This bibliography was compiled for the 2006 Summer Institute at The Centre for Literacy-"Accountability and Public Trust: Restoring the Balance." The selections include lectures, research studies, policy papers, and government documents that describe and analyze recent concepts of accountability in the context of government funding in…

Identifies dominant meanings of literacy within contemporary proposals for educational reform in North America, Britain, and Australasia, examining the meanings and noting the serious imbalance within current reform visions for literacy education. The paper examines four types of literacy constructions (lingering basics, new basics, elite…

An international numeracy scale compared how well adults in seven countries--the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, Australia, and Denmark--handled some basic tasks involving numbers. The questionnaire comprised a set of 12 numeracy tasks that respondents were asked to complete using pen and paper. Within each country, the…

The six articles in this issue tackle topics that relate to the role and function of numeracy in adult life. "Reading Comprehension in Written Mathematics Problems" (Sue Wareham) examines the levels of reading ability required of numeracy students and offers strategies to help students with limited reading skills. "Can Ordinary…

This document describes how 10 mathematics and numeracy teachers from Technical and Further Education colleges and community providers in Australia assisted in identification of mathematics skills that would form the mathematics component of the Adult Basic Education Curriculum Framework. The draft competencies are organized under the headings of…

This study investigates where certificate I and II qualifications lead young people aged 15-24 years in terms of employment and further study. A prime motivation for young people undertaking these qualifications is to facilitate transition into the labour market. These qualifications are aimed at developing basic vocational skills or preparatory…

The first volume in this two-volume report outlines the nine educational principles on which the competence statements for adult reading and writing are based. The four literacies--for self-expression, practical purposes, knowledge, and public debate--are defined and some representative text types and common genres are provided. The four levels…

A survey of the literacy proficiency of 1,500 Australian adults indicates that: (1) people who demonstrate some proficiency with using printed material should not be classified as illiterate; (2) appropriate rating scales should be developed for assessing adults' literacy skills; (3) more detailed analysis of the characteristics of those who…

This resource includes units of work developed by different practitioners that integrate the teaching of literacy with the teaching of numeracy in adult basic education. It is designed to provide models of integration for teachers to develop similar resources on different contexts or themes. The units follow slightly different formats. Unit…

This self-instructional manual was developed in Australia for people who would like to learn about the writing process. about it. It provides an introduction to the key features of four kinds of texts, covering: (1) "Writing for Yourself"--keeping a journal and "what" to write in it; (2) writing to communicate with others; (3)…

The numeracy abilities of adults is now part of the 2002 International Life Skills Survey (ILSS) to be administered to representative samples of adults aged 16-65 in participating countries. The Numeracy Working Group has spent more than two years developing a conceptual framework based on the premise that numeracy is the bridge between…

These 15 papers cover a wide range of topics and perspectives on the work of Adult Literacy and Basic Education (ALBE) practitioners in Victoria, Australia, in the contemporary ideological and political context. A preface (John Wilson) and introduction (Delia Bradshaw) begin the anthology. The papers are as follows: "...A…

This document, which was developed as a resource for adult basic education teachers in Victoria, Australia, contains six units of science activities to help students develop literacy and numeracy skills while learning basic scientific concepts. Presented in the introduction are guidelines for using the material and a table detailing those basic…

This resource is designed to assist rural adult literacy students. It deals with chemicals on the farm and aims to help students understand the technical language, concepts, and operations associated with spraying safely and effectively. The kit proceeds step-by-step from purchase to disposal. Material is divided into two sections. Section 1…

This self-instructional kit is part of an entry-level training program that has been designed to support Aboriginal people in Australia in developing a business proposal and the skills required to achieve success. The manual, "Starting Your Own Small Business," includes information and activities that provide a thorough examination of…