An external evaluator worked with the project team of the Wisconsin Technical College System National Workplace Literacy Program to develop the evaluation design. Although she was at the project site for only limited periods of time, she and the project team maintained periodic contact during the 3-year period by telephone, fax, and email. Three…

Angered by the continued worsening of public school quality despite 1980s reform efforts and growing business-education partnerships, many American business leaders claim that money and concern are not enough. Boosting teacher salaries and reducing class size have yielded poor results. Business's general dismay with public school performance has…

The twelve issues of the newsletter of the International Task Force on Literacy, spanning the two-year period from October 1988 to October 1990 (constituting a complete set), contain articles on the following: existing and emerging literacy programs in Canada, Uganda, the United States, the Soviet Union, the Caribbean region, and Zambia;…

This paper provides background information for a seminar discussion about basic skills integration in the workplace. It is intended to frame major policy questions for participants. The chief mission of the seminar's sponsoring organization is to develop a common framework among public agencies, private employers, and unions to discuss policies…

Leaders in business and industry are demanding workers who not only can read and write but can think creatively and critically and solve problems. Federal- and state-funded programs and volunteer organizations are involved with adult literacy. Increasingly, corporations are funding adult literacy projects. Adults read for different reasons than…

The adults who participate in classes, workshops, and other learning opportunities are as diverse as the kinds of programs in which they enroll and the reasons for which they enroll. Adult learners are multifaceted, appreciate flexibility in teaching strategies, and want a say in what they will learn. These purposes for adult education are…

The National Survey of Literacy Skills Used in Daily Activities assessed the functional literacy skills of Canadians aged 16-69. It used a series of commonplace tasks of varying difficulty supplemented by a self-assessment of the literacy skills and needs of Canadians to provide a detailed literacy profile of the adult population in Canada. A…

A process evaluation was conducted to determine the status of the School District of the City of Saginaw's Adult Basic Education (ABE) program operations during 1991-92. The instrument focused on nine aspects of an ABE classroom: start of class; time spent in instruction (for three subject areas and total); modes of instruction; extent of…

This report describes procedures for effective development and implementation of workplace literacy programs based on the experience of a partnership among Alabama Southern Community College (Monroeville, Alabama), Boise Cascade (Jackson, Alabama), and Vanity Fair (Monroeville, Alabama). The introductory summary describes the voluntary,…

This book provides a historical overview of illiteracy as a social phenomenon in Belgium, examines public policies, and profiles literacy in the French and Flemish communities. It is organized in six chapters. The first chapter presents an overview of literacy in Belgium, with information on the educational system and cultural diversity. Chapter 2…

A two-pronged project model aimed to reduce the volume and increase the usefulness of health care materials and improve the literacy, verbal communication, and problem-solving skills of hospital employees. Regular meetings with hospital staff led project personnel to begin training with the cleaning staff in the areas of fire safety, back care,…

Lehigh Valley (Pennsylvania) business, education, and service representatives offered residents of a two-county work force a chance to take the General Educational Development (GED) test for free and improve basic skills. Lehigh Valley census data indicated that one-third of the 650,000 population lacked a high school diploma, yet fewer than 500…

This special "theme" edition of a newsletter focuses on learning disabilities of adult participants in literacy programs. It is a collection of organization profiles, editorials, resources, and examples of collaborative efforts between learning disability and literacy organizations. An overview of this issue is followed by an annotated list of…

This module presents a 3-hour workshop in whole language theory and practice to be used for inservice training of a small group of tutors or teachers of adult reading students. Suggested group size is 6-15 people. Part I explores the background and concepts of whole language from the point of view of the psycholinguistic model of the reading…

The Colorado Workplace Learning Initiative was organized for the following purposes: (1) to design and implement a process for public/private partnerships to address workplace literacy; (2) to establish an effective method for curriculum adaptation and development based on specific workplace needs; (3) to provide accessible, relevant, and…