The purpose of this quantitative, pretest-posttest causal-comparative with control condition study was to examine if there was a difference in misconduct, as measured by reduction in occurrences of disciplinary infractions while incarcerated. General strain theory of criminal behavior provided the theoretical context for this study. The Arizona…

Discussion on the advantages of integrating health literacy into adult education has primarily been theoretical and conceptual. There is a need for studies that assess the impact of adult education on health literacy. This study implemented a quasi-experimental design to explore whether basic adult instruction may constitute a venue for improving…

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,…

Study compared fifty adult performance level (APL) graduates' scores to fifty high school graduates' scores for four APL knowledge areas. APL graduates scored significantly higher than high school graduates in consumer economics and occupational knowledge. No significant differences were recorded between groups in areas of community resources and…

This directory presents, in narrative form, core information about the operations of approximately 100 Aboriginal literacy programs throughout Canada. To qualify for inclusion in the directory, each program had to offer basic, functional, or advanced literacy training; offer literacy training in English, French, or an Aboriginal language; be…

This ERIC digest examines states' goals of rural literacy programs and the types of programs that have proven effective in the past. It includes several definitions of literacy applied by effective rural literacy programs. It also examines the conditions that support or limit widespread influence of effective programs in rural areas. The level of…

The study used data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress report to examine the relationship for young adults between functional literacy skills and educational attainment. Educational attainment was classified into four categories: less than a high school graduate, high school graduate, some postsecondary education, and college…

This booklet provides background information on literacy for television and radio broadcasters. It focuses first on the numbers of functionally illiterate persons in the United States and what those numbers mean. Central to understanding those numbers, as pointed out by the booklet, is the definition of illiteracy that is used, a definition that…

The Adult Performance Level (APL) Competency-Based High School Diploma (CBHSD) Program in Texas is briefly described. The program was developed as a flexible and effective alternative to a conventional high school diploma program and to the General Educational Development (GED) test. Program goals are expressed as competency outcomes which are…

An experimental study compared the effectiveness of a traditional General Educational Development (GED) curriculum with a literacy curriculum based on applied literacy skills. An experimental group of 34 adult students received GED instruction emphasizing functional and workplace contexts and supplemental instruction, whereas the 35 students in…

This assessment instrument is designed for use in evaluating the workplace literacy skills of individuals applying for employment in various hospital departments, including food service, housekeeping, environmental services, occupations, including food service occupations. The instrument is divided into two parts. Part 1 is designed to be…

In 1985 the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessed the literacy skills of America's young adults. The survey stressed the complexity and diversity of literary tasks in American society rather than using a simplistic single standard for literacy. NAEP convened panels of experts whose deliberations led to this definition of…

This curriculum module contains lesson plans and application activities that were developed to help adult students master the writing skills needed to earn a general high school equivalency diploma. Included in the module are materials designed to help students demonstrate effective writing and master specific objectives in the following writing…

Two studies investigated the performance of Florida high school seniors on the Tests of General Educational Development (GED Tests). The GED Test Battery, as revised in 1980, consists of 290 items in 5 subject areas (writing, social studies, science, reading, and mathematics). In the first study, the performance of 1,200 Florida students was…

This curriculum module contains lesson plans and application activities that were developed for the second of two companion courses to help adult students build writing skills by emphasizing writing as a process involving generating ideas through revising, editing, and self-critiquing and by teaching basic grammar, punctuation, and spelling…