Media reports suggest widespread illiteracy among adults who may not be able to read, write, speak, or otherwise communicate competently enough to meet the demands of modern society. No consensus has been reached regarding a definition of illiteracy or supporting statistics. Estimates of adult illiteracy range form 0.5% to 50%, meaning that of the…

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…

This publication is a tutor's guide to teaching basic literacy using The Fresno Bee, a California newspaper, as the primary "textbook." The course is aimed at English-speaking adults and is designed to teach reading in an interesting and entertaining way that promotes self-motivated study, both in the classroom and at home. The guide is…

The public has formed some myths and misconceptions about literacy. No substantive proof supports the grandiose assertion that literacy changes the way humans think and their intelligence. No one who has studied national surveys of adult literacy seriously believes that illiteracy in the United States will be eradicated by 2000. The literacy…

Based on a program developed in Texas, this guide was developed to help correctional educators coordinate educational services in the community with adult education program providers in order to provide appropriate programs for parolees and probationers. Following an introduction that explains terms of the criminal justice system and…

This document reports on Utah's progress toward achieving the six National Education Goals. The goals are discussed under the following headings: (1) Readiness for School; (2) High School Completion; (3) Student Achievement and Citizenship; (4) Science and Mathematics; (5) Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning; and (6) Safe, Disciplined, and…

This book examines the ideas of two radical heroes of adult education: Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) and Paulo Freire (1921-1997). The book is organized into six chapters. Chapter 1 introduces both men and their influences on adult education. Chapter 2 examines Gramsci's educative concept of politics, focusing on his concepts of hegemony and the…

A project identified and established components related to adult basic education's role in school-to-work (STW) transition. It focused on developing a cognitive framework for competency-based adult employability classes, integrating adult basic and literacy education (ABLE)-funded programs into the Erie Area STW partnership, and establishing a…

A project was conducted to add computer-assisted instruction to a one-to-one adult literacy program conducted in public libraries in Bradford and Wyoming Counties of Pennsylvania. During the project, software was selected for literacy instruction in reading, mathematics, grammar, spelling, and English as a second language. Laubach Way to Reading…

This document was published by Alpha, a research program specializing in alternative, experimental approaches to adult basic education. It is an attempt to widen the field and examine the relationship between the micro and macro levels, between the diversity of different practices and the major policy orientations that foster or limit this…

Suggestions are presented that are drawn from basic skills instruction at the English Learning Centre at Gloucestershire College of Arts and Technology (England), an open learning center geared specifically for ESOL students. Funded for 2 years as a special project by the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit, the center examines procedures that…

The process of developing indicators, measures, and standards of program quality can be considered a tiered, four-step process consisting of the following: (1) identification of topic areas important to program quality; (2) establishing the indicators that reflect quality for each area; (3) determining measures of the indicators; and (4) setting a…

As a preliminary to developing criteria to meet quality control requirements of the National Literacy Act of 1991, a study examined federal and state development of measures of program quality and performance standards for programs funded under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education…

Research on adult literacy suggests that some formidable problems lie ahead as efforts continue toward ensuring that every adult in the United States is literate and possesses skills necessary for economic competitiveness and citizenship. Among the difficulties facing existing approaches are three interrelated issues. First, current programs serve…

This report analyzes the incidence of learning disabilities among individuals in Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and other employment training programs and the impact of these learning disabilities on programmatic approaches to functional literacy assessment and training. The report examines the proportion of target individuals likely to be…