Researchers reanalyzed the original Adult Performance Level Test survey data for the test's validity and reliability, and they concluded that (1) the test is not content valid because it assumes that functional competence can be logically defined and adult success accurately measured; and (2) the test is a valid measure of verbal, writing, and…

Four major types of approaches to learner assessment are standardized testing, materials-based, competency-based, and participatory assessment. Standardized tests are easy and inexpensive to administer. Objections are their intrinsic defects and misuse. Materials-based assessment, the practice of evaluating learners on the basis of tests following…

A project was conducted to determine formal and informal competencies based on an expanded definition of workplace environmental literacy. A secondary goal was to develop a compact between employers and training program graduates whereby graduates would have preferential access to employment opportunities. Issues that arose during the…

This manual is designed to assist English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers in adult basic education programs in assessing and documenting student progress. It is organized into five sections according to skill areas: reading; writing; speaking; listening; and computation. Each section includes a list of core competencies, a list of assessment…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 20 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: predictors of primary grade reading achievement; factor analysis of the WISC-R to distinguish disabled readers at three grade levels; a process model for…

This publication (in both English and French versions) on learner assessment in workplace literacy programs begins with a discourse on some dimensions of the testing question. It discusses three major approaches to assessment in the broader area of adult literacy that can shed light in the domain of workplace literacy: traditional, competency…

A statwide evaluation study of Adult Basic Education (ABE) in Virginia was conducted during the 1977-78 school year and its findings compared to those of a 1970-71 study. The program factors addressed include the following: actions taken on the 1970-71 recommendations; student personnel services; instructional program; curriculum design; the…

This newsletter reports on the activities of Equipped for the Future (EFF), which is a National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) initiative that develops content standards to ensure that every adult can gain the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill real-world responsibilities as workers, parents, and citizens. A message from the NIFL…