A collaborative project involved Collins and Aikman, Inc., Pitt Community College, and the U.S. Department of Education in an effort to improve the literacy level of the company's work force in order to increase productivity. A pretest of about 400 of the company's 513 workers in 1 division uncovered educational needs in reading and mathematics…

This study attempted to determine what difference, if any, participation in adult basic education (ABE) programs makes in the lives of undereducated adults. The nature of the impact was examined on two dimensions: (1) the qualitative impact in terms of changes in the quality of student lives and (2) the financial impact in terms of changes in the…

The Technology for Literacy Center (TLC) was designed to find a new and better way to teach literacy skills to adults by using computers and other forms of technology. It served 1,300 illiterate adults in the St. Paul, Minnesota, area of Ramsey, Washington, and Dakota counties. The project had four major components: direct services, training,…

The 1983 Kentucky Energy Conservation Consortium conducted three seminars on home energy conservation at each of 14 postsecondary campuses throughout the state, attracting a total of 3,598 homeowners. The Consortium also distributed 6,000 calendars with energy-saving tips. Although on-site evaluation showed an overwhelmingly positive response to…

This document discusses the adult education component of two Canadian women's organizations from a historical perspective. The two organizations chosen, the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Canada have traditionally emphasized the education of women. The six sections of the paper cover…

In 1979 a project was undertaken to evaluate the Institute of Study for Older Adults (ISOA) Liberal Arts program, a unit of the City University of New York which provides noncredit, off-campus liberal arts classes for the elderly poor of New York City. The evaluation sought to determine the demographic characteristics of program participants; the…

Several of the available methods of program evaluation are discussed, with emphasis on adult basic education projects. The following evaluation models are presented: intuitive judgment, cost/benefit analysis, experimental research, and a synthetic approach which includes planning, action, and evaluation. The author also presents his Project…

Indiana's Comprehensive Action Plan (I-CAP) provides a framework for program excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement in adult education. The action plan includes guiding principles and benchmarks for quality programs. Adult education programs are evaluated annually on these 10 established principles of program quality: educational…

The adult basic education (ABE) program offered by the Saginaw City School System in Michigan during the 1994-1995 school year was evaluated in a study that focused on 10 aspects of the instructional process (various aspects of the content, delivery, and management of instruction) and the products (outcomes) of instruction (student enrollment,…

This issue contains five articles about assessment in adult literacy programs. The first article, "Living Literacy: Rethinking Adult Learner Assessment" (Susan L. Lytle), focuses on developing alternative forms of assessment such as literacy portfolios to identify changes in four dimensions of adult literacy over the course of literacy…

In 1996, the effectiveness of New Jersey's Perkins Act-funded single parent/displaced homemaker and gender equity programs in increasing clients' knowledge of nontraditional careers was evaluated through a 60-question survey that was administered to all clients before each program began and 6 weeks after completion of those portions of the…

The transformation of Singapore from a stagnating colonial port city in the late 1950s into a newly industrialized city-state in the early 1990s was the outcome of planned adjustments to changing internal and external conditions. Training and retraining programs played a role in these adjustments. Although full employment prevailed in 1979, the…

A study examined the dynamics of cooperation between public school adult education programs and business and industry. On-site interviews of nine public school adult education (PSAE) directors and ten representatives from the training and development sector of business and industry were conducted, and a survey and two followup surveys were…

To educate the small business entrepreneur on a continuing basis over three years, a model was developed to meet the specific needs of North Dakota business entrepreneurs and the educational institutions serving them. Enrollment in the program at Lake Region Junior College was limited the first year to twenty businesses and was increased the…

Project PACT was designed to complement a bilingual program at Potter-Thomas school by involving Hispanic parents in the education of their children. The emphasis was on improving the academic performance of Hispanic pupils by teaching their parents and other adults how to reinforce classroom instruction. At the end of the first year, there was…