Three documents and eight journal articles on staff development (focusing particularly on inservice teacher education), selected from those recently made available through the ERIC system, are described briefly in this report. Topics covered by the items listed include enhancing teachers' perceptions of themselves, identifying workable staff…

In 1966, Congress approved the first adult education act, and the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system was established. Monies to support adult education research and delivery systems became available at the same time as a mechanism was put in place to collect and disseminate results of these activities. The Adult Education Act…

Various researchers, including Carl Jung, Charlotte Buhler, Erik Erikson, and Robert Havighurst, have formulated sequential models of adult development. More recent investigators, such as Daniel Levinson, Roger Gould, and Gail Sheehy have formulated age-related sequential models of adult development that view the various stages of adulthood in…

This monograph is based on the authors' visits and communications with directors and staff, and presents an analysis of adult counseling programs operating in many sites around the nation. General characteristics of adult counseling centers are assessed in terms of start-up and funding, public relations and referrals, location, hours of operation,…

The Adult Education for the Homeless (AEH) program was initiated with funds provided through the McKinney Act of 1987. During its first 4 years, the AEH program served over 100,000 homeless adults. In 1991, 34,000 adults participated in AEH programs in 31 states; nearly half were women. Approximately 60% of those served were between the ages of 25…

Vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies are required partners in the one-stop system mandated by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). The following features have long characterized VR: the primary goal of integrated competitive employment for persons with disabilities; state flexibility in VR systems, approaches, and structures; case…

Adult illiteracy is a complex, costly, and growing social problem. Three common areas of controversy related to the problem are: (1) definitions of adult literacy, (2) characteristics of illiterate adults, and (3) the purposes of literacy education. Illiteracy can be understood only in relation to a culture's definition of literacy. Due to…

Although volunteer tutors traditionally have formed the basis of the programs of Laubach Literacy Action and Literacy Volunteers of America, volunteers have begun to play a greater role in adult literacy instruction provided through community-based organizations, correctional institutions, churches, and federally funded adult basic education.…

This fact sheet offers guidelines to consider when developing educational programs for adults. Characteristics of adults which affect learning are discussed under the following headings: adult life cycle; time orientation geared toward immediacy; broad base of experience; independent self-concept; and social roles. The importance of allowing…

In an era of rapid social and economic changes, the demand for adult career exploration services is growing in career-tech and one-stop centers and community college and university reentry programs. Career exploration is a process of acquiring self-knowledge and career knowledge and using this knowledge to formulate plans and prepare for a career.…

This paper examines adult vocational education in the context of the current vocational education system. The first of four major sections defines and discusses the background of adult vocational education. In section 2, a typology of vocational education is presented, followed by a discussion of three funding categories as they relate to adult…

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 authorized a comprehensive workforce improvement program that will significantly impact rural areas. Local schools can help shape implementation of WIA because of its principles of local participation, increased skills for workers, and improved youth programs. This digest focuses on WIA's major elements,…

Correctional education is a generic term describing a wide range of educational activities that take place in institutional and community settings. In 1986, 37 states and the District of Columbia provided correctional education to incarcerated adults directly through state departments of corrections. In addition, several states have created…

Intended as a general guide for adult educators interested in developing community educational programs for handicapped adults, this monograph gives an overview of facts, problems, and programs peculiar to each of four handicapped populations: the physically handicapped, blind, deaf, and mentally retarded. Following an introduction that defines…

Workplace mentoring has been identified as an important aspect of work-based learning in projects conducted under the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. By establishing relationships with caring and competent adults who can provide emotional support and facilitate skill development, less-experienced youths and adults are more likely to bridge the…