Abrar, Sarker
Adegbite, Misturat
Arce, Dayanara
Cardoso, Jesus
Cator, Samantha
Written By:
Davila, Cassandra
Hadagali, Lokesh
Haddad, Luke
Hargrave, Graciela
Holland, Susanna
Kumah, Mary
Manalo, Jonas
Mavuduru, Ayushi
Pham, Catherine
Robinson, Jack
Robles-Cabrales, Kenneth
Sanchez, Julieta
Shahata, Justine
Tatum, Alexandria
Truong, Preston
Acknowledgments
Mission Arlington, Arlington, Texas
Mission Arlington’s Heather Young
Richard Ruiz
Shuncee Tatum
Introduction
Whether a person grew up in North Texas or just recently moved to the area, the issue of adult illiteracy is prevalent enough to quickly identify. Literacy can be defined simply as stringing letters into words, but it is also as complex as having an accurate level of comprehension and application skills for one’s age or education level. Literacy is influenced by topics like education policy, socioeconomic standing, location, and learning disabilities. When these issues are left unaddressed, Texans who struggle with their literacy face discrimination in the job market and in social circles. Additionally, literacy becomes a barrier to further education on current events and taking political action. If North Texans were able to focus on literacy as an issue, people would be able to access higher-paying jobs, be more politically informed/active, and raise the education quality ranking of Texas. This project analyzes Texas’ current approach to literacy through the use of government agencies and private organizations and proposes plans to help the low literacy rates of Texas.
Effects
Employment
Adults are, unfortunately, largely overlooked when discussing the topic of illiteracy despite the immense disadvantage it brings to our state’s economy and workforce. Research done by Gallup and the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation discovered that 28% of Texans read below or at the first level of the PIAAC assessment, which is the level regarding basic texts (Cost of Low Literacy). This statistic puts Texas as the third-lowest state when it comes to literacy rates. As for more specific examples, Tarrant County has 24% of their citizens under the first level of the PIAAC assessment compared to El Paso County’s rate being 40%. These abnormally high illiteracy rates across our counties tend to lead to higher unemployment rates. Higher poverty rates are also prevalent since these people tend to have a harder time providing for themselves or their families. Situations like these tend to cause the child to be forced out of school and into the workforce at a young age; the cycle of illiteracy and poverty would continue to be perpetuated throughout their lifetime. This deficit in literary skills would result in being unable to progress academically and therefore losing the opportunity to obtain a higher salary. These low literacy rates also contribute to a less competitive workforce (Temple). It makes it harder for businesses to want to locate themselves in our state if the current employees do not have the literary capabilities necessary to do the job competently. A higher literacy rate would increase our competitiveness with not just each other but with other states as well. Without solving these issues within the state of Texas, we will ultimately face the consequences with our pockets, and it will stunt our potential economic growth due to our GDP being lower than it could be. For example, adults who read at the second level on the PIAAC assessment earn about $13,000-$14,000 more than adults who read at the first level. Every Texan adult moving from a level 1to a level 2 on the PIAAC assessment would result in an annual increase of $69
billion to its GDP (Temple). An increase in our GDP will allow the economy of Texas to expand and stabilize along with gaining an increase in available resources.
Poverty and Crime
Education and reading ability are often intertwined since literacy is part of the public school curriculum in Texas, and it is widely known that individuals of higher socioeconomic status have more educational opportunities. Low reading levels are proportional to an area’s state of poverty, which is associated with discriminated-against racial minorities and higher crime rates. Because lower-income areas have fewer educational opportunities, it results in low literacy rates, which translates into higher crime rates.
In the past, racial minorities in the United States of America were believed to have lower reading rates due to being cognitively inferior to whites, especially African Americans.
However, a 2009 study found that both whites and blacks of a lower socioeconomic status showed similarly low literacy rates as opposed to wealthier or more educated people of both races (Dotson). The fact that educated people exhibited similar reading ability regardless of skin color exemplifies the positive correlation between level of education and literacy level rather than other racial or cognitive factors. Although racial minorities tend to inhabit poverty-ridden areas more often than white people, this is a result of systemic discrimination against them rather than an inherent ability based on racial or ethnic background. Households in Tarrant County with higher income brackets tend to be non-Hispanic whites and Asians, while the lower-income families are mostly Black and Hispanic, the minorities that often see the most discrimination (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Median Household Income by Race in Texas and Tarrant County. The Demographic Statistical Atlas of the United States - Statistical Atlas, Cedar Lake Ventures, Inc., 4 Sept. 2018.
