Wisconsin Shows Improvement in Adult Literacy
January 13, 2009
MADISON, WI – The National Center for Education Statistics recently released a report showing an estimate of the number of adults who lack basic literacy skills in Wisconsin by county. The report posted online on January 8, 2009 shows that Wisconsin improved from 10% of adults lacking Basic Prose Literacy Skills (BPLS) in 1992 to 7% by 2003 according to the NAAL (National Assessment of Adult Literacy) comparison. This change seems to be part of a national trend among other states, with the exception of border states or states with a high immigrant population like Florida where the number of adults at the lowest level of basic literacy skills rose from 15% in 1992 to 20% in 2003, and in California where an even bigger increase occurred with the numbers jumping from 15% to 23%.
Adults who lack BPLS range from being unable to read and understand any written information in English to being able to locate easily identifiable information in short, commonplace prose text, but nothing more advanced. Adults who were not able to take the assessment because they were not able to communicate in English or Spanish (i.e. language barrier cases) are included in the indirect estimates and classified as lacking basic literacy because they can be considered to be at the lowest level of English literacy.
According to Michele Erikson, Executive Director of Wisconsin Literacy, “While Wisconsin shows an improvement, it is important to note that the need for adult literacy services is still very great. Between adults in the Wisconsin Technical College System and those enrolled in Wisconsin Literacy’s 58 member literacy programs and other community-based literacy organizations, less than 10% of more than one million adults in Wisconsin who qualify for all levels of literacy services are receiving them, with many programs having waiting lists.
“Given the current economic status and loss of employment among so many in unskilled labor positions, the need and demand for literacy services will greatly increase for programs that are already stretched to meet the need.”
An interactive Web tool that shows the National Assessment of Adult Literacy data for all states and counties and the full report can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/naal/estimates/index.aspx.
Wisconsin Literacy works to raise awareness of the impact of low literacy on the state’s economy and the benefits to businesses, families and communities of adult literacy services. For more information, contact Wisconsin Literacy, Inc. at 608-257-1655 or info@wisconsinliteracy.org.
Adults who lack BPLS range from being unable to read and understand any written information in English to being able to locate easily identifiable information in short, commonplace prose text, but nothing more advanced. Adults who were not able to take the assessment because they were not able to communicate in English or Spanish (i.e. language barrier cases) are included in the indirect estimates and classified as lacking basic literacy because they can be considered to be at the lowest level of English literacy.
According to Michele Erikson, Executive Director of Wisconsin Literacy, “While Wisconsin shows an improvement, it is important to note that the need for adult literacy services is still very great. Between adults in the Wisconsin Technical College System and those enrolled in Wisconsin Literacy’s 58 member literacy programs and other community-based literacy organizations, less than 10% of more than one million adults in Wisconsin who qualify for all levels of literacy services are receiving them, with many programs having waiting lists.
“Given the current economic status and loss of employment among so many in unskilled labor positions, the need and demand for literacy services will greatly increase for programs that are already stretched to meet the need.”
An interactive Web tool that shows the National Assessment of Adult Literacy data for all states and counties and the full report can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/naal/estimates/index.aspx.
Wisconsin Literacy works to raise awareness of the impact of low literacy on the state’s economy and the benefits to businesses, families and communities of adult literacy services. For more information, contact Wisconsin Literacy, Inc. at 608-257-1655 or info@wisconsinliteracy.org.
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