Massachusetts-Specific Info

The Civic Center on E-Square — Public Policy Advocacy by Adult Learners (ALRI)
www.sabes.org/technology/esquare/
Put together by the Adult Literacy Resource Institute, this Web resource includes a "virtual visit" to the Massachusetts State House, information about the legislative process in Massachusetts, information for immigrants, and advice to practitioners on how to prepare adult learners for talking with their legislators.

Lesson Plans: Educating Students About the Budget Crisis (ALRI)
www.alri.org/budgetlessons
From SABES Boston/ALRI comes a handy set of five lessons which combine to provide an excellent introduction to the role of individuals and communities in the political process generally, and to the current Massachusetts budget quandry specifically.

Massachusetts FY2007 Adult Basic Education Factsheet (MCAE)
www.sabes.org/resources/mcae-fy2007-factsheet.pdf  
A fairly recent compilation of the basic demographics, needs, and recommendations for adult literacy services in one state. (Two-page PDF.)

Massachusetts Budget Crisis: Who Hurts? Who Pays? (Teacher's Guide)
www.sabes.org/resources/fy03budgetguide.htm
Drawing from materials produced by United for a Fair Economy, this resource provides a good gloss on our current tax structure and related inequities, with several interwoven classroom-based activities. The necessary companion piece is the Participant Handout Packet (a 20-page PDF document).

Massachusetts State Senators and Representatives by City and Town
www.state.ma.us/legis/citytown.htm
Get those phone numbers, addresses, e-mail usernames, and directions to the State House and start making contacts! To learn your voting ward and precinct, go to the state's address locator search engine.

MCAE Tips'n'Scripts for Calling Your State Legislators
The Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education has composed summaries of background information and advocacy points to convey: one summary for program staff; one for adult students; (Spanish version); one for union leaders, activists, and members, and one for everybody else (community leaders, business leaders, friends, relatives, and neighbors; Spanish version). We also have a basic "call to action" available both in Spanish and in Portuguese. Go forth and dial those phones!

Responding to the Budget Cuts: Lessons for the Classroom (World Education)
www.sabes.org/resources/fylesson.pdf  
This 15-page Portable Document Format (PDF) handout contains an accessible description of the adult literacy budgetmaking process in Massachusetts, along with exercises for learners and tips for teachers.

Other Background Info

Adult Education Facts at a Glance (USDOE/OVAE)
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/aefacts.html
The US Department of Education has put together a distillation of facts and figures on participation in adult literacy, health and literacy, English literacy, workplace education and forth.

ESL Resources: FAQs (CAELA)
www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/faqs.html
The Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA, formerly NCLE) has compiled an extensive set of frequently asked questions and related information.

Facts and Statistics (NIFL/LINCS)
www.nifl.gov/lincs/facts_statistics/facts_statistics.html
The National Institute for Literacy site offers several factsheets of note (health and literacy; libraries and literacy), as well as some basic advocacy blurbs of possible use.

Hold a Meeting with an Elected Official — "The Accountability Session" (Midwest Academy)
http://www.midwestacademy.com/meo_intro.html
From one of the nation's premier "schools" devoted to training community organizers comes this handy guide to bringing actions for change directly to your legislator's door.

National Assessments of Adult Literacy (NAAL)
nces.ed.gov/naal
The complete 2003 nationwide survey (finally released in December 2005), along with the often-referenced reports and data sets from the 1992 and 1985 NAALs.

"New Skills for a New Economy: Adult Education's Key Role in Sustaining Economic Growth and Expanding Opportunity" (MassINC)
www.massinc.org/publications/reports/New_Skills/nsne_campaign/report_intro2.html
Published in December 2000, this report clearly and succinctly makes the case for greatly expanded and improved adult literacy services to benefit the general livelihood of individual citizens, to nurture and amplify the common good, and to better position Massachusetts as a desirable location for new businesses.