BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS IN 36 STATES WERE SURVEYED IN THE SPRING OF 1966 TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT LOCATION, LENGTH OF TIME OF OPERATION, PRIOR EDUCATION AND SEX OF ENROLLEES, LEVEL OF INSTRUCTION PROVIDED, TOTAL ENROLLMENT, AND MATERIALS USED. DATA FROM A TWO-PAGE QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY THE DIRECTORS OF 367 LOCAL PROGRAMS (A 71 PERCENT RETURN) WERE ANALYZED ACCORDING TO THE AGE OF PROGRAMS TO DETERMINE IF OLDER PROGRAMS, ESTABLISHED BEFORE THE TITLE IIB FUNDS WERE AVAILABLE, HAD CHARACTERISTICS WHICH DIFFERED FROM THE MORE RECENTLY DEVELOPED PROGRAMS. RESULTS OF THE DATA, PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM, ARE DISCUSSED AND INTERPRETED, AND TRENDS ARE NOTED. ADDITIONAL STUDY OF THE FOLLOWING IS RECOMMENDED--THE GROWTH RATE OF NEWLY ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS, THE TREND TOWARD MORE MEN IN THE LITERACY PROGRAMS, THE LACK OF INSTRUCTION FOR ILLITERATES OFFERED IN THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS, AND THE TEACHER KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF MATERIALS PRIMARILY DESIGNED FOR ADULTS. FIVE TABLES ARE INCLUDED. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL READING CONFERENCE (SAINT PETERSBURG, DECEMBER 1-3, 1966). (LS)