National Headquarters Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. 635 James Street · Syracuse, NY 13202 · (315)472-0001 · FAX (315)472-0002 · [email protected] For Immediate Release Contact: Tracy Carman, ext. 201

April 10, 2000 Texas affiliate first to achieve LVA Accreditation Syracuse, NY -- Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. (LVA) is pleased to announce that the East Texas Literacy Council, Longview, Texas is the first of its affiliates to achieve LVA Accreditation. This is the first effort by a national adult literacy organization to apply a mandatory comprehensive program of quality and accountability standards system-wide. �In achieving Accreditation, the East Texas Literacy Council has demonstrated its ability to meet the highest standards of excellence in providing volunteer literacy services to its students,� said LVA President Marsha L. Tait. �The Accreditation Award means that East Texas provides effective nonprofit management, excellent volunteer tutor training, and quality literacy instruction. Not only has this organization distinguished itself as a leader among the more than 350 literacy affiliates of Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc., it has identified itself as an outstanding nonprofit organization in its community.� Conferred for the period of 2000 through 2002, the Accreditation Award was approved by the LVA national Board of Directors on March 5, 2000 after the East Texas Literacy Council completed months of intensive documentation of its program. The affiliate supplied evidence that it met the requirements in the areas of organization, finance, personnel, and program management. A trained LVA surveyor conducted an on-site review of all documentation and completed interviews of key leaders, staff, volunteers, and students. Surveyor reports were presented to the LVA Accreditation Review Panel, comprised of leaders in the LVA network, which recommended that the affiliate receive the LVA Accreditation Award. The LVA Accreditation Initiative was established in 1995 in response to a survey of literacy, business, and community leaders who expressed the need for the creation of standards which are synonymous with excellence in literacy services, identification and dissemination of exemplary practices, and support and technical assistance to attain higher standards. In 1998 affiliates signed an Accreditation commitment and began preparations for the Accreditation survey. To remain affiliated with LVA, all affiliates must be surveyed between 2000 and 2002, and every three years thereafter. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that between 40 and 44 million adults in the U.S. function at the lowest level of literacy skill. Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. is a national not-for-profit organization, managed by professionals, which delivers local literacy services through a network of more than 350 volunteer literacy programs serving more than 70,000 adult literacy students and their families yearly. LVA defines adult literacy as the ability to read, write, and speak English proficiently, to compute and solve problems, and to use technology in order to become life-long learners and to be effective in the family, in the workplace, and in the community. For more information contact: Marty Angelone Managing Director of Program Development 315-472-0001, ext. 206 - ### -