The Testing and Assessment Department of Dawson Technical Institute (Illinois) determined that approximately 25-30 percent of the students taking the entrance Test of Adult Basic Education do not meet the academic level required to start a training program. A competency-based adult reading and math program was developed, and the decision was made to offer the program under the Adult Continuing Education Department. The student may enroll in the entire program or take just the reading or math course. Competencies for each course have been developed based on the skills needed to enter into the training programs. Each student is evaluated on these competencies to verify mastery of the skill. A certificate issued at the end of the course indicates the level of mastery in each area. Each 4-week course--math and reading--meets twice each week for 100 minutes. Each session has a lecture or presentation on one or more of the competencies; classwork may be individual or small group activities. Each competency and class session is enhanced by outside assignments in either the NovaNet, a computer-based educational system, or Audio Visual Tutorial (AVT) lab. Both the NovaNet and AVT are open-entry/open-exit labs. This program has been effective in meeting the needs of about one-third of the group entering the program. (YLB)