The Adult Education/ABE narrative (also sometimes referred to as the ABE Consortium Narrative, and previously as the 5-Year Narrative) serves as reauthorization for existing consortia to continue receiving State ABE funds annually. It is also the application for entities that would like to become new Adult Education consortia, or have a significant reorganization of previously approved consortia.

The Adult Education/ABE narrative is a collection of documents that describe programming, highlight successes, explain organizational structure, outline future plans, and confirm adherence to state/federal requirements. Once submitted, the narrative is reviewed and evaluated by peers in the Adult Education field, as well as members of the Adult Education team at the MN Department of Education.

The narrative process is based on requirements outlined in Minnesota Statute 124D.52, subd. 2.