Adult literacy programs and partnerships provide foundational skills that lead to increased employment opportunities, improved physical and mental health outcomes, and financial stability for families and communities. The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) hosted a webinar in collaboration with The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy to discuss recent efforts by the Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network (ALL IN) to address adult literacy challenges and create opportunities for foundational skills development, drawing on new market research and state-specific insights.
The webinar began by contextualizing the adult literacy challenge and the efforts of ALL IN, a collective impact initiative of 11 national organizations dedicated to expanding access to high-quality services for adults with low literacy skills. Roughly 28% of adults, or approximately 59 million people, struggle with basic reading skills. This issue has widespread economic and social impacts, making it a priority for Governors and a challenge that requires a multi-pronged solution. The work of ALL IN is guided by the National Action Plan for Adult Literacy, which outlines five strategic initiatives to increase adult literacy across the country:
- Raising awareness and advocating for change.
- Expanding outcomes-focused research.
- Supporting adult literacy instructors.
- Catalyzing low-cost, high-impact innovation.
- Engaging adult learners as movement leaders.
The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, in partnership with FTI Consulting, then shared previous research focused on the public perception of adult literacy, including results from two surveys – one of 200 policy influencers and another of 500 employers across industries.
Policy influencers reported that:
- Familiarity with adult literacy issues is high, but the subject means different things to different people.
- The scale of Americans struggling with literacy remains greatly underestimated.
Employers surveyed reported that:
- Adult literacy is not easily defined, but employers are experiencing the issue firsthand.
- Low literacy is leading to likely billions in lost revenue every year.
- Nearly 1 in 3 employers say their employees do not have the minimum level of literacy required to effectively do their jobs.
- Navigating digital tools is a consistent challenge for employees across key industries.
With that context, the Barabara Bush Foundation and FTI Consulting focused on pillar number two within the National Action Plan: expanding outcomes-focused research. This included surveying 2,000 adults with low literacy to better understand how to best reach them with support services and resources. Key takeaways included:
- Knowledge of adult learning programs is low, but interest is high.
- Adults with low literacy seek to improve their self-confidence through education.
- Potential learners favor flexible classroom options to accommodate their needs.
The full report, including ways to take action in improving adult literacy, can be found here.
Transcript available on YouTube
Presenters:
- Portia Pratt, Senior Policy Analyst, NGA Center
- Andrew Roberts, President, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
- Sarah Cacicio, Director, ALL IN, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
- Ronelle Green, Director, Strategic Communications, FTI Consulting
Additional Resources:
Blog Posts:
- Advancing Adult Literacy: Mobilizing Business & the Beltway, ALL IN, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
- Breaking Barriers to Adult Literacy Access: Insights from Adults with Low Literacy Across the United States, ALL IN, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
- Recommendations to Strengthen the U.S. Workforce and Wellbeing by Increasing Adult Literacy, ALL IN, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
Fact Sheets:
- Literacy Gap Map, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
- NASDAE Adult Education Fact Sheets 2022-23, National Association of State Directors of Adult Education