Despite this correlation being prevalent in both the state and county, it is not a reflection of racial identity being the causation of intellectual ability. It instead highlights Dotson’s point that minorities tend to have fewer educational opportunities due to low incomes, low social status, and higher amounts of discrimination based on race. As a result, this data reflects both literacy and crime rates among different races in Tarrant County on top of income levels.
High crime rates are found in areas of lower economic status and are a result of multiple factors, but lower literacy rates appear to play an immense role in these statistics. According to the United States Department of Justice, “the illiteracy for adult inmates is estimated at 75 percent” and has been found to be directly associated with an inmate’s understanding of the justice system, education level, and ability to find employment (Herrick). Teaching people to read well is not a direct solution to the crime rate issue, but not being able to read or reading at a low level indirectly leads people down a fouler path due to a lack of resources and understanding of the legal system. Another study found a link between prison education programs and the rate
of crime in an area, revealing that inmates “are about 10 to 20 percent less likely to re-offend than the average released prisoner” if educational programs are implemented (Bazos and Hausman). The reform programs in prison that aim to educate inmates tend to lead to positive changes after their sentences since they are able to dedicate more time to learn reading and math skills, which are helpful in both jobs and society in general. Tarrant and Bexar County have similar populations, both around 2 million, but show different literacy and crime rates based on their population densities, Bexar being the more concentrated county in one specific area (“Texas Added Almost…”). Places with more population density tend to have higher poverty rates due to a lack of resources to maintain everyone, and this is evident in Bexar County’s literacy scale score average of 249 compared to Tarrant County’s score of 263, putting Tarrant significantly above Bexar in county literacy rankings (“Comparison Charts of State…”). Both counties have almost identical populations, but Bexar has higher crime rates, as expected by the lower literacy rates. While both counties have similar violent crime rates, Bexar has a significantly higher rate of property crimes (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Crime in Bexar (left) and Tarrant (right) Counties. Best Places, Sperling's Best Places, 2019. Property crimes can include burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and other similar crimes which are usually committed because of poverty as opposed to violent crimes which are
more psychologically motivated. A 1998 study found that reducing public assistance increased property crime rates, once again illustrating the correlation between poverty and crime (Hannon and Defronzo). The direct relationship between these two factors are effects of the basal issue of low educational opportunities and literacy that leads people down a path of poverty and into a dead-end in terms of jobs and income.
The socioeconomic impact on literacy rates evidently plays a key role in adult reading levels and vice versa, causing a cycle of poverty and crime. Having the time and resources to dedicate to one’s reading and education makes a major difference, further emphasizing the inverse relationship between low income and high reading ability. This directly translates into crime rates in an area, specifically property crime, which holds true in Texas and its counties.
Health Outcomes due to the CO VI D - 19 Pand emi c
Individuals with low literacy skills face barriers when it comes to understanding essential information about COVID- 19 and public health guidelines. Limited English language skills, as well as a lack of technology and internet access, also make accessing COVID-19 information challenging.
For example, low literacy skills pose a barrier to getting accurate and necessary information about vaccination. Iris Feinberg, author of "Building a Culture of Health Literacy during COVID-19," said that adults who read at elementary levels (low literacy) are also likely to have low health literacy, which is defined as "the skills that allow one to acquire, interpret, and use health information. Adults with poor literacy skills get their information from television and radio rather than digital or printed publications (Newspapers). Feinberg also urged clinicians
to collaborate with community organizations to spread essential health information more widely.
Overall, health literacy is strongly influenced by social determinants of health, such as educational achievement and economic stability. Adult educators, community organizations, and health clinics all serve a population that struggles with not only reading challenges and is vulnerable to misinformation.
Interp ers onal
Many students who have a delayed start to learning to read can result in illiteracy. If not resolved at an early age, it can result in adult illiteracy which can lead to isolation, anxiety, and a loss of self-confidence.
Individuals who endure the effects of illiteracy often live an isolated life to not risk their secret being found out. Many believe that because they’re an adult, they are not able to learn how to read since it’s something children learn. Students who face illiteracy’s wrath often “feel ostracized from academia, avoid situations where they may be discovered or find themselves unable to fully participate in society or government” (World Literacy Foundation). In order to make sure their secret is not revealed, some will avoid social interactions all together which can result in not being able to communicate properly with others or be a proper functioning member of society.
While some illiterate individuals are cooped up away from society, others will “fake” their way through life by memorizing certain phrases to make it seem like they know how to read properly. If a certain phrase is changed or not there, it produces a heavy burden of anxiety. Alas, there will always be a fatal phrase that they have not memorized and can expose their secret to the world. Not being able to memorize long documents like “filling out forms and applications,
understanding government policies, reading medicine or nutritional labels” are what can further tie back into isolation as seen in the previous paragraph (World Literacy Foundation). Always having this constant fear of not knowing if the phrase one memorized will be changed is where anxiety in the illiterate spurs from. Always having to be on their toes to make sure that their memorized phrases are how they remember, or their secret is at risk of being let out.
