Relationships exist between lifelong learning and community-based literacy programs, and Canada appears to have the kind of civic culture that takes literacy learning seriously, enjoying a strong civic or community context for literacy learning. Community literacy in Canada promotes the values and ideas of lifelong learning, legitimizing…

In February 2000, the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) cosponsored a national literacy summit of more than 100 representatives from the field of adult literacy and basic education in Washington, DC. During the summit, 29 adult literacy teachers from 5 states (Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, and…

A study focused on researchers' use of the English-Language Background Questionnaire (EBQ) portion of the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), the results of which were released in 1993. Data were gathered by surveying NALS data users about how they have used the EBQ data, their perspectives on the strengths and weaknesses of the EBQ, and their…

Contextual learning is rooted in a constructivist approach to teaching and learning. According to constructivist theory, individuals learn by constructing meaning through interacting with and interpreting their environments. Current perspectives on what it means for learning to be contextualized include the following: situated cognition, social…

Some new work is good work. Quality is ultimately defined by the individual. However, these perceptions are inevitably colored by the circumstances in which people find themselves, by the time, place, and wide range of motivations for having to do a particular job in the first place. One person's quality may be another's purgatory and vice versa.…

The relationship between literacy, welfare, and work was examined in an exploratory study that included a literature review and focus group interviews with a total of 17 literacy instructors and 10 literacy students from two locations in Manitoba: Winnipeg and Brandon with the rural area surrounding it. Particular attention was paid to the…

The North West Company (NWC), which is the leading retailer of food and everyday products and services to remote communities across northern Canada and Alaska, was the large business winner of the Excellence in Workplace Literacy award in 2001. NWC's workplace literacy program was selected for an award because of the improvements it brought, not…

This notebook discusses issues and methods of developing adult literacy education (ALE) programs according to functional context education (FCE) principles. Chapters 1-3 in Part 1, The Power of ALE, focus on current ALE; address why ALE is of growing importance; show how investments can return benefits for adults and others; look at issues…

This paper summarizes the standardized procedures and psychometric standards states must follow in developing performance-based assessment. The National Reporting System (NRS), which serves as the accountability system for federally funded adult education and literacy programs, requires that states have their local programs assess educational gain…

The reasons for nonparticipation in adult literacy and upgrading programs were examined in a national study during which interviewers in 12 Canadian provinces conducted in-person interviews with 44 adults who had never participated in a literacy or upgrading program. Most interviewees indicated that they had experienced transition points at which…

This document lists the Ohio Department of Education's Adult Basic and Literacy Education revised indicators of program quality. A chart details the measures and performance standards for the following quality indicators: (1) students demonstrate progress toward attainment of literacy skills at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the…

This resource guide aims to assist local Texas family literacy projects in acquiring resources to better serve their clients in the areas of adult literacy education, early childhood education, parent education, and learning disabilities. Funding resources--corporate and foundation-- are listed. Each area is approached from national, state, and…

This document is a sourcebook of ideas and materials for adult basic education teachers and others who want to design programming allowing women who have experienced the impact of violence to learn successfully. The sourcebook consists of three chapters that all contain an introduction, tools for programs, and examples from programs. The topics…

To benefit from the support of public and private sector leaders and to ensure that all students receive effective services, the adult education system must identify program models that have empirical evidence to support claims of effectiveness. The U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences defines evidence-based education as…

This document presents a total of 48 references and annotations of works published after 1995 that are in some way related to the topic of adult literacy, learning disabilities, and technology. The first part of the document presents annotations of 30 online articles, journal articles, books, and book articles devoted to the following topics:…