Businesses throughout the United States are facing a tight labor market and a growing need for skilled workers. At the same time, millions of U.S. adults have foundational skills gaps in areas such as literacy or numeracy. This issue is especially acute among Americans with disabilities, who are twice as likely as their non-disabled peers to have…

This qualitative study reports the findings implementing a pen pal letter exchange project between adult English language learners and volunteer native English speakers. The pen pal project was implemented using a holistic and socio-cultural approach to English literacy development. This article presents pen pal writing as an authentic language…

The Commission on International Adult Education (CIAE) of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) provides a forum for the discussion of international issues related to adult education in general, as well as adult education in various countries around the globe. The following purposes summarize the work of the…

Fourteen Texas community literacy programs received Job Training Partnership Act funds to form local partnerships. The collaborations enabled them to provide comprehensive, coordinated services to educationally disadvantaged people. The enhanced visibility of the programs enabled them to obtain additional funding after the initial grants ended.…

The study was commissioned for two purposes: (1) to document the specific needs for continuing education and community service in Texas and (2) to develop a plan through which needed post-secondary education could be made available to adults. The goals of continuing education and community service revolve around new opportunities for all groups,…

The first round of site visits to welfare-to-work programs in Texas examined the nature and degree of program coordination at three sites: El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio. A brief overview of the growing literature on program coordination paid particular attention to welfare-related studies. At the state level, evidence was found of increasing…

A study was done to determine the feasibility of using public schools as a delivery system for training the disadvantaged in rural areas, and to identify those factors which have prevented the establishment of meaningful working relationships between manpower training providers and vocational personnel. Utilizing a questionnaire and personal…

Texas's Project RIO (Re-Integration of Offenders), which was developed in cooperation with the National Institute of Justice, National Institute of Corrections, and U.S. Department of Education's Office of Correctional Education, began in 1985 as a two-city pilot program to place parolees in jobs. Project RIO has since expanded steadily and now…

A Texas study examined the effects of coordination on Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program services for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients, the REFOCUS-to-JTPA referral process, and rural program coordination issues. The impact of coordination on JTPA services to AFDC caretakers was determined by conducting a…

This paper reports results of a baseline analysis of Job Training Partnership Act-welfare coordination efforts in Texas. Following an introduction, section II provides a brief overview of the literature on welfare dynamics and program participation and describes Texas programs to move Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients into…

This guide is designed as an aid for the adult education administrator in the pursuit of continuous excellence and quality improvement in adult education programs in Texas. The Acknowledgments section provides an introduction, background, history, and overview of the adult education National Reporting System (NRS); overview of the NRS measures and…

This issue of "EFF Voice" was assembled by the staff to share with their readers some of the ways their partners are using Equipped for the Future (EFF) to help adults build the skills they need to be successful in the workforce today. Readers will learn about how states like New Jersey are using EFF to craft a common vision and a common…

This handbook, consisting of a program development model that is based on three programs for ex-offenders that were implemented in Texas in fiscal year 1983, is designed to assist adult educators in implementing adult education programs for persons on parole or probation. Discussed first are the purpose of the handbook, the individual sites of the…

State policies and activities for systematizing work force development were examined through a survey completed by individuals involved in work force development in 40 states and case studies of policies and programs in Texas, Utah, Florida, and Michigan. Throughout all levels of government and the private sector, consensus that work force…

The 1978 annual report of the Coordinating Board of the Texas College and University System is presented. The Board's major accomplishments in 1978 included the development of enrollment projections for the next decade, adoption of faculty workload guidelines, and implementation of a family practice residency program. The contents of the report…