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FACTS on Illiteracy in America|Scope of Illiteracy in the US| |Typical Non-Reader| |Illiteracy in Prisons| |Next Generation| |Reasons for Illiteracy| | Non-English-speaking Numbers| |Economic Impact| |Literacy Volunteers of Broome and Tioga County, NY| What is functional illiteracy? Functional illiteracy refers to the inability of an individual to use reading, speaking, writing and computational skills in everyday life situations. For example, a functionally illiterate adult is unable to fill out an employment application, follow written instructions, or read a newspaper. In short, when confronted with printed materials, adults without basic literacy skills cannot function effectively. What is the scope of illiteracy in this country? In September, 1993, the most detailed portrait ever available on the condition of literacy in this nation was released by the U.S. Department of Education. The National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) evaluated the skills of adults in three areas: prose, document and quantitative proficiency. Results showed: 21%-23% (40 to 44 million adults) were at Level I, the lowest of five levels. This group is LVA's primary target population — those we refer to as functionally illiterate. 25%-28% (50 million adults) were at the second lowest level. According to the Executive Summary, "While their skills were more varied than those of individuals in Level I, their repertoire was still quite limited." The literacy proficiencies of young adults were found to be somewhat lower, on average, than the proficiencies of young adults who participated in a 1985 study (the National Assessment of Educational Progress). The statistics make it clear: illiteracy is on the increase in the United States. The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), an analytical arm of the U.S. Congress, stated in a 1993 report: "Standards and requirements for literacy have increased over time and a large number of adults need to improve their literacy skills. OTA finds that at least 35 million adults have difficulty with common literacy tasks. Although many of these adults can read at rudimentary levels, they need higher levels of literacy to function effectively in society, to find employment, or to be trained for new jobs as the workplace changes. . . Fewer than 10% of the population in need is being reached." Is there a "typical" adult non-reader? According to the National Education Association, the breakdown for the total population of adults non-literate in English is as follows: 41% are English speaking "whites, 22% are English speaking African Americans, 22% are Spanish speaking, and 15% are other non-English speaking people. In terms of age and geographic distribution, the NEA reports that 40% of these adults are 20-39, 28% are 40-59, and 32% are 60 or older; 51% live in small towns and suburbs 41% live in urban areas, and 8% live in rural areas. Although functionally illiterate adults can be found in every sector of society, studies do indicate certain trends. According to a 1987 report entitled The Subtle Danger: Reflections on the Literacy Abilities of America's Young Adults, published by the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ, there is a heavy concentration of people with low literacy skills among the poor and those dependent upon public financial support. Although the percentages of illiterate African American and Hispanic adults are much higher than the percentage of white adults, however, the actual number of white non-readers is twice that of the number of African-American and Hispanic non-readers—dispelling the myth that illiteracy is not a problem among whites. What is the extent of the illiteracy problem in prisons? As reported in the 1986 publication entitled Making Literacy Programs Work: A Practical Guide for Correctional Educators (for the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections), one-half of all adults in federal and state correctional facilities cannot read or write at all. Only about one-third of those in prison have completed high school. The typical 25 year old male inmate functions 2-3 grade levels below the grade level actually completed. U.S. Department of Education statistics show that 60% of prison inmates are illiterate and 85% of all juvenile offenders have reading problems. What about the next generation — our children? U.S. Department of Education statistics show that the high school dropout rate is 29% in this country; in Japan, the rate is 5% and in Russia, 2%. Evidence indicates that the problem begins not in the schools but at home. A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education in 1985, A Nation at Risk, found that preschool children whose parents read to them are much better prepared to start school and perform significantly better in school than those who have not been exposed to reading. A National Governors' Association Task Force on Adult Literacy reported in a 1987 publication, Making America Work, that illiteracy is an intergenerational problem, following a parent-child pattern. Poor school achievement and dropping out before completing school are commonplace among children of illiterate parents. What are the reasons for illiteracy? The answers are as varied as the number of non-readers. The adult non-reader may have left school early, may have had a physical or emotional disability, may have had ineffective teachers or simply have been unready to learn at the time reading instruction began. Because they are unable to help their children learn, parents who can't read often perpetuate the intergenerational cycle of illiteracy. Without books, newspapers or magazines in the home and a parent who reads to serve as a role model, many children grow up with severe literacy deficiencies. Clearly, there is no single cause of illiteracy. How many non-English speaking people are there in America? The 1990 Census cites more than 14 million people age five and older in the U.S. who speak English poorly or not at all. In addition 19.8 million immigrants enter American communities every year—1.7 million of these, age 25 and older, have less than a fifth grade education. What is the economic impact of illiteracy in this country? Studies indicate that illiteracy has a significant impact on the economy. According to Nation's Business magazine, an estimated 15 million adults holding jobs today are functionally illiterate. The American Council of Life Insurance reports that three-quarters of the Fortune 500 companies provide some level of remedial training for their -workers. A Literacy at Work study done by the Northeast-Midwest Institute and The Center for Regional Policy found that business losses attributable to basic skill deficiencies run into hundreds of millions of dollars because of low productivity, errors and accidents. The Department of Education estimates that 60% of the unemployed lack the basic skills necessary to be trained for high tech jobs. Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. (LVA) is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1962 in Syracuse, New York to promote literacy. Our primary premise is that well trained and supported volunteers can be effective tutors of adults, and that mobilizing the talents of large numbers of diverse kinds of people can make a significant impact on the problem. Evaluation studies indicate that on the average, student reading scores improve over one grade level in 35-40 hours of tutoring. Since 1962, the LVA network has grown to include over 400 programs in 44 states and eight state organizations. In that time, over 350,000 adults in LVA programs nationwide have been tutored in basic reading and English as a second language. LVA is a three-tiered organization: local, state and national. The local affiliate is the operating arm which provides direct services to clients. It recruits, trains, matches, and supports volunteer tutors with adults in need of basic skills. The state organizations support existing affiliates, establish new programs and develop innovative projects within their states in cooperation with LVA national. The LVA national office establishes new programs in underserved areas and provides support services to existing programs. The national office also researches and publishes materials for volunteer training and program management. LVA supplies technical assistance, consulting services and materials to public schools, other literacy organizations, correctional facilities, libraries and adult basic education agencies.
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