Understanding the Problem of Adult Illiteracy
The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a large-scale study on literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem solving conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) beginning in 2012. The data collected is used at varying government levels to inform decision making around economic development and workforce training (U.S. Department of Education). The workforce studied is ages 16 to 65. Between 2017 and 2023, the NCES found the percentage of adults performing at Level 1 (of 5) proficiency in literacy or below increased from 19 to 28 percent (U.S. Department of Education).
What is Level 1 Proficiency?
Level 1 proficiency describes a person who can find information on a page and understand the meaning of short texts up to a few hundred words. They can answer basic questions if guidance is provided and only one processing step is needed. They can navigate a list such as search engine results and do tasks with an obvious match between question and information in text (U.S. Department of Education). Millions of adults in the United States struggle with reading and writing at this level, limiting their participation in civic, economic, and personal life.
Takeaway for Volunteer Organizations
The need vastly outpaces current provision. At any given time, only a small fraction of adults with poor literacy skills are receiving instruction. Volunteer organizations fill a critical gap in the infrastructure of adult education, and their contributions are essential to addressing this public challenge.
References
Brooks, G. (2011). Adult literacy (age 18 and beyond). In M.L. Kamil, P.D. Pearson, E.B. Moje, & P.P. Afflerbach (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research, 177–196. Routledge.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Highlights of the 2023 U.S. PIAAC Results Web Report (NCES 2024-202). Washington, DC. Retrieved April 19, 2926, from https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/2023/national_results.asp