| Senate Marks Up Welfare Bill |
The Senate Finance Committee approved a welfare reauthorization last week by a vote of 13-8. The bill, not yet numbered and drafted only as an outline, provides level funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, and continues funding TANF supplemental grants and the contingency fund. The outline does not show a superwaiver proposal. The Senate bill would require states to have 70 percent of their welfare recipients engaged in work by FY 2007. Recipients would work 30 hours a week, as opposed to the 40-hour requirement in the House bill. The Senate bill broadens activities counted as work to include expanded vocational education and job search, and time-limited rehabilitative services such as substance abuse treatment. No date yet for Floor consideration. See http://finance.senate.gov/press/pr062502.pdf |
| KY Doing More With, well?More |
Our recent site review in Kentucky turned up something interesting: plenty of state staff--35 to be exact--working on adult education. The Kentucky Department for Adult Education and Literacy, part of the Workforce Development Cabinet, has three divisions. These include the Workforce Investment, Program Services and Management Services Divisions. The first two assign specialists to each of six administrative regions in the state, providing technical assistance and support for workplace literacy and adult education programs respectively. The management group keeps things running. This staffing pattern provides plenty of contact praised by local providers in the state?s 120 mostly rural counties. The Cabinet has a unique partnership with the Council of Postsecondary Education (CPE) for policy oversight to smooth the transition from adult education to postsecondary. Adult education enrollments are up 23% over the last two years and GEDs are up 11% for 2001. Contact cheryld.king@mail.state.ky.us |
| Are We Closing the Digital Divide? |
Folks with less education, those in rural areas, and minority individuals are gaining computer access, says recent research summarized in the Washington Post. UCLA researchers found that in 2000, 60.4% of adults responding who had not completed high school said they used the Internet, but 64.8% of them said they used it in 2001. Internet use by high school grads increased from 53.8% to 59.5% in that period. A US Commerce Department study showed that in 2001 more than half of the total population--and a similar portion of the rural population--had Internet access. A Pew Research Center analysis showed that in 2000 Internet access for African-Americans spiked 13% to 36%, while the number for whites grew 8% to 50%. The divide still exists when measured by income, according to the Commerce Department analysis, especially if only home access is counted. UCLA researchers say there are significant differences in the skill levels of new users and those already online. See http://www.washingtonpost.com. Click on Technology and search for ?digital divide.? |
| FL Has Email Newsletter on LD |
If your learners have learning disabilities, take a look at Florida?s new email newsletter on the subject for new tips and pointers. Discussion includes implementing Bridges to Practice, using assistive technology and addressing learning disabilities of limited English speakers. See http://www.floridatechnet.org/bridges/newsltr8.pdf |
| No Shop Talk |
No Shop Talk in July! Tune in on August 1. |
This page last modified—July 4, 2002 (cd).
