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Volume 4 , Issue 2

Summer 2004

The Adult Learning

Network is a

quarterly publication

of the Arkansas

Adult Learning

Resource Center.

Learning Disabilities Policy & Procedure Manual

Approved by DWE Board

The

Arkansas Adult Education and Literacy Policy & Procedure Manual

for Serving Students with Learning Disabilities and/or Attention

Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

was approved as state policy by the

Department of Workforce Education Board on April 1, 2004. The AALRC

Learning Disabilities Policy Committee recommended that the manual be

submitted to the DWE Board as a result of this year’s Office of Vocational

and Adult Education’s focus on states’

development of cross-agency

policies to better serve adults with learning disabilities. The board

reviewed the manual in March 2004 and voted unanimously to approve it

following a presentation on April 1 by Garland Hankins, Janice Hanlon,

and Patti White.

The manual was first disseminated to all Arkansas adult education and

literacy programs in September 1999. It is comprised of policies and

procedures regarding all aspects of program accessibility for adults with

learning disabilities and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)

from the point of intake through completion of student goals. It also in-

cludes a number of sample forms regarding confidentiality procedures

and referrals, as well as an accessibility checklist. All policies are based

on federal disability laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of

1990, the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the

Family Education

and Rights to Privacy Act of 1974.

To ensure compliance with the policies stated in the manual, all programs

must have:

1. Accessible services for all people with learning disabilities and

AD/HD, including enrollment, instruction, and testing;

2. A designated ADA Coordinator;

3. Public notice of accessibility on all program forms, brochures, etc.;

4. An accessibility grievance policy;

5. Self-evaluation of accessibility completed and documented;

6. An accessibility transition plan completed and documented;

7. Accommodated instruction provided for students with documented

learning disabilities and AD/HD;

Continued on page 3

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Adult Learning Network

Tuition Reimbursement

Program

Contact your Program Advisor at the

Adult Education Section or Marsha Tay-

lor at the AALRC for more information

on this program. Reimbursement is ap-

plicable to courses taken for Adult Edu-

cation Licensure ONLY! This form is

available on the AALRC website

(www.aalrc.org).

Remember: (1) The application form

must be submitted to the AALRC 10

working days before class begins. (2)

Your class grade and receipt of pay-

ment must be received within 30 days

of class ending.

AALRC Staff

Director

Marsha Taylor

___________________

Secretary

Toccara Handy

Administrative

Assistant

Wanda Johnson

Professional

Development

Coordinator

Nancy Loftis

Media

Coordinator

Klaus Neu

Information

Technology

Specialist

Rob Pollan

Disabilities

Project

Manager

Patti White

Professional Development News

There is a new requirement: Appli-

cants must provide documentation

that the class will count for adult

education licensure.

For a list of courses available in

adult education, please contact:

Arkansas State University

Jonesboro

Dr. David Agnew

(870) 972-3943

University of Arkansas

at Fayetteville

Dr. Buddy Lyle

(479) 575-5119 or

(479) 575-4578

University of Arkansas

at Little Rock

Dr. Charlotte Robertson

(501) 569-8933

University of Central Arkansas

Conway

Dr. Sherry Roberts

(501) 450-5431

Math Subcommittee - July 1 & July 16

Professional Development Team -

July 8 - 10 a.m.

Wage Procedures Committee - July 8-9

EFF Pilot - August 6 - 10 a.m.

WAGE Advisory Board -

August 20 - 9:30 a.m.

Upcoming Training Events

Committee Meetings

Remember that AACAE is October 28-29 at Hot Springs Convention

Center. That is a great opportunity for professional development.

Rotation Training

July 27-29

ESL-Laubach Training

September 9-10

October 14-15

ESL Institute

July 19-21

Payne/Jordan

Session 4 – October 4

Session 5 – December 6

Learning Disabilities Training &

Dissemination

Session 1 – July 12-13

Session 2 – July 22-23

NOTICE:

If you are unable to attend a workshop you have registered for, please

contact the AALRC as soon as possible. Participants are often placed on

waiting lists because workshops fill up. If you find that you cannot attend

a workshop and you call ahead, this gives us time to notify wait-listed

participants that they can attend.

