Adults with limited education and skills--those who lack the education and skills needed for full participation in U.S. culture and economy--are increasing in numbers. However, the knowledge base addressing this population and their educational needs is fragmented across the literature of several disciplines. A comprehensive review and critique of…

The concept of "competency mapping" emerged from a study of the state-of-the-art of adult education needs assessment to provide the basis for development of a model for states to adopt or adapt to fulfill requirements of the 1978 amendments to the Adult Education Act. Need was defined as a lack of functional competency and those problems…

The Adult Education for the Homeless (AEH) program was initiated with funds provided through the McKinney Act of 1987. During its first 4 years, the AEH program served over 100,000 homeless adults. In 1991, 34,000 adults participated in AEH programs in 31 states; nearly half were women. Approximately 60% of those served were between the ages of 25…

The International Seminar on Functional Illiteracy and Professional Incompetence as Risk Factors of Modern Civilization and the Role of Adult Continuing Education in Overcoming Them examined the modern problem and definition of illiteracy, the causes of professional illiteracy, measures to eliminate the causes, and recommendations for further…

A statewide needs assessment surveyed felt training needs of administrators, instructors, and advisors of adult literacy programs in Florida. Data were collected in the following ways: questionnaires sent to recipients of Adult Supplemental Grants and advisory-council chairpersons; indepth interviews; a literature review and document analysis; and…

A model program was developed to find ways to bring illiterate and undereducated adults into Massachusetts adult education programs. Prospective program clients (young adults) who will be identified by such organizations and agencies as schools, courts, welfare offices, and veterans and civic groups will be contacted by outreach workers to…

A study examined the acceptability of distance education as a means of staff development for literacy and adult basic education (ABE) providers in rural Pennsylvania and the perceived need and available resources for such a program. The major project activities were a review of the literature on literacy staff development by distance education in…

The purpose of this program was two-fold: to develop a model of adult basic education in corrections and to provide specialized training to selected individuals in adult basic education in corrections. Model development was accomplished through three activities: (1) needs assessment, (2) goals definition, and (3) model synthesis. Assessment of…

The document provides a model for planning and evaluating adult basic education (ABE) programs in correctional settings and is also a workbook for its implementation. It requires the use and understanding of systems techniques and concepts. The introduction discusses the rationale for and development of the conceptual model; basic systems,…

After an analysis of eight mass literacy campaigns (USSR 1919-39; Vietnam, 1945-77; China, 1950-58; Cuba, 1961; Burma, 1960-1981; Brazil, 1967-80; Tanzania, 1971-81; and Somalia, 1973-75), a campaign strategy for a mass literacy campaign is proposed. A potentially successful mass literacy campaign has to be both an educational and a political…

Analysis of the Project ALERT (Adult Literacy Enhanced & Redefined through Training) Workplace Literacy Project produced a description of the needs assessment process, steps, and instruments that can be used for needs assessment in other workplace education projects. The data for the needs assessment were collected through the following methods: a…

A study examined current developments in workplace adult basic skills training (BST) programs for adults in northwestern England. Case studies of three area companies offering workplace BST programs were conducted along with a telephone survey of 56 local employers (of 200 originally contacted) to gauge their awareness of and attitudes toward…

This booklet was developed to assist agencies and groups in developing effective programs for single parents in rural areas. Most of the concepts also apply to urban and suburban settings, but rural parents carry the extra burden of great distances and geographic and social isolation. The handbook is organized in six sections. The first section…

This document reports the oral and written testimony submitted at a Congressional hearing on how job training works--how effective employment training programs succeed and how that success is measured. The hearing was based on a General Accounting Office study that found four hallmarks of effective job training: individual commitment, removal of…

The Adult Literacy and Evaluation Research Team (also known as Project ALERT) was a project conducted by the Detroit Literacy Coalition (DLC) at Wayne State University in 1993-1994 to develop and pilot a user-friendly program model for evaluating literacy operations of community-based organizations throughout Michigan under the provisions of…