Two trade union organizations in New York City have begun a workplace literacy program in response to the needs of adult workers, especially immigrants, for literacy, job skills upgrading, and problem-solving skills. Four case studies tailored to specific needs and workplace settings illustrate the shift in focus from worker literacy to workplace…

State and national surveys of programs, literacy performance levels, and participants suggest that demand for literacy instruction should be estimated from current participation and not from assumptions about needs. Supply should be defined in terms of layers of service providers. (SK)

This ERIC FAST Bib presents annotations concerning four major areas related to workplace literacy: (1) the definition and design of curriculum; (2) trends, issues, and challenges in workplace literacy; (3) model programs and projects; and (4) reference materials for practitioners. Contents include annotations of 45 journal articles, conference…

The current state of adult numeracy research and practice was examined. Data were collected from available literature and test data about adult numeracy instruction, as well as from telephone interviews with directors and teachers in 30 randomly selected adult education programs in three states. Among the key findings of the study were the…

In response to the National Goals 2000 Literacy initiative, literacy programs in New Jersey increased their efforts to meet literacy goals. In the summer of 1993, a needs assessment survey was conducted to determine the training and program development needs of adult education classroom teachers, teacher aides, substitute teachers, program…

Research was conducted to illustrate how the profile approach to measurement could be used to define "standardized fits" between literacy task difficulty and adult proficiency. To provide understanding of this type of standard, the study began by comparing clothes anthropometry to educational measurement; in the former, the concern is…

Today, being literate entails more than reading, writing, and spelling correctly. Literacy also includes the following: a process that is a creative set of social practices that vary according to context, text, and purpose; a process that integrates language skills with thinking; and a political process that empowers people and is inextricably…

This manual (and an accompanying video) is a literacy audit tool to help adult education practitioners find out how their clients and staff rate their organization's success in meeting the literacy needs of clients. The manual also contains background information about literacy and suggestions on how to use the literacy audit to help an…

The assessment process is necessary to determine what adults need to know in order to do what they need to do--that is, to be literate. The characteristics of "good" assessment need to be identified using multiple indicators that determine progress toward goals for learners, programs, and policies. Ongoing learner-centered assessment…

The International Seminar on Functional Illiteracy and Professional Incompetence as Risk Factors of Modern Civilization and the Role of Adult Continuing Education in Overcoming Them examined the modern problem and definition of illiteracy, the causes of professional illiteracy, measures to eliminate the causes, and recommendations for further…

This pilot study assessed the educational interests and needs of a group of older, low-literate adults with the eventual goal of developing computer-assisted literacy programs specifically designed for older adults. Subjects, 10 women and 1 man aged 60 to over 80 years who were members of a center for older adults and who were already working with…

Estimates of the true extent of illiteracy among the United States's adult population vary widely. The Department of Education has estimated that there are 23 million illiterate Americans and an additional 46 million American who function only marginally in an increasingly technological society. Federal support for adult literacy began in 1965…

A major objective of agricultural extension programs is the education of the farmer through literacy training or functional literacy programs. Functional literacy, understood as a process in which adults learn to learn, would enable farmers to participate in the process of agricultural development. (EC)

The British Minister of State for Education discusses the value of and some encouraging developments in adult education: establishment of an advisory council, the adult literacy program, university residential and extension programs, academic credits and transfers, and the importance of technology as an educational aid. (MF)