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The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) defines literacy as "using printed and written information to function in society to achieve one's goals, and to develop one's knowledge and potential." The NAAL measured the English literacy skill levels of adults 16 years or older living in the United States. According to the NAAL:
- 11 million adults (5%) are non-literate in English. Another 2% could not be tested due to language barriers, i.e., they spoke neither English nor Spanish, and 3% scored poorly on the easiest test questions.
- 30 million adults (14%) function at the lowest literacy skill level (Below Basic). These Americans can perform only simple and concrete literacy tasks such as reading simple text to find out what they could drink before a medical test or sign a form.
- 63 million adults (29%) function at the Basic literacy skill level, meaning they can read and understand simple prose text, use a TV guide to find out what programs are on at a given time and compare ticket prices for two events.
- 59% of adults scoring at the Below Basic literacy skill level for prose were either Hispanic (39%) or African American (20%). Each ethnic group represents 12% of the total NAAL population.
- 60% of adults who scored at the Below Basic literacy skill level for prose did not complete high school.
- 56% of the adults scoring at the Below Basic level were either not in the workforce (51%) or unemployed (5%).
- Adults in the 65-or-older age group have the lowest average literacy skill level of all NAAL age groups. They also account for the largest percentage of adults with Below Basic literacy skills.
Visit the National Center for Education Statistics Web site for information about the NAAL report and key findings.
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