# Presentation: 875601

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## What is the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)?

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**Assessment of the English literacy of U.S. adults**
**Last conducted in 1992**
**Nationally representative sample of more than 19,000 adults age 16 and older**
**One-on-one administration in households ****and prisons**

## Using printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential

**What is NAAL’s Definition of Literacy?**

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## Three Types of Literacy

**Prose**

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**Document**

**Quantitative**

## Descriptions of Literacy Levels

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**Proficient****	****	****can perform complex and challenging ****	****	****literacy activities**
**Intermediate****	****can perform moderately challenging ****	****	****literacy activities**
**Basic****	****	****can perform simple everyday ****	****	****literacy activities**
**Below Basic****	****no more than the most *****simple and concrete***** ****	****	****	****literacy skills**

## Results

**Results**
**from the 2003 ****National Assessment ****of Adult Literacy**

## Change in Literacy: 1992–2003

**No significant change ****in prose and document literacy**
**Increase in quantitative literacy**

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- * Significantly different from 1992.
- Note: Adults are defined as people 16 years of age and older living in households or prisons.  Adults who could not be interviewed due to language spoken or cognitive or mental disabilities (3 percent in 2003 and 4 percent in 1992) are excluded from this figure.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey and 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

## Prose Below Basic and Nonliterate in English Levels: 2003 

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## Percentage by Level: 1992–2003

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- * Significantly different from 1992.
- Note: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.  Adults are defined as people 16 years of age and older living in households or prisons.  Adults who could not be interviewed due to language spoken or cognitive or mental disabilities (3 percent in 2003 and 4 percent in 1992) are excluded from this figure.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey and 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

## Number of Adults in Each Prose Literacy Level: 2003

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- * Significantly different from 1992.
- Note: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.  Adults are defined as people 16 years of age and older living in households or prisons.  Adults who could not be interviewed due to language spoken or cognitive or mental disabilities (3 percent in 2003 and 4 percent in 1992) are excluded from this figure.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey and 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

## Who is Below Basic in Prose Literacy?

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## Prose Literacy by Race/Ethnicity: 1992–2003

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- * Significantly different from 1992.
- Note:  Adults are defined as people 16 years of age and older living in households or prisons. Adults who could not be interviewed due to language spoken or cognitive or mental disabilities (3 percent in 2003 and 4 percent in 1992) are excluded from this figure. In 1992, respondents were allowed to identify only one race. In 2003, respondents were allowed to identify multiple races. In 2003, 2 percent of respondents identified multiple races and are not included in the White, Black, or Asian/Pacific Islander categories in this figure. All adults of Hispanic origin are classified as Hispanic, regardless of race. The Asian/Pacific Islander category includes Native Hawaiians. Total includes White, Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Multiracial/Other. Although not reported separately, American Indians/Native Alaskans are included.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey and 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

## Race/Ethnicity: 1992–2003

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**White Adults**
**Up 9 points in quantitative**
**Black Adults**
**Up 6 points in prose**
**Up 8 points in document**
**Up 16 points in quantitative**
**Hispanic Adults**
**Down 18 points in prose**
**Down 14 points in document**
**Asian/Pacific ****Islander Adults**
**Up 16 points in prose**

## Gender: 1992–2003

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- * Significantly different from 1992.
- NOTE: Adults are defined as people 16 years of age and older living in households or prisons. Adults who could not be interviewed due to language spoken or cognitive or mental disabilities (3 percent in 2003 and 4 percent in 1992) are excluded from this figure.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey and 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

**Notes:**
Comparing men and women: 2003
Women’s prose scores were 5 points higher than men’s
Women’s document scores were 3 points higher than men’s
Men’s quantitative scores were 7 points higher than women’s

## Age Cohorts: 1992–2003

**Adults in ****the oldest age ****cohort had ****the lowest ****literacy both ****years **
**Literacy ****increased among ****age cohorts ****25-39, 50-64, ****and 65+**

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- *Significantly different from 1992.
- Note: Adults are defined as people 16 years of age and older living in households or prisons.  Adults who could not be interviewed due to language spoken or cognitive or mental disabilities (3 percent in 2003 and 4 percent in 1992) are excluded from this figure.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey and 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

## Prose Literacy by Educational Attainment: 2003 

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- NOTE: Adults are defined as people 16 years of age and older living in households or prisons. Adults who could not be interviewed due to language spoken or cognitive or mental disabilities (3 percent in 2003 and 4 percent in 1992) are excluded from this table.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

## Educational Attainment: 1992—2003

**Less than or some high school**
**Down 9 points ****in prose**
**High School graduate**
**Down 6 points ****in prose**
**College graduate**
**Down 11 points in prose**
**Down 14 points in document**
**Graduate studies/degree**
**Down 13 points in prose**
**Down 17 points in document**

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## Employment and Earnings: 2003

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- NOTE: Adults are defined as people 16 years of age and older living in households. Adults who could not be interviewed due to language spoken or cognitive or mental disabilities (3 percent in 2003) are excluded from this table.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

## http://nces.ed.gov/naal

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