Division of Career and Adult Education
Florida Department of Education
July 2021

Adult ESOL Program Information 
Paper

Florida Department of Education
Adult English for Speakers of Other Languages Program Information Paper

This document provides information on the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) Adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program. It is written for administrators, counselors, instructors and other stakeholders.

1.0	STATE AND FEDERAL DEFINITIONS

1.1	Adult ESOL Program/Adult English Language Acquisition Program

State definition: Noncredit English literacy courses designed to improve the employability of the state’s workforce through acquisition of communication skills and cultural competencies that enhance ability to read, write, speak, and listen in English. ESOL means English for Speakers of Other Languages. ESL means English as a Second Language. The two terms are interchangeable.

Federal definition: The Adult English language acquisition program of instruction is designed to help eligible individuals who are English language learners achieve competence in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension of the English language; and that leads to attainment of the secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent; and transition to postsecondary education and training; or employment. The purpose of the Adult English language acquisition program is to assist immigrants and other individuals who are English language learners in: improving their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and comprehension skills in English, mathematics and an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom, and the responsibilities of citizenship. Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II, Section 202, Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA), 2014.           

1.2	Adult ESOL Student/Adult English Language Learner

State definition: Adult ESOL eligible students are those who:

•	Are age 16 years or older and not enrolled in the K12 system
•	Have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent but require specific improvement in order to obtain or maintain employment or benefit from certificate career and technical education programs, pursue a postsecondary degree, or develop competence in speaking, reading, and writing the English language

Federal definition: An English language learner is defined as an adult or out of school youth who:

•	Has limited ability in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding of the English language and whose native language is a language other than English, or
•	Lives in a family or community environment where a language other than English is the dominant language

2.0	ADULT ESOL PROGRAM KEY COMPONENTS

2.1	Recruitment
A high-quality Adult ESOL program will have effective procedures for collecting data on community demographics that identify populations to be served. The USDOE Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) provides research-based resources on recruitment.

2.2	Registration and Orientation
When registering students, programs are required to collect and maintain the following information for each student, per State Board Rule 6A-10.0381 (Registration of Adult Education Students and Enrollment Reporting for Adult General Education Students).

•	Name, permanent address, date of birth, social security number, if available, and Florida student number identifier
•	Whether the student has a high school diploma or equivalent certificate
•	The program of enrollment
•	The course title and course number
 
High-quality Adult ESOL programs will have an orientation process that provides learners with information about the program, goal setting, the purpose and role of assessment, transition to college and/or career, and benefits of regular attendance. Programs with an effective orientation processes have been shown to achieve higher learner persistence and retention rates. The USDOE Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) provides research-based resources on orientation processes.

2.3	Tuition 
Programs are required to charge a block tuition fee in accordance with Florida Statute 1009.22. The block tuition rate is $45.00 bi-annually or $30.00 per semester, not to exceed $90.00 per year. Programs are allowed to waive up to 8% of the total block tuition fees they expect to collect. Community-based-organizations that do not receive adult education funds from the state legislature are not required to charge tuition. 

2.4	Assessment
Programs are required to assess all students in the Adult ESOL program with a state-approved assessment, per State Board Rule 6A-6.014 (General Requirements for Adult General Education Program). The results of the pre-test are used to place students in an educational functioning level (EFL), which is then reported to FDOE. The results of the post-test are used to measure progress. If the post-test scores show the student completed an EFL, the program will report the student has earned a Literacy Completion Point (LCP). Information on the steps to administer tests and provide test results to instructors is provided by the test publisher. Information on FDOE policies can be found in the following:

•	FDOE Adult Education Assessment Technical Assistance Paper
•	FDOE Policies on CASAS Assessments 

2.5	Curriculum Framework
FDOE provides a curriculum framework for each course in the Adult ESOL program on the FDOE Adult Education webpage. Note that FDOE does not provide a comprehensive curriculum specifically tailored to the Adult ESOL program of each local agency in the state. FDOE provides the framework that local agencies may use to build a curriculum that will build the English language skills of their students for personal, educational and workforce training needs. The framework provides the essential standards and competencies that instructors may use to build a high-quality, comprehensive curriculum that includes the following elements, at a minimum: 

