The Foundation Skills Framework (FSF) is a work-based model developed in 1999 in response to a need for common language and understanding of the skills needed by Pennsylvania's workforce. Through funding provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE), the original project was designed to…

This document is the final report of the first year's operation of a project designed to train literacy and adult education providers and organizations in business, industry, and labor to develop and implement effective workplace literacy programs. The program, which operates in Pennsylvania on the state and regional levels, initiates the…

According to U.S. Census data, in rural Pennsylvania, 37% of adults did not complete higher school, and 21% did not go beyond 8th grade. As a consequence of present demographic and literacy trends, the proportion of the workforce with low levels of basic skills is growing. At the same time, a changing labor market is creating new jobs that demand…

This document describes the 10 winners of the 1990 ABLE Award, which recognizes outstanding adult students in Pennsylvania adult basic and literacy education programs. The award, given for achievement based on learning excellence (ABLE), is presented by the Pennsylvania Division of Adult Basic and Literacy Education Programs. The winners are…

A project produced and disseminated to adult basic and literacy education practitioners in Pennsylvania a newsletter containing relevant information designed to meet their professional development and awareness needs. It prepared and disseminated an 8-12 page newsletter for the months September 1993 through June 1994. Information contained in the…

A project identified and established components related to adult basic education's role in school-to-work (STW) transition. It focused on developing a cognitive framework for competency-based adult employability classes, integrating adult basic and literacy education (ABLE)-funded programs into the Erie Area STW partnership, and establishing a…

This publication contains the success stories of 10 outstanding men and women who have overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become contributing citizens of Pennsylvania. These stories describe how, through their participation in Pennsylvania's adult basic education and literacy programs, they were aided in their successful struggles to…

A 6-month study examined the attitudes of older, low-literate adults toward using computers to learn to read and tried to determine the effectiveness of Penn State Adult Literacy Courseware for beginning readers with older, low-literate adults at a community-based senior center. The students were 10 black adults, aged 66 to 86 and educated at the…

This final report describes a staff development project designed to provide for the effective and statewide dissemination of significant current or previous Section 353 special demonstration projects in Pennsylvania. A panel of 8 literacy experts reviewed 65 special projects funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Bureau of Adult…

An evening adult literacy program was developed to provide pre-General Educational Development (GED) instruction to residents of a men's shelter who desired to become dry cleaners pressers. Because an intake assessment of the 32 enrollees revealed that only 34% of them were high school dropouts and more than 50% had some college background, the…

The result of interviews with literacy coordinators and library directors of literacy programs in representative libraries throughout Pennsylvania, this document encourages local libraries to develop adult literacy activities as an integral component of basic library service and provides program planners with guidelines and suggestions for…

The rural work force has lower basic skills to supply labor for new jobs with higher literacy demands. At all levels of education the rural population is at a disadvantage compared with the urban population. One out of five rural adults in Pennsylvania has not continued education past the eighth grade. Among the costs to businesses from employee…

The Bethlehem Area Chamber of Commerce (Pennsylvania) developed a model network of nine Lehigh Valley Chambers of Commerce and two literacy coalitions to improve the literacy levels of a two-county area work force. A literacy coordinator conducted the following activities: (1) publicized program provider information; (2) encouraged company-based…

This booklet profiles 10 former participants in adult basic education (ABE) and literacy programs who have gone on to build successful lives and careers and have been designated outstanding adult students by the Pennsylvania Association for Adult and Continuing Education. The men and women selected as award winners were sponsored by the following…

This document begins with a report describing a Northampton Community College project to develop a manual to help adult literacy providers understand how they fit into welfare reform. The accompanying manual consists of four sections corresponding to the project's four objectives. Section 1, intended to enable adult literacy providers to…