Public school choice has become a common feature in American school districts. Any potential benefits that could be derived from these policies depend heavily on the ability of parents and students to make informed and educated decisions about their school options. We examined the readability and complexity of school-choice guides across a sample…

A group of 58 Pennsylvania workers completed the R.O.A.D. course, which involved functional context and interactive software to improve drivers' reading skills to pass the Commercial Driver's License exam. Comparison with pre- and posttest scores of 10 in a control group showed that R.O.A.D. completers had significantly higher scores. (SK)

According to U.S. Census data, in rural Pennsylvania, 37% of adults did not complete higher school, and 21% did not go beyond 8th grade. As a consequence of present demographic and literacy trends, the proportion of the workforce with low levels of basic skills is growing. At the same time, a changing labor market is creating new jobs that demand…

A project was conducted to revise the list of assessment instruments that Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE)-funded agencies are permitted to use to report learner gains. Through a mail survey, the project researched 19 standardized assessment instruments used by agencies for reporting learner…

The Adult School for Cuban Refugees, operated by the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit in 1980, supplied services to approximately 1,200 Cuban refugee students in the six weeks of its operation at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. The program offered basic oral English classes to adults ranging in age from 18 to 81 years. The classes were…

For seven years, the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) was the primary standardized assessment instrument used by the adult education program of the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV (MIUIV) of the Pennsylvania Department of Education Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education. While reviewing its current assessment procedures, the MIUIV's…

The AIM (Assessment, Instruction, Mastery) system is a performance-based assessment that was developed in Oregon. The AIM system was piloted by 83 volunteers and staff from 18 volunteer-based programs to assess the system's usefulness as a means of collecting and aggregating data on student progress in adult literacy and similar programs in…

Project Educational Quality in Adult Literacy (EQuAL) was initiated to improve the quality of adult basic and literacy education (ABLE) services provided to adult learners in Pennsylvania. Project EQuAL's objectives were as follows: (1) set performance standards to facilitate delivery of quality ABLE programs to adult learners; (2) institute a…

A statewide evaluation indicated Pennsylvania's family literacy programs were meeting goals and providing family-centered, integrated educational services for eligible families. Findings indicated that family literacy programs recruited eligible and "most in need" families; enrolled families had young children; parents had limited formal…

Pennsylvania's family literacy programs were subjected to a statewide evaluation in 1999-2000. Data were collected through focus groups with parents, a survey of staff in community agencies and organizations, and analyses of program data and the findings of selected assessments administered to adults and children involved in the program.…