The Wait for Services in Massachusetts is Growing!

As of May 29, 2002, the Massachusetts Department of Education's unduplicated count of those on waiting lists for programs they fund was:

ABE 4,636

ESOL 14,467

TOTAL of 19,103

As of Late January, 2003 the total waiting list for Massachusetts Department of Education ABE and ESOL services grew to a

TOTAL of 23,412,

and the number of students served fell below 24,000 because of state funding cuts of 7%.

Looking back a few years, according to a 1996 survey conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Education concerning waiting lists for adult basic education/ESOL services in Masssachusetts:

A conservative estimate, statewide, of the (unduplicated) count of people on actual waiting lists for these services in 1995-1996 was 14,000. During the same period, programs funded by the Massachusetts Department of Education had 27,500 funded seats for classes, meeting less than 2% of the 2,000,000 target population need. On average, statewide, those waiting for basic education services had to wait six months; those waiting for ESOL services (40-45% of the people on waitring lists) had to wait for nine months.

In Boston today, a conservative count of those on waiting lists for Department of Education- funded programs in early February, 2003, was over 4,650 (3,457 --74% --ESOL, 1,195 ABE).

The estimated average wait in Boston for adult basic education/ESOL services in 1995-1996was determined by the Massachusetts Department of Education to be one year, with a maximum wait for some programs of up to three years.

Sources: Johan Uvin, Adult and Community Learning Services, Massachusetts Department of Education, May 14, 1996,"An Adult Basic Education Partnership" Mass. Department of Education, Fall, 1996 . Donna Cornellier and Greg Scott, Massachusetts Department of Education, Adult and Comunity Learning Services by e-mail, 5/29/02, and 1/30/2003 and telephone on 2/5/03.

Page updated 2/5/03 by David J. Rosen