Evaluating the Effectiveness of Adult Education Programs: Findings from Recent Research.

Prepared as a condensed reference source for the U.S. Department of Education's Planning and Evaluation Service for discussions on a possible research agenda for adult education, this paper reviews studies completed since 1995. It focuses on (1) evidence pertaining to numerous outcomes, (2) program features that may affect service effectiveness, and (3) methodological lessons from previous research. Finds that evidence of program impacts is limited, service intensity is an issue of great interest, and there is considerable room for improvement in evaluating adult education programs.