Everyone at a point in their life goes through a phase of lack of self-confidence, likely during junior high school or high school. Unfortunately, the illiterate can have lifelong selfconfidence effects due to not being able to fit in with their peers. In a classroom, a teacher cannot stop the class multiple times for one student so the teacher must continue and let the student catch up on their own. It can relate to how many students are often too embarrassed to ask for help. The lesson will continue on and “students with poor literacy and comprehension are often left behind” (Tam). The feeling of being ostracized from the “inability to keep up with their classmates can lead to feelings of inferiority, low self-esteem and eventually a loss of confidence. These feelings of low self-esteem and inferiority can have a negative impact on [a] child not only in the school years, but all through life” (Tam). Having this negative impact all throughout adulthood can result in even harsher feelings of anxiety and isolation as mentioned above.
Stopping illiteracy at the source is making sure that every child is in class learning how to read simple sentences. We cannot leave a single child behind to ensure that individuals will never suffer from the sociological effects of illiteracy.
Political Participation
Widespread deficiencies in the literacy skills of Tarrant County adults hold troubling implications for all forms of civic and political participation. Functional illiteracy can pose
barriers to political participation, which is most evident in analyses of voting among populations with low literacy skills (Summers et al 306). As strong literacy skills are a prerequisite to acquiring information about politics and government processes, literacy skills and the success of democracy are closely related (Stromquist 2). The impact illiteracy has on participation in government is amplified at the local level, as the functions of local governments play the most visible role in citizens’ daily lives. For this reason, it is crucial to understand the ways illiteracy hinders political participation at the county level.
A clear relationship exists between literacy skills and voter turnout. Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy show that while 89 percent of respondents who had scored in level five, the highest level of literacy, had voted in the past election, only 55% of respondents in level one, the lowest literacy level, had done so (Adult Literacy in America 53). Although other factors like race and income are also associated with disparate outcomes in literacy and voting, analyses in the United States suggest low literacy has an immediate impact on voting. In-depth Interviews of Baltimore residents regarding their voting experiences illuminate the ways low literacy is a direct hindrance to voting. The interviews, which focused on fifty-four adults who read at an eighth grade reading level or below, show that acquiring information about candidates was a challenge, with 78% of respondents relying on television to do so (Summers et al 301). Low literacy also resulted in logistical barriers to those interviewed, such as difficulty registering or finding the appropriate polling place (Summers et al 303-305).
In Tarrant and surrounding counties, low literacy is likely reducing voter turnout in similar ways identified in the Baltimore study. A comparison of the percentage of respondents who scored below level one in literacy on the 2018 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competence with the average voter turnout in the past five presidential elections shows a
negative correlation between functional literacy and voter turnout in the sixteen counties of the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
Tarrant county, shown in blue, has a comparatively high functional illiteracy level as determined by the PIAAC. The county has also faced many challenges with voter turnout.
Within Tarrant County, Fort Worth is a city that struggles with both low voter turnout and low adult literacy levels. The 2011 mayoral election of Fort Worth illustrates the connection between reduced literacy rates and low voter turnout. Political analyst Alan Saxe noted that there were several issues, such as natural gas drilling, road improvements, and pensions; that were at stake. This contrasted with a previous election in which garbage pickup was a defining issue that brought people to the polls (Qtd. in CBS DFW). This situation indicates that many voters are unable to engage with issues beyond what they experience personally. Low adult literacy contributes to such situations by placing limits on the knowledge individuals can acquire.
Inability to acquire information on issues thus precludes effective political participation in lowliteracy areas like Fort Worth.
Reduced political engagement of Tarrant County citizens due to low literacy skills undermines the health of our democracy. While functional illiteracy and voter turnout have a strong negative correlation, multidimensional factors form the link between the two. Low literacy rates are often the consequence of social and economic marginalization. Moreover, the barrier low literacy poses to self-advocacy in politics can further marginalize communities.
Causes
Comparing Adult Literacy Rates Across Counties
In order to properly identify the cause of low literacy rates among adults in Texas, an aspect that must be researched and presented is the current literacy rates in four major counties of North Texas. A comparison of literacy rates in Tarrant, Dallas, Collin, and Denton counties will be conducted to explore how literacy rates are different across these counties and what factors contribute to them.
