The United States faces an increasing gap between the skills possessed by its workforce and those that are necessary to succeed in the 21st century economy. This gap poses a threat to the financial wellbeing of low-skilled American workers and their families and to the nation's long-term economic growth. Recognizing the threat posed by these…

A study examined United Way's role in solving illiteracy. Concerns of four major constituencies were identified. University representatives saw illiteracy as threatening the social well-being of those affected and seriously damaging the principle of equal opportunity. Business persons felt that illiteracy threatened the nation's competitive edge…

A Congressional staff study was undertaken to analyze the Literacy Management Information Project Report (LMIPR), released by the U.S. Department of Education in May 1986, and to determine whether its findings were valid. The LMIPR found that there are 79 literacy-related programs administered by 14 federal agencies and that $347.6 million was…

The California Department of Education awarded Amnesty Education Program funds to service providers to serve immigrant adults needing to fulfill legalization requirements by obtaining a Certificate of Satisfactory Pursuit, and to make available to immigrant adults education and training that would enable them to succeed in school and become more…

An evaluation was made of the programs of the Des Moines Independent Community School District's Department of Community/Adult and Continuing Education. The 1992-93 budget for the department was $1,385,000. Ten full-time staff and 300 part-time staff administer, teach, and support program offerings. The department provides educational,…

A needs assessment was conducted to identify education needs of the undereducated adult, determine whether the adult education program was meeting needs, identify adult education needs of employers, and increase community awareness and support for adult education. In the first of two surveys 400 adults were interviewed in person and by phone. Half…

The potential of programs supported by the Basic State Grants section of the federal Adult Education Act was evaluated; the first interim part of the study provides descriptive information on the adult education service delivery system. The study drew primarily on data collected from two surveys of local adult education programs--a universe survey…

The Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania summarized efforts in adult basic education (ABE) for the period of July 1, 1984, through June 30, 1985, based upon information provided for every program funded under the Adult Education Act of 1966, as amended October 19, 1984. The information showed that from 1983-84 to 1984-85,…

A study was conducted among adults enrolled in adult basic education (ABE) General Educational Development (GED) courses to determine their perceptions of the impact of the ABE/GED programs on their employment/economic position, skill and knowledge acquisition, community involvement, attitudinal changes, personal relationships, and continuing…

In fall 1992, the Iowa Department of Education began pilot tests of the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS), an assessment system evaluating reading, math, and problem solving in a life skills context for adult remedial programs. This document provides reports from the nine community colleges that served as test sites, describing…

A study examined the characteristics and attitudes of tutors and students involved in Project LEARN, an adult literacy program affiliated with the Interchurch Council of Greater Cleveland, Ohio. Data for the study were obtained from several sources, including a mail questionnaire administered to all 183 tutors involved in the project, a longer…

It is estimated that 22 percent, of adults in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina have poor literacy skills, meaning that they have difficulty with tasks involving simple texts and documents. Purpose: Given this low level of adult literacy, the purpose of this exploratory research study was to analyze the perceptions of North Carolina's adult…

In 1994, an evaluation was made of the Adult Education for the Homeless (AEH) program in Ohio. Ohio currently has the third largest AEH project (of 32 states), with 40 sites spread over 12 locations. The evaluation was both formative and summative and was based on theoretical models of adult education (Teaching-Learning Exchange Theory and…

The staff development component of the Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN) began the second year of operation with all 11 resource centers active. Constant emphasis and assistance was given to providing staff development through the centers. English as a Second Language (ESL) Institutes for Experienced Teachers were scheduled on a…

Four community colleges in North Carolina cooperated to provide workplace literacy education to employees of eight plants in the state. The target population for the program was 710 adults who had not completed high school or who were functioning below high school level who were employed at one of the industry sites. The Comprehensive Adult…