To assist the Illinois Basic Skills Program, the Illinois Speech and Theatre Association (ISTA) developed a task force that offered the state assistance in (1) facilitating oral communication learning in Illinois schools with an emphasis upon the utilization of existing school programs and staff; (2) developing a plan for a systematic approach to oral communication instruction in Illinois schools; (3) developing means by which the learning of oral communication skills could be shared in both the school and the home environment; and (4) identifying and training professional consultants. The ISTA task force focused its attention first on the problem of determining which communication skills should be presented in Illinois schools. The task force next completed a brochure on basic oral communication skills that was printed by the Illinois State Board of Education for distribution as part of the board's continuing public awareness activities and developed another brochure for use by parents to be distributed through local parent-teacher organizations. The task force also began work on a document that addressed the assessment of basic oral communication skills. Additional plans call for the development of a model training workshop format. (HOD)