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Adult Learning Network

Professional Development Updates

Learning Disabilities Policy & Procedure Manual Approved by

DWE Board

8. An accommodation process documented for each student with documented learning

disabilities and AD/HD;

9. A copy of the

GED Practice Test

on audiocassette;

10. Staff trained on in-house referral methods for students with documented learning

disabilities and AD/HD;

11. Staff trained on screening for learning disabilities;

12. Program procedures that ensure compliance with the

Family Education and Rights to

Privacy Act, including

all confidential information in locked files with monitored access only;

13.

Release of Confidential Information

forms on program letterhead; and

14. Annual submission of a tracking report to the AALRC’s Disabilities Project Manager

(currently under revision).

The DWE Adult Education Section will establish procedures for ensuring program compliance

with the policies listed above.

The policy manual is available online at

http://aalrc.org/html/ld/polmanual.htm

. If you have any

questions regarding the manual, please contact Patti White, Disabilities Project Manager,

800.569.3539 or

prwhite@madisoncounty.net

.

Continued from page 1

Professional Development Needs Assessment completed - THANK YOU!

The response to the Needs Assessment was tremendous. A total of nearly 300 teachers, ad-

ministrators, tutors, volunteers and paraprofessionals sent in surveys. The Needs Assess-

ments have been tallied. The top five areas of need as determined by the combined adult edu-

cation and literacy council personnel are as follows:

1. Instructional Strategies – the overwhelming favorite

2. Instructional Technology

3. Software Applications

4. ESL

5. Job Market Readiness

Professional Development Team

The Professional Development (PD) Team has a meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 8, 2004

at the Resource Center. We will spend that time evaluating last year’s PD activities and plan-

ning for the upcoming year.

New AALRC Training in July

The AALRC is offering a 3-part training July 27-29, 2004. Part 1 is Instructional Strategies for

GED Math; Part 2 is Technology; Part 3 is not yet determined. All three components will be

conducted simultaneously and repeated each day for three days. Participants can choose to

attend any or all of the components. There is a total of 18 hours of professional development

possible for participants who attend all three days of training. To register for this workshop,

call

Wanda Johnson or Nancy Loftis at 800.832.6242.

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Adult Learning Network

Disability News

Resources from the National Center of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL)

NCSALL recently published a number of reports and research briefs for adult education programs, avail-

able free from

http://ncsall.gse.harvard.edu

. One valuable resource is a new interactive website for

adult education practitioners called

Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles

,

(

http://www.nifl.gov/readingprofiles/

) a tool designed to assist adult education teachers in diagnosing

reading difficulties. Students are matched with a reading profile derived from the Adult Reading Compo-

nent Study and given information that highlights strengths and weaknesses of learners. There is a mini-

course on assessment and instruction of reading components, downloadable tests and word lists, refer-

ences, and links to research. The mini-course includes a section on phonemics, including information

about the auditory test used to determine the level of phonemic awareness of the students in the re-

search. All of this information would be helpful in providing more effective instruction for students who

may have reading disabilities.

To find websites with helpful tools and

resources for working with adults with

learning disabilities, go to

http://ldlink.coe.utk.edu/teacher_tutor.html

.

Also, Jan Robertson of Malvern Adult

Education recently submitted the follow-

ing website as a good source of free

graphic organizers for students with learn-

ing disabilities working on writing essays:

http://www.teach-nology.com

.

Free Talking Magazine for People with Dyslexia

The latest

LDA Newsbriefs

features an article about

Choice Magazine

Listening

, a free service for any adult U.S. resident who is unable to

read standard print due to a vision impairment or other disability, including

dyslexia. This service, offered by the non-profit Lucerna Fund since 1962,

compiles unabridged articles, short stories and poetry from publications

such as

The New Yorker,

the

New York Times Magazine, National Geographic,

Esquire, Gourmet, Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian

, and many more. The 8-hour tapes are compiled bi-

monthly, and require a 4-track tape player for listening, available free, on permanent loan for people

with documented disabilities, from the Library of Congress’ Talking Book program.

To get a free subscription, call Choice Magazine Listening at 888.724.6423 or visit their website at

http://www.choicemagazinelistening.org

. Be sure to let them know if you need the cassette player.

