A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR RELEASE                                 Contact: David Thomas
   December 6, 1995                                   (202) 401-1579

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.