The purpose of this self-study guide is to help adult literacy education providers collect, organize, and analyze evidence that they can use to improve program performance. It was designed to help educators consider which types of evidence to collect and which components of adult education instruction may be important for evaluating…

Being literate empowers individuals to be effective consumers, to be informed about lifestyle options, to read aesthetically for relaxation and enjoyment and to further their knowledge of people and places that can enable them to participate more fully in communities. However, there are limited literacy opportunities and programs specifically…

This discussion paper is part of a larger Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL) project entitled "Linkages: Connecting Literacy and English as a Second Language" (ESL). The goal of the overall project is for MCL to work with national organizations that support the ESL/Settlement and literacy fields to identify common issues and concerns…

This guide resulted from a project conducted to develop a process for evaluating adult basic education (ABE) tutoring programs. Through a literature search and discussions with ABE practitioners in Canada, a list of 17 statements of good practice was formulated. These statements were used as a basis for the development of a program questionnaire,…

PLAN, Inc., a nonprofit, community-based literacy training program, conducted a workplace literacy training program in partnership with the Washington (D.C.) Hospital Center (WHC). During an 18-month period, the program provided workplace literacy training and career development skills to employees in several service departments and…

This checklist was designed to be used in developing new workplace education initiatives and enhancing established programs. The checklist is organized in four sections that cover the following topics: (1) program design and administration indicators; (2) participant achievement indicators; (3) program outcome indicators; and (4) evaluation tools.…

The Philadelphia Mayor's Commission on Literacy undertook a project to develop and conduct collaborative training that would promote a more egalitarian relationship between teachers/facilitators and learners and greater learner input in the instructional planning process. A collaborative learning (CL) manual was developed, a 12-hour CL training…

Project LIFE, which began in October 1987, was a model program that involved a coalition of community agencies in addressing the problem of adult illiteracy in a community college setting, enhancing participants' employability, and providing them with career adaptability. To improve outreach efforts, program planners made heavy use of commercial…

This guide provides suggestions and materials for the development and implementation of a Health Literacy Forum to be coordinated by a local, county, or state Department of Public Health. Health Literacy Forums, already implemented in several cities and states, have increased awareness about literacy skills of U.S. adults and health implications.…

The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC) conducts an urban, volunteer-based literacy tutoring program for adults that emphasizes goal setting. The council believes that students entering the literacy program should understand why they are there, what GPLC can do for them, and how they can apply themselves to get the maximum benefit from…

Originally designed to serve 400 employees, the Mott Community College (MCC) Workplace Literacy Project provided instruction in basic workplace skills to 566 employees from 20 companies. The cost was 2 percent lower than projected. All participants were assessed and counseled on the basis of the assessment tests. Individualized training plans were…

Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and six small businesses used federal grant money to develop a model program of workplace literacy that would assist 600 adult workers with inadequate basic skills in performing their jobs. In analyzing the overall skills of the work force, the literacy audit identified these basic skills/literacy…

An independent evaluation of the College of Lake County's National Workplace Literacy Program included both formative and summative evaluations over the 3 years of the project. The evaluation design was planned primarily as a naturalistic inquiry that used the structured interview approach to data collection. An external evaluator interviewed all…

Parkway Area Adult Basic Education Program formed a partnership with St. John's Mercy Medical Center, St. Luke's Hospital, Watlow Electric, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Literacy Council of Greater St. Louis to develop a model National Workplace Literacy Program. The instructional model developed under Project…

The instructor of a course focusing on basic academic and job readiness skills for welfare recipients at the Goodwill Employment Help Center in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, conducted an action research project to determine whether developing personal mission statements would increase students' motivation in her course. As new students were accepted…