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Adult Learning Network

Tech

Talk

Coming Soon

The AALRC website

(http://www.aalrc.org)

is being revamped to ac-

commodate users with disabilities. It will allow those with visual impair-

ments to use screen readers to browse the site and will break barriers

for many people with disabilities. Our updated website will be a model

for others to follow and it will be Bobby Approved. For more information

on the Bobby accessibility standards go to

http://bobby.watchfire.com/

bobby/html/en/index.jsp

.

The changes also bring the website into compliance with the State of

Arkansas Accessibility Standards and the Technology Investigation

Center's Standards for Equivalent Access as required by Act 1227 of

1999 of the Arkansas Legislature. If you have questions about access-

ing or navigating state government pages, please contact

info@ark.org

.

Note: To link to any web address (URL) in this newsletter, go the

AALRC's home page at http://aalrc.org, look up this newsletter,

and then just click on the appropriate link.

AALRC

Advisory

Committee

Charlotte

Robertson,

Chair,

Little Rock

Emily Barrier,

Little Rock

Harriet Branch,

Monticello

Dubs Byers ,

Pine Bluff

Sharon Ellis,

Fort Smith

Jennifer Hurst,

Pine Bluff

Lloyd Huskey,

Little Rock

Steven Lilly,

Lonoke

Trece Shepherd,

Helena

George Stegall,

Texarkana

Nancy

Whitmire,

Batesville

Viruses

Many of you have experienced the new viruses in the last few months.

Doing one simple thing can prevent many of these infestations: Go to

http://microsoft.com

and click on Windows Update to download all the

latest CRITICAL updates.

You may have to install some patches separately, which will require

you to reboot. Don't forget to go back to Windows Update, after you

have rebooted, to complete the necessary updates. Continue this proc-

ess until all CRITICAL updates have been applied. Microsoft has fixed

many security holes in Windows, Internet Explorer, Outlook and Out-

look Express that new viruses will try to exploit. But if you have all of

your computers updated, you will be safe from new viruses that try to

exploit old security flaws.

Anti-Virus

Also be sure to run an anti-virus program on your workstations. You

can get AVG Anti-Virus (

http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php

) for

free and it works well. For a good online virus scanner go to

http://housecall.trendmicro.com

and click on "Scan Now. It's Free!"

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Adult Learning Network

New Software

Is your site planning on purchasing new software. Check with us for edu-

cational pricing on just about any software title. You can save a bundle on

anything from Windows XP upgrades to CorelDraw. Email Rob Pollan at

rob@aalrc.org

for more information

.

Adult Education

Advisory Council

Sharon Ellis, Chair,

Fort Smith

Diane Shores,

Vice-Chair,

Helena

Marsha Taylor,

Secretary,

Little Rock

Patricia Bates,

El Dorado

Dubs Byers,

Pine Bluff

Pat Collins,

Russellville

Ashli Fortune,

Stuttgart

Lloyd Huskey,

North Little Rock

Steven Lilly,

Lonoke

Becky Linsky,

Hot Springs

Paulette Martin,

Little Rock

Sheri Rogers,

Arkadelphia

Flora Simon,

Dumas

Billy Upson,

Texarkana

Ruth Ann

Williams,

Conway

Peggy Weir,

Pocahontas

Phishing -

What is Phishing.

Phishing attacks use “spoofed” e-mails and fraudulent websites with the

attempt to trick unsuspecting Internet users into divulging confidential per-

sonal information such as credit card numbers, account usernames and

passwords, social security numbers, etc. By hijacking the trusted brands

of well-known institutions, phishers are able to convince a small percent-

age of recipients to respond to them.

Many scams will have a legitimate looking website active for only a few

hours, and once they receive their stolen information, they take them off

line to avoid being caught. Some emails claim that certain services such

as your electricity, phone, Internet access, etc. will be cut off if you don't

provide them with the urgently needed information.

How do I protect myself.

Be vigilant out there, never give out any unsolicited information regard-

less of how real or how important the message seems to be. If you are in

doubt, ignore the email or website and call customer service to verify the

situation. Most companies have a very strict policy of not requesting such

information by these methods. Be sure to pass the word to any relatives

that have computer access. Knowledge of these scams are our best

weapons.

If you suspect someone of phishing, report it to the FTC at

http://www.ftc.gov

Another good website for reporting phishing is

http://www.antiphishing.org/report_phishing.htm

For more information on

phishing go to

http://www.antiphishing.org

.

