This document consists of a final report, informational packet, and training manual. These materials are from a 1997-98 extension of a project during which several educational agencies used the Cumberland Valley (Pennsylvania) diploma model to develop their own high school diploma program for implementation. The report itself describes the diploma…

A study at Queens College (City University of New York, New York) investigated the literacy backgrounds of nine non-native-English-speaking students of varied ages and language groups who failed the freshman composition test. Data were gathered in focused interviews (questions appended), which asked for the student's recollections of the…

This handbook for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and General Educational Development (GED) instruction synthesizes research and combines it with selected instructional strategies for instructors, tutors, and volunteers. This handbook is a reference tool that sets the scene for instruction in literacy and adult basic education. The handbook includes…

This English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) assessment kit was designed for use by teachers and program managers who are involved in the initial interview, assessment, and referral of students and who are responsible for placement of learners in programs and classes. Its aims are to help the interviewer to: (1) identify the relative priority of…

This report on an internal evaluation, which was conducted for developmental purposes, describes services provided at the Learning Skills Centres (LSC) on three separate campuses of Grant MacEwan Community College, in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada). The key questions of the evaluation addressed student and staff awareness of the existence of the LSC;…

This article describes a paired storytelling technique that can be used in bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classrooms to help motivate students to maximize reading comprehension. The technique involves having the students: (1) pair off; (2) discuss the story theme; (3) read half of the story; (4) take notes on their half of the…

This report presents the primary papers given at a 1992 workshop to identify specific higher order thinking and communication skills and to develop appropriate indicators of collegiate outcomes as suggested by Goal 5.5 of the National Education Goals formulated in 1990. This goal addressed improvement in college graduates' ability to "think…

A study investigated the impact of a school-based family literacy program located in an urban, working-class Ontario, Canada neighborhood on parents enrolled with their toddlers. Subjects, 15 white female parents between the ages of 17.6 and 33 years who had not completed secondary education, were interviewed, wrote journals, and participated in…

The 111 spelling tests described in this bibliography include those that assess spelling only and test batteries in which spelling is one of several skills being evaluated. Both achievement and diagnostic tests are described, as well as tests for special populations such as visually impaired persons and Spanish speakers. Occupational tests and GED…

A program of basic language/writing skills was designed to enhance the literacy levels of 24 multicultural seniors, aged 65 or older, who were recruited from senior centers throughout Erie County, Pennsylvania. Computer literacy and basic word processing skills were taught along with basic language/writing skills in a nonthreatening learning…

The two studies described here compare essays composed on word processors with those composed with pen and paper for a standardized writing assessment. The following questions guided these studies: (1) Are there differences in test administration and writing processes associated with handwritten versus word-processor writing assessments? (2) Are…

A Writing Anxiety Scale (WAS) was developed. A literature review and interviews with writing instructors identified nine components of writing behavior (Empathy, Expression, Evaluation by Others, Motivation, Organization, Procrastination, Self-Esteem, Technical Skills, and Writing Anxiety). A pool of 146 items were written to reflect the…

A "write to learn" collaboration between a business professor and a writing teacher at Indiana University's School of Business improved both student writing skills and knowledge of international economic policy issues. As part of a larger Indiana University project to improve undergraduates's writing skills, a course titled…

In an effort to determine the relationship between English language/writing skills and academic performance in a college-level U.S. History course, a study was conducted of all students enrolled in freshman U.S. History at Oxnard College (California) in spring 1990. The study sample consisted of 112 students, whose scores on the English Subtest of…

This coursebook contains materials for a course to help participants in a workplace literacy project put together a solid presentation that they can deliver with confidence. The course's stated goals are as follows: to enable participants to prepare interesting and informative presentations, use visual aids to enhance presentation, deliver…