There is renewed emphasis on student assessment in adult literacy. Popular methods are instructor-made tests and performance assessment through observation, portfolios, writing samples, audio- and videotapes, and collaborative projects. (SK)

Suggests that teachers can use adapted or abridged classic novels with Adult Basic Education (ABE) students and enrich them by reading aloud short passages from the full length novels. Offers guidelines for selecting novels and excerpts. (PRA)

Explores the relationship between participation in a Canadian urban adult literacy programs and employment status over three years. Finds that most participants returned to the same sort of low-paying jobs. Suggests that agencies and groups providing financial support for such programs reconsider the strong focus on employment that permeates these…

Describes a training framework which used active listening to introduce volunteer adult literacy tutors to student-centered learning, expanding from active listening into group and learner observations. (SR)

Universities can play a role in resolving the problems of functionally illiterate adults, which have reduced human capital and economic production. One university's adult competency initiative provided classes and tutoring for its employees and community members, supporting its mission to apply knowledge in the real world. (SK)

Provides a brief summary of whole-language theory and offers suggestions for its application in adult education settings. Maintains that when instructional techniques rooted in whole-language theory are used with adult beginning readers, learning is more meaningful and success can be dramatic. (SR)

An evaluation of Job Trails, a computerized basic skills assessment of functional context literacy, received 79 responses from adult students showing that (1) it works best with low performing learners; (2) adults liked using computers and did not view it as a "test"; and (3) they learned more about necessary job skills. (SK)

The General Educational Development Tests can be used to place adult basic education students for study, to measure progress achieved, to enable students to qualify for postsecondary education, and to evaluate program effectiveness. (SK)

Using categories of racism, sexism, and socioeconomic stereotypes, 37 stories from adult reading series were analyzed. Compared to a 1977 study, texts have improved only slightly. Reproduction of the cultural and political status quo remains the hidden curriculum of literacy education. (SK)

A General Educational Development (GED) certificate is not rigorous enough to substitute for a high school diploma and does not help the recipient economically or in college. Either stronger standards should be developed for GEDs, or dropout-prevention programs should be intensified. (SK)

This study evaluated the psychoeducational patterns of 14 adults (ages 19 to 37) with learning disabilities and reading ability at the fourth-grade level or below. Subjects' backgrounds and reasons for referral are summarized, and results of intervention in oral language, reading, written language, and mathematics are reported. (DB)

Australian governmental bodies as well as professional associations have published reports and guidelines on teacher competence in adult literacy and English as a Second Language. The profession itself needs to make explicit its values and ethics and describe itself in a way that promotes good practice. (SK)

Reviews recent literature on family literacy programs and examines the assumptions made by many programs in light of cultural and educational implications. Explores research methodology and interpretation in family literacy and describes some promising practices for public schools that can affect such programs positively. (SLD)

Describes "Reading by Listening," a program developed for students in an Adult Basic Education Program at Cape Fear Community College designed to give students the opportunity to read quality literature. Presents two students' experiences with the program, focusing on how their strategies and attitudes changed over the course of the year. (SG)

This paper discusses how adult literacy educators chose to apply multiple intelligences (MI) theory. The findings fall into two categories of teachers' interpretation, MI-inspired instruction, and MI reflections. The resulting findings were that these MI-inspired teaching approaches helped to reduce teacher directedness and increase student…