NEWS RELEASE (December 14, NYC) -- Two new papers prepared for the  
National Commission on Adult Literacy were released today by the  
Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy:

THE FISCAL CONSEQUENCES OF ADULT EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT (66 pages)  
was prepared for the Commission’s December 4th meeting by a team of  
researchers from the Center for Labor Management Studies of  
Northeastern University, under the leadership of Commissioner Andrew  
Sum. The report studies the earnings of adults according to their  
level of education achievement in terms of the impact those earnings  
have on the fiscal affairs of the states and the lives of  
individuals. Appendix E of the report gives estimates of annual net  
fiscal contributions of adults by education attainment level for the  
13 largest states. The report findings have major implications for  
the purposes and conduct of the nation’s adult education and literacy  
enterprise at all levels of service. The report should also be of  
high interest to state and federal polilcymakers and planners, as  
well as the business community.


CHALLENGES IN ASSESSING FOR POSTSECONDARY READINESS (26 pages) was  
also prepared for the Commission's December 4th meeting. This Policy  
Brief was written by Daryl F. Mellard and Gretchen Anderson of the  
Division of Adult Studies, Center for Research on Learning,  
University of Kansas. It examines the major assessments in use today  
to measure adult learning gains and determine student placements –  
e.g., BEST, CASAS, TABE, COMPASS, ASSET, and ACCUPLACER in terms of  
their uses and how they well they align with postsecondary education  
entry requirements. Special attention is given to the GED. The  
authors identify several problems and challenges as well as  
recommendations to resolve them.

  The two papers are available in PDF from the Publication page of  
the websites of the Commission and of CAAL:  
www.nationalcommissiononadultliteracy.org or www.caalusa.org. Both  
publications are also available in bound form from CAAL (contact  
bheitner at caalusa.org for ordering instructions

The work of the National Commission on Adult Literacy is funded by  
the Dollar General Corporation, The Mc-Graw-HIll Companies, Harold W.  
McGraw, Jr., the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Ford  
Foundation, and individual donors.








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