The purpose of this study was to describe the qualifications of the 46 instructors in adult basic education in British Columbia, to assess their awareness of the adult basic education process, and to inventory their perceived need for training. Data were gathered on socio-economic characteristics of the instructors, job satisfaction, and the…

The result of a study on adult literacy undertaken by World Education, this book places the educational problem of adult literacy into the larger context of a changing society and offers a fresh perspective and a new way of thinking about the phenomenon. After defining functional literacy as the possession of skills perceived by particular persons…

This document deals with the problem of adult illiteracy in America and methods of addressing the problem. The first section contains reports on two gatherings held to address the illiteracy problem: a roundtable discussion by members of the National Governors' Association's Task Force on Adult Literacy of the state role in addressing adult…

Interviews were conducted with 4 members of the Task Force of the Adult Beginning Reader Project, 6 program officials, and 13 heads of adult basic education (ABE) programs; site visits were made to two ongoing ABE programs; and the literature pertaining to adult literacy programs in this country was reviewed in order to identify factors associated…

It has been recognized for many years that the educational levels of adult American Indians are low (2/3 have not advanced beyond elementary school) and the illiteracy rates are high (1/4 are functionally illiterate). Traditional adult programs have not met the needs of adult Indians who are uncomfortable in "white" classes and who will…

A study was conducted to improve the link between basic skill instruction and entry into various vocational training programs. Data were collected from the following sources: current professional literature; developers and publishers of adult basic education (ABE) instructional materials; consultations with experts in the fields of adult literacy,…

From 1910 to 1935 a campaign was waged in the southern United States to eradicate adult illiteracy. This program was primarily based on volunteers, and it revolved around night, summer, or cotton mill schools that were often termed Opportunity Schools. Many parallels can be drawn to current efforts to address the problem of functional illiteracy…

Despite the fact that, of all the 50 states, Utah has the highest percentage of state and local government expenditures for education and the highest proportion of adults who have graduated from high school, one out of every five adults in Utah lacks basic literacy skills. At present, the following adult literacy programs offer instruction in…

A study examined the literacy needs and activities of prison inmates in Australia. To gather data for the study, the researchers interviewed and administered questionnaires to 62 inmates from five Australian prisons. This report consists primarily of the comments and views of the individual prisoners who were clients, potential clients, and…

Many of John Dewey's ideas concerning ethics and the universalization of democratic habits of thought and action are especially relevant to a discussion of adult literacy as a means of developing social intelligence in a democratic society. Dewey's basic ethical principles are manifest in approaches to adult literacy education such as those…

The Coalition on Women and Job Training has developed a women's job training agenda that focuses on nine issues related to women's full participation in training and achievement of economic self-sufficiency. The issues highlighted in the agenda are as follows: (1) the need to make long-term economic self-sufficiency the goal of all employment and…

This report summarizes the major literature dealing with the following major issues in adult basic education (ABE): target and demand populations (size, characteristics, and subgroups of the ABE population and the decline in participation); services provided (the purpose of the Adult Education Act, objectives and goals of ABE, problems of…

This report on the program highlights of the first national conference on urban literacy contains 40 information sheets describing the literacy programs represented at the conference. Each program information sheet contains some or all of the following: the name of the program; the name, address, and phone number of a program contact person; the…

The National Adult Literacy Initiative calls for a collaborative effort among the public, private, voluntary, and military sectors to address more effectively illiteracy through adult education. One of the first points in the initiative calls for continued educational services funded by the federal government and administered by the states. Other…

This document contains the proceedings of a conference on family literacy that was attended by representatives of community-based literacy and family literacy programs in Newfoundland and Labrador. The document begins with an executive summary of the conference activities. The texts of the following keynote addresses are presented: "A…