A study was conducted to provide a preliminary overview of what is known about how adult education programs work and to identify issues that should be addressed in future nationally representative studies. Data were gathered through a literature review, informal interviews with state adult education directors in eight states serving a large number of adult education participants, and case studies of nine local adult education programs. Some patterns that emerged from the site visits, which suggest possible issues for exploration, include the following: (1) the Adult Education Act represented the major federal source of funds for adult literacy services, although other federal programs were important financing sources; (2) Adult Education Act funds did not provide the majority of funds for any site; (3) states and localities also provided substantial support; (4) the study sites coordinated their programs with other community agencies, but not with other federally funded programs; (5) the study sites generally operated year-round; (6) programs were making an effort to integrate computer-assisted instruction into their programs; (7) program staff were satisfied with the types and quality of material available from commercial publishers; (8) waiting lists were not common at the sites, but neither was there trouble attracting students; (9) most adult education teachers were school teachers who were part-time employees; (10) sites used standardized assessment; and (11) evaluation data were insufficient to make judgments about how much participants improved their literacy levels. (There are 108 references. Appendixes provide information about federal programs supporting adult education services, expenditures, and site summaries.) (KC)