Prepared by Alice H. Johnson, October 2000
with funding from the sponsors of the Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellowships in Public Policy
Alice Johnson Cain is Vice President for Policy at Teach Plus. Alice previously served as Education Director for the Hope Street Group in Washington, DC. Before joining Hope Street Group, Alice was the chief advisor for K-12 education for Chairman George Miller of the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor. In addition to advising Chairman Miller, Alice served as a resource on education policy to the Democratic Members of Congress serving on the Education and Labor Committee and their staff members. Alice has 20 years of experience in education policy, including work at the Children’s Defense Fund, US Department of Education, US Senate, and as a detailee to Vice President Al Gore’s office. She has a degree in political science from Gettysburg College and attended Georgetown University for work towards a master’s in public policy.
During Alice’s Ian Axford Fellowship exchange to New Zealand she was based at the Ministry of Education in Wellington, where she researched adult literacy in policy and practice, culminating in recommendations for a national adult literacy strategy and for integrating literacy into major public policy initiatives.
This report summarises major issues facing New Zealand’s modern adult literacy movement and places it in the context of the rapidly changing skill demands of the 21st Century. In addition to an overview of the current adult literacy system and four new case studies, the pages that follow include recommendations for a long-term, comprehensive, co-ordinated adult literacy strategy – an overdue necessity in light of recent economic and technological changes.
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Executive Summary
Introduction
Bibliography
Appendix 1: The National Literacy Act (select portions)
Appendix 2: Case study interview questions
List of Tables
List of Figures
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