66% of jobs created by
2018 will require some post-secondary education.x As such, lack
of basic literacy skills creates a difficult path to higher
education. Based on the need for post-secondary degrees,
certifications, and relevant job skills, adult literacy services are
vital to the success of Connecticut’s future workforce.
Existing programs aiding adult learners within Connecticut
include Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Equivalency
Diploma (GED), English as a Second Language (ESL), and Community College Continuing Education.
Adult Basic Education programs provide adult learners with the opportunity to improve basic reading,
writing, and math skills in effort to prepare individuals for a high school completion programxi; such as
the General Equivalency Diploma. The GED Program allows adult learners to complete high school
education requirements and pursue higher education opportunities, as well as, training for a successful
career. Programs such as English as a Second Language offer individuals the opportunity to develop
English language skills, such as speaking, listening, reading, and writing.xii By obtaining these basic
proficiencies, non native-English speakers have the chance to advance educationally and professionally.
Over 26,000 individuals are served annually in these types of programs through adult education
programs overseen by the State Department of Education and supported with federal, state and local
funding.
Currently, Connecticut colleges and universities offer over 40 ESL programs to non-English speaking
adults.xiii Furthermore, higher education institutions throughout the state offer continuing education
programs for adult learners. The Connecticut Community College system provides such programs to
support non-traditional students through a degree program, based on their specific circumstances.xiv
While Adult Basic Education, General Equivalency Diploma, English as a Second Language, and
Community College Continuing Education programs exist as a means to support adult learners, more
needs to be done to close the growing skills gap throughout the state.
Public Act 12-40 was enacted to support students in the transition from secondary to higher education.
The new act requires remedial support within an entry-level course of a college program and bridge
programs to improve college readiness for certain students. xv Moreover, Public Act 12-40 requires
public high schools, the Connecticut State University system, and community colleges to align
curriculum in order for students to develop mathematic and language arts skills within the state
standards of college readiness.
Public Act 13-121 was enacted to support college transitional
programs for adult learners.xvi It allows adult education programs to
offer college preparation classes/bridge programs and assistance with
enrolling into a higher education institution to students with high
school diploma, or its equivalency. Such legislation supports the
success of adult learners throughout Connecticut and provides
opportunity for the Connecticut General Assembly to strengthen
public policy pertaining to college readiness.
Educational experts have identified teaching in context, also known as contextualized learning, as an
effective strategy to accelerate a student’s path from education to employment. The purpose of these
strategies is to help a student learn or improve their basic skills while also teaching the technical skills to
prepare them for employment.
Efforts have been made to advance contextualized learning throughout Connecticut. The most well
known example of a contextualized learning strategy is Washington State’s Integrated Basic Education
and Skills Training (I-BEST) Program. The program was developed in response to studies that indicated
that students were unlikely to complete a long-term basic skills class and then successfully transition to
college level vocational programs. The I-BEST model challenges the traditional notion that students must
first complete adult basic education or ESL before moving to college level course work that leads to a
post-secondary certification.xvii
In Fiscal Year 2012-2013, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) invested $240,000 in
Program Improvement Project (PIP) grants specifically to implement I-BEST programs.xviii In addition, the
Connecticut Department of Labor is overseeing nearly $3 million in state funding to pilot I-BEST
programs within the Jobs First Employment Services Program.
Moving Forward
Investing in adult literacy is essential to the growth of Connecticut’s workforce and economy. The
Campaign for a Working Connecticut calls on the state to continue and expand its investments in
innovative models to meet the needs of adult learners. Successful and promising programs such as
contextualized learning and bridge programs should be supported statewide to ensure all adults have
the training and education needed to succeed.
This fact sheet was designed by the Campaign for a Working CT (CWCT) which provides policy and
advocacy support to the Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford.
The CWCT shares an aligned vision: to promote the state’s economic competitiveness through the
development of sustainable, effective workforce solutions to increase workers’ skills and advance
families to self-sufficiency. The CWCT works to accomplish this goal through a unique and diverse statewide coalition, which includes education and training providers, workforce investment boards,
advocates and chambers of commerce. For more information about the Campaign for a Working CT
contact Alice Pritchard at 860.247.6090 ext. 107 or [email protected]. Visit the website at
http://www.cwealf.org/cwct/
i
U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education Statistics. (2003). National assessment of adult
literacy. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/naal/kf_demographics.asp
ii
Read to Grow Inc. (2013). Effects of low literacy. Retrieved from https://www.readtogrow.org/Content/Literacy_
Info_and_Statistics.asp
iii
U.S. Government Printing Office. (2013). Budget of the United States government. Retrieved from
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=BUDGET&browsePath=Fiscal Year 2013&searchPath=Fiscal Year
2013&leafLevelBrowse=false&isCollapsed=false&isOpen=true&packageid=BUDGET-2013-BUD&ycord=100
iv
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. (2012).Elected social characteristics in the United States more information 2012 American
community survey 1-year estimates. Retrieved from http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk
v
Hartford Public Library. (2013). Capital region adult literacy partnership. Retrieved from http://www.urbanlibraries.org/capital-region-adultliteracy-partnership-innovation-344.php?page_id=96
vi
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. (2012).Elected social characteristics in the United States more information 2012 American
community survey 1-year estimates. Retrieved from http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk
vii
Education, Job Openings, and Unemployment in Metropolitan America, Rothwell, Jonathan, Brookings, August 2012.
viii
CT Department of Labor December 2013 presentation to CT Employment and Training Commission.
ix
Workforce Strategy Center. (2013). Promoting workforce and adult literacy alignment in the greater Hartford region. Accelerate Success.
x
The Basic Economic Security Tables for Connecticut, Wider Opportunities for Women, 2012
http://www.wowonline.org/documents/BasicEconomicSecurityTablesIndexforConnecticut2012_000.pdf
xi
Manchester Adult and Continuing Education. (n.d.). Adult academic programs. Retrieved from
https://www.manchesteradulted.org/CourseCatalog/categoryView.asp?ID=238
xii
Capital Community College. (n.d.). English-as-a-second- language (esl) program. Retrieved from
http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/eslProgram.htm
xiii
ESLgold. (n.d.). Connecticut schools and esl programs. Retrieved from http://www.eslgold.com/connecticut.html
xiv
Manchester Community College. (n.d.). Continuing education. Retrieved from http://www.mcc.commnet.edu/continuing/
xv
Connecticut General Assembly, (2012). An act concerning college readiness and completion (Public Act 12-40)
xvi
Connecticut General Assembly, (2013). An act concerning adult education and transition to college (Public Act 13-121)
xvii
Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. (2012). Accelerate success –the power of together. In Retrieved from
http://www.hfpg.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/Public/2012_Annual_Report_HFPG.pdf
xviii
Connecticut Employment and Training Commission, Career Advancement Committee. (2013). A review of contextualized learning and its
importance to career advancement for adults in Connecticut: a report to the ct employment and training commission