In 2000, federally funded public adult education programs provided basic skills training and English language instruction to over 2.6 million students, or about 1.5% of the U.S. adult population. By 2021, enrollment had plummeted to under 900,000, or less than 0.4% of adults. What explains these declines? This policy brief describes the evolution…

Throughout the history of the United States, adult education has played a continuous role in helping adults reach for better lives. In the early 20th century, as this country witnessed expanded growth and tremendous work opportunities, it became apparent that in order to have a productive workforce and economic stability, the language needs of so…

Four key topics in the implementation of Title II legislation are reviewed: (1) the Congressional intent of the Basic Skills Improvement Program (BSIP) and its two major focuses--demonstration and coordination; (2) what is meant by "basic skills"; (3) expected outcomes for the BSIP; and (4) standards for demonstration projects. Congress…

Discusses seven stereotypical views concerning the history of federal involvement in elementary and secondary education. Examines federal intervention after World War II; origination of federal programs; the National Defense Education Act; basic skills education; federal aid to precollegiate education; federal pressure for desegregation; and…

In 1977-78, the Urban Education Studies of the Council of Great City Schools collected information from city school systems on their most successful attempts to improve student achievement in basic skills, career education, multicultural education, and other aspects of curriculum and instruction. One of the findings was that federal intervention…

This article considers the proposed federal Youth Education and Employment Initiative which targets federal funds to those high schools with the lowest achievement and highest poverty levels, to help build work experience programs and to upgrade student skills. New Jersey Education Association recommendations on secondary curriculum improvement…

This document examines the types of projects funded by the Library Literacy Program in fiscal year 1993. The variety of literacy activities supported under the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) Title VI reflects the diversity of literacy needs in states and communities across the United States. Many factors influence a library's choice…

This document examines the types of projects funded by the Library Literacy Program in fiscal year 1992. The variety of literacy activities supported under the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) Title VI reflect the diversity of literacy needs in states and communities across the nation. Many factors influence a library's choice of…

JOBS (Job Opportunities in the Business Sector) participation data from federal reports for December 1990 were reviewed for 9 of the 10 states of the South (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Kentucky information was not available at the time of review. Although federal…

This report offers a title-by-title analysis of Public Law 95-561, the Education Amendments of 1978, as well as actual texts of the conference committee report and the legislation itself. Broken down by titles, the analyses cover technical assistance to meet special educational needs of children; basic skills improvement; special projects and new…

In 1978, Congress reviewed and revised the major federal education programs covered by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Programs were expanded, tightened up, or redirected. For example, Title I and impact aid will direct millions more in federal aid to the big cities of the North and Midwest at the expense of the rural South. A…

In the first portion of this document, abstracts are given for 30 projects that were designed to provide basic skills and literacy training to homeless adults in fiscal year 1989. The following information is provided for each project: state; grant award number; grantee; project title; project director, telephone number, and address; and…

This report provides data on 45 programs in the federal government that have a significant occupational training component. The programs span six departments--the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Transportation. Contents include: (1) figures depicting the number of programs and…

A record of Congressional hearings on the proposed Secondary Schools Basic Skills Act is contained in this document. Following the text of the bill, which is designed to provide junior high and high schools which have large numbers of economically disadvantaged students with funding for programs of quality basic skills instruction, testimony is…

JOBS (Job Opportunities in the Business Sector) implementation faces major challenges in every state, but two issues are of particular importance in the South: the impact of low welfare benefits and the impact of low educational levels among Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients. The impact of low welfare benefits shows up…