A committee of the East Central Area Literacy Council

Welcome to the Gasconade County Committee of the East Central Area Literacy Council.

We are here to support adults who are improving their literacy skills. Some are learning English as a speaker of another language, others are trying to complete their high school education by preparing to take the high school equivalency test. We also assist adults preparing for college, a new career or the US Citizenship test.

We are here to support them all through recruiting volunteers for the classroom, outreach to new students, fundraising, and any other support we may be able to provide.

Gasconade County Committee Members:

Tiffany Richards, Branch Manager – Scenic Regional Library, Hermann
Anne Matchell, Missouri Ozarks Community Action Head Start
Shelby Uffmann, Retired Teacher and Scenic Regional Library Foundation Board
Erica Mosley , Branch Manager-Scenic Regional Library, Owensville
Jackie Gray, AEL Instructor, Owensville
Elise Bellefontaine, Community Foundation of the Hermann Area

Meetings are held via Zoom the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 4 pm

Register to become a Volunteer: https://ecaliteracy.org/volunteer/

Adult Education Program Class Sites Supported:

Free College and Career Readiness Classes: (formerly GED)

• Owensville – Christian Church, 620 E Lincoln Ave: Tuesday & Thursday, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Register for classes here
• MOLearns online high school equivalency class: Register for classes here

The Need for Adult Education

There are more than 1,000 adults in Gasconade County between the ages of 18-64 that do not have a high school diploma. There are approximately 100 adults that solely speak a language other than English at home.

If the data is expanded to include adults with low literacy and numeracy skills (see Level 1 below), the need is even greater at nearly 30% or 2,400 individuals who need assistance with basic math skills.

Literacy: the ability to understand, use, and respond appropriately to written texts.

Reading Level 1 (<226/500) Adults at this level can be considered at risk for difficulties using or comprehending print material. Adults at the upper end of this level can read short texts, in print or online, and understand the meaning well enough to perform simple tasks, such as filling out a short form, but drawing inferences or combining multiple sources of text may be too difficult. Adults who are below Level 1 may only be able to understand very basic vocabulary or find very specific information on a familiar topic. Some adults below level 1 may struggle even to do this and may be functionally illiterate.		Math Level 1 (<226/500) Adults at this level can be considered at risk for difficulties with numeracy. Adults at the upper end of this level can understand how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide and can perform basic one-step mathematical operations with given values or common spatial representations (e.g. calculate how many bottles of soda are in a full box with two levels when only the top level can be seen). Adults who are below Level 1 may only be able to count, sort, and do basic arithmetic operations with simple whole numbers and may be functionally innumerate.
Reading Level 2 (226-275/500) Adults at this level can be considered nearing proficiency but still struggling to perform tasks with text based information. Such adults may be able to read print and digital texts, relate multiple pieces of information within or across a couple documents, compare and contrast, and draw simple inferences. They can navigate in a digital environment to access key information, such as finding two main benefits of one product over another. However, more complex inferencing and evaluation may be too difficult.		Math Level 2 (226-275/500) Adults at this level can be considered nearing proficiency but still struggling to perform numeracy tasks. Such adults can successfully perform tasks requiring two or three steps involving calculations with whole numbers and common decimals, percentages, and fractions. They can conduct simple measurement and interpret relatively simple data and statistics in texts, tables, and graphs. However, more complicated problem solving (where the information is not explicit or is in an unfamiliar context) may be too difficult.

East Central Area Literacy Council
PO Box 1336
Rolla, MO 65402

(844) 322-4235
(636) 584-6915

Executive Director: Alice Whalen, Volunteer
alice.whalen@ecaliteracy.org