Public education must arm students with the skills and ideals they need to survive in an increasingly complex future. A solid grounding in the basics is the cornerstone of this effort. (MD)

As the most recent update of the profile of underprepared students, this enrollment analysis examines: (a) the basic skills deficiencies of the fall 1998 entrants; (b) the basic skills deficiencies of the new county high school graduates within the entrant cohort; (c) the fall 1998 collegewide developmental course enrollment; and (d) the…

The International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS), released on November 9, takes a closer look at Canadians' ability to deal with everyday literacy demands. In today's information-based society and economy, literacy is more important than ever. IALSS defines literacy as one's capacity to "use printed and written information to…

Discusses the confusion that results from differences among various labels used in developmental and basic education programs. Proposes clarification of such terms as "center,""lab,""individualized," and "clinic" and suggests definitions for proper usage. (DR)

Recommends treating basic skills students as if they have innate knowledge, not an intellectual disease. Underscores inference as a key activity in critical thinking. Suggests strategies for improving students' inferential powers. Argues that the strategies can help students recognize their inferential ability and learn to use it in writing. (SG)

Discusses how public higher education is being brought under intense political pressure to demonstrate that students are proficient in basic skills before matriculating by the end of their first semester. Presents a case study that shows that through persistence and instructional support, students can successfully complete their studies over a…

Strengthening Pre-collegiate Education in Community Colleges (SPECC) was organized by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in partnership with The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to increase student learning in developmental--or basic skills--classes. However, their concern was not just the success of students in classes…

The last five years have seen a radical transformation in adult education in England with a concentrated emphasis on national basic skills provision. This was prompted initially by a government response to low levels of literacy in the British adult population, identified by an influential international survey, showing unfavourable comparisons…

The Florida Adult Homeless Literacy and Basic Skills Assistance Project was initiated in 1992 to provide literacy and basic skills training to at least 2,700 homeless Florida adults. In 1993, a limited evaluation of the project was conducted. Evaluation data were collected from reviews of 39 state and local documents, interviews with the program…

Recommendations are presented for the state-by-state assessment of student achievement as part of the development of educational indicators to be compared across states. The State Education Assessment Center of the Council of Chief State School Officers solicited comments from the states about developing the assessment program. Issues were…

The learning lab at Hawaii Community College (HCC) has, for the past year and a half, utilized the PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) computer-assisted instructional program. PLATO, which is used by students whose preferred learning mode falls into the listening, visual, or reading categories, serves to broaden the learning…

When compared with regular schools in the same district, fundamental school students performed as well as or better than regular school students; fundamental schools rated better on learning climate, discipline, and suspensions; and there were no differences in student self-concept. (Author/BW)

Students who enjoy the advantage of a good world geography course in high school are receiving a firm basis for subsequent learning as college students and future citizens. Geography builds on a world image that furthers understanding of a totally integrated community by reaching beyond country and region. Includes two references. (MLH)

Argues that reading instruction should be understood as an integrated instructional program simultaneously juxtaposing learning styles, modality dependencies, and visual literacies. Argues, too, that teaching the "basics" of reading includes mastery of the fundamentals, involvement leading to verbal interaction, critical reading, and synthesis…

This study evaluated effects of the "Next S.T.E.P." curriculum on self-determination skills of 71 ninth grade students with learning disabilities using an untreated control group design with pretest and posttest. Results indicated that the treatment group gained significantly more on measures of self-determination skills than the control group.…