The "Participation in Adult Education" machine-readable data file (MRDF) is prepared triennially for the Center for Education Statistics (CES) by the Bureau of the Census, as a supplement to its regular "Current Population Survey" (sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics). Previous specialized surveys in this series have been conducted in 1969, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1987. This description is based on the 1984 survey. The file contains comprehensive information on adult education participants, courses, providers, and financing. The definition of an adult education participant is: a person, 16 or older, engaged in one or more activities of organized instruction, excluding full-time enrollment in high school or postsecondary education. In 1984, the probability sample selected to represent the universe (of an estimated 80,000,000 households) consisted of 71,000 households located in all states and 44 Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs), ranked by population size. About 58,000 households responded to the survey, providing comprehensive data for all household members ages 14 or over (about 122,000 persons from an estimated universe of 170,000,000 such persons) on employment status, occupation, age, sex, race, marital status, veteran status, educational background, household relationship, armed forces membership, and Hispanic origin. In addition, demographic data are included for about 34,000 children age 0-13 living within these households. Statistics on adult education participation were restricted to persons 16 years old or over, and included such variables as: courses taken; general course subject area; main reason for taking course; whether applicable toward meeting requirements for a certificate, diploma, degree, or license; who provided the instruction; source of payment; dollar amount paid. Among the highlights were: (1) about 14 percent of adults participate in adult education; (2) most adult education courses are taken for job-related reasons; (3) participation in adult education is growing, while full-time college enrollment has stabilized. TYPE OF SURVEY: National Survey; Sample Survey. FREQUENCY: Triennial. RESPONDENTS: Adult Population (14 years and over). YEAR OF FIRST DATA: 1969. POPULATION: Adult Population (14 years and over) (> 170,000,000); Housing Units (> 80,000,000). SAMPLE: Adult Population (14 years and over) (122,000); Housing Units (71,000). (CDM/WTB)