Discusses materials in the ERIC system that offer definitions of basic skills, describe secondary basic skills programs, and provide competency standards and catalogs for basic skills. (MKM)

The book provides suggestions for activities designed to infuse life skills into the basic curriculum for adolescents and older students with disabilities. Modeled after the Life Centered Career Education approach, the book presents activities geared to three domains (sample competencies in parentheses): (1) daily living skills (managing family…

This question-and-answer sheet defines health literacy and its importance in the United States, discussing implications for adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners, instructors, and programs. It also offers recommendations for addressing health literacy in the ESL classroom. It focuses on what health literacy is (a constellation of…

This digest summarizes the literature on principles of changing behaviors in students with behavior disorders. Principles include: (1) focus on behaviors that need to be changed; (2) identify new behaviors to be developed; (3) provide opportunities to practice new behaviors; (4) treat social skills deficits as errors in learning; (5) teach…

The digest addresses, in question-and-answer format, ways to promote peer acceptance of handicapped students. Topics covered include the effects of first impressions on nonhandicapped students and the impact of physical proximity, and the nature of interdependence among students' learning goals and rewards as structured by the teacher. A…

Debate continues about the appropriate role for vocational education at the secondary level. The many educational reform reports issued during the early to mid-1980s initiated a reexamination of the role of secondary vocational education. As a result of the reform reports, high school graduation requirements in academic areas have increased, and…

Integrated programs provide students with a balanced mix of academic and vocational skills needed in the workplace and for lifelong learning. Basic skills in mathematics, science, and communication form the foundation for lifelong learning and the content for higher-order skills. Occupational skills depend on and do not exist apart from academic…

In response to recent statistics indicating a 20 percent decline in the ability of the average 17-year-old to analyze, interpret, and express views about written prose, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) recommends a number of changes in the elementary school social studies curriculum to provide more opportunities for students…

This digest about issues currently being debated in the adult literacy field examines the appropriate goals and objectives for adult literacy education, professionalization of the field, and literacy program evaluation. The first section reflects the disagreement between those who believe the purpose of literacy education should be to support…

The need for a better educated work force has created a corresponding need for workplace literacy programs. A number of issues have emerged as the focus of literacy education has shifted from improving social mobility to providing employment-related literacy programs. Some of these issues are related to the need for more resources for workplace…

A solid body of empirical research supports the view that educational level is strongly related to occupational attainment. In the final analysis, however, it appears that although education does lead to a better job, how much better is determined by one's gender and race. Research on the relative need for training in basic, general employability…

The educational excellence movement has made an academic curriculum a high priority for all high school students, including the 40 percent who do not go on to college. The joint efforts approach to incorporating basic skills into the vocational curriculum is based on the following assumptions: (1) academic skills are embedded in vocational…

This monograph describes the job-related basic skills requirements of the work force and explores ways of developing and improving the reading, writing, and computational abilities of workers. The paper first examines trends that are influencing the demand for basic skills, such as the decline in youth population and the increase in service and…

In the nearly 5 years since the passage of the Family Support Act, a body of research related to the convergence of welfare reform and adult basic and literacy education has begun to emerge. Much of it deals directly with the experience of providing adult basic and literacy education to Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Program…

As more states increase the number of credits required for high school graduation, progressively less time is being left for vocational education. To address this problem, many school districts and states are beginning to formulate policies for granting academic credit for basic skills training provided in vocational classrooms. As of 1985, 11…