An evaluation of the VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) Literacy Corps was conducted to provide a description of the Literacy Corps, numbers of persons served, strategies used, volunteer activities, and project results; to determine the degree to which the program is meeting its goals; and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the…

The Kansas Volunteer Tutor Utilization (KV-TUTOR) project was undertaken to explore some of the possibilities of using volunteer tutors in adult basic education (ABE) programs. A volunteer structure was developed at 16 local ABE programs throughout the state. KV-TUTOR actively promoted these volunteer systems by contacting (through letters, phone…

Philadelphia's Center for Literacy (CFL), in an effort to improve recruitment and retention of volunteers for programs in tutorial literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL), conducted the following activities under its 1980-81 Section 310 grant: (1) installed a telephone recording machine for after-hours calls; (2) produced an informative…

In 1989, almost no organized recruitment efforts were made, either for tutors or learners, for Project READ, an adult literacy program held at the Longview, Washington, Public Library. The retention rate remained at 63 percent. Seventy-one tutors participated in the program; the average number tutoring each week was 34. Tutors from all walks of…

This report describes and evaluates an adult and family literacy education program at the Tom Green County Library (Texas). The project's objectives were to: provide a full-time library staff member to establish, coordinate, and promote an information, referral, and follow-up support system for literacy students; offer two in-service sessions in…

The Horry County, South Carolina, Reading Crusade, a joint effort of the Literacy Council and the school district, was begun in 1979-80 with the intent of raising the literacy level of adults. The school district's Adult and Community Education Department provided office space, telephones, lab space, salaries, and mileage for the coordinators. The…

This report describes and evaluates an adult literacy education program, Project LEAD (Literacy Education and Development), at the Adrian Public Library (Michigan). The project's objectives were to: recruit functionally illiterate adults and provide reading instruction to improve literacy skills; recruit and train 65 additional volunteer tutors…

This report is designed as a guide for policymakers and practitioners interested in designing more effective staff development practices. It provides information about elements of effective staff development practices identified through a review of research and site visits to nine staff development programs identified as providing effective…

A study determined the economic impact of each dollar invested in Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. (LVA). The analysis included 217 interviews, 165 in New York and 52 in Wisconsin; analysis of economic impact; and statistical validation and analysis. For every dollar spent by LVA, the value created (return) to the overall economy was a…

Noting that, generally, low-literate adults in Labrador and Newfoundland (Canada) are being helped only through the altruistic efforts of literate volunteers, this paper argues that adult literacy must be professionalized and become an integral part of the education system. The paper begins with a brief discussion of the definitions of literacy,…

This report focuses on a December 1988 to December 1989 evaluation of the structures, processes, and outcomes of 15 primarily volunteer tutor-based literacy programs. It addresses the effectiveness of the Saskatchewan Literacy Campaign in increasing tutor and learner enrollments in the programs. Chapter 1 provides background and definitions.…

A study evaluated Macomb Reading Partners (MRP), the tutoring program of the Macomb Literacy Project. It researched the effectiveness of literacy training and its impact on the lives of a target group of 30 automotive workers. Data sources were a structured interview, the Word Opposites Test of the Botel Reading Inventory (1962), and participant…

A study evaluated how an advertising campaign, conducted by Benton & Bowles Advertising Agency, affected the awareness of literacy needs and increased volunteerism for literacy education among the general public and the business community. Data for the evaluation were gathered in an extensive library search, a survey of Coalition for Literacy…

A project was conducted to add computer-assisted instruction to a one-to-one adult literacy program conducted in public libraries in Bradford and Wyoming Counties of Pennsylvania. During the project, software was selected for literacy instruction in reading, mathematics, grammar, spelling, and English as a second language. Laubach Way to Reading…

After the Castro revolution of 1959, the new Cuban revolutionary government began a massive literacy campaign that taught 700,000 persons to read in about a year. Twenty years later, Nicaragua, facing an even more serious literacy problem, conducted a similar literacy campaign. In approximately six months, Nicaragua had reduced illiteracy by 37…