Presents a critical review of the research on the effectiveness of adult literacy programs. Suggests that the methods used in current literacy programs offer students little chance of significant improvement. (ARH)

Provides an appraisal of the characteristics of adult basic education and continuing education programs relevant to the five dimensions of lifelong learning: (1) age-specific to age-inclusive; (2) formal to nonformal pedagogy; (3) individual to collective learning; (4) social maintenance to social change; and (5) intraorganizational to…

Reviews of evaluation reports on 12 adult basic education (ABE) and 5 basic living skills programs were used to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of those programs. Findings indicate that ABE programs show promise for decreasing recidivism. (JOW)

This article critically reviews recent studies of adult basic education (ABE), general education development (GED), vocational, and college education programs in prisons. Thirteen studies were collected from various databases across multiple disciplines to examine the types of program evaluations and statistical analysis techniques researchers…

Examines current Adult Basic Education teaching and assessment methods in the United Kingdom and the United States to help define what constitutes success in adult basic literacy tuition. (SR)

As a preliminary to developing criteria to meet quality control requirements of the National Literacy Act of 1991, a study examined federal and state development of measures of program quality and performance standards for programs funded under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education…

The outcomes and impacts of adult literacy education in the United States were examined through a qualitative assessment of the pertinent research conducted since the late 1960s. A comprehensive literature search was used to identify; the most credible outcomes and impacts studies, and case studies were prepared for these. This document contains…

A literature review examined how literacy programs can assess their effectiveness by looking at outcomes and using this information. Very few empirical studies showed the impacts of literacy programs or identified predictors of program success. One reason was the lack of common criteria for evaluating performance. One evaluation issue was whether…

Prepared as part of a comprehensive study of reading in Virginia, this report contains the findings of 18 research studies. After a discussion of the findings, several recommendations are presented. Among these recommendations are: students in English as a second language programs should be placed with peer groups rather than according to English…

A study was conducted to determine what was happening in literacy programs as a result of the major welfare reform law passed in 1996, and whether basic skills instruction was part of the solution. A nationwide search for exemplary programs that are using basic skills instruction as a fundamental component of assisting welfare recipients in moving…

In Honduras, 88 percent of the rural population has 6 years or less of formal education. Several distance education schemes have been undertaken to address both low rural educational levels and the destruction of schools by Hurricane Mitch. This paper reports on recent studies of two distance education efforts with substantial international…

Intended for planners of adult education curriculums, this literature review explains the concepts involved in designing an adult education program, provides information about the roles of the people involved in the adult education process, cites some program planning models, and applies the program planning principles to an Adult Basic Education…

Although a large number of adults in the United States are assumed to need literacy training, little agreement exists on that number. Adults who attend literacy instruction are assumed to acquire the skills, but little is known about program effectiveness. Another assumption is that adults should define their goals, but this does not ensure that…

This two-part document reports the results of a literature review of workplace literacy program evaluation and then details a study of two current workplace literacy programs. The five chapters of the first part summarize findings on what is known about workplace literacy programs, methods for evaluating workplace literacy programs, assessing…

A review of current research on workplace literacy programs reveals few programs reporting rigorous evaluations. Assessments are often limited to the completion of questionnaires, surveys of program participants, and anecdotal reports of effectiveness. Occasionally, a standardized reading test provides an indication of learner gains. Only a few…