As used in this part:

Adult means an individual who has attained the age of sixteen or is beyond the age of compulsory school attendance under State or tribal law and not currently enrolled in a formal secondary or post-secondary educational program.

Adult Basic Education (ABE) means instruction designed for an adult who:

Has minimal competence in reading, writing, and computation;

Cannot speak, read, or write the English language sufficiently to allow employment commensurate with the adult's real ability;

Is not sufficiently competent to meet the educational requirements of an adult consumer; or

In grade level measurements that would be designated as grades 0 through 8.

Adult Education means services or instruction below the college level for adults who:

Lack sufficient mastery of basic educational skills to enable them to function effectively in society, or

Do not have a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education and have not achieved a GED.

Adult Education Office means the BIA or tribal office administering funds appropriated to the BIA, under the TPA, for Adult Education programs.

Adult Secondary Education means instruction designed for an adult who:

Is literate and can function in everyday life, but is not proficient as a competitive consumer or employee; or

Does not have a certificate of graduation (or its equivalent) from a school providing secondary education and in grade level measurements that would be designated as grades 9 through 12.

Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, or his/her designee.

Bureau means the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Department of Education (ED) means the U.S. Department of Education.

Director means the Director, Office of Indian Education Programs, Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Indian means a person who is a member of, or is at least a one-fourth degree Indian blood descendent of a member of, an Indian tribe, and is eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States through the Bureau of Indian Affairs to Indians because of their status as Indians;

Indian tribe means any Indian tribe, band, nation, rancheria, pueblo, colony or community, including any Alaska native village or regional or village corporation as defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 668) that is Federally recognized by the United States Government through the Secretary of the Interior for the special programs and services provided by the Secretary to Indians because of their status as Indians.

Tribal Priority Allocation (TPA) means the BIA's budget formulation process that allows direct tribal government involvement in the setting of relative priorities for local operating programs.

Secretary means the Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

Service area means the geographic area served by the local Adult Education Program.