This guide, which is intended for administrators of programs providing adult basic and literacy education (ABLE) services in Pennsylvania, contains 59 individually authored papers devoted to planning, managing, and improving ABLE programs. The following are among the topics discussed in the guide's five sections: understanding the role of the ABLE program administrator (adult education for the 21st century, ABLE service delivery in Pennsylvania, guiding philosophy for ABLE program administrators); planning ABLE programs (application procedures for ABLE-administered funds; grant proposing; collaboration/coordination of ABLE services; holistic adult education programs; family literacy efforts; work force education; ABLE programs in homeless shelters, public housing, correctional institutions, and public libraries; distance learning opportunities; logistics of multiple-site programs; long-range planning); developing an effective staff (leadership in hiring, supervising, and rewarding staff; recruiting, training, and managing volunteers; Pennsylvania's regional professional development system; local-level professional development; action research for professional development; practitioner inquiry; state/national ABLE professional resources; graduate study in adult education); managing for program improvement (recruiting adult students; performance assessment; considerations for English-as-a-second-language program, data collection and accountability; the General Educational Development [GED] tests in Pennsylvania; dropout prevention strategies); and using resources and directories (the ABLE administrator's essential bookshelf and GED testing centers in Pennsylvania). (MN)