This publication reviews and summarizes the findings of the major benchmark studies and reports in adult literacy--beginning with the University of Texas' Adult Performance Level Study of 1977 and continuing through the 2006 NAAL survey results, A First Look at the Literacy of America's Adults in the 21st Century.

Adult functional illiteracy is estimated at more than 20 percent of the U.S. population and 12-19 percent of Indiana residents over age 25 (390,000 to 600,000 adults). In addition, high school dropouts and those who do not seek education past high school also need additional training. Functional illiteracy costs government and business through…

A study critically reviewed current literature on gender and literacy learning as a foundation for the development of theory and further research on gender issues in adult literacy learning. One of the most surprising findings was the real lack of serious attention to gender issues in recent scholarship on early literacy and reading education. The…

As part of a project to improve professional development for adult basic and literacy educators in Pennsylvania, a literature review was conducted of studies of professional competencies needed by adult educators. Extensive review of previous studies showed that hundreds of competencies had been identified. Some states also had generated their own…

Trends in research on participation in adult education have reflected social changes, shifting from sociodemographic surveys toward emphasis on understanding motivation for participating. Participation has been studied primarily from the perspective of service providers, gathering data on participants or dropouts. Since the 1970s, researchers have…

The globalization of business has influenced the development of customized, job-specific workplace literacy programs. Work-centered participatory literacy receives support from both business and labor and additional impetus from the National Literacy Act of 1991. The worker of the future will be a thinking and communicating problem solver. The…

Five brief articles from a journal published by the Public Affairs Department of the University of Natal, South Africa, discuss issues related to empowering adults through literacy education in that country. "Meeting Needs" (Gwyneth van Heerden) describes the extent and nature of adult illiteracy in South Africa and the activities of the…

To investigate the extent of literacy programs in the workplace, an indepth look was taken at the different types of literacy programs in the workplace to determine what can help the state of literacy in the United States. The literacy efforts in the workplace among federal, state, and local government, schools, unions, businesses, corporations,…

Effective teaching in adult basic education (ABE) is especially complex and difficult due to context--specific factors that function synergetically to impede success in teaching and learning. These distinctive attributes include open enrollment, irregular attendance, time on task, student diversity, and teacher characteristics. Research concerned…

Studies show Hispanics to have substantially higher rates of illiteracy than any other major population group in the United States. Illiteracy is one of a number of language problems for this population; other problems include limited oral English proficiency and native language illiteracy. Hispanics drop out of school in higher numbers and leave…

Demographic forecasters predict that fewer young workers will be entering the work force at the turn of the century, with women, minorities, and immigrants constituting five-sixths of the net additions to the labor force. Since these groups generally have comparatively low educational levels, the labor pool of the near future will be characterized…

The Federal Government has been funding state- and locally operated adult literacy programs for nearly 25 years. Unfortunately, despite the best intentions and efforts, the federal initiative in adult literacy has been minimal, inefficient, and ineffective. There has been no consistent federal policy guiding the growth of programs since 1965.…

This monograph, one of four in a series, contains materials on a particular aspect of literacy training. Developed from reports, papers, and case studies from the Regional Literacy Workshop (November 29-December 20, 1979) held in Udaipur, India, the monographs are suggested for use in training programs for literacy personnel as background…

The history of American prison education from 1650 to the present can be divided into five periods. Generally speaking, the education provided in prisons has been loose, fragmented, and essentially reflective of the prevailing local prison administration. Although the trend has been toward the adoption of a more enlightened view toward inmates and…

It is well documented that individuals with poor verbal, reading and writing skills face disadvantages. However, many individuals with such difficulties lead successful lives. This project investigated the ways in which ten individuals have achieved success despite difficulties with literacy and learning. The life stories are presented in digital…