StrategicPlan-Phase2 - Flipbook - Page 25
STRATEGIC PLAN - PHASE 2 25
“If all U.S. adults
were able to
move up (literacy
proficiency levels),
it would generate
an additional $2.2
trillion in annual
income for the
country, equal to
10% of the gross
domestic product.”
Assessing the Economic Gains of
Eradicating Illiteracy and Nationally in
the United States – Gallup
According to the U.S. Department of Education, 54% of U.S. adults 16 to 74 years old - about 130 million people - lack proficiency in
literacy, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level. This is an alarming number for several reasons, and its implications are
enormous because research has shown that literacy is correlated with several important outcomes:
PERSONAL
EMPLOYMENT
INCOME
LEVELS
ECONOMIC
HEALTH
GROWTH