This executive
order has been amended by Order No. 77 (Florio)
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
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