This document contains abstracts describing competency-based programs related to the Adult Performance Level (APL) project and adult education. The catalog is divided into two sections: state program implementation and local program implementation. The first section describes programs and research projects currently active in Alabama, California,…

A project was conducted in Pennsylvania to determine what changes might improve the effectiveness of the State's adult basic education (ABE) program. Northcutt's construct of functional competency adult performance level (APL) and Mezirow's program evaluation model provided the basis for the project's two components: APL assessment and program…

This article explains the research phase of the Adult Performance Level (APL) project, providing a brief history of how the APL life coping skills curriculum and Competency-Based High School Diploma Program evolved from the project's research and national survey of adult functional competency. Focuses on APL programs implemented within a…

Project Apple Core (Adult Performance Level), a 15-month project funded through Section 309 of the Adult Education Act of 1966, was carried out in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, to provide a career-oriented instructional program for undereducated and underemployed adults in that area. The document briefly describes some aspects of the project, in…

This report discusses a nationwide study of Adult Performance Level (APL) which involved sixteen projects in seven states and was conducted to (1) examine the University of Texas at Austin's APL study and describe the results and recommendations in terms of the adult needs in New York State; (2) examine several New York State Adult Basic Education…

The study compared two adult education standards used to determine Louisiana student eligibility for taking the General Educational Development (GED) test. Of the initial 590 students, 516 remained as study participants. The traditional standard, Standard 1, required the student to earn 13.0 on the California Achievement Test (CAT) with no area…

A study compared General Equivalency Development (GED) program completion and Adult Performance Level (APL) attainment in West Virginia. During the study, 97 GED program participants, who were not exposed to APL instruction or materials, completed the APL survey either just before or immediately after taking the GED examination. Seventy-seven of…

This paper describes the Adult Performance Level (APL) project, an alternative to external high school diplomas such as the General Educational Development (GED) test. Based on the need for "functional literacy" or "functional competency," the program teaches basic skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening, communication,…

Adults enrolled in local adult basic education programs at six sites in Louisiana were used to compare the credibility of Adult Performance Level (APL) competency-based instructional programs (experimental group) with traditional adult education instructional activities (control group). Focus was on determining the correlation between grade level…

Adult students of English as a second language (ESL) in northern New Jersey were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the relative importance of various aspects of English instruction. The questionnaire was based on a 1974 Adult Performance Level Study (APL). Results of the survey led to the following general conclusions: (1)…

This compendium of statistical data on adult literacy assessments spanning a 75-year period is designed to serve as a concise and comprehensive reference source for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. The introduction provides a theoretical framework for interpreting the assessments described. Summarized in Part 1 are major military and…

This report reviews major components of a workshop to develop consensus on a variety of issues and to increase participant awareness of innovative approaches to competency-based adult education (CBAE). The 200 workshop participants included state directors of adult education, other state staff, university personnel, local project directors, and…

This report examines how early educational opportunities affect child development and eventually adult productivity. The report also discusses some implications for developing countries. The effectiveness of educational programs for infants to 2.5-year-olds has not yet been demonstrated. However programs that ensure health, nutrition,…

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…

A project set out to develop and test adult performance level (APL) materials for pre-vocational programs to enable adults to develop those skills needed to seek and retain employment. Addressing the APL area of occupational knowledge only, methodology focused on (1) joint planning in material development and testing; (2) extensive training in…