11 Jul 2019
Infographic

NCES Data Point: Adult English Literacy in the United States

The ability to read and understand basic texts is vital in modern society. Though many adults take this skill for granted, it has a deep impact on an individual’s ability to participate in society, achieve his or her goals, and fully develop their knowledge and potential.

A National Center for Education Statistics Data Point shows that one in five adults in the United States have low English literacy skills, meaning that they would have difficulty understanding, evaluating, using, or engaging with written texts. On a practical level, this means that they might struggle to compare and contrast, paraphrase, or make low-level inferences. Of the 43 million adults in the U.S. with low English literacy skills, two-thirds of them were born in the U.S.Infographic: U.S.-Born Adults Make Up the Largest Percentage of Those with Low English Literacy Skills

Infographic: How Many U.S. Adults Have Low English Literacy Skills?

The Data Point was written by AIR, using data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. It only considered literacy in the English language, not adults’ overall literacy.

Related Projects

Project

Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)

The Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIACC) is a cyclical, large-scale, direct household assessment that compares the basic skills and competencies of adults around the world. It measures relationships between individuals’ backgrounds and cognitive skills in the areas of literacy, numeracy and problem-solving. AIR provides technical, analytical, and management support to PIAAC.

Related Work

3 Jul 2019
Q & A

A Quick Word With: Stephanie Cronen on the National Study of the Implementation of Adult Education

The U.S. Department of Education commissioned AIR to conduct a national study to evaluate how adult education operates at the state and local levels, including who adult education providers are, the services they provide, and the challenges they face. Stephanie Cronen answered some questions about adult education and what the study aims to accomplish.
Topic: 
Education, English Learners, Reading and Literacy, Adult Learning
28 Feb 2019
Spotlight

Do U.S. Adults Have the Skills Needed to Thrive in the 21st Century? Four PIAAC Studies by AIR

Successfully navigating work and life requires key skills—and the ability to adapt to a fast-changing, digital world. The go-to source for valid, reliable, and actionable data to inform adult education and training is the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), the subject of a research-to-practice conference convened by AIR.
Topic: 
Education, Longitudinal Education Studies
1 May 2018
Brief

A Description of U.S. Adults Who Are Not Digitally Literate

This brief highlights findings from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) in an effort to obtain a clear understanding of the ability of adults to undertake digital problem solving. This brief uses data gathered from a sample of 5,000 adults across different socio-demographic groups in the United States and compares it to international averages from 19 other countries to answer three specific study questions.
Topic: 
Workforce, Adult Learning, Workforce Development, Job, Skill, and Competency Analysis, International Comparisons in Education

Further Reading