The CONSABE (Content Standards for Adult Basic Education) project has been a joint project of the San Diego Community College District and the National Institute of Literacy in Washington, D.C. to develop content standards for adult basic education (ABE). During the project, more than 350 adult students, business leaders, ABE teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders in ABE have participated in the following information-gathering activities: focus groups, student writing contests, citizen surveys, and a review of related projects in which content standards for ABE have been developed. The first draft of the content standards has now been completed. The draft standards contain content for three life roles: parent/family member, citizen, and worker. Also included are three cross-cutting content areas consisting of generative skills for the following: accessing and voicing information; taking independent action, making decisions, and participating in lifelong learning; and fulfilling all three life roles. In the next phase of the project, the draft content standards will be developed further and validated and a variety of activities will be conducted to reform the San Diego Community College District's ABE program to make it more attractive, meaningful, and useful to adult students and more accountable to the public at large. (Twenty-two figures/tables are included.) (MN)