•	Personal, educational and workforce training goals students wish to achieve or are expected to have achieved upon completion of the course
•	A description of the scope, sequence and content to be covered in the course 
•	A description of learning strategies and activities to be used when teaching the course
•	A description of the vocabulary and grammar students will learn
•	A list of textbooks, workbooks, online learning platforms, etc., to be used in the course

2.6	Instruction
High-quality programs will provide students with instruction that adheres to the principles of adult learning and language acquisition. The following six principles were developed by the International TESOL Organization as a guide for Adult ESOL instructors in adult education programs:

The 6 Principles of Teaching Adult English Language Learners
1.	Know ​Your Learners
2.	Create ​Conditions for Language Learning
3.	Design ​High-​Quality Lessons for ​Language ​Development
4.	Adapt ​Lesson ​Delivery as Needed
5.	Monitor and ​Assess ​Student ​Language Development
6.	Engage and ​Collaborate within a ​Community of ​Practice

2.7	Instructor Qualification Requirements
High-quality programs will recruit and hire qualified instructors with training in the theory and methodology of teaching Adult ESOL. As per Florida Statute 1012.39 (1)(b), each school district shall establish the minimal qualifications for part-time and full-time teachers in adult education programs. 

2.8	Reporting EFLs and LCPs
Programs are required to report the initial EFL of students based on their pre-test score. After receiving instruction, students are post-tested. If the student’s post-test scores indicate the student completed one or more EFLs, the program is required to report one LCP for each EFL completed. 

Starting July 1, 2020, students enrolled in the Adult ESOL course and in the ELCATE course are placed into two initial EFLs, one in the skill area of reading and one in the skill area of listening. Students can earn LCPS in both skill areas. Programs are required to report all LCPs earned by students in both skill areas to FDOE. If the student’s post-test scores drop to a lower EFL in one or both skill areas, the program will not report that the student is in a lower EFL in that skill area. Once a student has reached an EFL in a skill area, the student cannot be reported into a lower skill area.

2.9	Transition
High quality programs will guide students in mapping their individualized career pathway from their first day in the Adult ESOL program. Successful transition starts with orientation and continues as students take each step forward in the program and on the career pathway of their choice. 

3.0	ADULT ESOL COURSES
The Adult ESOL Program has four courses, all of which are non-degreed and non-credit-earning. The preface notes of the curriculum framework provide complete guidance on each course. 

1.	Adult ESOL: This course provides English language instruction on career and life-skills topics, including math and civics instruction across six EFLs. The Adult ESOL course has the largest enrollment of all adult education course. It is supported with state and federal funds and is reported to the National Reporting System.

2.	English Literacy for Career and Technical Education (ELCATE): This course provides English language instruction on career and life-skills topics, including math and civics instruction at the top two EFLs (5 and 6) of the Adult ESOL course. The course is used by FDOE MIS to indicate that the student is enrolled in an Integrated Education and Training (IET) program, specifically Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) program, Section 243 of the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act of 2014. Students enrolled in this course must be enrolled concurrently in a career and technical education program of study. The ELCATE course is supported with state and federal funds and is reported to the National Reporting System.

3.	Adult ESOL College and Career Readiness: This course is designed for students who have exited the Adult ESOL course and wish to enroll in a post-secondary academic or career and technical education program without needing to take remediation courses. The course is supported with state funds and is not reported to the National Reporting System.

4.	Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL: This course is designed for students who demonstrate emerging literacy skills in their native language through a state-developed Native Language Screening. It provides students with literacy skills in English (reading, writing, speaking, listening) and to enroll in the Adult ESOL course. This course is not reported to the National Reporting System.

