A 1994 Department of Education national evaluation of federally-supported adult education programs looked at programs' effectiveness in improving literacy skills, English language proficiency, and secondary school completion. National policy on adult literacy education is articulated in the Adult Education Act (AEA) and National Literacy Act, which amended the AEA in 1990. These provide for adult basic education (ABE), adult secondary education (ASE), and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction. Current ESL adult learners are primarily Hispanic and Asian, living in urban areas and the west, foreign-born, literate in their first language, and of limited oral English proficiency. About two-thirds of adult education programs provide ESL instruction, commonly offered through public schools. ESL program components often have larger enrollments and larger classes than ABE or ASE, and participants acquire three to four times as much instruction. Self-reports of ESL clients and standardized test scores indicate that instruction improves basic English skills and enhances employability, and ESL clients show interest in continuing their education. While the ESL target population is much smaller than the ASE target population, ESL services are in greatest demand, and demand exceeds current capacity. (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education)