Adult Education in the 1980s

EDAC 631

Adult Community Education

Hanna Kadinger

Group 2 – Fall 2020

Ball State University

 

 

Your name	Commented On
Hanna Kadinger	Tazia Williams Ashten Lail

 Introduction

The history of adult education in the 1980s tells a story of growth and creation following the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War. Diane Ravitch describes the 80s as a time “national discussion about education shifted, and policies at the local, state, and federal levels reflected new priorities” (1990). The 1980s led to the creation of many new federal, state, and local programs thanks to an increase in the federal budget for adult education. The push for literate adults rose more than ever and a sense of urgency was created to educate our society from young adults, immigrant adults, and even working professionals. Surrounding the development of this growth was a booming pop culture that focused on the use of the television, a focus on luxury fashion and goods, and an obsession with the counterculture of drugs and sex (A&E Television Networks, 2018).

Adult education in the 1980s was surrounded by a plethora of cultural context and social events. One of the most impactful contextual events that occurred was the Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986. The aircraft was on it’s 10^th mission and would have carried the first civilian into space if the trip would have been successful, but instead it exploded shortly after launch due to a design failure and cold temperatures. The mission was broadcast and viewed by millions and led to a temporary suspension of all shuttle missions (A&E Television Networks, 2018). Another significant event that occurred in the 1980s was the popularity of President Reagan and his fight to end the spread of communism. This led to the Iran-Contra affair, where executive branch officials had “sold arms to Iran in an effort to win the freedom of the US hostages in Lebanon, and then diverted money from the sales to Nicaraguan rebels known as the Contras” (A&E Television Networks, 2018). The trials and conviction of the Central Park Five also occurred in the late 1980s. Following the rise of the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s, in 1989, five black teenagers were arrested and convicted of the rape and beating of a young white jogger in Central Park. It was later proven through a DNA test that none of the boys committed the crime and they were later released and received settlements. Another social issue that gained popularity in the 80s is the use and over-use of “crack” cocaine. “In 1985, the number of people who said they used cocaine on a routine bases increased from 4.2 million to 5.8 million” and by 1987, you could find crack readily available in “all but four states” (US History, 2019). The rise and use of drugs also and an increase in sexual activity led to the transmission of AIDS, forming an epidemic from sharing needles and participating in sexual activities (US History, 2019).

Pop culture was also facing a huge change in the 80s. The creation of the personal computer by Apple, an obsession with the television and shows on MTV, the use of the VCR, and a new found love of expensive items bought by a new generation of people. This generation of people are known as “Yuppies” or young urban professionals replaced the “socially conscious hippies of the 70s” (US History, 2019). Celebrities like Michael Jackson and Madonna took the spotlight and her song “Material Girl” truly described the values of the decade. Within these rich cultural context stood the creation of many adult education programs and policies that shaped the way we now view adult education and gave way to many modern programs.

Highlights

            One of the main issues that faced American in the 1980s was the Literacy Crisis. “In May 1986, 1 of every 8 Americans could not read” (US Department of Education, 2013, p. 18). Many organizations published national reports on literacy data and the numbers were shocking. Of those reports, the Department of Education’s National Commission on Excellence in Education gave a comprehensive score of the state of education and literacy in 1983. From this research (Varnum, 1986, p.146) came the following key conclusions:

1.      “Approximately 23 million Americans are functionally illiterate.

2.      Approximately 13% of all 17-year-olds in this country are functionally illiterate.

3.      Average scores on the Verbal Section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test declined by more than 50 points during the period 1963-1980.

4.      Approximately 40% of the nation’s 17-year-olds cannot draw inferences from the material they read and only 20% can write a persuasive essay.

5.      One quarter of the recent recruits to the US Navy cannot read at the ninth grade level.”

While these statistics do not cover the sheer multitude of the issue of illiteracy in America in the 1980s, it shows the recognition of an issue that led to a few key solutions from the government and partnering organizations. The world of adult education begins with a solid background of primary and secondary education and when 17-year-olds enter the workforce illiterate, they face an uphill climb to succeed in their chosen field. Not only was the literacy crisis playing a large role in the development of adult education programs in the 80s, a strong push for an educated society came from the idea that there was a link between literacy, national productivity, and economic development (Rose, 1991). The issue of adult illiteracy was not created in a day and had another contributing factor.

            Immigration in the 80s was on the rise and led to a steady increase in people entering the United States. In 1988, it was estimated that there would be more than 8.7 million immigrants enter the United States between the years of 1980 and 1990 (Arocha, 1988). This increase in population led to more adults needing assistance with their educational process, including literacy. Some immigrants traveled to the United States in hopes of obtaining an education or skill necessary to perform a trade successfully. It was their hope that the American government could provide that for them and their chance at the “American Dream” could be fulfilled. This would take many government reforms to the Adult Education Act to provide funding and stability to the programs needed to resolve the literacy crisis in America.

