A workplace literacy program was designed to improve the literacy skills of entry-level workers in the housekeeping, food service, and laundry departments of Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. Classes were held twice per week for 36 weeks at the hospital on job time. Literacy was defined as reading, writing, oral communication, and problem…

A review of workplace literacy tests and testing found that the definitions of literacy and, in particular, workplace literacy have changed and are continuing to change. There is no single, widely accepted definition. Descriptions of workplace literacy demands in terms of reading grade levels are inappropriate. Most tests currently in use are…

There are more than 4 million small businesses across the country that provide more than half of private sector employment, generate 47 percent of the gross national product, and generate two out of every three new jobs in the United States. Because small businesses provide the majority of new workers with their first work experience, they are at…

This collection of papers focuses on numeracy education for adults. In a paper entitled "Functional Numeracy," Terry Riley questions the underlying assumptions of functional numeracy and suggests that the term has often been distorted and oversimplified. Margeret Moss, in her paper "The Language of Numeracy," stresses that…

To clarify and examine conventional wisdom and stereotypes about adult literacy, this paper focuses on the approaches of individually oriented and community-oriented programs. An examination of the literature base (encompassing research reports, informal accounts, manuals and handbooks, and theoretical, philosophical, and policy articles) leads to…

The 1980-81 Jefferson County (Kentucky) Adult Reading Program served 601 students functioning below 6.0 grade level during the 1980-81 year. The project's instructional methods and materials were developed based on the experiences of the program for the previous two years. The program was considered a success not only from the viewpoint of the…

IN THE MISSOURI ADULT VOCATIONAL-LITERACY MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MATERIALS WERE DEVISED FOR TEACHING ADULTS TO READ, WRITE, AND SPELL AT THE FUNCTIONAL (SIXTH GRADE) LEVEL. IN THE RESEARCH PHASE, THE NEEDS, CHARACTERISTICS, LITERACY LEVEL, OCCUPATIONS, AND INTERESTS OF THE ILLITERATE ADULT WERE STUDIED, AND TEACHING MATERIALS AND METHODS…

The issue of adult and continuing education in New Jersey has been examined as part of a Federal project (Project Next Step: Mutuality of Planning). National role, trends, and problems of adult and continuing education are summarized briefly in the first section while the next section includes a summary of the adult education programs in New…

A program of functional literacy, as an integral part of the program of Farmers' Training and Functional Literacy, is presented. Its objectives are: (1) to increase the attainment and use of literacy skills, and (2) to bring about the socio-economic change on the individual with particular emphasis on changes in agricultural production. The…

The 1-year project reported here was undertaken for World Literacy of Canada to survey the nature and extent of functional illiteracy in Canada, with a focus on those activities currently being undertaken in Anglophone Canada. An introduction provides background on the extent of the problem, comparing 1961 and 1971 Census statistics, and defines…

This module, which may be used as the basis for a workshop or as a special topic unit in adult basic education or English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses, focuses on renting a place to live. The following items are included: module overview; list of basic, thinking, interpersonal, information utilization, and other skills addressed in the…

During a 1-year period, a study investigated the contributions made by 3 literacy-based supports (support circles, cognitive compensatory tools, and cognitive enhancement tools) to the lives of 5 young adults, aged 16-34, with FAS/FAE (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects). Four of the five subjects had IQs (intelligence quotients) above…

A study established the extent of literacy deficits among participants in Victoria's Job Network, Job Search Training (JST) programs, and the impact that identified literacy deficits are having on job seekers' ability to participate in the Australian Job Search program and on their job seeking potential. Data were sought from 35 programs (with…

This paper reviews issues in fostering closer connections between higher education and the workplace and summarizes results of a 1995 survey of 404 New Jersey employers concerning the knowledge, skills, and abilities that New Jersey employers expect from higher education graduates and their suggestions for improving college-based workforce…

This summary for administrators describes the Cultural Literacy Test, which is designed to help monitor students' progress in attaining essential general knowledge and to serve as a rational means for assessing education in one of its most important dimensions: the achievement of functional literacy. Summary topics include test development,…