This followup study of the field test and evaluation of selected adult basic education systems was begun in July 1966 and carried out in California, New Jersey, and New York, where the earlier study had been held. The study focused on the impact which the field test and other education and/or training programs had on the participants in terms of…

A study analyzed how a group of single welfare mothers, heads of households mandated to participate in a preemployment program with an educational component, viewed learning. Welfare policy makers assumed a highly illiterate population whose "deficiencies" would be remediated through participation in existing, voluntary basic education. Studies…

An evaluation was conducted of the effectiveness of California's Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) Program, a statewide initiative aimed at increasing the employment and self-sufficiency of recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Based on 2 years of follow-up data for 33,000 people who entered GAIN between early 1988 and…

As states implement new strategies to help more families make the transition from welfare to work, they will be faced with the challenge of designing programs that address the needs of an extremely diverse population of families. Some families will be able to make the transition to work with limited assistance, especially in a strong economy.…

PROBE (Potential Reentry Opportunities in Business and Education), a program conducted in Harrisburg and Lebanon, Pennsylvania, incorporated technological training with effective communication skills preparation for single female welfare parents. Goals of the program were to provide 20 single-parent welfare women with marketable computer and…

A statistical analysis was conducted of the New York City adult literacy database for program year 1989-90. Data included extensive information on enrollees in city- and state-funded classroom and tutorial programs throughout the city, as well as information on hours of instruction received and students' achievement test results. Demographic and…

California's Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) program requires that large numbers of welfare recipients receive job training and preparation for employment. Another component of the program addresses the child care needs of program participants. A survey of 626 single-parent program registrants in the first eight counties in which the…

With welfare reform now a reality, policy makers and employers must grapple with the employment impediments that keep much of the welfare population out of the work force. The foremost problem is illiteracy. One-third of welfare recipients are functionally illiterate; another third possesses only marginally better reading skills, still unable to…

This handbook, which is intended to assist staff at Neighborhood Networks centers who are responsible for helping unemployed or low-income individuals make the transition from public assistance to self-sufficiency, outlines a 13-step approach to the design and delivery of job readiness programs. The handbook may be used as a guide to direct…

Welfare reform legislation in Tennessee provided adult basic education classes for welfare recipients whose literacy skills were below ninth grade. Although more than half of those eligible enrolled in adult basic education, many dropped out. The Completion Bonus, a cash incentive program, was instituted to encourage the completion of education…

This synopsis is a compilation of information and knowledge collected from all 10 one-day conferences, entitled Celebrating and Promoting Literacy Partnerships. An introduction explains the purpose of the conferences--to promote and facilitate partnerships and collaborative efforts in local communities to expand the availability and improve the…

This review attempts to clarify adult education's role in moving individuals from welfare to work. Part 1 reviews research on this role, job prospects for low-skilled workers, and literacy requirements of workplaces. Part 1 reports these findings: the likelihood of being on welfare goes up as literacy goes down; a labor force attachment approach…

Passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), which includes the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant program, has caused dramatic changes in welfare reform. PRWORA emphasizes a Work First approach to welfare reform; to receive full TANF funding, states must meet the minimum required…

A 5-year study of the Illinois Eastern Community College District 529 Information Referral and Retention (IR&R) Project was conducted. Its purpose was to evaluate demographic and educational information regarding 888 students enrolled in the IR&R Public Assistance Program from November 1983 through June 1988. As part of the study, an…

The second-year impacts of Texas' Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program for early participants were analyzed. A quasi-experimental study design was used to analyze data about 13,396 JOBS participants and 13,303 comparison group members. The analysis focused on the labor market outcomes of JOBS participants and their exits from and…