Imagine if you were not able to read a job application, the list of ingredients in a recipe,or a book to a child. Three million Americans can’t read better than the average 3rd grader. With a lack of basic reading, writing, math, and computer skills, these Americans are struggling to find jobs, stay healthy, and most importantly, support their families.
ARKANSAS ADULT LITERACY:
BY THE NUMBERS FISCAL YEAR 2017-18
Nearly 15% of Arkansans 16+ lack basic literacy skills
Nearly 20% of Arkansans 25+ lack a high school diploma or GED
130,000 Arkansans 25+ have less than a 9th grade education
What Are We Doing To Help?
Adult Learning Aliance exists to support community based literacy
councils who serve these students.
In 2017-18, our adult learners:
We could not do this alone. Councils rely on volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring. In 2017-2018:
- 807 Arkansans tutored adult learners
- Volunteer tutors contributed $1.6 million worth of service hours
- Volunteer tutors served 60,000+ instruction hours
- Volunteers added $2.3 million in services to Arkansas’s adult education system
There is still more to do. At the end of the 2017-18 academic year, there were:
- 35+ counties with no literacy council
- 100+ adult learners on wait lists for tutoring
