This study investigated the relationships between: (1) two dimensions of adult literacy instruction; and (2) change in the literacy practices of adult literacy students. The two instructional dimensions investigated were: (1) degree of authenticity of the activities and texts employed in the literacy class; and (2) degree of teacher/student collaboration around activities, texts, assessments, and program governance. The construct of authenticity for this study was defined as those literacy activities and purposes used by people in their lives, excluding those that are structured solely around learning to read and write in school settings. The results of this study demonstrate that research can document instructional outcome in ways that reflect actualized literacy learning in sociocultural contexts.