The nation will need millions of workers without baccalaureate degrees in the 1990s. Preparing the "forgotten half" for these jobs will require corporate investment in training, improvement of basic skills instruction, better-focused community college curricula, and large-scale programs to upgrade reading and writing skills. (SK)

This report presents evaluation information concerning a 1993 New York City Chapter 1 summer program's four components: Project Welcome Plus/Study Skills in Communication Arts (PWP/CA); the programs Basic Skills Academy/Comprehensive Competencies program and Auxiliary Service for High Schools Basic Skills; Basic Reading; and Project YOU. These…

When considering illiteracy in industrialized countries, one should consider the following: (1) schools historically were not set up to transmit literacy skills, as evidenced by the fact that the geography and chronology of literacy are much less linked to the establishment of formal schooling than to the history of social development; (2) schools…

Argues that schools do not adequately prepare students for the rapidly changing requirements of the American workplace. Proposes an Action Plan on Education for Economic Growth, and discusses its feasibility. Outlines basic skills and competencies for productive employment. (KH)

In 1978, Florida was sued by 11 Black students on the grounds that its functional literacy requirement violated due process. This article summarizes the arguments in the case. The initial decision to retain the test after a four-year delay was appealed, but was subsequently upheld by the State's Appeals Court. (CJM)

The eradication of illiteracy in Russia has a lengthy history but a systematic literacy campaign began only after the revolution of 1917. The literacy problem was considered to be solved two decades later. Success was due to the following factors: (1) illiterate people were eager to learn; (2) the eradication of illiteracy and preparation for…

Latin America continues to have about 44 million illiterate people. Since the 1950s, education went from being a requisite of national identity to being recognized as an instrument of power, an important factor of development, the dispenser of human resources, and the guarantor of the continuity of the entire local scene. Important post-World War…

Discusses two conceptions of educational achievement: as mastery of basic skills and facts and as mastery of higher order skills and advanced knowledge. Explores the impact of the different conceptions on research topics, the ways teachers think about their teaching, and the public's view of educational goals. Changes in conceptions are discussed.…

As the numbers of migrant farmworkers active in the United States increases, so does the need to provide effective literacy programs for them and their families. Homestate and upstream programs are designed to meet the needs of migrant workers. The paper provides examples of successful programs that involve whole migrant families in literacy…

This paper presents the long and short versions of the charge to the University Committee on the Undergraduate Curriculum designed to establish Rutgers' university-wide goals of excellence against which each college will be asked to measure its curriculum. The purpose of the Committee's task was to help the colleges meet the challenges of high…

In 1990, North Country Community College (NCCC) in New York developed an outcome assessment plan as a response to a requirement of the State University of New York. The planning process began in summer 1989 with an inventory of current assessment processes and a review of their effectiveness. A new plan was then developed, reviewed, and refined.…

The overall illiteracy rate has been in sharp decline in Latin America, falling from 27.3 percent in 1970 to 17.3 percent in 1985. However, the total number of illiterate people has remained practically stable over the same period. Overall literacy rates tend to increase with the rurality of the population, the proportion of women, the absence of…

Midway through this century, Braille was placed within the reach of blind persons throughout the world when Unesco began the major task of adapting Braille to accommodate all languages and dialects. Invented in France between 1825 and 1829, Braille's role as the key to the cultural emancipation of the blind had previously been limited to countries…

These combined proceedings summarize presentations of two conference programs designed to address state-mandated student achievement issues. Dr. Terrel Bell delivered the keynote speech at a teleconference focusing on a broad perspective of competency testing. He discussed testing problems, as well as positive aspects such as comparison, diagnosis…

Observations are offered on some of the problems that seem to relate to children's acquisition of basic skills and learning of mathematics. Some research and development options are suggested. Discussion of the problems is divided into the two areas "Instructional Program" and "Management of the Instructional Program." The first of these is…