CAELA was created to help states in the US build their capacity to promote English language learning and academic achievement of adults learning English. CAELA is funded by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) of the U.S. Department of Education. CAELA accomplishes its mission through the following tasks: (1) leading an initiative to build state capacity for improving the skills of teachers and administrators in adult ESL programs; (2) developing an easy-to-use repository of resources (e.g., research studies, instructional curricula, information on language acquisition) that are accessible through the CAELA Web site; (3) producing easily accessible materials that synthesize research and make applications to practice; (4) developing a toolkit of training materials for professional developers; and (5) providing technical assistance to adult ESL teachers, programs, and states.