Properly assessing and representing literacy rates in Tarrant County is vital towards making an accurate comparison to neighboring counties. In this county, about one in five adults are reading below a fourth-grade level (Tarrant Literacy Coalition). Reading at this level indicates that adults may only be able to read common forms of literature. The actual adult literacy rate in this county is fourteen percent. While identifying the literacy rate for this county is important, factors such as poverty, high school graduation, home environment, and disabilities all must be taken into to account to conclude how they influence certain literacy rates in certain counties.
While researching the issue of adult literacy as it pertains to Collin County, the average adult literacy rate was approximately eight percent. Factors that had an immense impact on this current rate were the amount of the population that did not speak English at home and the percentage of people that were born in foreign countries. Around eighteen percent of the population of Collin County do not speak English at home and thirteen percent of residents are foreign-born (CCALC) These demographics have heavy influence as to why Collin County has one of the lowest adult literacy rates in the state of Texas.
Dallas County is one of the most populous counties in the state of Texas and is statistically different from neighboring counties in terms of adult literacy. The current adult literacy rate sits at twenty one percent. Factors similar to those in surrounding counties are the same reason that the literacy rate in this county is not significantly higher. For example, according the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy, around five hundred thousand adults living in the Dallas area did not have basic literacy skills (Dallas Literacy Coalition). However, with all of the data considered, Dallas County ranks the highest among Tarrant, Collin, and Denton in its adult literacy rates.
Finally, the county of Denton ranks at the very bottom of the rest of the researched counties. Denton county currently has an adult literacy rate of eight percent (TCALL 2). The county does not have an existing literacy coalition, which greatly influences most of the population having little to no basic literacy skills.
After concluding research into Tarrant, Dallas, Collin, and Denton counties, a proper comparison of their literacy rates can be presented. As these particular counties share similar circumstances, literacy rates will be much more similar as well. Comparing each county accurately took close scrutiny of each social and economic factor having an effect on literacy rates. It is worth noting that a county’s literacy rate may not accurately represent how literate adults are in that county. For example, Tarrant County has a variety of cities that are established in high poverty areas. Poverty is a significant factor that influences lower literacy rates. Therefore, literacy rates for each county may not properly consider the true literacy of adults in these areas.
Research into different literacy rates across a few Texas counties will present the degree of this problem and will identify areas where solutions may be created. Whilst the comparison of
these rates helps identify what has caused the low literacy rates of adults in the state of Texas, the detailed examination of specific regions in these counties is necessary to support the identified causes. The counties of Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton all share a great amount of urbanized areas where much of the literacy rates are accounted for. However, there is another area that must be looked upon to expand the overall perspective of this research.
Literacy Ra tes in Rural Areas
It is also important to see the impacts of illiteracy in more rural areas besides those in North Texas. While the focus of the research project is over North Texas counties, it is still beneficial to consider the consequences of mass illiteracy in other rural areas that have formerly been undisturbed by the immediate need for formal education.
Adult illiteracy, especially in rural areas, is a cause for concern in the modern age that we currently reside in. According to Ferrell and Howley, adults obtain formal literacy instruction in order “. . . to promote economic productivity, to under-write political change, to effect social equity, or to enhance quality of life” (368). However, Texas has been observed to have one of the lowest literacy levels in the country, which is made even more apparent when observing its rural environment.
Rural areas have historically been shown to have lower levels of literacy than their urban counterparts. According to data from the Program for International Assessment of Adult Competence, rural areas such as Dawson County have a much higher illiteracy rate than urban areas like Tarrant County. This is shown in their population literacy data where a whopping 41% of the population in Dawson County has been reported to have at or below a Level 1 literacy score. Compared to Tarrant County’s illiterate population of 24%, that is a 70% increase in illiteracy percentage per population.
This drastic change in illiteracy between rural and urban areas cannot be pinpointed to a single cause as this may have been the result of various circumstances. According to an interview about rural health literacy, many people in rural areas have issues getting the help they need as, “. . . Everything is harder for rural folks . . . Harder to find, to use, to understand. It’s all harder for rural areas, especially with the lower educational achievement levels” (Temple). Rural areas may have a lower level of literacy due to causes such as the lack of educational accessibility in rural areas compared to those living in urban environments. These high illiteracy rates may also be a consequence of the lack of literacy skills needed for many jobs in these areas, leading to the reprioritization of formal education. This phenomenon may have been a byproduct of efficiency back when it was more important to have children working as fast as possible and school being too time-consuming to prioritize.
Adult illiteracy currently stands as a widespread issue among rural areas across Texas. While it may seem that literacy skills are unnecessary for these areas that prioritize agricultural careers, there is still merit introducing literacy programs to adults that are unable to read, such as the ability to introduce people to poverty alleviation programs via written advertisements. The benefits that literacy programs can bring have the potential to alleviate poverty within these areas and improve government program interactions in rural communities.
