New York’s Literacy Needs
National Adult Literacy Survey findings
The distressing truth about literacy in New York
Prospects for the future?
How you can help
National Adult Literacy Survey findings
Nationwide, 44 million adults, or 23% of the population, struggle at the lowest levels of literacy, according to a massive federal survey published in 1993. (More about the National Adult Literacy Survey) Most of these Americans can:
- locate a piece of information in a sports article
- total a bank deposit entry
They cannot
- locate an intersection on a map
- fill out a Social Security card application
- calculate the total cost of a purchase on an order form
The distressing truth about literacy in New York
Distressing as the national literacy deficit is, in New York the crisis is far worse.
| NALS level | NY State | NY City |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1: Can sign their name but not write a simple sentence | 24% | 36% |
| Level 2: Can locate information in a short text but not pick out the main points in a newspaper article | 26% | 27% |
| Total whose reading, writing, and math skills are not up to the demands of the 21st-century workplace | 50% | 63% |
Prospects for the future?
Have New York City literacy levels improved in the decade since the federal study? Its unlikely. Barely one-third of public school students performed at grade level on the 2001 English Language Arts exams, according to the NYC Department of Education. The 2000 census found that 47% of New Yorkers dont speak English at home. The Mayors Office has estimated that 1.5 million to 2 million city residents need literacy services. Fewer than 60,000 are receiving them. Many more have been turned away for lack of room.
How you can help
Donate time or money to help New Yorkers less fortunate than yourself learn to read or to speak English.