In 2000, federally funded public adult education programs provided basic skills training and English language instruction to over 2.6 million students, or about 1.5% of the U.S. adult population. By 2021, enrollment had plummeted to under 900,000, or less than 0.4% of adults. What explains these declines? This policy brief describes the evolution…

A growing body of research provides evidence that quality early childhood experiences can affect a host of life outcomes. Equally well documented is the variation in the quality of prekindergarten (pre-K) programs offered to children. In this study, I use a fuzzy regression discontinuity approach to evaluate the efficacy of transitional…

In the United States, approximately one in ten adults -- nearly 36 million people -- lack basic literacy and numeracy skills, while 27 million adults lack a high school diploma. Over the last decade, new models for adult education have emerged that integrate basic skills education with workforce and college-readiness training. These integrated…

The federal government and private foundations for education have established postsecondary credential completion as a national imperative. Washington State's Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) model was developed to increase the rate at which basic skills students advance to and succeed in college-level occupational programs,…

A study examined some of the ways in which vocational education has sought to ensure students a higher degree of preparation in the basic academic subjects at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. Various Ohio programs as well as programs in New York, Virginia, and Michigan were examined. Special attention was paid to Ohio's Program Options…

A study was conducted in Minnesota to identify generic knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) that are germane to all of the fields of vocational education--that all students will need for future roles in the family and work force. The research consisted of a review of the literature pertaining to generic skills needed for work and a validation…

Examined the effects of a tri-schedule (traditional, 4x4 block, and hybrid) schedules running at the same time on the academic achievement of 327 high school students. Discusses implications of findings for schools considering block scheduling. (SLD)

In 1980, the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) revised the instruments used to assess basic skills attainment in mathematics and reading of all students in grades 4, 7, and 10. The research summarized in this paper examined the factor structures of the 1979 and 1980 versions of the Grade 10 MEAP mathematics test. These two versions…

The State of Florida has, for several years, been committed to perfecting a workable system of accountability for the public schools. The Florida Statewide Assessment Program, begun in 1971, has been an important element in this accountability effort. The Program was designed to assess students' academic strengths and weaknesses, particularly in…

This report on what can and should be done to raise the literacy rate in Louisiana recommends that: (1) a state literacy office be established under the office of the governor to coordinate and facilitate the state's literacy programs; (2) a standard operational definition of literacy be established; (3) a Louisiana Literacy Foundation be…

In the Louisiana Basic Skills Testing (BST) program, initiated in 1982, criterion-referenced tests of language arts and mathematics were administered to all second grade students. Longitudinal data over three years tracked four cohorts of students to address when retention appears to be most effective and whether a combination of repeated…

Provides information on the New Jersey Basic Skills Assessment Program, focusing on the evaluation of New Jersey colleges' remedial programs, their importance, and future directions. Includes data on attrition rates and mean grade point averages for fall 1982 and students requiring remedial reading in 1982-83. (DMM)

In an effort to expand research on effective and ineffective schools into the area of student attitudes, this study examined the cognitive, as well as the noncognitive scores for two groups of Pennsylvania schools that had been identified as effective or ineffective. Cognitive and noncognitive data were available for all 500 school districts for…

In this report, revisions made by the New Jersey State Board of Education to its administrative code in order to implement provisions of the law providing an additional cost factor for the state compensatory education fund are described. Methods utilized by Federal and State governments for targeting resources are discussed. including…

This paper represents a summary statement on an investigation into the area of statewide testing of minimum basic skills conducted last year for the New Jersey Task Force on Competency Indicators and Standards. Survey work and the study of source documents led to the following conclusions: (1) there was no obvious and agreed upon set of employment…