Literacy Council Publications

The Greater Hartford Literacy Council has a growing number of helpful publications about literacy. All publications are in PDF format and can be downloaded using Adobe Acrobat Reader. For more information on literacy statistics and research, go to Literacy Facts and Links.

Family Literacy Initiative – 2007

With funding from the Comcast Foundation and support from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and other sources, the Literacy Council implemented the 2007 Family Literacy Initiative. To maximize participation and impact, the Literacy Council involved ten partner organizations in the project and used specially developed pre and post assessments with parents of pre-school children to successfully demonstrate an increase in the frequency of practicing literacy-supporting activities at home. The project demonstrated that:

An alignment of goals across agencies and funding streams provided a heightened focus on services and outcomes, more support for programs and families, and led to greater impact for the dollars and energy invested, and
In just six months, pre-school programs can increase their impact on literacy skill-building with parents and children when provided with:
- Hands-on and ongoing technical assistance to enhance their efforts,
- Increased access to quality books through book ownership and library visits, and
- Resources to measure and support parent awareness, activity, and participation.

Click here to download the 2007 Family Literacy Initiative report.

Take Action for Literacy: The TANF Workforce Literacy Pilot Project 2006

» Full Report and Recommendations (May 2006)

» Executive Summary (March 2006)

To examine and improve the educational and workforce skills of Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) recipients, the Greater Hartford Literacy Council implemented the TANF Workforce Literacy Pilot Project in 2005. Administered as a partnership with Capital Workforce Partners and involving several other project partners, the Pilot Project was funded with $250,000 from the Connecticut General Assembly.

This report provides an overview of key issues and recommended action steps that address the educational needs of people with low literacy skills who are receiving Temporary Family Assistance (TFA). While the educational needs of TFA recipients is the focus of the report, many of the issues and recommendations have implications for the educational needs of more than one million Connecticut adults who have low literacy skills.

The Pilot Project report makes the following recommendations to increase the long-term success and economic self-sufficiency of TFA recipients whose low literacy levels and/or limited English proficiency present a significant barrier to securing family supporting employment:

1. Improve Assessment at the CT Works One-Stop Career Centers

2. Improve Adult Basic Education and Job Training Services

3. Bridge Traditional Divides Across State Agencies and Funding Streams

What is the significance of the Pilot Project and report?

§ An opportunity has been created to leverage additional funding to address workforce literacy in Hartford and the region.

§ The value of the Literacy Council as a champion and resource for literacy has been demonstrated.

§ Pilot Project results demonstrate the value of an intermediary organization.

§ Hartford programs and residents benefited from the Pilot Project.

§ The TANF Pilot Project serves as a model for systemic reform.

2004 Greater Hartford Adult Basic Education Services Directory

In order to assist providers as they refer clients for adult basic education services in the Greater Hartford area, the Literacy Council has created an Adult Basic Education Services Directory. The directory provides program descriptions, maps and directions for each listing. This directory can be found under the Find a Literacy Program section.

Take Action for Literacy: The Status of Literacy in Greater Hartford 2003

In 2002, the Greater Hartford Literacy Council launched a three-year initiative called Community Literacy Enhancement Across the Region (CLEAR). CLEAR is a multi-phased, regional initiative involving many stakeholders. The goals are to produce meaningful change in the provision of, planning for, and funding of literacy services for individuals from birth through adulthood in Greater Hartford. This report is the culmination of the first phase of the CLEAR Initiative.

An executive summary and six task force reports, together with this report, provide an in-depth look at the major literacy-related needs and issues facing Greater Hartford and steps for addressing the many challenges involved in improving literacy levels. They are intended to encourage everyone to take action for literacy.

Executive Summary (June 2003) - an overview of literacy issues, the circumstances that have led to low literacy rates in the region, and three major steps to improve literacy in Greater Hartford
Executive Summary Press Release (June 27, 2003)
Full Report (November 2003) - an in-depth look at literacy issues and rates, related concerns in the region and specific issues for Hartford and New Britain, the human and economic costs of low literacy, funding and legislative issues, and a comprehensive list of recommendations and action steps for stakeholders in the region in the areas of: service delivery, system coordination, public awareness and advocacy, and funding for literacy.
Task Force Reports (November 2003) - a summary of the findings and recommendations for action for six pertinent topic areas studied in detail by task forces comprised of experts in their fields. The task force recommendations form the basis of the recommendations for the Full Report.

City of Hartford Task Force on Adult Literacy 2000

City of Hartford Task Force on Adult Literacy Final Report and Recommendations and Three Reports (August 2000) Prepared for the City of Hartford Task Force on Adult Literacy by Professor Noreen Channels, Research Coordinator, Trinity Center for Neighborhoods, Trinity College, Hartford, CT and Literacy Council Board Member.