3.1	Adult ESOL Course
School District Course Code Number 9900040
College Classification of Instructional Programs Number 1532.010300

3.1.1	Adult ESOL Course Description
The Adult ESOL course provides instruction to English language learners to achieve competence in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension of the English language. The course is designed to lead to attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent and transition to postsecondary education and training or employment, mathematics and an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom and the responsibilities of citizenship. The course has six levels that align to the NRS EFLs. Programs may combine students from one or more levels for instruction.

•	NRS ESL Level 1 – Beginning Literacy (also known as Foundations level in Florida) 
•	NRS ESL Level 2 – Low Beginning
•	NRS ESL Level 3 – High Beginning
•	NRS ESL Level 4 – Low Intermediate
•	NRS ESL Level 5 – High Intermediate
•	NRS ESL Level 6 – Advanced

3.1.2	Adult ESOL Course Pre-test for Placement into Initial EFL
Programs are required to pre-test all students enrolling in the Adult ESOL course on a state-approved assessment in reading and listening within the first 12 contact hours of instructional activity. The following assessments are approved for use in the Adult ESOL course: BEST Plus and BEST Literacy, CASAS and TABE CLAS-E. The pre-test score determines the student’s initial EFL, which serves as a baseline for measuring learning gains. Students enrolled in Adult ESOL are placed into two initial EFLS, one for reading and one for listening.

3.1.3	Adult ESOL Course Curriculum Framework
Digital Technology and Career Planning Standards are provided in the preface to the curriculum framework, while the main section provides the following three core components:
 
•	Adult Basic Education (ABE) Standards
•	English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards
•	Life and Work Skills Competencies

3.1.4 	Adult ESOL Course Post-test for EFL Completion and LCP Reporting
FDOE requires that students enrolled in the Adult ESOL course participate in a publisher-recommended number of hours of instruction between pre-test and post-test. 

•	CASAS: 70-100 hours of instruction
•	BEST Literacy and BEST Plus: 60 hours of instruction
•	TABE CLAS-E: 60 hours of instruction

Upon completion of the recommended number of instructional hours, Adult ESOL students are post-tested in two skill areas, reading and listening. If the student completes an EFL in reading and/or listening, the program reports the student has earned an LPC in the reading and/or listening skill area(s). At times, students may complete more than one EFL in reading and/or listening. When this occurs, the program will report all LCPs earned. If the student’s post-test scores drop to a lower EFL in one or both skill areas, the program will not report that the student is in a lower EFL in that skill area.

3.1.5	Adult ESOL Course Completion
Students complete the Adult ESOL course when they obtain a post-test score that indicates they have completed the highest EFL for the course, NRS EFL 6 (Advanced). It is recommended that students complete NRS EFL 6 in both skill areas, reading and listening.

3.2	English Literacy for Career and Technical Education (ELCATE) Course
School District Course Code Number #9900050
College Classification of Instructional Programs Number 1532.010301

3.2.1	ELCATE Course Description
The ELCATE course provides instruction to English language learners to achieve competence in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension of the English language that leads to attainment of the secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent and transition to postsecondary education and training or employment, mathematics; an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom, and the responsibilities of citizenship. 

The purpose of the ELCATE course is to indicate to the FDOE MIS that the student is enrolled in the IELCE program (Section 243 of WIOA). Students are required to be enrolled concurrently in ELCATE and a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. The IELCE program requires that instruction start and end at the same time and that the instructors collaborate to develop a single set of learning objectives for the students. Programs may select from different models of instruction as described in the FDOE guide for IELCE implementation. 

The course has two levels:

•	NRS ESL Level 5 – High Intermediate
•	NRS ESL Level 6 – Advanced

Students who wish to participate in the IELCE program must test into NRS EFLs 5 or 6 in the Adult ESOL program. Students may come from EFLs 5 or 6 of the Adult ESOL course, but they must first be withdrawn from the Adult ESOL course prior to enrolling in the ELCATE course.