Influential Factors

            The literacy crisis in America in the 1980s created a call for help and many organizations and government initiatives came to aid. One of these nongovernmental agencies was the Coalition for Literacy in 1981 (Rose, 1991). The Coalition for Literacy “emphasized volunteer activities, publicity for literacy issues, response to public inquiries, and fund raising to support these activities” (Rose, 1991, p. 25). The use of volunteers in the world of adult education did not stop there and was not limited to nongovernmental agencies. The Reagan administration also valued the use of volunteers in an effort to save money. In the 80s, the Reagan administration launched the Adult Literacy Initiative within the Secretary of Education’s department and “this group focused on the use of volunteers to augment other literacy activities” (Rose, 1991, p. 25). Speculation grew regarding the new initiative and many feared that the proper attention was not being given to the Adult Basic Education programs that were already in place. The training of volunteers was not comprehensive and the programs relied heavily on private organizations who focused their efforts on fundraising (Rose, 1991). Having organizations and programs in place to train adults and help combat the literacy crisis is only the first step. There was also a cry for federal funding and reforms to the Adult Education Act that would create more opportunities for adults in the United States.

            The Adult Education Act was amended twice in the 1980s, both times with the goal of increasing funding opportunities for states and organizations. The first amendments were made in 1984 and had a strong refocus on the growth of literacy initiates in the country. The AEA reads that the adult education programs will “enable all adults to acquire basic literacy skills necessary to function in society” (Rose, 1991, p. 25). One of the major changes to the AEA during this amendment was the inclusion of for-profit agencies in federal grants for adult education programs. According to the amendment, these agencies had to “make a significant contribution to attaining the objectives of this Act, and provide substantially equivalent education at a lesser cost or provide services and equipment not available in public institutions” (Rose, 1991, p. 26). With this funding came a new focus on education for the elderly, the use of technology and new software in adult education, and partnerships between businesses and community groups formed (Rose, p. 26). These additions and changes made to the Adult Education Act in 1984 were only the first round of amendments to come in the decade of the 80s.

            Following the 1984 amendments to the AEA came reforms in 1988 that had a strong focus on alleviating the literacy crisis. In order to implement a new program for adult literacy, funding was appropriated in the amount of “$200 million with each state receiving at least $250,000 and the rest of the monies to be distributed on the basis of the previously used ratio” (Rose, p. 26). In addition to increased funding, the revised Adult Education Act allowed for special grants to be created that covered “workplace and English literacy” and categorical grants that funded “programs that work with commercial drivers” and “programs for migrant farmworkers and immigrants” (Rose, p. 26). These new opportunities for funding created more programs within the world of adult education and the Secretary of Education placed an importance on tracking the literacy data as the United States began to implement these new initiatives.  It is worth noting that the Adult Education Act was not the only piece of legislation that influenced adult education in the 1980s. The Family Support Act and Immigration Reform and Control Act both aided in educating the adult population in a time of growth in our country.

 

Implications

We can look back on adult education in the 1980s and summarize it as a time of increase in immigration, a call for help in the literacy crisis, and an expansion of funding for the plethora of programs that had to be created. The social arena that surrounded education was focused on expensive material goods, growth and exploration of the space program, and a booming pop culture that was on the rise thanks to the invention of the personal computer. The increase in immigration created an overflow of adults needing educational opportunities and more people contributing to the literacy crisis. The U.S. government in the 80s responded well to a call for help from the American people who needed assistance with creating a literate population. Their response came with funding for organizations, both public and private, to work with states and governments to find the best solutions.

The largest implications we see from adult education in the 1980s is the recognition and definition of adult learners in America. In the 80s, we were able to expand many efforts to the immigrant populations that were flooding the country and create a skilled and literate workforce. We no longer viewed adult learners in the United States as just citizens, but any adult who has come to America to learn and seek a better or different life. This new mindset coupled with a huge expansion and amendment to funding created a new path for adult education going forward and was continued into the 90s as we continued to fight the literacy crisis.

Table 1. Summary of the History of Adult/Community Education

Areas                                                                                 Summary

Social background                              -Focus on luxury and materials, sex, drugs

Highlights                                         -Literacy crisis, immigration, increase funds

Influential factors                       -Two sets of amendments to the AEA, Family Support Act, Immigration Reform Act.

Implications   -Partnering public and private orgs, grants and expansion of funds,        immigrant education

 Works Cited

Arocha, Z. (1988, July 23). 1980s Expected to Set Mark as Top Immigration Decade. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1988/07/23/1980s-expected-to-set-mark-as-top-immigration-decade/9ecd472f-e691-4d49-a0f4-00a3200250f5/

History.com Editors. (2018, August 21). Just Say No. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/just-say-no

Ravich, D. (1990, January 10). Education in the 1980’s: A Concern for ‘Quality’. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/1990/01/10/09200009.h09.html

Rose, A. D. (1991). Ends or Means: An Overview of the History of the Adult Education Act. Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education, 346, 1-34. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.627.914&rep=rep1&type=pdf

U.S. Department of Education:  Office of Vocational and Adult Education. (2013).  An American

Heritage—Federal Adult Education: A Legislative History 1964-2013. 

http://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/Adult_Ed_History_Report.pdf

U.S. History Pre-Columbian to the New Millennium. (n.d.). Life in the 1980s. U.S. History. https://www.ushistory.org/us/59d.asp

Varnum, R. (1986). From Crisis to Crisis: The Evolution toward Higher Standards of Literacy in the United States. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 16(3), 145-165. Retrieved September 20, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3885715