Using the data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), this Data Point summarizes the number of U.S. adults with low levels of English literacy and describes how they differ by nativity status and race/ethnicity. PIAAC is a large-scale international study of working-age adults (ages 16-65) that assesses…

Environmental literacy has been defined in various ways: from acquisition of scientific knowledge to addressing environmental concerns through indigenous knowledge. Program planners and educators need to identify and employ strategies for inclusive program development where all stakeholders are given an equal opportunity to share their opinions as…

A review of recent UNESCO statistics on world illiteracy, current strategies in literacy work, the author's ideas on eclectic integrated strategy versus a single policy for functional literacy, and suggestions for possible Commonwealth action are covered in this paper which was presented to a Commonwealth adult education seminar. (EA)

This discussion paper synthesizes the individual investigations of nonformal education activities in the following four groups of programs in Ethiopia: rural/traditional, urban/modern, literacy, and miscellaneous (programs which do not fit into other classifications). The synthesis of the investigations into a country-wide study was undertaken to…

In the last decade many people have questioned the long-range effectiveness of literacy education in America. The response to this discussion about the "literacy crisis" has been the growth of three commonly held generalizations: (1) that in previous eras, Americans enjoyed remarkable levels of literacy; (2) that the role of print has been…

This report contains the proceedings of the International Literacy Day Conference held in Washington, D.C., on September 8, 1978. It contains a program of conference events, an executive summary, a message from the vice president of the United States, and the text of the proceedings. The proceedings include introductory remarks by Edwin Newman; a…

Examines various approaches that have been taken to promote literacy and makes a plea for more research to clarify issues that will permit more useful definitions of literacy and more productive approaches to developing and enhancing literacy among youth and adults. (HOD)

The first section of this paper reports the results of numerous literacy studies in which adults were tested on a variety of tasks, including filling out forms, answering questions about newspaper classified advertisements, and dealing with certain facets of consumer economics. The percentage of adults in the United States reported to be literate…

Only excellent programs in literacy education can motivate an adult to develop or increase his reading skills; the direct economic advantages as well as the pleasures of reading must be made apparent. (JB)

Over twenty years of attempts to provide instruction in adult literacy skills have accomplished very little in the country of Ethiopia. (MKM)

Reports on the extent of illiteracy in the United States and explores various definitions of literacy. (GT)

The retention factor of literacy must be the target variable in any projection of literacy programs of the future. Further, the success of literacy programs of the future is contingent upon the resolution of three major problem areas: (1) the concept of literacy; (2) the programs of literacy; and (3) the politics of literacy. A concept of literacy…

The position that the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) provides a data base that is compatible with various definitions of literacy and standards of competencies and can make a contribution to our understanding of the complex and controversial problem of literacy is supported in this paper. The paper notes that since the NAEP has…

This study estimates the incidence, characteristics, and patterns of change over time of illiteracy in Morocco. The study compares the results from direct literacy assessment to the conventional methods of self-reported literacy. This effort has provided more detailed, objective information with which patterns of literacy skills in the country may…

Emphasis on adult literacy education in the United States began in the first decade of the twentieth century, which was characterized by heavy immigration from countries whose populations were not uniformly educated. Special attention was paid to adult literacy during times of crisis such as World War I and II when it was learned that many adults…