On October 8, 2013 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released the initial results of the PIAAC. The PIAAC is the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. For additional information about the report, click here.

Because literacy is our job and the life work of many of our employees and volunteers at The Literacy Council, these findings are particularly compelling. Below are the key points from this initial summary. Additional information will be released in the coming months, and TLC will continue to provide information as well as our perspective and how it relates to our work in Central Alabama.

• Low basic skills in literacy and numeracy are more common in the US than on average across participating countries.
• One in six adults in the US has low literacy skills and nearly one third has weak numeracy skills.
• Adults in the US fared less well with “problem-solving in technology-rich environments” than the cross-country average.

For more information, or to interview one of our literacy experts regarding this report, please contact Missy Burchart at 205-326-1925, mburchart@literacy-council.org.