ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how funders’ accountability measures, particularly those relating to employment, shape family literacy programming. These measures complicate, and potentially undermine, the primary goal of helping parents support their children’s educational development. First, the chapter traces the ascendance of accountability in adult basic education and family literacy. The authors then examine two consequences of accountability: the shift toward employment and “creaming” (selecting students who are most likely to meet program performance standards). Next, the chapter describes how family literacy programs are incorporating employment-related topics and reviews the available data on employment outcomes for adult participants. The chapter concludes with implications for family literacy programming.
