WHEREAS, on July 25, 1991, the Congress of the United States enacted P.L. 102-73, referred to as the National Literacy Act of 1991, Federal Public Law (hereinafter the "NLA"); and

WHEREAS, the public interest of the citizens of the State of New[Jersey requires that the State shall do all that is or may be required to secure for the State the benefits of federal appropriations under the Adult Education Act, P.L. 102-73, as amended by the NLA for all purposes specified therein; and

WHEREAS, the NLA provides for the establishment of a State advisory council on adult education and literacy; and

WHEREAS, coordination and cooperation between the various State agencies can be enhanced by a policy development and oversight body that is independent from the various State agencies and departments and the day-to-day operation of adult education and literacy programs; and

WHEREAS, improving family literacy to enable parents to be effective first teachers and support their children's educational progress and achieving universal literacy by the year 2000 are national goals developed by the President and the Governors of the 50 states; and

WHEREAS, New Jersey has recently passed legislation permanently establishing the State Employment and Training Commission (hereinafter the "Commission") with a broad mandate to develop and assist in the implementation of a State employment and training policy that will create a coherent, integrated system of employment and training programs; and

WHEREAS, the implementation by the Commission of its responsibility for overall coordination of employment and training programs must include adult education and literacy programs as a vital component of the State's employment and training policy; and

WHEREAS, coordination and cooperation between the Commission and the State's advisory council on adult education and literacy will strengthen the State's capacity to maintain a suitable climate for continued economic development by meeting the needs of industry for a workforce fully trained in modern and emerging technologies; and

WHEREAS, this coordination can best be achieved by creating an advisory council and establishing procedures that will ensure an effective working relationship between the council and the Commission as well as with agencies and departments;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JAMES J. FLORIO, Governor of the State of New[Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

1. There is hereby established the State Council on Adult Education and Literacy (hereinafter referred to as the State Council) which shall:

(a) meet with the State agencies responsible for adult education and literacy training during the planning year to advise on the development of a State plan for literacy and for adult education that fulfills the literacy and adult education needs of the State, especially with respect to the needs of the labor market, economic development goals, and the needs of individuals in the State;

(b) advise the Governor, the State Departments of Education and Higher Education, and other State agencies concerning:

(1) the development and implementation of measurable State literacy and adult education goals consistent with section 342(c)(2) of the Adult Education Act as amended, especially with respect to:

(i) improving levels of literacy in the State by ensuring that all appropriate State agencies have specific objectives and strategies for such goals in a comprehensive approach;

(ii) improving literacy programs in the State; and

(iii) fulfilling the long-term literacy goals of the State;

(2) the coordination and monitoring of State literacy training programs in order to progress toward the long-term literacy goals of the State; (3) the improvement of the quality of literacy programs in the State by supporting the integration of services, staff training and technology-based learning and the integration of resources of literacy programs conducted by various agencies of State government; and

(4) the development of private sector initiatives that would improve adult education programs and literacy programs, especially through public-private partnerships;

(c) review and comment on the plan submitted pursuant to section 356(h) of the Adult Education Act as amended and submit such comments to the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Commissioner of Education;

(d) measure progress on meeting the goals and objectives established pursuant to paragraph (b) (1) above;

(e) recommend model systems for implementing and coordinating State literacy programs for replication at the local level;

(f) develop reporting requirements, standards for outcomes, performance measures, and program effectiveness in State programs that are consistent with those proposed by the Federal Interagency Task Force on Literacy;

(1) approve the plan for program reviews and evaluations required in section 352 of the Adult Education Act, as amended, and participate in the implementation and dissemination of such program reviews and evaluations;

(2) advise the Governor, the State Legislature, the State Employment and Training Commission, and the general public of the state of the findings of such program reviews and evaluations; and

(3) include its comments and recommendations in any report of such evaluations;

(g) promote family literacy by working with the Department of Education to develop programs to get parents involved in their children's education and opportunities for parents to receive literacy training at school sites;

(h) report to the Governor on the extent to which the individuals who are members of special populations are provided with equal access to quality adult education and literacy programs; and

(i) make recommendations to the Governor on ways to create greater incentives for joint planning and collaboration between the adult education system and the job training system at the State and local levels; and advise the Governor, the State Board of Education, the State Employment and Training Commission, the Commissioner of Education, and the Commissioner of Labor regarding such evaluation, findings and recommendations.

2. The chairpersons of the Commission and Council shall analyze and organize the current work and structure of their respective bodies to assist the activities and functions of the State Council and to facilitate a collaborative framework for addressing lifelong learning and workforce readiness issues.

3. The Council shall be composed of the Governor or his designee, representatives, appointed by the Governor, of the Department of Higher Education, Department of Education, Department of Human Services, Department of Commerce, Department of Labor, Department of Community Affairs, and the Department of Corrections and a minimum of fifteen, and maximum of twenty-five individuals appointed by the Governor who shall be broadly representative of citizens and groups within the State having an interest in adult education and literacy, including representatives from the following:

(a) public and private elementary, secondary and higher education;

(b) public and private sector employment;

(c) recognized State labor organizations;

(d) private literacy organizations, voluntary literacy organizations, and community-based literacy organizations in the State;

(e) representatives of:

(1) the State job training agency;

(2) the State Library program

(3) the economic development agency;

(4) teachers who have demonstrated outstanding results in teaching children or adults to read; and

(5) individuals who have participated in, and programs.

(f) In making appointments to the State Council, appropriate representation should be given to urban and rural areas, women, persons with disabilities and racial and ethnic minorities, and due consideration shall be given to those persons who serve on a private industry council under the Job Training Partnership Act or on State councils established under other related federal acts and to those persons who are members of the State Employment and Training Commission and who possess the qualifications necessary to serve on the State Council.

(g) Members, other than State agency representatives, shall serve for terms of three years, except that, of the initial appointees pursuant to this Executive Order, one-third of the members, shall serve for terms of one year; one-third of the members shall serve for terms of two years; and the remaining members shall serve for terms of three years. The term of any member of the State Council who is also a member of the Commission shall be the same as his or her term on the Commission. Any individual appointed to fill an unexpired term shall serve for the unexpired portion of the term.

(h) Two co-chairs of the Council shall be designated by the Governor from among the Council's members.

4. The functions of the State Council shall be in accordance with Section 332 of the Adult Education Act, as amended by P.L.[102-73 and consistent with P.L. 1989, c. 293 and the State Council shall be assigned in, but not of, the Department of Education.

5. The State Council is authorized to apply for and receive funds under the Adult Education Act to obtain the services of such professional, technical and clerical personnel as may be necessary to enable it to carry out its functions under the Adult Education Act (P.L. 102-73) pursuant to section 331(c) and section 332(a)(2). The State Council is also authorized to apply for other funds to carry out its functions under this Executive Order.

6. The State Council shall meet as soon as practicable after certification has been accepted by the U.S. Secretary of Education. The time, place and manner of meeting, as well as State Council operating procedures and staffing, shall be as provided by the rules of the State Council, except that such rules must provide for not less than one public meeting each year at which the public is given an opportunity to express views concerning the adult and literacy education programs of the State. One number more than one-half of the members on the Council shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transmitting recommendations and proposals to the Governor, but a lesser number of members may constitute a quorum for other purposes.

7. This Order shall take effect immediately.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal, this
29th day of October in the Year of Our
Lord, One Thousand Nine Hundred and
Ninety-Two and of the Independence
of the United States, the Two Hundred
and Seventeenth.

/s/ James J. Florio
Governor

Attest:

/s/ M. Robert DeCotiis
Chief Counsel