There is increasing evidence that American schools are doing a poor job of preparing students for the work force. Several studies have concluded that North Carolina has the worst school-to-work educational training system in the industrialized world. America's educators still have not learned how to deal with the problems that poverty creates for…

This report examines rural practice in adult literacy programs and estimates the extent and nature of rural illiteracy. Surveys were sent to 3,287 rural literacy programs; more than 700 program directors responded for a return rate of 22 percent. In addition, 150 program directors and key state literacy contacts were interviewed by telephone.…

This report defines the social exclusion process by examining long-term unemployment and educational deficiencies in Europe and assessing the scope and effectiveness of the steps taken by the governments concerned to deal with the problem. Chapter I looks at education and prolonged unemployment in six countries that reflect the range of European…

A fresh look should be taken at the traditional distinction between adults with reading disabilities and those with little or no literacy skills. Although the distinction may still be valuable for theoretical purposes, it may not be as useful as it once was for practical situations. Many adults seeking literacy instruction today have limited…

This report was prepared in the framework of Mozambique's concern to respond to the needs of large numbers of unreached learners and to attend, in an integrated fashion, to a growing diversity of learning needs. As step 1 of a three-phase process assisted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO's)…

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…

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…

These 31 papers dealing with adult aboriginal learning are divided into three sections. The keynote speakers' papers appear first in each section. Section 1, Learning Our Way, contains these papers: "The Invasion of Aboriginal Education" (Christie); "The Drover's Daughter" (Bedford); "Nyungar Women Returning to…

The Anderson, Indiana, Public Library conducted a Library Literacy Program that employed a 30-hour per week literacy coordinator. The coordinator's duties were to promote public awareness, recruit volunteer tutors and students, establish library collections, provide support and reinforcement to literacy tutors, and coordinate the supply of…

The Literacy and Career Choices program included several initiatives to address problems of illiteracy in Champaign, Clark, Greene, Madison, and Union Counties, Ohio. A special adult basic education program for deaf adults was established. Twenty-one deaf adults with basic literacy skill needs were identified, and individual service plans were…

An analysis and discussion of regulations in the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act focus on policy issues concerning requirements for language proficiency and knowledge of United States history and government for immigrant amnesty. Five specific issues are addressed: 1) the discriminatory effect of requiring only amnesty applicants to…

This guide gives new tutors who are not professional teachers some techniques for teaching others to read and write. A comprehension-based approach to literacy training is used. Part 1 presents a variety of background information on illiteracy. It also gives some guidelines useful for the new tutor. Part 2 is composed of two diagnostic…

An adult literacy course at Harvard University's Extension School trains professionals and volunteers who teach reading to adults. This 1-semester course consists of weekly lectures and workshops along with a supervised practicum. Students need not be accepted into a degree program to enroll. Clients are self-referrals who pay no fees. Students…

The Kenan Trust Family Literacy Project was implemented during the 1988-89 school year at three model sites in Louisville, Kentucky, and four in North Carolina. The model was designed to teach undereducated parents together with their 3- or 4-year-old children. Children participated in a comprehensive preschool program while adults studied in…

The overall illiteracy rate has been in sharp decline in Latin America, falling from 27.3 percent in 1970 to 17.3 percent in 1985. However, the total number of illiterate people has remained practically stable over the same period. Overall literacy rates tend to increase with the rurality of the population, the proportion of women, the absence of…