The Consequences of Low Literacy Skills
The consequences of poor skills for individuals, families, communities and the state are great.(MCAE, Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education)
- Families headed by adults without a high school diploma suffer severe economic consequences (MassINC report, The State of the American Dream in MA, 2002)
- Since 1979, earnings of full-time, year-round workers without high school diplomas decreased by 27% while full-time workers with a high school diploma gained 1.6%
- 21.7% of families headed by high school drop-outs are poor.
- 55% of families headed by single women who are high school drop-outs are poor.
- 68% of the incarcerated adults and youth in Massachusetts have literacy levels below the 8th grade. (National Adult Literacy Survey, 1993; The Policy Information Center of Educational Testing Service)