3.2.2	ELCATE Course Pre-test for Placement into Initial EFL
Programs are required to pre-test all students enrolling in the ELCATE course on a state-approved assessment in reading and listening within the first 12 contact hours of instructional activity. The following assessments are approved for use in the ELCATE course: BEST Plus and BEST Literacy, CASAS and TABE CLAS-E. The pre-test score determines the student’s initial EFL, which serves as a baseline for measuring learning gains. Students enrolled in the ELCATE course are placed into two initial EFLS, one for reading and one for listening. ELCATE students must test into NRS ESL Level 5 or 6.

3.2.3	ELCATE Course Curriculum Framework
The ELCATE course curriculum framework is the same as levels 5 and 6 of the Adult ESOL course curriculum framework. The ELCATE framework also consists of three core components, however the component of Life and Work Skills Competencies is substituted for the component of Civics Standards to meet the requirements of the IELCE program. As with the Adult ESOL course, Digital technology and Career Planning standards are also included. 

•	Adult Basic Education (ABE) Standards
•	English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards
•	Civics Standards

3.2.4 	ELCATE Course Post-test for EFL Completion and LCP Reporting
FDOE requires that students enrolled in the ELCATE course participate in a publisher-recommended number of hours of instruction between pre-test and post-test. 

•	CASAS: 70-100 hours of instruction
•	BEST Literacy and BEST Plus: 60 hours of instruction
•	TABE CLAS-E: 60 hours of instruction

Upon completion of the recommended number of instructional hours, ELCATE students are post-tested in two skill areas, reading and listening. If the student completes an EFL in reading and/or listening, the program reports the student has earned an LPC in the reading and/or listening skill area(s). At times, students may complete more than one EFL in reading and/or listening. When this occurs, the program reports all LCPs earned. If the student’s post-test scores drop to a lower EFL in one or both skill areas, the program will not report that the student is in a lower EFL in that skill area.

3.2.5	ELCATE Course Completion
Students complete the ELCATE course when they obtain a post-test score that indicates they have completed the highest EFL for the course, NRS EFL 6 (Advanced). It is recommended that students complete NRS EFL 6 in both skill areas, reading and listening.

3.3	Adult ESOL College and Career Readiness Course
School district Course Code Number 9900051
College Classification of Instructional Programs Number 1532.010302

3.3.1	Adult ESOL CCR Course Description
The Adult ESOL College and Career Readiness (CCR) course is designed for students who have exited the Adult ESOL course and wish to enroll in a post-secondary academic or career and technical education program without needing to take remediation courses. Students enrolling in the Adult ESOL CCR course may have secondary or postsecondary degree(s) and/or credential(s) from another country or the U.S. The course is supported with state funds and is not reported to the National Reporting System.

3.3.2	Adult ESOL CCR Course Pre-test for Placement
Students wishing to enroll in the Adult ESOL CCR course must first take a state-approved assessment (CASAS, BEST Plus, or TABE CLAS-E). Students who have not taken the Adult ESOL course but score above EFL 6 (Advanced) of the Adult ESOL course in reading and listening may also enroll in the Adult ESOL CCR course.

3.3.3	Adult ESOL CCR Course Curriculum Framework
Digital Technology and Career Planning Standards are provided in the preface to the curriculum framework, while the main section provides the following three core components:

•	Academic Standards
•	English Language Proficiency Standards
•	Life and Work Skills Competencies

 The curriculum framework provides local programs with a broad outline of the knowledge and skills that students should learn. The framework is intended to serve as a guide for the instructor. Curriculum coaches and instructors may develop a local scope and sequence that includes additional standards and competencies requested or needed by students.  

3.3.4	Adult ESOL CCR Course Progression 
Programs are not required to use state-approved standardized tests for documenting and reporting progression and learning gains of students in the Adult ESOL CCR course. However, standardized tests are an integral part of a formative and summative assessment system that monitors learning and provides ongoing feedback throughout the course. It is not required that teachers cover all of the standards or to cover them in order. Teachers will determine which standards are necessary to cover in order to fill in skills gaps that their students are shown to have based on testing. Teachers may use professional judgement in covering topics that are relevant to the academic goals of their students.

