This document presents the Equipped for the Future Framework (EFF) content standards that were developed over a 6-year period by hundreds of adult education practitioners, experts, and others nationwide to create a working consensus on what adults need to know and be able to do in the 21st century. Chapter 1 defines adult literacy for the 21st century. Discussed in chapters 2-5 are: building the EFF (fundamental purposes for learning, planning grants, constructing role maps, linking skills to effective performance, common activities, generative skills, from skills to standards); the EFF standards and how they work (4 categories of EFF skills, using the 16 EFF standards to assess performance); teaching and learning with the EFF (3 case studies); and a starting point for standards-based system reform (building consensus on results; aligning the system; reform at the classroom, program and system levels.) Seventy-seven footnotes to chapters 1-5 are listed. Appendixes constituting approximately 30% of the document contain the following information: EFF framework; role maps; common activities matrix; EFF content standards; documentation templates; lists of the EFF development partners and 1999-2000 Equipped for the Future Team members; and sources of additional information on EFF. (MN)