An adult basic education evaluation design should be directly related to realistic and assessable process and outcome objectives of a project. The design should be established early, and baseline data should be obtained prior to, or at least concurrent with, initiating the delivery of services. (CT)

An outcome of a study of adult basic education programs initiated three years ago by the Columbia University Center of Adult Education, the evaluation guide with its step-by-step instructions can be used for both formative and summative evaluations of adult basic education programs. Background research involved in this publication included direct…

Three conceptual issues form the basis for coping with technical problems of gathering data on literacy: (1) the definition of literacy; (2) choice of criteria that can be used in properly assessing and measuring literacy; and (3) conflict between the importance and necessity of literacy assessment and the difficulty of fulfilling the prerequisite…

This guide is designed to help educators plan and carry out evaluations of adult education programs. It describes some of the more common approaches to program evaluation that can easily be adapted to and implemented by adult education programs. The guide is organized in 10 sections. Following an introduction and overview in section 1, section 2…

Techniques are illustrated in this article for strengthening evaluative designs and methodologies relevant to educational programs that incorporate within their broad aims assisting in social problem-solving. (AJ)

This handbook documents the comprehensive evaluation and training system that is being used with Indiana's adult basic education programs. It consists of a set of instruments to assess the effectiveness of ABE programs and a series of workshops to train program providers to carry out the evaluation. Two introductory sections contain a guide to the…

A project was conducted to design an alternative assessment tool for use with adult learners traditionally identified as reading below fifth-grade level. This assessment allows for the creation of a goal-oriented Individual Education Plan that is personalized to the learner's needs and educational goals. The approach, analogous to the art…

In a progress report of the Arizona Adult Basic Education Data Processing System, the following are presented: (1) the terms of the original contract; (2) the plans for the second year; (3) the method used; (4) information secured; (5) evaluation information obtained; (6) plans for the future. The program aims at identifying, adapting, and coding…

A project was conducted to redesign the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education required student tracking form to provide for better student tracking. The Student Intake and Data form supplied by the PDE from program year 1996-97 was used as a point of comparison, and evaluations of this form by…

This issue of "EFF Voice" focuses on current research and development efforts to create an assessment framework for the Equipped for the Future (EFF) Content Standards. As in all earlier phases of EFF R&D, this work engages practitioners in the field, as well as researchers and other technical advisors, as partners in the development…

A course which grew directly from the stated needs expressed by Adult Basic Education (ABE) students and ABE teachers alike is presented. As the course was presented, the content was evaluated through analysis of tape recordings of class periods, through analysis of instructor opinion, and through the collection and analysis of the opinions of…

The National Reporting System (NRS) is a project to develop an accountability system for the federally funded adult education program. The system includes a set of student measures to allow assessment of the impact of adult education instruction, methodologies for collecting the measures, reporting forms and procedures, and training and technical…

An 11-point plan was developed by the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) in cooperation with the California Department of Education for the 1990-91 year. Major program objectives were designed to enhance agency involvement, identify underlying causes of student attrition, examine test administration and security practices,…

Three 2-week Adult Basic Education (ABE) Institutes were conducted in Tennessee during the summer of 1972. The three were an ABE Guidance and Counseling Institute, an ABE Materials and Teaching Institute, and an ABE Reading Institute. Each institute consisted of approximately 30 participants from the various regions of the state, and graduate…

The National Reporting System (NRS) established reporting requirements for the adult education program required by Title II of the Workforce Investment Act. The NRS defines the measures local programs must collect, the methodologies for collecting them, and state reporting requirements. This document presents the guidelines for conducting the NRS…