Tech

Talk

System Restore

Many times after removing viruses, your computer will be reinfected after

reboot. This can happen on computers using WindowsME and Win-

dowsXP that use the System Restore function. For more information on

disabling System Restore, go to

http://download.nai.com/products/

mcafee-avert/SystemHelpDocs/DisableSysRestore.htm

.

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Adult Learning Network

Cultural Diversity Celebrated in Jonesboro with

Even Start and Adult Education Program

CCCUA Adult Education and DeQueen Even Start Partnership

Cited for Best Practices Report

Continued on page 8

Department of Workforce Education Names New Deputy Director

North Central Jonesboro Even Start Program has had a year of wonderful learning experiences

with the many cultures that have been enrolled in its program. Rarely does it happen that so

many countries are represented in one group. This year we have had families from Morocco,

Iran, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Throw a Bulgarian aide into the mix and a program

manager whose roots come from Norway and quite a blend of language and customs come to-

gether. Throughout the year, participants commented frequently how there is a “sense of one

family” even with this mixture. To celebrate this diversity, Even Start prepared a Multi-cultural

Fair week. Families were asked each day to bring some of their culture to the Early Childhood

classroom and share their country with the Even Start children around a globe at circle time. On

Friday, families displayed what they had brought to show the children with the adults enrolled in

the Adult Education classes. Lots of good food was also shared. The event was supposed to

last for about an hour but it lasted for over 2 hours. The adult education students were encour-

aged to ask questions of the Even Start families so that the Even Start participants could prac-

tice their English speaking skills. It was such a great event that we were asked many times

how we could top it next year.

Mr. French has served as a legislative liason for Governor Mike Huckabee since 2003. From

1997 to 2002, he was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives serving Drew and

Lincoln counties. During the 2001 legislative session, Mr. French served as House Chair of the

Joint Budget Committee and was a member of the Revenue and Taxation and Agriculture and

Mr. George French of Hot Springs Village, a for-

mer state representative and educator, has been

named as Deputy Director of Adult Education for

the state Department of Workforce Education.

He replaces Garland Hankins, who is retiring af-

ter serving as deputy director since 1991. Ac-

cording to Dr. Steve Franks, Director of the De-

partment of Workforce Education, Mr. French

will be responsible for overseeing the state’s

adult education system. “I am excited about join-

ing the department in this key position,” Mr.

French said.

Mr. George French: “I look forward to

working with the many dedicated adult

educators and literacy providers that we

have here in Arkansas.”

The Adult Education Department has been identified as an outstanding program nationwide for their

partnership with the DeQueen Even Start program. As a result, on April 27 Ms. Shirley D. Lewis came to

observe classes in both the 3-and-4-year-old Even Start classrooms and the Pilgrim-Cossatot Learning

Center adult education classroom. Following her observations in similar classrooms across the country,

Ms. Lewis will compile a Best-Practices report as part of the Even Start Classroom Literacy Interventions

& Outcomes Study (CLIO).

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Adult Learning Network

Continued from page 7

Department of Workforce Education Names New Deputy Director

Economic Development legislative committees. Mr. French was also a member of the Educa-

tion Committee and was an ex-officio member of the Arkansas Blue Ribbon Commission on

Public Education.

As a lawmaker, Mr. French received several commendations, including the Arkansas Municipal

League Distinguished Service Award in 2001, and the Arkansas Timber Producers Associa-

tion’s Legislator of the Year Award in 1999 and 2001. He was also honored with the Arkansas

Municipal Police Association Appreciation Award in 1999.

Mr. French holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Arkansas State University in

Jonesboro. For over 30 years, he worked in the Trumann, Osceola, and Monticello school dis-

tricts as a teacher, coach, and administrator.

“Mr. French will continue to build upon the outstanding leadership that the program has been

given the past 14 years by Garland Hankins,” said Dr. Franks. “Literacy and low educational

levels are still a challenge in Arkansas. Providing a quality adult education program is vital for

the economic development of the state and gives individuals the opportunity to improve their

quality of life through economic self-sufficiency. George French has a proven record of public

service which will allow him to lead the adult education program in a very effective manner.”