A study examined the characteristics of those individuals who participate in New York City's adult literacy programs. Interviews were conducted with 32 native-born U.S. citizens (native speakers of English) who had enrolled in a literacy program for the first time and had been reading somewhere up to the 4.9 grade level at the time they entered…

The New York City Adult Literacy Initiative was instituted in 1984. Approximately 22,000 students attended the city's literacy program in 1984, with the number increasing to nearly 50,000 by 1986. A study examined one year, 1985-1986, of the program's operation. Of the 49,986 students enrolled in 1985-1986, 40,754 were in bilingual education (BE)…