In the early 1990s, UNESCO estimated that perhaps 97% of the world's 650 million disabled persons were unable to read or write, leading to significant efforts throughout the developing world to ensure that all children with disabilities attended school through "inclusive education" programmes. But what of the vast majority of persons with…

This paper and the four commissioned works on which it is based are guided by the important question: How can we start valuing practices and outcomes of teaching and learning that are difficult to reduce to numbers? As the process of developing indicators for the Post-2015 education targets unfolds, some of the targets are at risk of being dropped…

The purpose of this paper is to review recent developments related to the development of indicators of educational progress in the context of the Post 2015 deliberations to generate a new international architecture for educational investment through to 2030. There have been a plethora of suggestions and several parallel consultation processes…

America's workforce is facing an education and skills crisis. Among the 30 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States is the only one in which younger adults are less educated than the previous generation. "Unless we invest now to educate and train our workforce, America risks its economic…

Describes a study of long-term unemployed adults in central Scotland who were informally interviewed to allow for more complete exploration of circumstances which prevented them from obtaining educational assistance. The difficulties of ascertaining their educational needs and the implications for adult education delivery systems are discussed.…

Attention has been focused on whether U.S. competitiveness in a global market can be sustained if the work force has deficient reading skills. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 90 million adults (50 percent of the adult population) do not have the literacy skills they need to function in society. These persons have limited reading…

Persons aged 16 to 75 in 1,803 Mississippi households were interviewed over 6 months in 1990 to develop a profile of the literacy proficiencies of the adult population of the state. Results were reported in three areas of task types: prose literacy, document literacy, and quantitative literacy. Some of the findings were the following: (1)…

This Congressional hearing deals with the views of the private sector concerning adult illiteracy. Included among those organizations and firms represented at the hearing were the following: the Free Library of Philadelphia, B. Dalton Bookseller, the Hispanic Higher Education Coalition, Polaroid Company, Laubach Literacy Action, and the…

A model program was developed to find ways to bring illiterate and undereducated adults into Massachusetts adult education programs. Prospective program clients (young adults) who will be identified by such organizations and agencies as schools, courts, welfare offices, and veterans and civic groups will be contacted by outreach workers to…

Individually administered literacy assessments were conducted with approximately 6,000 adults representing the 20 million persons served by the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration through the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) or the Employment Service/Unemployment Insurance programs. Information-processing…

A study was conducted to determine: (1) characteristics of illiterate adults enrolled at St. Teresa's VIP, and (2) implications of these characteristics for training volunteer tutors. A review was conducted of related research and opinion articles. A total of 48 students were interviewed concerning educational background, reasons for attending…

A TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR ADULT BASIC EDUCATION LEADERS COVERED CONTENT, PURPOSES, AND OBJECTIVES OF ADULT BASIC EDUCATION, CHARACTERISTICS OF UNDEREDUCATED ADULTS, AND WAYS OF IDENTIFYING, REACHING, AND INVOLVING POTENTIAL STUDENTS. SOCIAL, OCCUPATIONAL, AND CIVIC COMPETENCE, AND INCULCATION OF DESIRABLE HEALTH PRACTICES AND ETHICAL VALUES WERE…

This study examined the extent to which people in Australia with impaired hearing were receiving some form of literacy assistance and whether requests for service were fulfilled by providers of Adult Literacy and Basic Education (ALBE) services. A questionnaire was sent to a sample of 71 providers. In addition, telephone interviews were conducted…

This document records the oral and written testimony given at a hearing on preparation of the work force for the year 2000 and beyond. Testimony was given by Senator Barbara Mikulski; John Lynch, whose company prepared the report, "Workforce 2000"; Joan Patterson and Nelson Brooks, coexecutive directors of the United Auto…