Literacy and Disa bilitie s
Another cause of low literacy is learning disability. In 1997, learning disability was defined by the U.S. Office Of Education as “a permanent information processing deficit that affects the way individuals with average to above average intelligence learns. Learning disability is essentially a neurological disorder that limits the brain’s ability to receive, respond, store, and process information (Kenyon, 3). It has become evident that learning disabilities have tended to
be misunderstood since it is a hidden handicap; but this disability is a group of disorders. An individual, whether young or old, can have average or above average intelligence level without any sensory impairment and still struggle with learning disabilities. One of the examples of learning disability includes dyslexia. People with dyslexia have limited language skills that affect their comprehension skills. Dyslexia is a specific language-based disorder that affects mathematical, reading, and writing ability of individuals. Statistics indicate that about 80% of learning disabilities are associated with reading. People with learning disabilities essentially have problems with abstract reasons, reading comprehension and paying attention when necessary.
According to statistics, 1 out of every 5 people in the United States has some type of learning disability which means that literacy rate is being affected tremendously. Also, specific learning disabilities have increased 22% over the past 25 years. Research indicates that learning disability doubles low literacy rates in most states. According to the Association of the Association of Texas website, 75%-80% of special education students have deficits in language and writing which incredibly affects their literacy rates. In Texas, 60% of adults with severe literacy problems have undetected learning disabilities. Learning disabilities have as much effect on literacy rates as other types of disabilities (Kenyon, 14-15). The state needs to hire educational instructors qualified to provide the most effective way of teaching students with learning disabilities; this can potentially reduce low literacy rate.
Un diagnosed Reading Disa bilities
Undiagnosed reading disabilities stem from our teachers not getting the resources they need to be as effective and meaningful teachers as possible. With proper funding, our teachers would have the training available to make sure that they know how to deal with more types of students and diagnose or at the very least notice a sign of a reading disability. But with rapidly
growing populations and funding decreasing for teachers, our literacy rates will only worsen (Diallo). A reading intervention program called “Reading Recovery” was found highly effective in assisting first graders in their reading progress, making 6-7 months of progress in just 5 months (Diallo). The only downside to the program is its cost, again pushing the point that with proper funding towards, our literacy rates would rise. With dyslexia, teachers that are unqualified in diagnosing reading disabilities, albeit not their fault, are allowing children with disabilities to fail and do poorly in school while they believe it is their fault. This is unfair to the children, as it further illustrates how with proper funding, our education may prosper.
An example of a teacher having the resources needed to properly address a student with a reading disability, namely dyslexia, occurred in Keller, Texas. A program implemented by the Keller Independent School District, named Learning Ally, allowed a child with dyslexia to not be inhibited by their disability in her learning. She was one of the top students in her second-grade class in every area except reading, so her parents had her tested for dyslexia, and she had it. Thankfully, her school district has trained teachers specifically for this reason, and they were super supportive to her parents and informed her about the opportunity presented by Learning Ally. Learning Ally is a leading nonprofit education solutions organization that transforms the lives of early and struggling learners through proven solutions from Pre-K through high school, to help students reach their potential (Ali). With this program, children with reading disabilities are given a grand opportunity to not have their learning inhibited, and teachers are given an opportunity to gain the perspective of the students they teach.
Immigration
In the Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe, Texas must educate all children ages 5-17 living within a school district, regardless of immigration status (Bouvier, Martin). 67% of
immigrants of 15 years or more fall below the basic reading level according to the U.S. Customs and Immigration Services. Although thankfully, this number is increasing and with more recent rates of immigration, English proficiency from all immigrants has increased (Diallo). This, combined with the statistic that it costs an average of 50 percent more to educate a non-Englishspeaking child, makes for a difficult situation when it comes to making sure that every child gets a proper and efficient education (Texas Tribune). Non-English-speaking families will generally have a much more arduous journey in making sure their children are proficient in English literacy since they would be of little help teaching a language they don’t know. So, with Texas having such high immigration rates, this scenario is a reality for a growing percentage of Texans, lowering the literacy rate. This ties into how important our teachers are since they may be the last line of support for our children.
Throughout the research and especially that of PIAAC assessment, which tries to assess the literacy rates of particular groups of people and, in this case, immigrants, it showed that immigrants are “over-represented” in literacy rates. It was concluded that immigrants only had accounted for 33% of the US adult literacy rate. It was also determined that only 48% of all immigrants did not have basic English literacy skills (Jeanne, 2015). In local terms, one out of every five adults in the Tarrant County area are not able to read enough to be able to be successful in the fourth grade. Moreover, less than 10,000 adults in Tarrant County are enrolled in any type of education to help aid them. However, as large as Texas is in size and population, Texas is ranked the 3rd highest in adults who took a GED test. With all this information thus far, it can be concluded that in our state and local county, it is safe to say that only around 33% of the one in every five people with low literacy rates are immigrants (Tarrant Literacy Coalition).
