Jacksonville, FL (May 11, 2020) – The Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida shared the local results of national literacy research by the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The study found that in Duval County one in five adults are unable to read and over half are in need of support in literacy and numeracy.
Marcus Haile, Literacy Alliance Executive Director said, “The results of this research show that thousands of local adults are unable to read and over half could benefit from literacy instruction. Improving literacy skills helps not only the student, but also our community and economy at this time when unemployment is rising due to the COVID19 pandemic.”
The PIAAC study results particularly showed that 21% of adults scored at a level where they would have considerable difficulty comprehending print material. An additional 34% scored at a level indicating they were nearing proficiency, but still struggle to perform tasks with text based information.
Marvin, a Literacy Alliance graduate and winner of the Florida Literacy Coalition’s Flight for Freedom Award, shared, “I benefited greatly from learning to read. It’s helped me improve my work, become more involved with my family, and I even wrote a book for children that is now in the library!”
Mr. Haile shares how the Literacy Alliance can address the need shown in this survey saying, “We can help adult learners in our community through small group classes, one-on-one tutoring, and computer based learning. Everything is done with the goal of the student in mind.”
View our local PIAAC Impact Report
About the Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida, Inc.: Founded in 1969 and formerly known as Learn to Read, the Literacy Alliance’s mission is to increase literacy awareness and improve adult literacy in Jacksonville through formal instruction and volunteer-based tutoring. Our instruction includes small group classes, one on one tutoring, and online learning. Subjects include reading, writing, financial literacy, health literacy, and career coaching. The Literacy Alliance is one of the largest adult literacy programs in Florida providing instruction to over 500 adults every year who receive over 20,000 hours of learning.
