An adult literacy program gains successes in N.C.

That adult illiteracy is a negative force affecting tens of millions of Americans is nothing new. For years, educators have grappled with the issue. Yet most efforts have been failures, the proof being that the problem still exists. Funded by a special allocation from the North Carolina Department of Community Colleges in 1988, the Center for Advancing Technology (CAT) at Piedmont Community College (PCC), in Yanceyville, N.C., was given, among other projects, the mission of developing innovative ways to combat adult illiteracy. Located in rural, sparsely-populated Caswell County, the center was asked to design a model, based upon its local work, for rural adult education throughout the state. CAT's local literacy program was based on the premise that classes for adults must have a more positive environment than the classes that alienated them when they were schoolchildren. In addition, learning obstacles unique to adults had to be confronted. Real issues Addressed As a first step, the center hosted a National Conference on Rural Education in Yanceyville on November 30, 1988. Leaders in education, government, business and the community discussed adult literacy and related topics. During the conference, a list of basic assumptions about the local illiteracy problem was developed: * Approximately 39 percent of the local population had not earned a high school diploma or its equivalent (roughly the same as the national percentage). * The drop-out rate was not decreasing significantly. * On a yearly basis, the number of adults seeking high school equivalency diplomas was less than the number of drop-outs. * Illiterates tend to stay illiterate and develop patterns that prevent them from becoming literate. * Most spend more energy concealing the shortcoming than it takes to overcome it. * Tangible rewards for literacy training must be immediately obvious because most cannot see a reason to change. * Most will not commit themselves to long-term goals. * Most want to be able to read, write and perform mathematical computations. * Most high school graduates are technical illiterates because of dramatic, rapid changes in, and impacts of, technology. From this first list, a second list of directives designed to alleviate barriers to literacy was compiled: * New and stimulating instructional methods must be implemented. * Transportation to class sites must be provided. * Child care at class sites must be made available for parents and for others with responsibility for children. * Class schedules must be convenient for students. * Comprehensive recruiting must be done. * Recruiters must stay involved, accepting responsibility for recruits' class attendance and progress. * Literacy teams of coordinators, instructors, recruiters, drivers and child-care personnel must be created. * Cash incentives, predicated on class progress, must be offered to literacy teams in addition to their salary. Implementation Having defined the scope of the adult-literacy project, the center then divided its implementation into two segments: management and instruction. The management team worked with Piedmont Community College's regular literacy staff, the state's Departments of Community Colleges and Public Instruction, and other groups and organizations. The team began by researching computer-aided literacy programs in the state. The team selected the best and most versatile courses to use with Apple IIe and IIGS computers in an adult literacy computer lab at PCC. Major software programs included Project Star, Math Blaster and LEAP I. In order to achieve the center's adult literacy goals, the lab had to effectively reach students with grade levels ranging from zero to 12. …