Immigration impacts literacy rates due to the long period of time it takes for a person to be able to learn and understand English. For new immigrants it takes an extensive amount of time to learn the language while making a living to support their families. It also takes a while for them to become literate due to cultural barriers and stress of a new life in a foreign country and trying to make it barley through by working many hour shifts and not being able to take time to physically take classes to help them excel their literacy. And with the low amounts of aid the government gives to low-income families and the many loopholes that have to be jumped through to get aid. Immigrants have to try to get low-income jobs to support their families. This causing 41 percent of immigrant to scoring on the lowest level of English and many immigrants tent to have low educational backgrounds due to poverty, persecution, and lack of freedom in their original countries. Therefore, some immigrants don’t have the mental tools to learn a new language while they haven’t adapted to learning new academia and might not be literate in their own native language (Ferrer).
Ethnic Background
In Texas there is a lot of regions and counties that have a great amount of their population struggle with literacy even up to adulthood. By analyzing and finding a pattern in some regions based on how they are populated, there are counties that seem to be less educated and have an increase in lack of reading and writing skills than others. Based on their ethnicity there is usually a group of people that make up the population of a region and have the lowest literacy rates as well. Illiteracy is always a significant problem because it negatively affects our society and future generations, when an individual wants to buy a car, when buying a house, even when signing a contract for a job they are not understanding what they are signing legally. It can affect people socially, psychologically etc. many people are willing to fake it throughout their pre
adulthood because they are ashamed that they never learned to read, and they may be too old now to seek help. While this is the case in one in every five people in Tarrant County can’t read fluidly at a 4th grade level. Based on research there is a common pattern that shows the race with the lowest literacy rate would be Hispanics, followed by Blacks, other and lastly white communities. The reason why these races are the most illiterate can be explained through history. With the immigration factor, and non-native English speakers’ being the most common among these racial groups it is predictable that these are the groups that will struggle the most. A factor that still exists today is racial inequality among the education system. For example, there has been studies that show that Black students tend to underperform twice more than white students just because they’re teachers have lower expectations for them. Racial segregation was also a factor that was abolished by the court case Brown vs Board of Education, as a result when school started to treat everyone equally and the whites did what was called the “white flight” and they started leaving those schools and integrating to newly built schools which left the rest of the students in the low-income Race pattern among low literacy rates schools. In Tarrant County, the second most popular race are Hispanics with about 28.5% of the population meaning that because some of them if not most of them are immigrants and they won’t Race pattern among low literacy rates know how to read in English and that’s where the 64% of immigrants perform at a low literacy level compared to the 14% of native-Americans. It all comes to a pattern because where most people tend to end up with low literacy are not economically high neighborhoods therefore their children and them don’t have access to enough resources to learn English and read appropriately. Limiting them to stay in the same socioeconomic group because they will most likely remain at risk of unemployment leading to potential poverty.
Minorities and Class
People of the Black and Latino communities are marginalized in many aspects, but exceptionally in the education system. Bringing attention to the issue now will aid in future generations competence in literacy. Redlining is a discriminatory practice that entails the refusal to provide services to communities who reside in an area that is considered a poor risk and a “hazardous” investment, the term was coined in the 1930’s by the Home Owners Loan Corporation (Burke).
In the 1960’s & 1970’s Congress reversed the actions of redlining, despite this the effects of the action still linger today (Burke).
Redlining is shown on a map by outlined areas where African American and Latino residents reside in. Because of this already predetermined area of risk, a student’s area and level of education is set. Since determining where one should attend school is tied to housing, things such as redlining creates and inequality in education opportunity. Due to these predetermined lines students attend school that are minority based and research provides that schools with a higher count in colored students have significantly less resources and funding. Recently, Fort Worth is acknowledging its redlines and are optimistic at blurring and possibly ridding these lines. These
redlines are predominately harming those of the Black and Latino communities in the Fort Worth area. These lines not only harm those in minority communities but as well as the economic factors of such cities such as inadequate housing, losses of many local businesses, and vacant lots (Kalthoff ).
