Literacy defined:
Literacy is popularly understood as an ability to read, write and use numeracy in at least one method of writing, an understanding reflected by mainstream dictionary and handbook definitions. Starting in the 1980s, however, literacy researchers have maintained that defining literacy as an ability apart from any actual event of reading and writing ignores the complex ways reading and writing always happen in a specific context and in tandem with the values associated with that context. The view that literacy always involves social and cultural elements is reflected in UNESCO's stipulation that literacy is an “ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts.” Modern attention to literacy as a “context-dependent assemblage of social practices” reflects the understanding that individuals' reading and writing practices develop and change over the lifespan as their cultural, political, and historical contexts change.] For example, in Scotland, literacy has been defined as: “The ability to read, write and use numeracy, to handle information, to express ideas and opinions, to make decisions and solve problems, as family members, workers, citizens and lifelong learners.”
Such expanded definitions have altered long-standing “rule of thumb” measures of literacy, e.g., the ability to read the newspaper, in part because the increasing involvement of computers and other digital technologies in communication necessitates additional skills (e.g. interfacing with web browsers and word processing programs; organizing and altering the configuration of files, etc.). By extension, the expansion of these necessary skill-sets became known, variously, as computer literacy, information literacy, and technological literacy. Elsewhere definitions of literacy extend the original notion of “acquired ability” into concepts like “arts literacy,” visual literacy (the ability to understand visual forms of communication such as body language, pictures, maps, and video), statistical literacy, critical literacy, media literacy, ecological literacy, and health literacy.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy [retrieved 2020-05-14]
Functional literacy can be divided into useful literacy, informational literacy and pleasurable literacy. Useful literacy reflects the most-common practice of using an understanding of written text to navigate daily life. Informational literacy can be defined as text comprehension and the ability to connect new information presented in the text to previous knowledge. Pleasurable literacy is the ability of an individual to read, understand, and engage with texts that he or she enjoys. In a more-abstract sense, multiple literacy can be classified into school, community, and personal concepts. These categories refer to an individual's ability to learn about academic subjects, understand social and cultural contexts, and learn about themselves from an examination of their own backgrounds.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy_in_the_United_States [retrieved 2020-05-14]
Proliteracy - https://proliteracy.org/
This organization was formed in 2002 as the merger of Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America.
Laubach Literacy International was founded in 1955 by Dr. Frank C. Laubach, a former missionary in the Philipines. Dr. Laubach took his adult literacy work to 105 countries. In 1963, his son, Dr. Robert Laubach, started New Readers Press. New Readers Press is now a leading resource for adult literacy materials with more than 400 titles available for adult learners and teachers.
Literacy Volunteers of America was founded in 1962 by Ruth J. Colvin. Colvin was inspired by Dr. Laubach. In 1962, she started Literacy Volunteers of America in her basement and worked with reading experts to develop a means to train volunteers to tutor adults.
Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL) in the US Department of Education - https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/index.html
The Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL) is the federal agency within the US Department of Education (DOE) which administers programs that help adults get the basic skills they need including reading, writing, math, English language proficiency, and problem-solving to be productive workers, family members, and citizens. They provide funds to states for adult education and literacy programs. The amount each state receives is based on a formula established by Congress. States, in turn, distribute funds to local eligible providers to develop, implement and improve adult education and literacy activities. Individuals and local providers should check with their state offices for more information on how to obtain funding for adult education and literacy programs.
The agencies in Louisiana are listed here: https://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/la.html
National Coalition for Literacy - https://national-coalition-literacy.org/
The National Coalition for Literacy is an alliance of the leading national and regional organizations dedicated to advancing adult education, family literacy, and English language acquisition in the United States. Through collaborative efforts with other advocacy organizations and individuals, NCL ensures that leaders and legislators at the national level make informed decisions about policies, regulations, and funding for adult education and family literacy.
As a result of the National Literacy Act of 1991, the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) was created to provide national leadership on adult literacy through improved communication and information exchange. Eight literacy groups were formed to develop standards for creating a national literacy communication and dissemination system and a pilot system for literacy was first launched in August 1994. The pilot system was developed into the Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS). LINCS was designed to organize and promote resources within the field of adult education and serve as a central repository for information.
NIFL established the LINCS discussion lists in 1995 in order to increase access to electronic information for adult educators, provide a forum for discussion of adult literacy-related policy, and connect the work of NIFL with the field. The discussion lists developed into a means to share research, knowledge, resources, and professional development opportunities. In addition, four regional centers were created in 1995, and known today as Regional Professional Development Centers (RPDCs). The RPDCs were reconceptualized in 2016 to form the LINCS Professional Development Center to provide the adult education field with technical assistance, professional development, and information dissemination around the use of LINCS resources. The first comprehensive evaluation of LINCS was conducted by NIFL in 2005 and included an examination of LINCS activities, resources, and infrastructure.
In 2010, LINCS was transferred to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education. NIFL ceased operations on September 30, 2010.
Source: https://lincs.ed.gov/about/history-of-lincs [Retrieved: 2020-05-26]