Dear List Members,
The following message is cross-posted from the assessment discussion list 
and is a request from Tom Sticht for help with international adult literacy 
data and resources (including U.S.).  I picked his message up and post it 
here since we have an international list with participants who have the 
kinds of information he requests.  The questions sound interesting, and I 
hope that if you respond, you will post to the list.  I will forward posts 
to Tom.  Thanks for your help.
Donna
djgbrian at utk.edu



>The following post is from Tom Sticht.

>----------------

>

>Collegues: I have been asked to prepare a chapter for a Handbook on

>Literacy

>that will be published by Cambridge University Press. Following is a

>brief

>title and outline that I am currently using to think about the work.

>Some

>questions I have for you follow below after the outline of topics:

>

>"Adult Literacy Education in Industrialized Nations

>Thomas Sticht

>

>In several industrialized nations activities are underway to extend the

>right to basic literacy education to adults. Having for many decades

>provided a variety of programs, many arising from charitable work by

>religious groups and others, activities are today underway to transform

>these many local, independently acting programs into systems of

>state-supported, free education for adults across the life span. This

>paper

>discusses activities in three industrialized nations under five

>categories:

>

>1. Scale of Need: determining how many adults are in need of adult

>literacy

>education.

>

>2. Access to Provision: determining how many adults are aware of, have

>access to and enroll in adult literacy education provision.

>

>3. Nature of Provision: determining the nature of the delivery system

>for

>meeting the needs of adult literacy provision, including the use of

>information and communication technology (ICT).

>

>4. Quality of Provision: determining the nature of and need for improved

>instructional quality, including teacher qualifications and establishing

>content and outcome standards for programs.

>

>5. Accountability of Provision: improving methods for determining

>achievements of programs in terms of student learning outcomes and

>broader

>impacts for the adult, family,  workplace and community.

>

>The paper will acquaint readers with issues, challenges,  and

>accomplishments arising from this movement to transform local adult

>literacy education programs into national systems of adult education in

>industrialized nations."

>

>Questions: I want to review the best work I can to flesh out the chapter

>so

>I am asking for any references you think I should read in pursuit of

>this

>work.

>

>What are two or three of the most important books, papers, research

>studies,

>policy papers, etc. that you think have contributed to your thinking

>and/or

>practice in adult literacy education in your nation?

>

>What are the two or three most important trends to have emerged in adult

>literacy education in your nation in the last quarter century?

>

>What direction do you see adult literacy education taking in your nation

>in

>the next ten years or so?

>

>What is the most important research in adult literacy education that you

>have come across that has influenced educational practice in your

>nation?

>

>Thanks for any responses you may have to these questions or any other

>directions that you think I should consider going in the development of

>this chapter. You can respond on the list or directly to me at

>tsticht at aznet.net.

>

>Thanks,

>Tom Sticht

>