Looking at two cities in Tarrant County, Forest Hill and Southlake, reflects the issue of literacy perfectly in regard to poverty, public education funding, and the issue of redlining. Forest Hill has a median household income of $41,496 while Southlake’s median household income is $240,248. Forest Hill has a poverty rate of 25.4% while Southlake has a poverty rate of 2.5%. 73.2% of Forest Hill’s population graduated with a high school diploma compared to Southlake’s 99.1%. That is a 26% difference in graduation rate. It is also important to note that Forest Hill has an extremely larger minority population of African Americans and Hispanics at 48.3% and 44.5% respectively compared to Southlake’s majority White population of 76.4% (US Census Bureau).
A student’s ability to excel at school is reliant of four things, the availability of resources and challenging curriculum, being educated in smaller schools, having smaller class sizes, and the occupancy of highly qualified instructors who are willing to aid in student achievements. These four qualities are strongly represented in well-funded majority schools and not at all in low-income minority institutions. This issue, and the statistics displayed above, can be chalked up to the staggering differences in public education funding. Public schools are funded primarily by property taxes. An affluent area such as Southlake, with higher public education funding, can obtain more high-quality teachers, books, and educational resources. Less affluent areas such as Forest Hill are left to fend for whatever they can afford, which usually result in less books, higher teacher to student ratios, and low-quality educational support programs. Children suffer as
a result. Due to these funding differences, students in minority-based schools have little to no access of resources to aid in their academic advancement, which includes but is not limited to, low quality of books and materials, computers, less-qualified teachers, no access to high-quality material/curriculum, etc. As a result, literacy rates are lower in these low-income areas. With this being said, there is a stereotype placed on students, implying that a student is at fault if they do not excel at school when in reality, it is the education system that failed them. Education System
With the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, according to Texas Education Code §25.085, “students who are at least six years old as of September 1st of the applicable school year should adhere to compulsory attendance” (Texas Education Agency). This is required until a student’s 18th birthday unless the student meets specific exemptions. However, some children fall through the cracks and can evade attendance policies, especially students prior to 2001.
As previously discussed, low-income students face a disadvantage when it comes to the quality of their education. Low-income students face more barriers than their upper-class peers when it comes to accessing education. Especially in low-income rural areas of Texas, prior to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, a high percentage of low-income high schoolers dropped out to financially support themselves or their families prior to 2000 (Kearney et. Al, 4). A lowincome family may require multiple sources of income to stay afloat, especially if one (or both) parents are unable to work, a child may be pressured into financially supporting the family. For many students, being able to feed their families is more important than learning the complexities of algebra, so students may face an inability to continue school.
In an interview with Richard Ruiz, who was a Texas highschooler in 1965, he recounted his story of having poor attendance in high school because he felt familial pressure to work
instead of pursuing his education. Ruiz’ attendance suffered so badly that he was eventually forced to drop out. Luckily, Ruiz was able to later receive his GED but some of his peers that followed in his footsteps were not as lucky. With the few people Ruiz has kept in contact with, he recalls how they were forced into manual labor careers because their reading and general education levels were not up to par.
When looking into literacy in adult populations, it is necessary to research education policies prior to 2001 to properly assess the correlation between adult literacy and their absence in school as a child. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the dropout rate of high schoolers regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or sex was 27.2% in 1960 and steadily decreased to 9.3% in 2006. With this decrease in dropout rates, illiteracy rates have also declined (NCES).
In Texas, if a student accumulates too many unexcused absences, it is policy to notify the guardian(s). However, this notification is not always effective as it is some parent’s fault for the absence, or the parent is not active in their child’s education. In some cases, guardian(s) can be fined or lawfully prosecuted if properly assessed by social services. However, with an overflow of cases that social services are presented combined with non-adequate funding and low employment rates of social workers, many students’ absences get ignored (Schultz, 125)
The efficacy of truancy laws and the concern that the laws are now too little of an effort too late, as many older adults did not see the full effects of truancy laws that many students see today, remind Texans that school absences affect literacy (whether it be reading, financial, or basic arithmetic) to this day.
COVID -
19
as a Set ba ck to Adult Literacy
The outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) has reduced education access and has led to a decrease in adult literacy rates. COVID -19 is changing the face of education. Given the unexpected level of fear being felt worldwide as a result of the pandemic, countries have been advised to change the way their most important tasks are conducted, such as education (Bozkurt, 2020; Moore et al., 2020). Educators and students across the USA are working to accommodate socially distanced and virtual schools. Tarrant County is no exception, and preventative measures were implemented, namely as the cancellation of physical classes and the subsequent adoption of remote or online education. It is dangerous to assume that the entire population, particularly the adults, have the same level of access to devices, the internet, and whether they have the necessary skills to fully utilize technological tools. The number of internet users in Texas increased from 62.4 million to 80.6 million between 2015 and 2019. However, around 4.7 million people (about twice the population of Kansas) in Texas and 20,000 adults are illiterate and lack the necessary digital knowledge and skills to use ICTs as a tool for economic and social development. Online education due to the Covid-19 pandemic can disproportionately harm the literacy skills of populations that lack reliable technology and internet, such as low-income or rural, and elderly groups.
