By Jennifer D. Kobrin, The Conversation via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n
Over half of Philadelphia adults ages 18-64\u00a0read at a fifth grade level or below<\/a>, according to a nationwide assessment\u00a0released in 2020<\/a>. A recent\u00a0Axios Philadelphia article<\/a>\u00a0pointed to a lack of funding for adult education programs, some of which have wait lists, as a major cause of this decades-long\u00a0adult literacy crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n As a longtime\u00a0adult literacy researcher<\/a>\u00a0and former staff member at Philadelphia\u2019s\u00a0Office of Adult Education<\/a>, I\u2019m glad adult literacy is receiving public attention.<\/p>\n But the years I spent visiting adult literacy agencies across Philadelphia revealed a more nuanced story about the adult learners in these programs \u2013 and the challenges of supporting them \u2013 than a focus on standardized test scores, grade levels and lack of funding suggests.<\/p>\n Problems with standardized assessments<\/p>\n The most comprehensive measure of adult literacy levels is the\u00a0Survey of Adult Skills<\/a>, which is part of a larger international assessment known as the\u00a0PIAAC<\/a>. The PIAAC is a standardized test that provides a snapshot of how well adults are reading in a geographic area. In the U.S., the test is administered by the\u00a0National Center for Education Statistics<\/a>, the official research branch of the U.S. Department of Education.<\/p>\n PIAAC data shows that 32% of adults ages 16-74 in Philadelphia read at or below the test\u2019s lowest level. This percentage is higher than the Pennsylvania average. If you are curious what this test looks like,\u00a0try some of the questions yourself<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yes, this stat is alarming. But tests of reading tend to measure academic, school-based kinds of reading versus practical, everyday reading. For example, an academic reading task might involve identifying the main idea in a paragraph. A practical reading task would involve applying this information to everyday life \u2013 such as understanding doses of medication or a child\u2019s school calendar.<\/p>\n Research has shown that\u00a0adult readers test differently than kids<\/a>\u00a0do. While children may do better when tested on academics, adults do better\u00a0when tested on practical knowledge<\/a>. For example, one adult literacy researcher described a woman in her Philadelphia adult literacy program who\u00a0tested at the third grade level<\/a>. Yet this woman also told the researcher about being a local minister who wrote a monthly newsletter for parishioners.<\/p>\n Since the PIAAC is designed with adults in mind, it aims to test reading in practical situations. But this is hard to achieve because practical knowledge is gained through experiences at work, at home and in the community, and these experiences often vary depending on industry, age and geographic area.<\/p>\n Test anxiety is also a\u00a0common issue for adult learners<\/a>. This can be based on negative memories of school or never being taught good test-taking strategies.<\/p>\n Imagine being in your 40s, 50s or even 70s \u2013 you have been out of school for decades. One day, a stranger hands you a tablet and asks you to identify the correct words in a passage or find information in a chart.<\/p>\n Grade level comparisons can be misleading<\/p>\n The phrase \u201cadults are reading at a fifth grade level\u201d is a convenient and attention-grabbing way to describe adults who struggle with reading. But comparing adults to elementary school kids can be misleading.<\/p>\n As adult literacy researcher\u00a0Hannah Fingeret noted in 1990<\/a>. \u201cThe image of nonreading adults as fundamentally incompetent has become deeply embedded in our conventional wisdom.\u201d<\/p>\n Adults with low print literacy may be especially creative and resourceful because of the challenges they must navigate. One local Philadelphia example is\u00a0Wanda Steward<\/a>, who narrated original stories for her children based on the pictures in books before attending an adult literacy program and writing her own children\u2019s book.<\/p>\n As\u00a0my own research shows<\/a>, adult literacy is also increasingly about more than reading and writing printed text, as people routinely move across digital platforms and devices. Literacy is about adapting to this constant flux between the physical and digital world. And navigating a website might involve deciphering images or knowing what links to click.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a lot we still don\u2019t know about the state of adult literacy in Philadelphia and in general.<\/p>\n Unlike K-12 education, many adults in Philadelphia with low print literacy may never go to a program. This makes it harder to conduct high-quality research. Recruiting adults outside of literacy programs for research can be problematic \u2013 these adults may not want to come forward due to embarrassment, or they might not see themselves as having low print literacy.<\/p>\n More research is also needed to understand, for example, the best approaches to teach adults how to read. It\u2019s likely they need different methods than children do.<\/p>\n Funding is part of the problem<\/p>\n Philadelphia has suffered for decades from\u00a0underfunding of its public K-12 schools<\/a>.\u00a0A landmark lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0in 2023 found that the formula for distributing state education funds to districts like Philadelphia was unconstitutional and showed the severity of the chronic underfunding.<\/p>\n Adult literacy agencies in Philadelphia and elsewhere must deal with the consequences of poorly funded K-12 school systems, which may not have the resources to make sure all students graduate with strong reading skills while being severely underfunded themselves.<\/p>\n Only four state or federally funded adult literacy programs\u00a0exist in Philadelphia<\/a>. This reflects\u00a012 years of decreased or flat funding<\/a>\u00a0to adult education programs in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n Other adult literacy programs rely on foundations, faith-based organizations and volunteers.<\/p>\n Philadelphia residents can find adult education programs by calling the Philadelphia adult education hotline at 833-750-5627. Information is provided in over 50 languages.<\/p>\n Learners\u2019 needs, schedules and motivations vary<\/p>\n Lack of funding is a problem \u2013 but so is how adult literacy programs are often structured.<\/p>\n A recent\u00a012-year longitudinal study<\/a>\u00a0of federally funded adult literacy programs showed that about a third of the adults attended multiple programs, and another third attended over multiple years. Yet over the long term this type of attendance could lead to literacy gains.<\/p>\n Adults may stop participating in a program because of a work layoff or a new baby, then start again after months or years, then move across town and go to another program. But many programs are not designed for these shifting circumstances. For example, if adults move across town and attend another program, or are gone for many months, they may have to start over. And this means they make less progress over time.<\/p>\n Investments in adult literacy programs are often rationalized through a simple argument: Spending money to help adults read\u00a0results in greater economic contributions<\/a>\u00a0from them when they get a new or higher-paying job. However,\u00a0research has shown<\/a>\u00a0that much of the evidence about the return on investment of adult literacy programs can be misleading. These returns are hard to measure because it requires saying that being in a program is directly related to getting a job.<\/p>\n Furthermore, gains can go beyond an individual\u2019s financial well-being or a community\u2019s tax base.\u00a0As a recent study found<\/a>, adult learners are almost as likely to be motivated by supporting their children\u2019s learning as by gaining a job.<\/p>\n Research has also shown how it\u2019s often the\u00a0adults with the highest level of literacy need<\/a>\u00a0who have the least support. It\u2019s not that literacy programs don\u2019t want to help them, it\u2019s that\u00a0federal funding<\/a>\u00a0is tied to outcomes such as getting a higher-paying job or a high school equivalency diploma. Adults who test at the lowest reading levels may have the longest journeys to these goals.<\/p>\n In my view, Philadelphia absolutely needs greater investment in adult literacy. But if we define reading by standardized test scores and grade levels alone, we\u2019ll continue to overlook the best ways to help all adult learners thrive.<\/p>\n Read more of our stories about\u00a0Philadelphia and Pennsylvania<\/a>, or sign up for our Philadelphia\u00a0newsletter on Substack<\/a>.<\/p>\n