3.3.5	Adult ESOL CCR Course Completion and LCP Reporting 
The FDOE uses the Adult ESOL CCR Course Progress Report for official state reporting purposes. The Progress Report consists of a list of the course standards. When the student has satisfactorily completed the necessary course standards as determined by the instructor and based on testing, the instructor and program director will sign off on the Progress Report. Once the Progress Report is completed, the program will report to the FDOE that one LCP has been achieved by the student. The program will retain the completed Progress Report (or an electronic copy) in the student’s permanent record for review by the FDOE Division of Career and Adult Education grants monitoring team.

3.4	Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL Course
School District Course Code Number #9900300
College Classification of Instructional Programs Number 1532.010303

3.4.1	Literacy Skills Course Description
Digital Technology and Career Planning Standards are provided in the preface to the curriculum framework. The Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL course develops literacy skills in English language learners who are pre-literate, non-literate, or semi-literate in their first language. 

Types of First Language Literacy and Effects on Second Language Literacy Learning

First Literacy	Explanation	Special Considerations	
Pre-literate	Learner’s first language has no written form. For example, indigenous languages.	Learners need exposure to the purposes and uses of literacy.	
Non-literate	Learners have had little or no access to literacy instruction in their first language.	Learners may feel stigmatized.	
Semi-literate	Learners have had limited access to literacy instruction in their first language.	Learners may have had past negative experiences with literacy learning.	

Levels in the Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL Course
A	Recognizes that pictures represent real life objects and that shapes represent letters; struggles to draw pictures and copy letters
B	Is able to copy letters; struggles to write letters from dictation
C	Is able to read words representing classroom objects; struggles to write words from dictation

3.4.2	Placement into the Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL Course 
To begin the process of identifying students for placement into the Adult ESOL Literacy Skills course, programs will first administer the CASAS Oral Screening. If a student scores five or less on the Oral Screening, the program will next administer the five practice items from form 27. Students who do not have difficulty with the five practice items on form 27 may be given the complete form 27 test. If they do not have difficulty, they are not candidates for the Literacy Skills course. 

Students who have difficulty with the five practice items from form 27 are considered candidates for the Literacy Skills course. To further gauge the student’s literacy skills in their native language, the program will administer the FDOE Native Language Screening (NLS). The FDOE provides the NLS as a tool for placing the student into the course. The NLS screening tool has 29 languages and an administration manual that includes a rubric for scoring and placing the student into one of three levels of the course, A, B, and C. The program will select the NLS assessment in the language of the student from the list of 29 languages and administer the NLS to the student following the directions in the NLS manual. If the language of the student is not on the list, contact the FDOE Office of Adult Education to obtain a translation of the NLS in the student’s language. 

3.4.3	Literacy Skills Course Curriculum Framework
The curriculum framework consists of two components:

•	Literacy Standards: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening
•	Life and Work Skills Competencies in five areas: 
o	Communication
o	Employment
o	Consumer Education and Community
o	Health and Nutrition
o	Transportation

Research studies have been conducted with Florida adult education programs that offer the Adult ESOL for Literacy Skills course. The authors of these studies consisted of university professors, adult education directors and instructors with experience working with pre-literate, non-literate and semi-literate adult English language learners. These studies recommended the following guidance for instructors of the Literacy Skills course:

