New technology and management styles are increasing the level of basic skills required of workers. In a world of global competition and technological change, basic skills education is a survival issue for businesses. (JOW)

A review of literature and work with focus groups shows that, although adult education has always focused on helping undereducated adults prepare for work, since the early 1990s there has been emphasis on work force development (helping prepare the work force and get them into rewarding productive jobs) and workplace (organizational) change. A…

This report focuses on the question of how to evaluate workplace education programs. Chapter 1 outlines the various purposes that those involved in workplace education programs have defined for workplace education and describes program models in place to meet those goals. Chapter 2 sets out three scenarios for evaluation at present: informal,…

This handbook leads the reader through planning and conducting the collaborative evaluation of a workplace development initiative. A glossary is followed by an introduction that addresses the rationale for collaborative evaluation, values and characteristics, using the handbook in one's own situation, and optimum conditions for collaborative…

A study determined how workplace basic education could be factored into state-level planning by collecting information from 41 individuals representing adult educators, state policy developers, union representatives, and employers in 26 states; 4 focus groups; and a document review. Findings indicated that, despite significant previous experience…

This guide describes a collaborative approach to high quality and relevant evaluation of a workplace basic skills program that can be carried out as part of normal program operations. It is designed for use by educators, union representatives, managers, supervisors, participating employees, and funders. The guide is organized into five phases. In…

In March and April of 1992, 60 representatives of state-funded workplace education programs in New York attended day-long regional workshops to identify ways of improving program planning and evaluation methods. After the workshops, the participants returned to their home programs, organized local evaluation teams, and developed action plans to…

Basic issues in workplace education evaluation can be structured into five discussion questions. The first is who wants to know what information for what purpose. The "who" constitutes the program's stakeholders both at and beyond the program level. Further inquiry is then needed to determine what kind of information these stakeholders typically…

This document presents key findings about the team evaluation process used in seven workplace basic skills programs in 1993 and 1994. An introduction summarizes the methodology used to develop the case studies and key findings about the team evaluation process. These key findings present the strengths and challenges of using evaluation teams,…

Some good news and some bad news can be seen in six areas of workplace literacy efforts: awareness, curriculum development, collaboration, staff training, research and evaluation, and funding. The good news includes the following: (1) more highly placed corporation executives are becoming aware of the need for literacy programs; (2) curriculum…

This guidebook presents a collaborative or team-based model of workplace basic education. It is written particularly for practitioners--the adult educators and company and union representatives who do the work of planning, carrying out, and evaluating basic skills-related activities in the workplace. Chapter 1 provides background, assumptions that…

This handbook, which is intended for educators, managers, and union leaders responsible for workplace development, outlines a four-phase collaborative approach to assessing a work organization's overall education needs and specifying a range of activities to meet the identified needs. Discussed in the introduction are the purposes of the handbook,…

The report summarizes results of an evaluation of "The Cutting Edge," a workplace education program operated by El Paso Community College (Texas) with funding from the National Workplace Literacy Program. The project had tow main goals: to field test and refine curricula at a number of workplace sites, and to prepare products and…

The Western Suffolk (New York) Board of Cooperative Educational Services undertook a 3-year workplace basic education project that was designed to help workers develop four types of skills: traditional basic skills; other Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS)-type competencies such as problem solving, team work, and computer…

The final evaluation of an English-as-a-Second-Language and mathematics basic skills program, provided by a college, for limited-English-proficient workers in a manufacturing company, is presented. The program was originally designed to teach job-related skills, but was amended by managers to build worker self-esteem and worker participation in…