"Proxy" measures have been developed and applied that extend the usefulness of direct assessments of adult basic skills. Three categories of users of data on adult literacy are as follows: (1) government authorities who need objective data to inform the decision-making process; (2) program delivery institutions who require an assessment…

A study examined the demand for basic literacy and numeracy skills in the workplace in England and Wales. Surveys were administered to 73 Training and Enterprise Councils and covered approximately 1.3 million jobs below the professional and technical level in 24,000 establishments. Skills were summarized by six broad occupational categories:…

This directory details the requirements for and supply of basic skills in the work force of England and Wales as determined in a survey of 73 Training and Enterprise Councils that covered approximately 1.3 million jobs below the professional and technical level in 24,000 establishments. The first chapter describes the survey and the structure of…

This report on what can and should be done to raise the literacy rate in Louisiana recommends that: (1) a state literacy office be established under the office of the governor to coordinate and facilitate the state's literacy programs; (2) a standard operational definition of literacy be established; (3) a Louisiana Literacy Foundation be…

This report focuses on the question of how to evaluate workplace education programs. Chapter 1 outlines the various purposes that those involved in workplace education programs have defined for workplace education and describes program models in place to meet those goals. Chapter 2 sets out three scenarios for evaluation at present: informal,…

This workbook, designed for workplace literacy courses, covers effective reading and writing. Introductory materials include objectives, a topical outline, sources, and information on time for the course and continuing education credits. The 16 sessions of the course cover the following topics: job terms; abbreviations, acronyms, and pictorial…

This workbook, designed for workplace literacy courses, contains materials for a mathematics review course focused on helping participants understand the meaning of numbers and arithmetic operations. Strategies are provided for increasing accuracy when doing computations with whole numbers, decimals, and percents. Applications to real work…

This workbook, designed for workplace literacy courses, contains materials for a mathematics review course of basic number concepts focused on helping participants understand the meaning of numbers and arithmetic operations. Strategies are provided for increasing accuracy when doing computations with whole numbers, decimals, and percents.…

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…

This article is devoted to explaining the use and misuse of standardized tests in adult literacy programs. Among the topics covered on that subject are why the tests are of such interest among adult educators: because the authority vested in these tests can determine the way programs are developed, what is taught, the climate of teaching and…

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…

This paper discusses the literacy situation in Thailand, where, while literacy is regarded as the basic right of every Thai, the greater proportion of the population reads at the elementary level. The paper first examines the national policy on literacy, focusing on problems which remain to be tackled under the Fifth National Economic and Social…

This report describes certain assumptions and tentative conclusions made by an Advisory Group of the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit (ALBSU) about work with the mentally handicapped from a nonspecialist perspective. With the basic education organizer in mind, the report addresses six major issues. A definition of the term mentally handicapped…

Six demonstration projects were conducted in England to identify and help meet the basic communication needs of individuals who embarked on work-related skills training. Unemployed adults were divided into two strands. Strand A concentrated on those adults who without significant help with basic communication skills would be unable to reach the…