This report describes certain assumptions and tentative conclusions made by an Advisory Group of the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit (ALBSU) about work with the mentally handicapped from a nonspecialist perspective. With the basic education organizer in mind, the report addresses six major issues. A definition of the term mentally handicapped…

Interviews, record reviews, student follow-up, achievement tests, survey instruments, and observation were used to gather data for the 1986/87 evaluation of the Topeka (Kansas) Educable Mentally Handicapped (EMH) Program. Strengths of the program were identified and included: a dedicated, well-trained staff; a good special education/regular…

This "think piece" on ways to increase demand for learning in the United Kingdom is designed to stimulate debate among policy makers and managers in the new learning and skills sector. Section 1, on context, addresses these issues: low skill levels; delivering skills to employers; low adult participation; and negative attitudes. Section…

This study was conducted to assess business and industry's perceptions of the basic skills needed for entry-level successful employment. It also assessed business and industry's perceptions of the competencies that entry-level employees now have. Information was gathered via a basic skills questionnaire that was mailed to the personnel directors…

Management of the California Demonstration Program in Reading, a project designed to give educationally disadvantaged students at the junior high and middle school level a second chance to learn basic reading and math skills, is described. Material is divided into 18 sections covering program goals, instructional strategies, personnel,…

Today, this country is facing awesome challenges. Technology is changing all aspects of life, while work force requirements shift rapidly, swelling the numbers of workers who need to be retrained. At the same time, information technologies are creating changes in the automated office. Higher-level literacy is required for most workers in this…

This guide comprises a summary of the development of and materials for use in the implementation of a research-verified model training program to help high-risk students complete postsecondary education programs. Discussed first is the original pilot project that was implemented to serve the high-risk postsecondary vocational students entering the…

This document presents advice from the United Kingdom's Basic Skills Agency regarding developing local action plans. The first 20% of the document defines basic skills and discusses the following action plan components: (1) an estimate of the area's need for basic skills training; (2) a target to reduce the area's estimated scale of need; (3)…