A task force studied adult education services in Maryland. The task force heard presentations from a wide range of stakeholders, including adult learners, professional associations, administrators, practitioners, and educational researchers. The presentations confirmed that the need for adult education services in Maryland is extensive and the impact of adult education on the state's workforce and economy is substantial. Existing client groups include workers in need of retraining, those without high school diplomas, nonnative speakers of English, adults needing literacy and/or basic skills instruction, and inmates and probationers. Although federal funding for adult education services has increased substantially since 1998, state funding has decreased, creating additional burden on local funding sources. Among East Coast states, only New Hampshire and Rhode Island had lower state appropriations for adult education in fiscal 2001. The task force issued the following recommendations to Maryland policymakers: (1) significantly increase public and private investment in the adult education system; (2) target new resources to improving adult education outcomes by increasing access to services, removing learner barriers, ensuring a professional workforce, and connecting students to careers, further education, or the workplace; (3) enhance accountability to increase the return on present and future investments; and (4) improve services for incarcerated individuals and probationers. (Contains 29 tables.) (MN)