The Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) represents the system of 55,000 adult educators in the United States. It is organized to advance national and international adult education and literacy opportunities for all persons.

The purpose is to promote adult education and literacy programs, including Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, English for Speakers of Other Languages, Family Literacy, Skills Development, Workforce Development, and other state, federal, and private programs which assist undereducated and/or disadvantaged adults to function effectively. COABE also runs the award winning "Educate and Elevate" national public awareness campaign. 

This year's conference theme is "Unmask Your Potential." LNY interim Executive Director Kathy Houghton is presenting on Partners in Adult Literacy Education. Here is the description: In today’s era of tightening budgets, cutting staff positions, and shrinking programs, volunteers are often an underutilized, untapped resource in adult literacy education. Literacy New York programs have been training, placing, and supporting volunteers for 60 plus years—and seeing positive results for students and programs. This workshop is about envisioning multiple ways to use volunteers in adult education—and recognizing what needs to happen behind the scenes for volunteer programming to be effective. We’ll “unmask” the potential for success when adding volunteers to adult literacy programming!

Sue Hensley-Cushing, Director of the Capital North Regional Adult Education Network (RAEN), is presenting on Getting Teachers and Students Ready for the Reality of the TABE 11/12 along with Sherri Lattimer of the Hudson Valley RAEN. According to the session description, the new TABE 11/12 adds an extra layer of difficulty for adult education test-takers and programs. The format of the test requires the test-taker to be adept with additional test-taking formats. The presentation will provide strategies to help teachers and students achieve success.

Ann Marie Przybyl, Director of the WEST RAEN will present on Teaching Writing to Adult English Language Learners—Exploring  the CAELA Training Guide. CAELA has developed a free 5-hour workshop designed to increase skills in teaching process writing to ESL students based on promising practices. In this workshop, we will review the curriculum, practice some of the participant activities, and discuss how both teachers and trainers might use the Guide.

Resources from all three workshops will be available on this website in the coming weeks, so please check back!