By: Kirsten Williams
Issue: Literacy
Present: Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write or have knowledge about a particular subject.[1] A deterrent of literacy skills is phonological awareness developed during adolescent years.[2] Phonological awareness is defined as, “… (recognition that) words are composed of individual sounds that can be manipulated.”[2] Phonological awareness is lower in children from low socio-economic status homes, particularly where English is primarily a second language.[2] According to Economic Policy Institute (EPI) analysis of American Community Survey micro data, twenty percent of the nation’s immigrants live below the poverty line and individual income earnings are lower than those of non-immigrant families.[3] Literacy rates are negatively correlated with increased immigration of families of low socioeconomic status.[2]
Past: The United States’ literacy rates were misreported due to statistics the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) provided in 2003 that stated high school “completion rate” was 85 percent.[4] Their definition of completion, however, is not reliable. This statistic was based on data from the Current Population Survey (CPS).[4] The CPS relies on responses from individuals and it doesn’t factor in those who receive a General Education Degree, or those in institutionalized populations such as prisons or mental hospitals.[4] These literacy rates reported false conclusions of the nation’s graduation rates. The Manhattan Institute for Policy reports that thirty-four percent of the public school system’s class of 2002 graduated with a diploma and the skill set necessary to apply to a four-year college. This was compared to those numbers reported by the No Child Left Behind Act and found that states were reporting biased statistics. [4]
Future: Statistics show that there is not a large number of students who are eligible for a four-year college that chose not to attend.[4] Therefore, college enrollment can’t be increased by increased financial aid or better affirmative action policies alone.[5] An article written by the Harvard Educational Review, studying adolescent literacy, says governmental policy and funds must focus on preparing students with the skills needed for academic accomplishment.[5] Teaching methods to increase literacy are widely debated. However, it is agreed upon that literacy skills developed before fourth grade aid the success of a student.[5]
Footnotes:
1. Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2003. Print.
2. Hagens, Kristi, and Roland Good. “Decreasing Reading Differences in Children from Disadvantaged Backgrounds: The Effects of an Early Literacy Intervention.” Contemporary School Psychology. 1st ed. Vol. 17. 2013. 1-2. Print.
3. EPI analysis of American Community Survey microdata, 2011.
4. Greene, Jay, and Marcus Winters. “Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates: 1991-2002.” Working Education Paper 8 (2005): 2-3. Web. 1 Oct. 2015. <http://www.manhattan-institute.org/pdf/ewp_08.pdf>.
5. Ippolito, Jacy, Jennifer Steele, and Jennifer Samson. “Why Adolescent Literacy Matters Now.” Harvard Educational Review. Harvard Graduate School of Education. Harvard Education Publishing Group. Web. 1 Oct. 2015. <http://hepg.org/her-home/issues/harvard-educational-review-volume-78-issue-1/herarticle/what-we-know-about-the-promise,-what-we-don’t-know>.