This Institute was based upon the premise that existing efforts to eliminate illiteracy must be dramatically increased across the country and this increase in effort and activity could be substantially achieved with existing resources through the creative and dynamic efforts of the State Directors of Adult Education. Consequently, the Institute…

Suggests a variety of activities and projects which integrate functional literacy instruction into the curriculum. (MM)

Evaluates "The Reading Report Card" and application of Reading Proficiency Scale to that report with 1984-85 data on reading ability in adults between ages 21 and 25. Also discusses reading trends in relation to different segments of population and in terms of where decreases and increases in reading ability have occurred between 1974…

This final performance report for the Sanford Library Association's Project Literacy U.S. (PLUS) begins with quantitative data. Background information on the community is then provided. Actual accomplishments are compared to project objectives for 1991-92 in the following areas: (1) continuation of individualized literacy instruction or promotion…

The National Education Goals Panel has not met its goal of having every adult American literate by the year 2000. There are many adults who "slipped through the cracks," and have only rudimentary reading and writing skills. The large number of foreign born residents who do not have the necessary reading and writing skills to communicate…

This monograph presents a collection of methods, materials, and techniques for assessing and teaching students with mild to moderate mental retardation to become successfully literate. Part 1 offers a foundation for literacy instruction and considers whether students with mental retardation can learn to read and write, the existence of multiple…

This paper identifies issues in defining and reporting performance standards for the 2002 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). The paper describes a continuum of conceptualizations of performance standards for adult literacy extending from "technical" conceptions of performance standards, as used in the psychometric literature,…

Discusses recent curricular and instructional reforms, collectively called basic skills restructuring, that have developed in urban schools. Discusses these reforms as a response to various crisis tendencies in the operation of schools by dominant power groups. Discusses the causes and effects of top-down curricular reform initiatives. (JS)

Argues for new opportunities for persons previously excluded from rewarding employment experiences, through partnerships between business and adult literacy programs. Joint ventures to benefit viable, functionally literate workers must create a new market through such initiatives as national, state, and business cooperation, language minority…

Discussion of literacy for the twenty-first century focuses on the Norristown (Pennsylvania) Area School District (NASD), where a restructured curriculum stresses thinking and communication skills. Sidebars introduce electronic books, recommend language learning software, describe six state literacy reform initiatives, and describe professional…

Document addresses political and ethical questions generated by OECD's International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and the New Zealand Foresight Project. Calls for further critical work on changing patterns of literate activity in the information age, stressing the importance of contemplating futures other than those driven by imperatives of global…

Discussion of the Nigerian government's efforts to improve agricultural productivity focuses on the role of rural libraries. Highlights include the neglect of libraries, the need for functional education for farmers, the role of library services, libraries as distributors of extension materials, and suggestions for improvements. (LRW)

This book is part of a Mexican series of instructional materials designed for Spanish speaking adults who are in the process of becoming literate or have recently become literate in their native language. It provides instruction on knowing about, and caring for, the health of one's family. Topics covered include community health, pregnancy,…

This paper describes the implementation of three major parent education programs and their strategies. Following an introduction to the efforts made in the Philippines to empower parents, the paper briefly describes the Programme of Cooperation and the Education for All National Plan of Action. Three case studies, all of which use different parent…

This set of learning modules was developed during a project to deliver workplace literacy instruction to individuals employed in the more than 50 businesses related to the activities of the Port of Baltimore. It is intended to help office staff of port businesses develop basic interpersonal communication and time and stress management skills. The…