Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Interagency Coordinating Group for Adult Literacy?
The Interagency Coordinating Group for Adult Literacy (ICG) is comprised of 14 federal agencies (see ‘Member Agencies’ page) with the shared goal of coordinating federal adult education & literacy efforts across the 14 agencies. The ICG is expanding literacy services to adult learners across the Untied States by leveraging federal investments in literacy across programs. In undertaking this task, the ICG is exploring various public/private partnerships, reducing duplication of effort, sharing best practices and research, and assisting states in maximizing the federal investment in literacy. Every member of the ICG has programmatic resources to support literacy and adult education.

What does the Group do?
The group meets on an as needed basis. At the first meeting of the ICG, the members expressed interest in four areas: soliciting input from the business sector about future workforce literacy needs; focusing on the literacy needs of out-of-school-youth as they prepare for work and continuing education; developing a coordinated research agenda for adult literacy; and enhancing state and local awareness of federal resources.

What has happened as a result of the first meeting?
Four activities were immediately initiated: 1) Creating this website, with the goal of providing the public with a “one-stop” site for literacy information; 2) Listing major foundations that support literacy activities; 3) Providing a directory of federal resources that support literacy; and 4) Providing a guide for developing partnerships (anticipated in Fall, 2007).

Members of the group also participate in various cross-agency initiatives such as the Shared Youth Vision, a multi-agency initiative led by the Department of Education, Labor, Justice and Health and Human Services with the goal of assisting states in streamlining youth programming.

How were the members of the Interagency Coordination Group chosen?
The ICG for Adult Literacy was formed in December 2005 in response to preliminary findings from the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). Members were chosen by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and represent the 14 federal agencies with administrative responsibility for literacy programs and services.

Where can I get a copy of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)?
The full, comprehensive NAAL report is scheduled for release late this summer, however, preliminary findings are available online the National Center for Education Statistics web page, http://nces.ed.gov/naal/. Information on the study design, implementation and sample questions are also available on the website.

How can I find an adult education or literacy class near me?
The America's Literacy Directory (ALD) is a service brought to you by the National Institute for Literacy and its partners, the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, and Verizon. The directory can be found at: www.literacydirectory.org. The ALD covers all 50 states and the U.S. territories. It includes literacy programs for adults, children, and families. You can also search the ALD for volunteer opportunities in your neighborhood.

I know of an organization that supports adult education and literacy but they are not listed in the Foundation Directory.
While we tried to gather a comprehensive list of foundations that have funds that can be used for adult education and literacy, there may be organizations that were missed. If you have any information to add to the Foundation Directory, contact us at InteragencyCoordinatingGroup@ed.gov.

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