This study explores the relationship between scores and educational placement levels on two academic mathematics assessment systems: The Tests of Adult Basic Education 11/12 mathematics (TABE-M) and the Texas Success Initiative Assessment mathematics (TSIA-M). The data set consisted of scores, placement levels, and demographic information for 152…

This paper is a literature review that explores the nature and effectiveness of contextualization as a way to improve outcomes for academically underprepared college students. Two forms of contextualization have been studied: "contextualized" and "integrated" instruction. There is more descriptive work on the contextualization of basic skills than…

In view of federal legislation being proposed for the reauthorization of the Adult Education Act that promotes increased program accountability and benchmarking of learner outcomes, this publication has been prepared as part of an effort to document student achievement in Iowa. Based on studies that have taken place over the past 17 years, this…

This is the final report of a cooperative basic skills and literacy project of El Camino College (California) and two companies, BP Chemicals/Hitco Inc. and a division of the Hughes Aircraft Company. An extension of an earlier workplace program with BP chemicals, the program provided basic mathematics, reading, and English-as-a-Second-Language…

This document describes how 10 mathematics and numeracy teachers from Technical and Further Education colleges and community providers in Australia assisted in identification of mathematics skills that would form the mathematics component of the Adult Basic Education Curriculum Framework. The draft competencies are organized under the headings of…

Twenty-seven participants in a Job Training Partnership Act-funded literacy program at Houston Community College received one of three types of computer-assisted instruction (CAI). The longer CAI was used, the higher the posttest reading and mathematics scores. Students with higher skill levels at entry learned faster with CAI systems. (SK)

Joliet Junior College's Center for Adult Basic Education and Literacy (CABEL) is responsible for providing adult basic education and support services for adults whose skills in reading and mathematics are below the 12th grade level. Its offerings include instruction in Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Educational Development (GED), English as…

The six articles in this issue tackle topics that relate to the role and function of numeracy in adult life. "Reading Comprehension in Written Mathematics Problems" (Sue Wareham) examines the levels of reading ability required of numeracy students and offers strategies to help students with limited reading skills. "Can Ordinary…

State and local policymakers increasingly see the need to adapt workforce and education policies to the economic changes in their states and communities. The new economy is organized around skills, flexibility, and the willingness of all workers and employees to adapt to changing circumstances. For workers, this demands an increased investment in…

First-year evaluation results of Iowa's Basic Skills Certification pilot program were reported for the four community colleges participating: Northeast Iowa, Des Moines Area, Western Iowa Tech, and Iowa Western. The pilot sites represented a variety of adult basic education instructional environments that included a workforce development center,…

This report documents how the Business/Training Institute of Northwest Iowa Community College and Coilcraft, Inc., of Hawarden, Iowa, worked as partners to establish a basic workplace skills program for Coilcraft's workers. The project goals were to develop and offer a workplace literacy program that would enroll 160 workers and prepare them to…

This research report presents the findings of an evaluation of the compensatory education program at El Paso Community College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, which has been in existence for six years. The results of scores made on admission tests were used to determine whether entering students were functioning at the college level. Students with…

Cuyahoga Community College's (CCC) Unified Technologies Center (UTC) collaborated with three Cleveland area manufacturing companies in a workplace literacy project. The project provided job-related mathematics and communications programs for 302 employees who needed basic skills upgrading to improve their job performance. The project…

This curriculum guide provides lesson plans and student activities for instruction in reading, mathematics, and writing for adults in the printing graphic arts industry. It was developed through a federal education grant for a cooperative workplace literacy program involving Catonsville Community College in Baltimore, the printing industries of…

Skills For Life, since 2001 the United Kingdom's national adult basic skills strategy, aims to improve literacy, numeracy, or English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) skills among people over the age of 16. Basic skills programs may be full- or part-time and are delivered in colleges, community venues, neighborhood learning centers, adult…