The increase in the number of youth under age 18 enrolling in federally funded adult basic and literacy education programs is a trend that is putting increasing pressures on programs designed to serve an adult population. Documenting the extent of the trend is difficult due to the way in which federal statistics on age of program participants have…

This paper is a descriptive presentation of the state-of-the-art of competency-based adult education (CBAE). Readers are provided first with a brief history of the development of the concept and are presented with basic terminology. Then, because CBAE is multi-dimensional, varied notions of functional adult education are discussed and major…

To help teachers and administrators of American Sign Language (ASL) design and implement effective ASL programs, this Digest answers questions about ASL and the essential components of an ASL program, including ASL course design, methods and approaches for teaching ASL as a second language, and ASL instructional materials. (nine references) (VWL)

The staff at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory developed a framework that classifies factors contributing to secondary vocational education effectiveness. These factors are organized into four categories--occupational, educational, ancillary, and societal. Another study reviewed the effective schooling literature and identified six…

Summarizes some of the conclusions of certain chapters in the recently published "Handbook of Reading Research" in which research on instructional practice was synthesized and critiqued. (HOD)

This digest describes a research and development program being carried out in transitional bilingual education programs at five elementary schools in the Los Angeles area. Researchers have been collaborating with teachers and project advisors to develop, implement, and describe instructional strategies that improve the chances of students in these…

Designed to assist program planners and administrators at community colleges in initiating a Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program or determining the future direction of one already in existence, this sourcebook provides 15 articles on various aspects of WAC theory and practice. The following articles are included: (1) "History of WAC and…

Current types of industry-sponsored educational programs, training facilities, and teaching and evaluation methods are described. The history of education and training within the corporate world and the roles of government and unions are traced. Factors that have limited college and industrial cooperation in employee education are also identified.…

This guide brings together three types of resources for educators who need information about foreign language camps. A directory describes 26 such camps in 17 states. A contact person is listed for each camp. The Ohio University Summer Language Camp is then described in detail. Subjects covered include staffing, fees, activities for each time of…

The prevalence of underprepared students attending colleges, the need to define literacy requirements of courses, the implications of research on literacy in the design of remedial programs, and the need for systematic evaluation of such programs are considered. Literacy is broadly defined as a language competence that is used to achieve both…

In the first section of this collection of essays on part-time faculty development, Carol Eliason outlines the problems inherent in current staff development practices and a systems approach to their solution. Then, David Harris voices concerns and challenges from the college president's perspective. Richard Smith explains the benefits of…

This booklet examines the plight of homeless families who have children who need special educational services. It explores the magnitude of homelessness among families, provides empirical descriptions of homeless populations, and identifies factors contributing to the rising incidence of homelessness in the United States. Specific effects of…

Guidelines for teaching English as a second language (ESL) are directed at teachers and teacher trainees. With an emphasis on teaching ESL quickly and efficiently to adults, the six chapters address teaching ESL to competencies, teaching ESL to nonliterate adults, vocational ESL, ESL instruction in the workplace, teaching ESL in the multilevel…

This monograph discusses the state of the art in child second language acquisition research. It is of particular interest to teachers, administrators, and others concerned with educating children whose first language is not English. The first chapter deals with preschool second language acquisition. It examines processes of acquiring the sound…

Immersion is defined as a method of foreign language instruction in which the regular school curriculum is taught through the medium of the language. The foreign language is the vehicle for content instruction; it is not the subject of instruction. Different questions pertaining to the following subjects are answered: (1) long-range goals of a…