In 18 Appalachian Tennessee counties, an aggressive "war on illiteracy" recruits former dropouts to GED (high school equivalency) classes, literacy classes for those with grade 8-9 reading level, and basic skills classes. People who almost finished high school may earn diplomas through approved adult classes. Classes are taught by…

Describes Critical Dialogues, an instructional approach based on the background knowledge and experiences of at-risk middle school students. Critical Dialogues can be used to help teach students the interactive processes vital to learning. Students grasp the importance of using their own knowledge to interpret situations, make decisions, and solve…

Introduced in Indonesia in 1977, the Learning Kejar Packet A (LKPA) is an educational program for low-literate people and primary school dropouts. The 20-year-old program is still flourishing, but are its ideas still valid and what are the secrets of its longevity? The first reason probably lies in the contents and design of the learning materials…

This report for individuals and organizations engaged in literacy outreach activities explores a youth agency-based, social service professional-facilitated strategy for reaching out-of-school youth. Chapter I describes the growing problem of school dropout. Chapter II synthesizes governmental and scholarly studies of youth and schooling,…

This issue presents some excerpts from the Commonwealth Conference on Non-Formal Education for Development, held in New Delhi, India, January 22-February 2, 1979, concerning the concept and tasks of nonformal education. Includes a few observations and recommendations from each of the Conference's 12 committees. (MF)

A project sought to determine if reluctant learners, about 30 percent of the adult basic education (ABE) population, can be retained in ABE classes through accommodations in the program structure and more effective teacher/counselor intervention. The project was based on earlier research findings that most ABE learners who drop out do so in the…

This paper provides a transcript of a videotaped roundtable discussion on illiteracy among young people (aged 16-30) in Canada. The discussion centered mainly on French-speaking Canadians and school dropouts. Panelists declared that the present adult literacy education system focuses on adults and that young people cannot fit into that system.…

This directory describes programs that have been successful in recognizing and meeting the special needs of migrant secondary youth. It identifies 12 key components of effective service to migrant students and describes 36 migrant programs in the United States that address these components. The Interstate Migrant Secondary Team, a group of 18…

The purpose of the Student Taught Adult Basic Literacy Efforts (STABLE) project was the involvement of adult illiterates, functional illiterates, and educational dropouts who do not take advantage of other educational and vocational training opportunities in basic education, using mature college students as teachers. Thirty students were trained…

This testimony was presented by the chairperson of the board of directors of one of the largest national Hispanic organizations before a Senate Republican Task Force on Hispanic Affairs. The following key points are presented: (1) low educational attainment and literacy severely limit the economic opportunities of Hispanics and place a strain on a…

The hearing was convened to address the problems in American education and to identify and lend support to those successful and cost-effective policies, practices and programs that have emerged since 1965. This is one in a series of regional hearings designed to obtain diverse viewpoints, examine proposed solutions and agree on viable solutions to…

A project developed and implemented a plan to retain those adult basic education students who are likely to be successful if they stay enrolled in the program but who are likely to drop out if program staff do not intervene. The plan involved use of an assessment instrument to identify these at-risk students, development of an individualized…

The National Literacy Mission Authority has begun pilot testing an innovative open distance education program for newly literate individuals in 20 districts of India. Using open and distance education where literacy is at its infancy is feasible because newly literate persons can manage to read printed material and have the motivation to read and…

This ERIC digest examines the extent of early school leaving among migrants, conditions that precede early school leaving, common features of programs that work to retrieve dropouts, and illustrative programs that exhibit these features. The Migrant Attrition Project estimates a 45% national dropout rate of migrant students. Conditions that lead…

Data from a 1980 population census indicates that of the over 73.5 million people in Brazil who were over 15 years of age, 25.4 percent were illiterate and 27.42 percent had less than 1 year of schooling. Such data show the precarious situation of education in Brazil, particularly that of adolescents and adults. Its origins lie in the dual nature…