What is "literacy"? Literacy is "an individual's ability to read, write and speak in English, compute and solve problems, at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individuals and in society." (Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, U.S. Congress, 1998)
Why is literacy important?
On a National Level:
40-44 million (21-23%) American adults (age 16+) function at the lowest literacy level. They are, at best, able to perform tasks involving brief, uncomplicated texts.(National Adult Literacy Survey, 1993)
30% of new job applicants fail basic literacy tests given by prospective employers, and 65% of these are denied employment because they lack the basic reading and/or math skills necessary for the job they sought.$225 billion in production is lost every year due to employees' lack of basic literacy skills.
The United States Department of Education estimates that fewer than 10% of adults who need literacy help are being reached.
The federal government authorizes appropriations for adult basic education and literacy programs under the Workforce Investment Act. Approximately three million adult students per year receive basic literacy instructions in federally funded adult literacy programs. (ProLiteracy Worldwide)
In North Carolina:
More than 1,000,000 (approximately 22%) adults experience reading and writing difficulties that seriously affect their daily lives and that of their families.
Another 1,500,000 may do well in everyday reading tasks but could benefit from reading and writing instruction.(Synthetic Estimates of Adult Literacy, Stephen Reder and associates, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratories, Portland State University, 1997)
Compared to the national average, low literacy is higher among adults in North Carolina.
In Guilford County:
More than 20,000 adults aged 18-25 (approximately 10%) have less than a Grade 9 education.
More than 40,000 adults are without a high school diploma.(1990 Census and Guilford County Schools)
14% of Guilford County residents speak a language other than English.
The Labor Market:
Eighty percent of the fastest growing jobs in the U.S. require some post-secondary education.
More than 40 percent of the U.S workforce and more than 50 percent of high school graduates do not have required basic skills for employment.
American businesses spend $16.6 billion each year on remedial training for employees who lack basic skills in reading, writing, and math.
(All Labor Market statistics from Fast Facts About Adult Literacy: Business and Industry from ProLiteracy Worldwide)
Health and Family
In 2002, the average American spent $5,440 for health care. Studies indicate that helath care costs for adults with low literacy skills are four times higher than the national average - $21,760.
Individuals with low literacy skills have a higher rate of hospitalization and increased incidents of medication and treatment errors than the general public.
The health care industry estimates that $73 billion per year of unnecessary health care expense attributable to poor literacy.
Research demonstrates that low literacy, poor health, and early death are linked.
The U.S. has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any developed nation at 900,000 teen births per year. Only on-third of teen mothers obtain a high school diploma.
The higher a mother's education level, the better the child's performance on tests and in school.
Children whose parents have low literacy skills are more likely to become adults with low literacy skills than children whose parents are good readers.
Parents enrolled in basic literacy programs participate in school activities and support their children's success in school more, and their children's school achievement improves.
(All Health and Family from Fast Facts About Adult Literacy: Health and Family from ProLiteracy Worldwide)
Immigration and Citizenship
In 2002, the U.S. admitted more than one million legal immigrants.
In 2004, there were 35.7 million foreign-born indivdiuals living in the U.S.
As of 2004, 25 percent of legal immigrants have less than a high school education.
As of 2004, an additional 25 percent of legal immigrants have only a high school education.
18 percent of legal immigrants live in poverty and 31 percent of legal immigrants live in poverty.
Hispanics accounted for more than half of the populatoin growth of 2.9 million people from 2003-2004.
One of every seven people in the U.S. is Hispanic - as of 2004, approximately 41.3 million.
Adults with low literacy skills or for whom English is a second language represent $380 million in consume spending power annually, yet the U.S. consume distribution system requires shoppers to use comparative shopping skills, coupons, discounts, and other complex literacy tasks in order to shop cost-effectively. (From Fast Facts about Adult Literacy: Immigration and Citizenship from ProLiteracy Worldwide)
The Global Perspective
The United Nations defines illiteracy as the "inability to read and write a simple message in any language."
The United Nations estimated that 2005, there were 785 million illiterate adults in the world.
Women account for two out of three illiterate adults. In 2000, there were 236 million more illiterate women than men.
Young women who are educated tend to marry later, have fewer children, and raise healthier, better-nourished children who attend school.
The United Nations Development Program 1997 report included lack of knowledge and literacy in its definition of "human poverty." (From Fast Fact About Adult Literacy: The Global Perspective from ProLiteracy Worldwide)
