Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) empowers individuals to become self-sufficient by providing the basic skills and knowledge necessary to complete a secondary education credential and helps them meet their education and career goals. Nationally, AEL programs serve 1.5 million adults who are no longer in school and who lack basic literacy and math skills, English language acquisition, and/or a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent. Participants come to adult education to leave public assistance, to qualify for employment, to help their children with homework, to become more involved in their communities, and to achieve citizenship skills. The Iowa Department of Education recognizes that Iowa families face multiple responsibilities as they address their children's educational needs, as well as their own. Iowa's adult education and literacy programs build skills for success by providing adults with the opportunity to acquire and to improve functional skills necessary to enhance the quality of their lives as workers, family members, and citizens. These programs play an important role in fostering productive employment, effective citizenship, personal and family growth, self-esteem, and dignity for adult learners. Educational services are available at little or no cost to adult learners and are designed to meet the educational needs of each individual. The Department is committed to the success of adult education programs and literacy services in Iowa and dedicated to helping educators overcome the unique challenges of adult education. The purpose of this handbook is to provide program leaders with the information they need to be successful in helping adults master the skills they need to compete and to build careers and better futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.