SLRC Legislation Awaits Passage

Senate Bill 356 (SB356) authored by Senator Richard Rainey of Contra Costa County would create the State Literacy Resource Center (SLRC) of California in statute and authorize it to provide a variety of resources for literacy providers throughout the state. The purpose of the Center is to create and support a multi-agency collaboration for the improvement of literacy research, literacy staff development, resource sharing and information dissemination accessible to all literacy providers with the ultimate goal of eliminating illiteracy in California by enhancing and supporting all adult literacy programs.

In 1993 California's State Literacy Resource Center Program (SLRC) was begun in order to develop additional resources and provide more equitable access to resources already available while assisting all providers of literacy services in the State to train staff and collaborate more effectively. Initially funded by federal money from the National Literacy Act of 1991, the SLRC has been administered by a collaboration of seven state agencies involved with the delivery of literacy services in California and collectively known as the State Collaborative Literacy Council.

Under SB356 the SLRC would continue to be administered by the State Collaborative Literacy Council (SCLC) which is made up of top level administrators of seven state agencies: the California Conservation Corps, California Department of Corrections, California Department of Education, California State Library, Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges, Employment Development Department, and the Governor's Office of Child Development and Education. In addition, an ex officio member from California Literacy, Inc., represents community-based organizations (CBOs) and attends Council meetings and functions.

The SLRC, in order to improve and expand the system for delivery of literacy services, would be authorized but not limited to --

• assist appropriate State agencies in setting specific objectives and strategies for meeting the goals of this Act and in measuring the progress of such agencies in meeting such goals;
  
• conduct basic and applied research and demonstrations on literacy;
  
• assist State and local agencies in the development, implementation, and evaluation of policy with respect to literacy;
  
• provide program assistance, training, and technical assistance for literacy providers of all types throughout California in order to improve the effectiveness of such programs and to increase the number of such programs;
  
• provide and promote public awareness of the issues of illiteracy and the need for support and promotion of literacy services;
  
• provide a toll-free long-distance telephone line of literacy providers in the State, for potential adult learners and volunteers;
  
• to assist regional and local public and private nonprofit efforts to eliminate illiteracy through a program of regional resource center grants to stimulate the coordination and collaboration of local literacy services, enhance the capacity of regional and local organizations to provide literacy services, and serve as a reciprocal link between the STATE LITERACY RESOURCE CENTER and local service providers for the purpose of sharing information, data, research, expertise and resources.
  

These REGIONAL RESOURCE CENTERS would be funded from amounts awarded to the STATE LITERACY RESOURCE CENTER and it would be authorized to make grants for purposes of establishing and maintaining a network of appropriate regional literacy resource centers. Currently the SLRC supports eight Regional Centers scattered throughout the state. It is the intent of the Council to continue these eight centers and to establish and support four additional centers in underserved areas of the state.

To read the entire bill, click on SB356. For more information, contact the State Literacy Resource Center.