Fact Fest

It's National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week (September 10 - 16)

From the National Coalition's Twitter Fact Fest:

Adult Education, Jobs and the Economy

Workers without a High School diploma are nearly 2 times as likely to be unemployed than those with at least some college & have much lower wages.

Workers with a HS diploma and above are less likely to be on government support, saving states & federal government money.

Helping undereducated adults get a GED or equivalent can raise over $8,865/yr in fed, state, and local taxes per student.

Economists predict that by 2018 63% of jobs will require a postsecondary education.  Adult Ed & literacy are the key to success.

Adults in  Adult Ed career pathways bridge programs are 56% more likely to earn college credit; 26% more likely to earn cert/degree

To stay on track with other OECD countries, the U.S. will have to produce an additional 24 million credentials by 2025.

College degree gap needs to be filled by adults currently in workforce. Not enough HS grads to meet demand.

Researchers estimate that a HS diploma’s contribution to the economy could amount to more than $250,000/graduate over a lifetime.

Adult Education Supports Jobs & the Economy. Learn more & see how you can take action for Adult Ed: http://bit.ly/AE-Jobs

Adult Literacy

93 million adults in need of raising basic reading & math skills. Get the facts about Adult Ed: http://bit.ly/adultedfacts

More than 35.7 million adults ages 18-64 do not have a high school diploma. C more facts: http://bit.ly/9fJkcU

1 in 7 adults can’t read job apps, bedtime stories, prescription labels, or ballots. What will you do to help?

50–80% of adults in Adult Ed may have a learning disability, explaining in part why they were not successful in public schools

85% of all individuals w/learning disabilities have difficulty reading (National Institute of Child Health & Human Development)

Family Literacy

A mother’s reading skill is the greatest determinant of her children’s future academic success, outweighing all else Children whose parents are involved with them in #family #literacy activities score 10 points higher on standardized reading tests.

One year of parent education has a greater  impact on the chance of a child attending college than does an extra $50,000 in income.

Kids spend five times as much time outside the classroom as they do in school. Caregivers must be equipped to support their learning.

There is no substitute for the parent’s / primary caregiver’s role as a child’s 1st teacher, best coach, & most concerned advocate.

Teach the parent; reach the child. Support family literacy programs.

Of the 93M adults in the U.S. w/basic or below basic  literacy levels, 30 million are parents or primary caregivers of children ages 0-8.

Teaching parents reading strategies increases child’s language and literacy outcomes. Support family literacy programs.

Funding

Preserve and invest in adult education. Adult Ed drives economic mobility for adults & families and economic recovery for America.

 

Health and Health Literacy

Health literacy programs raise adults’ understanding of medical problems b4 they become critical = medical cost-savings.

Nearly half of American adults– 90 million –have difficulty understanding & using health info.  See related facts: http://bit.ly/aUFF2J.

High School Dropouts

Each HS dropout costs the US economy ~ $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes, & productivity over lifetime (Amos, 2008).

Approx 1M youth drop out of HS. Adult Ed is the key to recovering revenue losses and realizing economic potential of HS dropouts.

Students who drop out tend to earn less, perform less well in society, & have a lower quality of life. See more facts: http://bit.ly/9fJkcU

Many HS drop outs must work multiple jobs just to support their family. See more adult literacy facts: http://bit.ly/9fJkcU

Immigration and Integration

Adult Ed helps immigrants integrate into the U.S. See more about Adult Ed’s role & how you can help: http://bit.ly/integrationAE

 

Limited English language proficiency is a barrier for immigrants to meaningful employment in the U.S.

English language proficiency is critical to obtaining jobs commensurate with immigrants’ competencies.

60% of legal immigrants who are eligible for citizenship had limited-English proficiency.

Legislation

Reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act. See articles on NCL’s WIA Reauthorization Priorities: http://bit.ly/d8w49b .

 

Poverty

In 2005 21% of families with no HS diploma were living below poverty, compared to 7.1% of those w HS diplomas.

 

Adult Ed lifts people out of poverty: Higher salaries, good job opportunities, higher savings, better working conditions.

Return on Investment of Adult Education

Adult Ed benefits the economy: Increased tax revenues, business productivity, consumption, & WF flexibility; decreased public assistance.

 

Adult Ed benefits people: Higher salaries, better job opportunities, higher savings, improved working conditions, professional mobility.

Find quick facts on the return on investment of Adult Ed via @NCLAdvocacy: http://bit.ly/pUFFCb .

Workplace Literacy

Adult workplace literacy programs help workers gain new levels of skills as new demands arise.