Some welfare experts and policymakers advocate providing education and training to prepare welfare recipients for jobs that will eventually help them leave poverty (the "work first" approach), whereas others advocate placing welfare recipients in jobs immediately whenever possible. Although the Personal Responsibility and Work…

Studies and reports examining the problems associated with adult literacy and efforts to address those problems were reviewed to identify lessons for adult literacy programs in Canada and elsewhere. Low literacy levels were linked to above-average rates of personal and/or learning difficulties, low self-esteem, associated social problems, and…

A study explored how adults perceived program learning; whether program learning helped them enact a particular social role; and whether they changed while participating in the program. For a year or more, researchers studied experiences of learning and change of 41 adult learners enrolled in three programs--at a community college, family literacy…

This paper reviews and synthesizes reports about family literacy programs and practices, focusing on outcomes for adult learners. Emphasis is on resources available in the ERIC database beginning in 1990. Section 1 on programs reviews sometimes conflicting definitions of family literacy and finds that a common thread is strengthening…

This volume presents indicators of important developments and trends in American education in 2003. Recurrent themes underscored by the indicators include participation and persistence in education, student performance and other outcomes, the environment for learning, and societal support for education. In addition, this volume contains a special…

This eight-chapter monograph deals with the requirements for providing education for all. Four interrelated themes are examined: developing a supporting policy context, mobilizing resources, building national technical capacity, and strengthening international solidarity. The first chapter gives an overview of these themes. Chapter 2 considers how…

Since the "Kangan Report" (1974), literacy and numeracy (L&N) issues have become an integral component of policy development in Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector. Debate in the literature is based on competing discourses: functional-economic and social practice. These discourses and globalization of the…

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 gives states the opportunity to devise unique welfare programs that include client participation in educational activities. States receive block grants rather than funds earmarked for certain kinds of programs. Pennsylvania's welfare reform plan permits welfare clients to…

The outcomes and impacts of adult literacy education in the United States were examined through a qualitative assessment of the pertinent research conducted since the late 1960s. A comprehensive literature search identified approximately 115 outcomes and impacts studies. Of the 68 studies found to have an outcomes component, the 23 most credible…

During the past 5 years, groundbreaking studies of adult literacy and literacy education have been conducted that can help policymakers and practitioners shape the next generation of adult literacy work in the United States. Among the topics examined in those studies were the following: relationship between literacy and economic well-being;…

This nine-chapter monograph deals with the purpose and context of basic education, starting with the basic learning needs that education must meet. Chapter 1 focuses on the rationale for education for all. Chapter 2 explores the interplay between the educational process and culture, including the complex issues associated with language. Chapter 3…

The economic benefits of the General Educational Development certificate (GED) were examined through a review of four published papers and four unpublished working papers on the GED's benefits. Key findings were as follows: (1) a GED provides economic benefits only to low-skilled dropouts; (2) economic benefits of a GED appear over time--often…

The learning needs of older adults living in rural Tasmania, Australia, and the potential of online technologies to foster local literacy and community well-being were examined. The study used a qualitative inquiry strategy that included visits to three sites to investigate the literacy and numeracy implications of senior citizens' use of online…

The research on literacy and numeracy in vocational education and training (VET) in Australia and elsewhere was reviewed. The following topics were examined: (1) the basic skills, growth and heritage, and critical-cultural approaches to literacy; (2) policy regarding literacy and numeracy in VET; (3) changes in literacy practice in response to…

The state of workplace literacy in the United States was reviewed, and future challenges facing workplace literacy programs given projected economic and demographic changes were examined. First, statistical information from 121 workplace literacy program reports entered into the ERIC database between 1990 and 1993 was synthesized in an analysis of…