Some minimum competency testing programs were created chiefly as a vehicle to improve the quality of basic skills instruction. In these programs, the tests are used to define instructional targets clearly and, thereby, enhance the quality of instruction. Few testing programs have included readability levels in their test specifications. In 1979…

Details a study indicating that the minimal level of literacy necessary for adults in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is very high. Provides a master list of vocabulary words, symbols, numbers, abbreviations, computational skills, and writing skills needed for functional literacy. (MKM)

The academic skills that students of English as a second language (ESL) require to survive in American educational institutions are identified, and ways of incorporating the skills into ESL classes or programs are suggested. The following academic skills are important to ESL students: (1) ability to take notes of lectures and textual materials;…

An evaluation study was done (1) to compare the performance of adult high school diploma students and traditional students in three basic areas of skill development (vocabulary, language arts, and reading comprehension) and (2) to test the association between selected demographic variables and performance in these three basic skill areas. The…