With much of the attention for literacy initiatives devoted to overseas programs, many may forget the relevance of them in the United States. In quoting some recent statistics:
According to Richard Riley, Former Secretary of Education, “54 percent of all teachers have limited English proficient (LEP) students in their classrooms, yet only one-fifth of teachers feel very prepared to serve them.”
The National Center for Education Statistics reports, that recently,
– More than 8 million U.S. students in grades 4-12 struggle to read, write, and comprehend adequately.
– Three out of ten eighth graders read at or above grade level
– Only three-fourths of high school students graduated in four years
– Just over half of African American and Hispanic students graduated at all.
According to international studies, the educational system in the United States functions well up to about the 4th grade in comparison to other developed countries, but then tapers off in junior and high school. What are the causes of this?
The National Center for Family Literacy is unlike many other literacy charities with their focus on illiteracy as an inter-generational and community problem. By focusing on the deeper causes of illiteracy, the National Center for Family Literacy seeks to find LONG TERM solutions that will have a lasting effect.
For more information: www.famlit.org
