Adults with limited education and skills--those who lack the education and skills needed for full participation in U.S. culture and economy--are increasing in numbers. However, the knowledge base addressing this population and their educational needs is fragmented across the literature of several disciplines. A comprehensive review and critique of…

Besieged by poverty, American Indians have historically trailed other minority groups in attending and finishing college. Many lack the literacy skills to succeed in college courses or job-training programs--natural routes to employment. But as the country focuses on increasing college attainment and reducing unemployment, basic education for…

This paper attempts to identify some tools to help practioners think about, debate and plan Workplace Literacy and Essential Skills (WLES) programs. Such tools are necessary so that discussions between practitioners aiming to clarify good practice and successful approaches can get beyond mere descriptions of what happened. In order to compare and…

As professional developers for the Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE) system in Ohio, the authors have focused their efforts over the last several years on more actively engaging adult basic education teachers as learners in the professional development they offer. By creating activities that engage teachers in active learning with their adult…

Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) is an innovative program and strategy developed by the Washington (WA) State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) in conjunction with the state's 29 community colleges and five technical colleges. Its goal is to increase the rate at which adult basic education and…

This paper presents the results of a multisite case study of adult basic education in Japan. A key finding of the study is that as part of community building within classrooms, students, teachers, and administrators prioritize human relations and expressions of empathy rather than academic skill development. In contrast to Japanese educational…

The University of Chicago's Teacher Training Conference provided for an examination of opinion and research from the field of adult basic education; practice in skill development and application; an experience of an urban community; and encounters which centered on personal, political, and educational ideology. This report describes the planning…

Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and six small businesses used federal grant money to develop a model program of workplace literacy that would assist 600 adult workers with inadequate basic skills in performing their jobs. In analyzing the overall skills of the work force, the literacy audit identified these basic skills/literacy…

A visually oriented educational model that was originally developed for use with children was adapted for use with adults in an adult basic and literacy education class. The four-step visual literacy model required students to perform the following actions while reading an entire novel: visualize, inquire, read, and apply. A General Educational…

This guide, based on the Model Workplace Literacy Training Program for Indiana State Employees established at the Indiana Women's Prison in 1991, provides practical advice on developing workplace literacy programs. The guide is organized in six chapters, following an introduction that describes the origins of the Indiana program and outlines the…

A model for program planning in adult basic education is presented, the prototype having been produced by 40 coordinators, teachers, and adult learners. It was designed to meet the need, in adult education programs, for stabilization through systematic planning. A systems approach is defined with systems analysis, anasynthesis, and planning…

One of the major highlights of the last quarter was the review of the Center for Occupational Education by a review and evaluation panel from the Bureau of Research, U.S. Office of Education. This in-depth evaluation centered around the various projects and activities as identified by the Center's goals. Thus, these activities were primarily…

This guide provides information on how to plan, implement, and evaluate staff development programs for adult basic education teachers, administrators, volunteers, and aides. It is divided into sections that deal with various components of a staff developmental program: (1) background information; (2) planning; (3) implementation; (4) evaluation;…

This survey of vocational English as a second language (ESL) for adult learners covers the following areas: (1) language content (pronunciation, structure, vocabulary, style and conversational strategies, literacy training, motivation); (2) program design, including a variety of program models; and (3) materials development (needs assessment,…

The purpose of the project reported here was to develop a model of strategies to facilitate parental access to schools and educational services and to increase parental understanding of school district procedures and practices. Other objectives of the project were as follows: improve participating parents' communication skills and self-confidence;…