A Texas study examined what individual learning and/or other needs were identified by adult basic education (ABE) students. It also assessed ABE teachers' propensity to identify the same student needs and determined if these needs were met within the ABE program. A literature review focused on learner types, past experience, program development, and learner needs. The sample consisted of 60 ABE participants chosen randomly from 4,268 adults enrolled in Region VI Education Service Center Adult Cooperative ABE programs during September-November 1990. Data collection was in the form of a focused interview where the interviewer read all the questions to the interviewee and recorded the responses. Thirty-five students were contacted for a follow-up telephone interview survey in January 1991. Thirty ABE teachers were asked to complete a questionnaire; 28 complied. A final component of the data collection was the ABE classroom observations. Two self-perceived ABE student needs were very evident in the findings of this research: educational advancement and self-improvement. ABE teachers listed student self-improvement as a need but identified literacy development as most important; they felt job advancement was as important as self-improvement. During the follow-up survey, a majority of the ABE students stated that their needs had been met. Recommendations for practice and further research were made. (36 references) (YLB)