The three position papers included in this publication are concerned with the broad area of illiteracy, with each individual paper presenting a specific point of view. The first paper, "The Costs of Illiteracy," discusses several complex relationships between illiteracy and its economic consequences for the illiterate citizen and for the country.…

Although the federal government, the private sector, and local literacy providers all have important roles in national literacy policy, the goals, shape, and content of the system for enhancing adult literacy in the United States will be developed and implemented by the states. A national commitment to adult literacy will thus mean different…

This report, the fourth in a series describing an ongoing investigation of Illinois family literacy programs, documents the work and organization of a group that studied and developed state policy in the area of family literacy. The report includes the following: (1) the position paper that outlines the findings of the family literacy policy group…

The three position papers on reading disability and illiteracy offer a description of the present position and boundaries of the problem which the current state of knowledge, research, and experience affords us. The first, "The Costs of Illiteracy" by A. Dale Tussing and Laurence B. DeWitt, attempts to describe these "costs" as the quickest way to…

This guide is intended to help state legislators enact legislation and create programs of job training within the provisions of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). The guide's five sections cover the following: job training policy (an introduction); establishing oversight of a state's job training resources; the state legislature and the…

The Federal Government has been funding state- and locally operated adult literacy programs for nearly 25 years. Unfortunately, despite the best intentions and efforts, the federal initiative in adult literacy has been minimal, inefficient, and ineffective. There has been no consistent federal policy guiding the growth of programs since 1965.…

International Literacy Year (1990), sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is a time of great hope and unique opportunity. It is intended to convey two essential messages: (1) education matters and will be decisive in shaping the future of individuals and societies; and (2) there is an urgent…

There is a close connection between illiteracy and poverty at all levels--global, national, and subnational; the countries with the lowest levels of literacy are also the poorest economically. Poverty breeds illiteracy by forcing children to drop out of school to work, and these illiterate people are forced to stay on the lowest levels of the work…

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…

This policy guide is designed to assist governors and state leaders in analyzing the issue of adult literacy and in proposing specific policy strategies for dealing with this national problem. The book offers practical guidance in two areas critical to effective action: it clarifies definitions of "literacy" and "illiteracy" and provides a…

Workplace literacy programs can support the path toward either low wages or high skills. Instead of the "high skill" path, most U.S. companies follow the "low wage" path. Depending on who is involved, which program goals are selected, and what planning process is followed, a workplace literacy program can maintain outdated workplaces or foster…

A Unesco-sponsored conference on literacy was convened to establish a working definition for functional literacy relevant to the Caribbean; to develop strategies aimed at eradicating illiteracy by the year 2000 or achieving a substantial reduction in illiteracy; to assess skills for the production of materials for adult literacy; to develop…

The Manitoba Task Force on Literacy conducted public hearings to determine the root causes of illiteracy in the province and to make recommendations for programs to help adults become literate. The Task Force was especially solicitous of the opinions of learners--illiterate people who are now participating in literacy education programs. Some of…

This booklet examines adult education needs and opportunities for incarcerated persons from the perspective of experts and former inmates. The booklet considers adult learning a basic human right and a crucial step towards the reintegration and the rehabilitation of prisoners and that there is a great demand for learning in correctional…

A study examined basic skills programs at 21 Illinois companies. Most of the top managers interviewed recognized the basic skills training needs of their work forces; however, only 14 of the companies actually offered workplace basic skills programs. Three major motivating factors were identified as catalysts for beginning a program: a drive for…