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Subject: International Literacy Report
Date: 8 Dec 1995 17:52:06 -0500
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Please excuse the lengthiness of this cross-posting from nifl-workplace, but
like my colleague Barb Van Horn, I thought you might want to know
about this report --
>From the National Institute for Literacy's LINCS -- the Literacy
Information and Communication System.
Wednesday, December 6:
Secretary Riley of the US Department of Education held a press
conference today to announce the release of "LITERACY, ECONOMY AND
SOCIETY: Results of the First International Literacy Survey." The
NIFL was a partner in planning and funding this seven-country
comparative study of adult literacy, which was patterned after the
NALS. Andy Hartman attended the press conference and provided a brief
statement by NIFL about the report (which was embargoed until today)
for inclusion in the ED press packets.
Following are (1) the Department of Education's press release and (2)
the NIFL's statement:
_____________________________________________________________
(1) ED Press Release
December 6, 1995
Adult Literacy Survey Finds Americans "On Par with International
Competitions," Riley Says
According to a new international survey, the literacy skills of
American adults compare favorably with those in other developed
nations.
"Literacy, Economy and Society: Results of the first International
Adult Literacy Survey" was released today by Statistics Canada and the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The survey measures literacy skills in Canada, Germany, The
Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Poland, as well as the U.S.
"This adult literacy survey shows that overall, we are on par with
many of our international competitors, and in some instances we do
better," Riley said. "I am delighted to see that a higher
percentage of Americans scored in the top end of the literacy scale.
This shows that many Americans have the knowledge and skills to
compete and succeed in the global economy."
Nevertheless, Riley said, "Too many Americans scored at the bottom end
of the scale on this adult literacy survey. That is very troubling for
our economy and our future. Other nations in the study had a similar
problem -- low levels of literacy plague most industrialized nations,
not just the United States. But that is no excuse for our performance,
and we must redouble our efforts here in America to make sure that all
our citizens are literate and skilled. In these economic times,
we must work harder to strengthen the reading, math and the other
basic skills of our K-12 students and adults."
Five levels of literacy were defined in the survey, according to an
individual's ability to read and understand prose, documents and
material with quantitative information.
The survey found [Table 3.1] that among adult Americans:
more than half have skills in the top three literacy levels,
meaning they can meet a wide range of reading demands;
one in five fall into the lowest level (level 1), which means
they have difficulty dealing with printed materials;
one in four fall into the second lowest level, and although they
do not usually think they have reading problems, their tested scores
are low.
Americans with the strongest literacy skills include large numbers of
people with postsecondary education. Those at the low end of the scale
reflect a complex mix: older people with little formal education,
school drop-outs, and a large proportion of low-skilled immigrants.
"To give adults and our children the skills needed to negotiate these
changing times," Riley said, "we should be investing in improving
basic skills, with higher literacy standards. I am deeply
troubled by the budget cuts proposed by Congress that would undermine
our nation's commitment to the basics and adult literacy."
In the U.S. four out of five university graduates possess reading
skills at the three highest literacy levels, about the same as Canada
or Germany. This finding contrasts with Sweden, where nine
out of 10 university graduates are in the top three levels.
The literacy survey also found [Table 3.8] that:
approximately 3 out of 4 Americans with less than a secondary
education perform at marginal levels (level 1);
one percent of these individuals with less than a secondary
education possess the highest levels of literacy proficiency (levels 4
and 5).
The survey is the result of a unique collaboration involving
Statistics Canada, the U.S. Education Department's National Center for
Education Statistics, the OECD, the Educational Testing
Service, and government sponsors and study teams in various countries.
Statistics Canada provided overall coordination and international
management of the survey, which included more than 23,000 respondents
aged 16-65, including approximately 3,500 in the U.S.
Respondents were interviewed for about 20 minutes in their homes in
their national languages. They were also administered a 45-minute
literacy skill test involving practical tests requiring a
variety of literacy skills, ranging from the understanding of
instructions on a medicine bottle to the assimilation of information
from a personnel office.
Single copies of the international adult literacy report are available
while supplies last through the National Library of Education by
calling 1-800-424-1616, or through Statistics Canada, 1-800-267-6677,
and the OECD, 1-202-785-6323 at $40 per copy.
___________________________________________________________________
(2) NIFL's statement
December 6, 1995
Focusing on Adult Literacy is Key to U.S. Success in the Information
Age
Washington DC -- With the dawn of the global information age,
"...people need literacy more than ever before...," says "Literacy,
Economy and Society, Results of the First International Adult
Literacy Survey (IALS)." This groundbreaking study sounds an alert
about the hurdles the U.S. must overcome to compete in a world
increasingly dependent on information.
According to Andrew Hartman, Director of the National Institute for
Literacy: "This is the first report to link the fast-changing
international marketplace with our National Educational Goal 6 --
the goal of a fully literate America."
"The United States has been the economic world leader throughout
the industrial age. The IALS report raises serious questions about
whether we can maintain this position of leadership as we move into
the information age. The 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey showed
that the difference in literacy skills creates an economic fault line
among individual Americans. This report shows that we can develop the
same fault line between nations, and that low literacy skills may put
us at a disadvantage in the world economy of the next century."
The National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), a partner in the
planning and conduct of the IALS, sees the survey as confirming the
crucial link between literacy skills and a nation's social and
economic well-being. The report found that adult literacy was
"...strongly correlated with life chances and use of opportunities,"
and that "...those with low literacy levels will have even fewer
opportunities in the future." And since parents' literacy is the
single most important predictor of children's school success, this
also holds grim implications for future generations if today's adults
do not get help.
According to Hartman, "The IALS shows once and for all that adult
literacy is not an isolated educational concern but a fundamental
issue of human resource development. The study lends a new urgency to
the NIFL's focus on the literacy needs of welfare recipients, clients
of job training programs, and parents of preschool and school-age
children. "
In its findings, the IALS report is unequivocal about the
importance of government leadership: "... It is essential to
recognize that government policies can have important long-term
effects on literacy levels." As the debate over future literacy
policy and funding levels continues on Capitol Hill, the report is
"especially timely," says Hartman. "It is important for Congress and
the Administration to keep the IALS report in mind as they consider
funding levels for adult education and training as part of the budget
reconciliation negotiations, and in upcoming decisions about literacy
policy."
For further information about the NIFL's position on the IALS,
contact: Susan Green, 202/632-1509, or Alice Johnson, 202/632-1516.
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