Discussed and compared are mathematics competencies as prescribed in grades 1-6 for seven state and local school districts utilizing the descriptive method characteristic of the Competency Based Education (CBE) movement. General comments on the historical background of the minimum competency trend and its distinguishing characteristics in various…

Many secondary and postsecondary basic skills programs are designed to assist students whose ability to succeed in traditional subject matter instruction is in question. Research done in business, industry, and particularly in the military provides procedures that may increase the likelihood of success in such programs. Analyses of on-the-job…

Discusses program and instructional attributes that characterize effective programs for limited English speaking elementary students. Emphasizes the importance of bilingual instruction. (FMW)

With welfare reform now a reality, policy makers and employers must grapple with the employment impediments that keep much of the welfare population out of the work force. The foremost problem is illiteracy. One-third of welfare recipients are functionally illiterate; another third possesses only marginally better reading skills, still unable to…

The Culturally Appropriate Teaching (C.A.T.) method combines the "Back to Basics" paradigm with a culturally oriented approach and has proved to be successful in Black colleges and adult education programs. The C.A.T. method improves the reading levels of students by two years per semester and gives them standard English as a skill in one or two…

The author focuses on some of the research needs for early adolescents (ages 10 to 15). It highlights areas in which federal policy concerns intersect with developmental research, and discusses six areas: social equity, basic skills, school discipline, parent participation, and school effectiveness. (Author/KC)

This report provides an overview of Hispanic participation in education at the national level, in the state of Wisconsin, and in the Wisconsin Technical Colleges (WTCs). The first section provides national statistics, indicating that in 1990 Hispanics had a high school completion rate of 54.9%, more than 20 points below Black and 30 points below…

Although a large number of adults in the United States are assumed to need literacy training, little agreement exists on that number. Adults who attend literacy instruction are assumed to acquire the skills, but little is known about program effectiveness. Another assumption is that adults should define their goals, but this does not ensure that…

This report presents a framework for considering general and work-related adult cognitive performance that is drawn from current theory and research on life-span developmental and cognitive psychology. The first section considers the concept of basic skills and the classical distinction between achievement and aptitude. By drawing linkages between…

A review of current research on workplace literacy programs reveals few programs reporting rigorous evaluations. Assessments are often limited to the completion of questionnaires, surveys of program participants, and anecdotal reports of effectiveness. Occasionally, a standardized reading test provides an indication of learner gains. Only a few…

A general increase in the demand for workplace basic skills mirrors the general increase in societal basic skills demands. As a result, many adults are participating in second-chance basic skills education. Second-chance basic skills programs are offered by a wide variety of providers, but populations actually served by programs rarely amount to…

Educational reform efforts have thus far excluded vocational education. Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in reevaluating vocational education's role in facilitating academic excellence and economic competitiveness. Inadequate basic skills remain a significant and growing problem. There is a direct relationship between basic skills…

Drawing from recent research, this paper focuses on communication games and activities that can be used to teach speaking and listening skills ("referential communication skills"). Following a brief review of the research, the paper offers a set of eight criteria for evaluating curriculum materials intended to teach speaking and listening, and…

To examine the diversity and productivity of the Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) Chapter 1 Migrant Education Program, three types of information were drawn from states' applications and end-of-year evaluation reports: state program descriptive data, student service data, and student impact data. The Migrant Student Record…

As part of the National Institute of Education's Teaching and Instruction Program, the Research on Instruction Team has developed a program focusing on research on Instructionally Effective Schools. Such a school is defined as having a high mean level of student achievement and no educationally significant differences between different racial,…