The primary goal of the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) is to describe the types and levels of literacy skills possessed by adults living in the United States and the distribution of these skills across major subgroups of the population. To conduct the NALS, 175 trained interviewers employed by the Educational Testing Service will interview approximately 13,000 adults, aged 16-64, residing in private households and dormitories. Each interview will consist of 15 minutes of background questions and 45 minutes of simulation tasks. In the simulation tasks, adults will respond to reading, writing, speaking, and listening tasks that will require them to demonstrate a range of skills and knowledge such as recognizing, acquiring, organizing, interpreting, producing, and applying information found in various types of printed materials. The study defines literacy as the ability to use printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one's goals, and to develop one's knowledge and potential. The results of the NALS will be compared to those from other recent large-scale assessments of literacy. The survey results will be conveyed to the general public, policy and business leaders, educators, and program providers. Each of the 50 states is invited to participate in a concurrent assessment that will provide results comparable with those of the NALS. (CML)