In its first year of operation, the Staff Development Project of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) made dramatic quantitative gains in Adult Basic Education (ABE) teacher training throughout the Southeast. The following have been accomplished in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee: 16 institutions of…

The 1-year project reported here was undertaken for World Literacy of Canada to survey the nature and extent of functional illiteracy in Canada, with a focus on those activities currently being undertaken in Anglophone Canada. An introduction provides background on the extent of the problem, comparing 1961 and 1971 Census statistics, and defines…

"Focus on Basics" is the quarterly publication of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. It presents best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used by adult basic education teachers, counselors, program administrators, and policymakers. "Focus on Basics" is…

This chapter seeks to provide the field of education for adult English speakers of other languages--at local, state, and national levels--with a timely overview of the state of assessment in adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs in the United States. It also seeks to provide a brief description of assessment reform…

In their chapter on numeracy, the authors begin by exploring the many terms used to describe the learning of mathematics by adults. They discuss the relationship between the terms "mathematics" and "numeracy" and explain why numeracy--making meaning with numbers and mathematical processes--is the term they chose for their…

A panel of experts from a variety of disciplines was convened to advise policymakers about what is known about instructional effectiveness in adult and family literacy situations. The panel concluded that, although little research examining instructional effectiveness in family and adult literacy programs is available, a great deal of "best…

The pros and cons of integrated learning systems (ILS) and stand-alone software for adult literacy instruction were examined in a comparative analysis that focused on their use in adult literacy programs in Canada. The comparison focused on the following variables: achievement gains in reading; changes in students' attitudes toward computers;…

Participants in a teacher workshop compared these two approaches to learning outcomes in adult numeracy: (1) teaching mathematical skills and (2) using and applying mathematics from real life. The first approach was illustrated by an Ontario, Canada, program based on traditional school math, whose outcomes are skill-based and are the following:…

The Adult Literacy and Numeracy Australian Research Consortium (ALNARC) received sponsored research funding to study adult literacy and numeracy, network with field-based stakeholders, and disseminate findings. It studied these three layers of participant involvement and response to the sponsored research program: research leaders; sponsored…

A project that focused on how the field of adult numeracy education had been shaped in Australia over the last 20 years sought answers to these research questions: (1) What does the past tell about adult literacy and numeracy policy, provision, and research? (2) Are Australians numerate? (3) What sort of numeracy activities do Australians engage…

The purpose of this report on the Iowa Community College System was to review Iowa community college programs and related services. The report is comprised of the following basic sections: (1) the introduction, which includes a history of Iowa Community Colleges; (2) Credit Student Enrollment, offering a variety of reports; (3) Credit Student…

Designed primarily for adult literacy teachers and tutors, this curriculum describes the content of what should be taught in numeracy programs in order to meet the individual needs of adults through the selection and teaching of skills appropriate to those adults' needs. An introduction describes national standards and qualifications, learners,…

The National Center for Family Literacy (FCFL) began the Family Independence Initiative (FII) to address the needs of welfare recipients and their families for literacy services. During the FII's development phase in 1997-1998, NCFL funded five family literacy program grantees to develop models of work-focused family literacy services. To satisfy…

This collection of 17 papers, presented at a conference in May 1996, documents some of the current thinking about adult literacy education in Great Britain. The first of the three sections of the papers, "Some Context," contains two analyses of the political and economic realities within which potential participants in adult literacy and…

The Orange County, Florida, Corrections Division provides unusually intensive educational and vocational programs to most inmates in its 3,300-bed jail. A staff of 70 full-time instructors provide the following services: adult basic education, preparation for the general equivalency diploma, vocational training, life skills development, women's…