Adult Literacy Education Spring 2020 - Research Digest - Are Transitions a Sufficient Goal for ABE Students or Programs?

Oct 15, 2026

Research Digest examines whether “transitions” function as a sufficient goal for adult basic education (ABE) students and programs. It reviews U.S. Department of Education interpretations of Title II under WIOA, highlighting how funding priorities shape program operations and emphasize career and economic outcomes. The digest traces the evolution of policy connections between literacy and employment, including literacy as “capital,” and considers how earlier standards framed basic skills beyond employment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages7

Reading Time18 min

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Research Digest: Are Transitions a Sufficient Goal for ABE Students or Programs?

WIOA and Title II Priorities

Policy Evolution: Literacy, Employment, and Standards

Limits and Uses of “Transition to” in ABE Standards

ADULT LITERACY EDUCATION Spring 2020 Research Digest Are Transitions a Sufficient Goal for ABE Students or Programs? Bob Hughes, Seattle University, and Christine Knighton, Highline College Reading the Federal Register announcement (U.S. Department of Education, 2016) of Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) offers a glimpse ofWIOA’s priorities. These priorities are important because they drive funding allocations for adult basic education in the nation; and that funding, in turn, determineshow funded programs operate in order to receive that funding. As the largest funder of adult basic education (ABE) in the nation, providing over $600 million through its Basic Grants to States (U.S. Department of Education, 2019), WIOA drives ABE policies and practices. A review of the announcement on Title II showshow much the concept of transitioning beyond basic skills has become critical. The phrase“transition to” is repeated 46 times throughout the document and is clarified with language that brings the importance of transitions to the forefront. Basic skills learners attend classes not as an end, but rather as a point that takes them forward to something else, as noted in this explanation: WIOA retains and expands the purposes of AEFLA [Adult Education and Family Literacy Act] . Under WIA [the legislation that WIOA supersedes], AEFLA aimed to help adults improve their educational and employment outcomes, become self-sufficient, and support the educational development of their children. Under WIOA, AEFLA’s purposes have been expanded to include assisting adults to transition to postsecondary education and training, including through career pathway programs. Further, WIOA formalizes the role of adult education in assisting English language learners to acquire the skills needed to succeed in the 21st-century economy. (U. S. Department of Education, 2016, Subpart A—Adult Education General Provisions 463 .1, p. 55529) The shift described above should not be overlooked. The unapologetic emphasis is on education for learners’ economic gains. While WIOA-funded ABE can support parenting development, civic engagement, and other ancillary outcomes, transitions for economic impact provides a significant focus. Basic skills have become primarily about “transitioning to” to benefit learners’ career and economic needs. The connection between literacy and employment is not new, however. As Bannon (2016) shows in her analysis of adult literacy in the 1960s, the Adult Education Act (part of Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) was passed into law in 1966 as a follow up to the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act, and it was connected to Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. She argues that during this era, the notion of literacy for economic benefit gained hold as the idea of literacy as “capital” became more entrenched in the thinking and policies that accepted that: Correspondence: Bob Hughes, [rhughes@seattleu.edu](rhughes@seattleu.edu); 66 Christine Knighton, [cknighton@highline.edu](cknighton@highline.edu) An individual’s character is defined by that person’s possession of the abilities to read and write. Literacy is capital, a marker of status, as are cars, clothes, and other material goods that signify one’s economic standing. Illiteracy, by contrast, signifies little education, poverty, low-paid work, all of which in turn signify immorality, bad citizenship, and dependence. (Bannon, 2016, p. 319) Much of what now exists has evolved into commonly accepted and believed values that now define policies and practices. Over the past 25 years, especially, that evolution has been driven by adoption of national and state standards that changed focus. As recently as 2000, though, there was a more complex purpose for basic skills beyond being a springboard for employment and economic advancement. At that time, the Equipped for the Future (EFF) Content Standards of 2000 formed the basis for many s

FAQs

What does the WIOA Title II announcement suggest about ABE priorities?

Reading the Title II announcement highlights WIOA priorities that drive funding allocations for adult basic education. That funding then shapes how funded programs operate.

How has the role of “transition to” changed within ABE policy and practice?

The digest shows the concept of transitioning beyond basic skills becoming increasingly critical. Under WIOA, adult education purposes expand to include transitions into postsecondary education, training, and career pathways.

How are literacy and employment connected in the historical development of adult education?

The document explains that literacy for economic benefit gained traction through policies linking education to employment outcomes. It references analyses portraying literacy as “capital,” associated with status and economic standing.

Oct 15, 2026

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