A study examined the relevancy of freshman composition to writing in the workplace. Four professionals in middle management who had been out of college for a number of years were surveyed by e-mail about their writing in the workplace, college education, freshman writing classes, and importance of seven skills employers want employees to have.…

Compares and comments on two recent national surveys of adult literacy standards in the United States and Canada, which move away from reporting the number of literates/illiterates and use levels of literacy proficiency. Notes that different concepts for literacy levels, different types of sampling, and different ways of measuring literacy and…

This study determined the magnitude of disparity between men and women in China in relation to illiteracy and occupational status. Region and ethnicity are used as control variables. The data collected are from a 10 percent sampling of the 1982 census; the total sample size includes a population of 100,380,000 nationwide. The census questionnaire…

Reviews Experience Mayhew's book, "Indian Converts" (1727) and changing scholarly interpretations of literacy effects on Native Americans living on Martha's Vineyard. Traces the history of the Mayhew missionary family from 1641 to the 1720s and the establishment of the Indian Library. Examines the cultural implications of literacy and…

The study used data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress report to examine the relationship for young adults between functional literacy skills and educational attainment. Educational attainment was classified into four categories: less than a high school graduate, high school graduate, some postsecondary education, and college…

Presents a study to assess scientific literacy of a group of students at a moderately sized midwestern university (n=90). Describes the methodology used to create a multiple-choice test field tested on 75 elementary preservice teachers. Outcomes indicate that achievement was not influenced by age, sex, high school size, or a possible future career…

Paying particular attention to the far reaching impact and policies of the goals and ideas identified in the report "America 2000: An Educational Strategy," the papers in this book focus on the strategies, practices, and research that may guide the future of literacy instruction for persons of all ages. Papers in the book are:…

A procedure which employs a method of item substitution based on item difficulty is recommended for developing parallel criterion referenced test forms. This procedure is currently being used in the Florida functional literacy testing program and the Georgia teacher certification testing program. Reasons for developing parallel test forms involve…

This paper reviews issues in fostering closer connections between higher education and the workplace and summarizes results of a 1995 survey of 404 New Jersey employers concerning the knowledge, skills, and abilities that New Jersey employers expect from higher education graduates and their suggestions for improving college-based workforce…