•	Use environmental print materials for instruction to develop critical pre-literacy skills. Examples of environmental print materials are signs, symbols, labels and logos commonly found in the everyday lives of students. 
•	Provide instructional materials in the classroom that is matched to the pre-literacy skill level of students. Examples are sensory-based (visual, audio, tactile) realia found in the everyday lives of students.
•	Design and use specialized text for practicing reading skills. Examples of specialized text include text that has ample white space around the letters and words and fonts with similar appearance to hand-printed letters. Given that learners with emergent reading skills have been found to focus on the center of pages of print instead of in the upper left corner, start by showing individual letters in the center of the page and progressively move the letters to the upper left corner.
•	Begin writing instruction by using the letters of the student’s own name to tie learning to relevance for the student. Or, start to practice writing by using only the alphabet letters that have all straight-lines, then gradually move to teaching letters that have curves and circles. Be aware that many pre-literate and non-literate adult language learners did not have ample opportunities to develop fine-motor skills that come with drawing figures and shapes in their early childhood.
•	To develop spelling and recognizing commonly-used vocabulary words, focus on cognates and words with strong sound-symbol correspondence.

Resources specifically designed for students enrolled in the Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL Course can be found through the following two websites.

•	Palm Beach County Adult and Community Education provides a literacy resource webpage, iTeach@ACE of PBC, which supports instructors of English language learners with emerging literacy skills. 

•	The Literacy Education and Second Language Learning for Adults (LESLLA) is a worldwide, multidisciplinary organization of researchers, practitioners and instructors that aims to support adults who are learning to read and write for the first time in their lives in a new language and promotes the sharing of research findings, effective pedagogical practices, and information on policy.

3.4.4	Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL Course Progression
Standardized tests written in the English language are designed for Adult ESOL students who are able to read and write in their native language are not appropriate for use with students who are enrolled in the Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL course. Given the fact that students enrolled in the Literacy Skills course have been determined to be pre-literate, non-literate, or semi-literate in their native language, programs should not pre-test or post-test these students with state-approved standardized tests. However, this does not imply that these students should not be tested. Formative and summative assessments that are designed by instructors or other practitioners with experience in designing tests for this population are essential to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback and evaluate student learning. Teachers will use the Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL Course Progress Report to document the progress of their students through the course. The Progress Report consists of standards and competencies from the curriculum framework. When the student has satisfactorily completed the course standards, the instructor and program director sign off on the Progress Report.

3.4.5	Literacy Skills Course Completion and LCP Reporting
Students complete the Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL course when they have satisfactorily completed the course standards listed in the Progress Report. Upon completion of the standards, the instructor and program director will complete and sign off on the Progress Report. The program reports one LCP for each level (A, B, or C) completed by the student and retains the completed Progress Report (or an electronic copy) in the student’s permanent record for review by the FDOE monitoring team. 

Upon completion of the Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL course, students should be prepared to transition to the Adult ESOL course. To enroll the students who complete the Literacy Skills for Adult ESOL course, the program will use the procedures for pre-testing and placement into the Adult ESOL course. 

4.0	PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES FUNDED BY FDOE 
The following three state leadership agencies are funded by the FDOE through federal grants to provide professional development opportunities to adult education practitioners.

•	Adult and Community Educators of Florida, Inc. (ACE)
o	Provides professional development through annual conferences and follow-up trainings on topics of statewide significance. Disseminates information on legislation.

•	Florida Institute for Professional Development of Adult Educators (IPDAE)
o	Provides online professional development opportunities for adult education instructors.

•	Florida Literacy Coalition (FLC)
o	Promotes, supports and advocates for the effective delivery of quality adult and family literacy services in Florida. Special emphasis is placed on assisting community-based literacy organizations with their training and program development needs.

5.0	STATE BOARD RULES, STATUTES, FEDERAL LAWS

•	Florida Statutes:
o	1004.02 (Definitions of Adult General Education)
o	1004.93 (Adult General Education)
o	1012.39 (Instructor Certification)

•	Florida Administrative Code: 
o	6A-6.014 ( General Requirements for Adult General Education Program) 
o	6A-10.0381 (Registration of Adult Education Students and Enrollment Reporting for Adult General Education Students) 

•	US Department of Education Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE)
o	
For questions related to this paper, please contact Phil Anderson, Adult ESOL Program Specialist, at Philip.Anderson@fldoe.org or 850-245-9450.

WIOA Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act, Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II, Section 202, 2014