With declines in reading skills and increases in the standards for literacy, illiteracy has become a growing national problem. The task of dealing with illiteracy ranges from educating those adults whose basic skills are below the eighth grade level to teaching those who are struggling to learn English as their second language to serving those…

A $100,000 appropriation for fiscal year 1986 directed the Washington State Board for Community College Education and the state's Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a pilot program for coordinating the efforts of volunteer literacy tutors. The 12 projects funded by the program recruited and trained 1,473 volunteer tutors and…

This discussion paper provides background material to four issues identified as important to study for the adult literacy effort in Washington State: goals and outcomes, priorities for service, effective practices, and roles of providers. The paper provides a starting point for decision making. First, it sets a backdrop for the attention focused…

Gathered from practitioners in Washington state, this resource book contains composite lists of volunteer tutor management ideas and practices for teachers of literacy and English as a second language. The guide brings together into one reference work the ideas and resources gathered from 28 programs. The guide is organized around the three major…

This policy paper lays the groundwork for policy recommendations by providing information about the level of adult literacy needs and services in Washington State. Analysis of two reports shows a gap between the population in need of literacy services and the current level of services in Washington. In this context, considerations and options for…

This discussion paper endeavors to inform decision makers about the goals and outcomes for adult basic education in Washington State. It first examines the current goals operating in adult literacy programs in the state, concluding that, although there may appear to be agreement about the very general purposes of literacy education in the state,…

This discussion paper examines the current state of practice of adult literacy education in Washington State as well as initiatives to improve program effectiveness in a number of areas, including staff quality and curriculum. The paper discusses staff and curriculum development being undertaken by the ABLE (Adult Basic and Literacy Educator's)…

Gathered from practitioners in Washington state, this resource book contains samples of actual program materials used by teachers of literacy and English as a Second Language. The program materials were gathered from 28 programs in the state and are organized around the three major sections of the Washington state standards for high quality…

This discussion paper provides background information describing the service base of adult literacy education programs in Washington State and highlights local initiatives to coordinate services. Based on "The Washington State Literacy Resource Directory," the report identifies 102 local service providers of literacy services to adults.…

This document, which was created by a work group of literacy program coordinators in the state of Washington, is designed for the following purposes: to provide a set of written standards for quality volunteer adult tutoring programs; to list criteria by which Washington's State Board for Community and Technical Colleges can award Volunteer Tutor…

The Washington State English as a Second Language (ESL) Master Plan, part of the Adult Refugee Project, is designed for use by program administrators and instructors in planning institutional curricula. Program goals are the following: (1) enable refugees to reach a level of English usage and cultural familiarity that makes them employable; (2)…

THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION PREPARED THESE GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS OF UNDEREDUCATED ADULTS--ILLITERATE, FUNCTIONALLY ILLITERATE, AND NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING. THE RATE OF ILLITERACY HAS BEEN DECLINING, STANDING IN 1960 AT 18,059. FUNCTIONAL ILLITERACY IS HARDER TO DEFINE SINCE CRITERIA ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING, BUT IT IS FOUND…

This review of research is part of a larger project which identified exemplary community college programs that employ innovative curriculum and instructional practices in order to help low-skilled adults attain a family sustainable wage. The project goal was to identify best practices that are replicable at other community colleges. These programs…

This document consists of an evaluation report and a curriculum guide from a National Workplace Literacy project designed to demonstrate the process and effects of literacy classes held in work environments through the Yakima Valley (Washington) Opportunities Industrialization Center. The report notes the following results: (1) of 1,976 workers…

The Workplace Skills Enhancement Project was provided by the Seattle-King County Private Industry Council in Partnership with the Employment Opportunities Center and the Refugee Federation Service Center. Of the 150 participants in the program, 137 were Asian. Workplace literacy training was generally advertised as a voluntary program available to…