In May 1977, the governing bodies of three professional organizations concerned with vocational home economics education (the American Home Economics Association, the American Vocational Association, and the Home Economics Education Association) formed a coalition. Consisting of two representatives of each organization, the coalition has as its…

Trends in pre-college philosophy teaching are discussed. Today philosophy, especially at the elementary level, is becoming fashionable. Research has shown that even minimal training in philosophy improves students' reading and mathematical abilities as well as general skills such as reasoning and creativity. A study examining the formal training…

The need for better high school/college articulation is addressed in five papers. In "High School/College Partnerships That Work," Ernest L. Boyer describes the ongoing efforts to encourage high school/college collaboration and considers five principles necessary for establishing cooperative programs, including the need for educators at…

Following a discussion of the basic skills required for an adaptable work force and how employers and workplace literacy providers determine which employees require basic skills training, this paper reviews three literacy instruments that can be used in workplace basic skills programs. A basic skills profile is drawn based on a review of the…

In January 1986, the Virginia State Board for Community Colleges and the State Council of Higher Education undertook a joint study of postsecondary remedial education. The purposes of the study were to: (1) define the minimum levels of competence required of a student wishing to do college-level work for degree credit; (2) develop methods and…

The Language Experience Approach (LEA) is a particularly effective means of increasing the motivation and reading skills of students enrolled in adult basic education classes. A form of personalized rather than individualized instruction, the LEA is designed with the personal needs of a specific student or group of students in mind. The LEA is a…

This paper proposes a learner-centered educational system, focusing on aspects that are intrinsically associated with the modern educational system, such as the curriculum, school community, parents, learners, and educational support personnel. It examines: primary level preparation (literacy, numeracy, and basic knowledge; examination and…

Judge Thomas Hull's October 1986 decision in the "Mozert et al. versus Hawkins County Public Schools" provoked concern from a number of educators who felt that the plaintiffs, several Fundamentalist parents, who were favored in the decision, were attempting to force their religious principles on non-Fundamentalists. Judge Hull's…

The conference papers included in this collection address issues of concern to literacy development in the community college. "Functional Literacy and Persistence in the Community College," by Dorothy M. Knoell, raises questions about student persistence in the absence of requisite skills. "Training Perspective on Functional…

The U.S. work force is unready for the new jobs, unready for the new realities, unready for the new challenges of the 1990s. Across the board, jobs are demanding better reading, writing, and reasoning skills and more math and science. Statistics define the scope of the problem: 25 percent of young people drop out of high school; 70 percent of all…

E-learning's potential for responding to the challenges of adult literacy was explored through a review of research and input from program managers, developers, and funders. The study identified adult literacy e-learning products, programs, and resources that are available or in development. Challenges to greater use of technology in adult…

According to the most recent National Adult Literacy Survey, nearly half of Illinois adults lack sufficient reading proficiency to ensure job success and advancement in 21st century workplaces. The Test of Adult Basic Education is currently used as a pretest/posttest in Illinois' existing adult basic education, adult secondary education, and…

England's Learning and Skills Development Agency welcomes the introduction of a coherent national funding and delivery strategy for adult literacy, numeracy, and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). The agency believes that the strategy should incorporate the lessons of previous literacy and numeracy initiatives and build on examples of…

This book examines literacy for sustainable development in the age of information. It begins by discussing the relationship between literacy and hegemony, social policy, national language policy, colonial relations, and postcolonial realities. Also discussed in the introduction are views and definitions of literacy and considerations in mapping a…