Some of the adults are learning to read and write. Others are improving their reading abilities, and others are completing their high school work and are graduating.

Instruction is free to all adults. The workbooks are the only cost and that is very little.

There are a few openings to enroll in the class already organized. other adults wants to enroll, another class can be organized.

If enough

If you know of such adults who have less than a high school education, please advise them of the above information.

Thanking you for this service, I am
Sincerely,

Principal.

SUGGESTED LETTER TO BE SENT BY SCHOOLCHILDREN TO PARENTS AND NEIGHBORS OF SCHOOLCHILDREN

(Date)

School are

DEAR FOLKS: The principal and faculty of making available an opportunity for adults 19 years and older to return to school.

One or more classes will be organized for adults to attend classes at night, twice a week.

You will have the opportunity to increase your education from learning to read and write to the completion of high school.

You will be taught individually, thereby allowing you to progress as fast as you can learn.

Last year the 10,000 adults who returned to school achieved 2% grades each during the year. You can do this, too.

on

To inform you with more details about this schooling, a general meeting will be held at at the School. If you have not completed your high school education you will be interested in this meeting. Please come and tell your neighbors about the meeting if they do not have a child in school.

With personal regards, I am
Sincerely,

Principal.

SUMMARY OF QUESTIONNAIRE SUBMITTED BY TEACHERS OF ADULTS IN THE LOUISIANA ACADEMIC EDUCATION PROGRAM AS TO TEACHING MATERIALS WITH WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN MOST SUCCESSFUL; ALTHOUGH MANY OTHER GOOD MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE, THOSE LISTED APPEARED MOST FREQUENTLY AS BEING USED IN THIS AREA, 1961-W CCC

1. Working With Numbers Refresher___ The Steck Co.

2. Modern Practice, General Mathematics
3. Rowe-Peterson Arithmetic___

4. Algebra, book I...

(The 5th Frequency was tied by a large
number too numerous to list.)

Advanced, 10, 11, and 12:

1. Working with Numbers Refresher____
2. A Second Course in Algebra_---
3. Refresher Arithmetic Workbook....
(The list for the other 2 all tied for 4th
and 5th frequencies too numerous to
list.)

Primary, 1, 2, 3, and L4:

1. Our Language_

LANGUAGE

2. Talking and Writing_.

3. Starting English Right__

4. I Want To Read and Write___

Do.
Rowe-Peterson.
The Steck Co.

Do.

Heath & Co.
Allyn & Bacon.

The Steck Co.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Results, by parishes, of the 1960-61 annual evaluation reports in adult education,

Source: The above information taken from the annual reports submitted by teachers of adults.

Mr. PERKINS. Are there any further questions?

Mr. BRUCE. No.

Mr. Dowden, I think you are to be congratulated in taking the initiative at the State level in this type of program. However, I still think we have a conflict as far as the allocation of Federal funds is concerned under the existing law.

Mr. DOWDEN. We will appreciate any assistance that we can get from the national level.

Mr. PERKINS. Thank you very much, Mr. Dowden. I feel that you, personally, made a contribution to the committee in coming here from Louisiana and giving us this picture.

We have with us now, Dr. Howard M. McClusky of the University of Michigan and Mrs. Germaine Krettek, director, Washington office, American Library Association.

We will let the lady be recognized first.

Identify yourself for the record and then proceed and then the gentleman will immediately follow you.

STATEMENT OF MRS. GERMAINE KRETTEK, DIRECTOR, WASHINGTON OFFICE, AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

Mrs. KRETTEK. Mr. Chairman, I am Germaine Krettek and I am director of the Washington office of the American Library Association. I know that you are pressed for time so I would be pleased if my full statement could be made a part of the record and I would like to read parts of it.

Mr. PERKINS. It will be made a part of the record at this point, unless there is some objection from a member of the subcommittee. There is no objection, so proceed.

(The statement follows:)

STATEMENT OF GERMAINE KRETTEK, DIRECTOR, WASHINGTON OFFICE, AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

My name is Germaine Krettek. I am director of the Washington office of the American Library Association, a nonprofit, professional association of more than 25,000 members, consisting of librarians, trustees, and friends of libraries interested in the development, extension, and improvement of libraries as essential factors in the educational program of our Nation.

The American Library Association endorses the purpose of H.R. 10191, a bill to assist in providing necessary instruction for adults not proficient in basic educational skills in order to achieve the higher levels of education demanded by industry, agriculture, commerce, and national preparedness. The need for such a national program is imperative.

Our association has had a longstanding record of experience and participation in adult education and is naturally interested in any effort to raise the educational level and increase the reading ability of the large segment of our population, numbering approximately 8.3 million, who are over 25 years of age and have had less than 5 years of education. The association agrees wholeheartedly that it is urgent to close this gap in our educational status. It believes also that public libraries, together with the public schools, can be a powerful agency in this effort.

The public library exists for the purpose of assisting all citizens, regardless of educational background, to acquire knowledge, culture, and information, including that needed for improving competency on the job. It cannot wholly achieve that objective if a sizable and significant portion of our people can either read nor write, or can do so only at a very low grade.

The public library is in a particularly favorable position to aid those who will acquire new or increased reading skills under the bill. The public library has

books and other printed materials at all reading levels and on all subjects. It has staff members who are expert in the selection of materials and in rendering reading advice to these newly literate persons. It is freely available to all without charge, and is an institution which can be used voluntarily. The public library has a present and future role in assisting in the program for advancing the reading skills of those persons now deficient in them. Only the lack of funds can hamper its contribution.

That the public library is no stranger to this problem of improving reading skills may be demonstrated by these examples out of many: The Knoxville, Tenn., Library, last summer, made available its Burlington branch to the "learning to read" project for a summer classroom; the librarian of the South End branch of the Boston Public Library, with the help of the Harvard Language Research Institute, has begun a 24-week course instructing adult migrants from Puerto Rico in English.

These experiments and those of other agencies working in this area have shown that programs of teaching reading to adults fail if the student does not afterward continue to read with enjoyment and profit. His resource for such material is apt to be the public library. Yet librarians working with adults of limited reading competency know that insufficient materials exist to meet the needs of the newly literate person. Within the past few years the Brooklyn Public Library has carried on several projects to try to identify appropriate material. Tests of existing titles with adult elementary classes of the board of education have revealed the dearth of appealing but easy-to-read adult materials. ALA's publication, "Books for Adult Beginners," has gone through three editions; a further revision is necessary but may not be forthcoming in the near future because studies show a lack of suitable new books.

The problem thus goes beyond that of the so-called teaching aid, manual or textbook. In order to encourage reading beyond the formal instructional course, readable trade books, high in interest, completely adult in approach, reflecting a variety of subjects, but simple in vocabulary, must be developed.

In view of its experience with adult programs which aim to instruct in and improve reading skills, the public library can and, we believe, should make a constructive contribution to the proposed program to improve adult basic educational skills. In order to do so, however, the American Library Association recommends amendments to the bill as follows:

Section 2, line 2, insert after "instruction": "and providing library materials and services."

Section 4 (b), insert a new (2): "Assist in establishment of pilot projects by local public libraries relating to the provision of library materials and services which will meet the needs of adults described in section 2."

Change present (2) and (3) to (3) and (4).

Line 3, add to new (3) "the cost of local public library programs for provision of library materials and services; and"

Line 6, insert after "agency": "and the State library extension agency". Section 4 (c), insert new (5): "provides for cooperative arrangements between the State educational agency and the State library extension agency for provision of library materials and services needed to raise the basic educational level of adults."

Section 5, insert after "system": "or public library system."

Section 6(b), insert as (6) "the term 'State library extension agency' means the official State agency charged by State law with the extension and development of public library services throughout the State."

Insert as (7) "the term 'public library' means a library that serves free all residents of a community, district, or region, and receives its financial support in whole or in part from public funds."

In addition: Section 3(a)(1) of the proposed legislation provides for the development of materials for use in "instructing adults described in section 2." The association would assume that this might be interpreted to include trade books for necessary self-instruction beyond the course of instruction. If, however, it is not to be so broadly interpreted, the association would recommend the insertion of a phrase such as the following in section 3(a) (1) after the words "section 2" on line 21 of page 2: "and for the development of other adult materials essential for the continued and satisfactory use of reading skills."

The association has avoided repeating the justifications for the passage of this important legislation which have been given by other witnesses. It is our firm opinion that every citizen should be able to read intelligently and should have 82112-62---13