According to the 2019, National Survey on the availability and the use of information technologies in 2019, 19, only 56.4% of Texas have access to information technologies. Older persons are at risk of being doubly excluded, first from physical interactions and then from a digitally dominated society (Seifert et al., 2021). For the senior population, appropriation of ICTs as an effective means of combating isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic has been difficult due to poor digital literacy skills. For these reasons, digital exclusion implies being shut out of a
society where the internet and other digital technologies dominate many aspects of daily life.
Disparities in access to digital technology during the Covid-19 pandemic result in poor literacy outcomes, while existing illiteracy levels hinder equitable participation on digital platforms.
Solutions
Institutions and Organizations
In the search for information about literacy, there were quite a few details that one might find surprising. Texas has the fourth-lowest literacy rate in the nation, meaning that out of 50 states, Texas is at number 46 on the list. 81% of Texans read at an average level, while 19% have below level reading and reading comprehension abilities (World Populations Review, 2022). That might not seem like a significant percentage, but the sheer size and population of Texas must be considered. It was calculated that 19% of the Texan population adds up to 5.51 million Texans. This is a big issue that needs to be taken care of. So, what can be done to solve it?
Some ways in which the government is tackling this problem is by creating programs like Early Reading First and Reading First. These programs mainly target kids when they are young, and they have these programs set to where challenge a kid to keep up with their reading levels and do tests to analyze their reading levels. This has been effective because when a teacher notices a student's low reading level, they put in more time and effort to help the student. Unfortunately, funding for programs was set to be at $1.04 Billion in 2005, while in 2020, it is only set to be at $190 million. Therefore, these federal programs have taken significant cuts in the budget. However, they still try to help push communities to fight illiteracy by awarding grants to states or cities with high reading levels among students.
A simple google search brings up plenty of organizations that are chipping away at the problem. For example, one website advocated an organization called ProLiteracy. They operate all over the US and their motto is “Teach an adult to read. Inspire the world to change.” Through advocacy and teaching programs, they aim to break the cycle of poverty and elevate work skills, because they believe that “a safer, stronger, and more sustainable society starts with an educated
adult population.” They also work internationally to fight the battle against a lack of adult education. They are not the only national organization, but there are also organizations specific to Texas Counties. (ProLiteracy, 2022)
One Non-profit that was specific to Tarrant County was the Tarrant Literacy Coalition. The site reports that 1 in 5 adult residents of Tarrant County cannot read at a fourth-grade level, which would come to a total of over 200,000 individuals. Of those individuals, about 0.5% of them are enrolled in some sort of program to help fix the issue. And like most of these organizations, the Texas Literacy Coalition seems to be focused on improving work skills and, in turn, the local job market. The organization is stationed in Fort Worth with examples of success stories posted on their Our Story page from their website. (Tarrant County Coalition, 2022)
There are many other websites and organizations that popped up during the search: The Texas Literacy Initiative, The North Texas Reading Partners, and LiteracyTexas.org are among the many programs available. Illiteracy in adults is a big problem, especially in Texas. Bigger than once thought, but not insurmountable. There are organizations that are working to do something about this, both around the nation, in Texas, and the local communities. There are resources to fix the issue, so the question that should be asked: Why are the numbers still so high? How can we encourage our population to improve on literacy?
Before we further talk more about the solutions for the problem, let us first consider the importance of political literacy. Although anyone can get into politics, involvement in government requires a set of active participation in order to understand the values of laws and diplomacy. For example, attending town hall meetings, get detailed information on candidates who are running for positions, having an idea about the city’s current economy, the budget and taxation. The knowledge of these specific political ideas can directly affect the day-to-day life of
the general public. A large number of the population in the country is illiterate on politics.
According to the article, “How Ignorant Are Americans,” by Newsweek, “1,000 U.S. citizens to take America's official citizenship test, 29 percent couldn't name the vice president.” It also mentioned that “Seventy-three percent couldn't correctly say why we fought the Cold War. Forty-four percent were unable to define the Bill of Rights. And 6 percent couldn't even circle Independence Day on a calendar.” In order to help the issue, a lot of the organizations are simply promoting self-awareness among the general public which is really important when it comes to political literacy. Educating people from all age groups and making them aware of the current political issues can certainly make a difference when it comes to the development of a nation. Such an approach of making people aware is being undertaken by a digital news and publication at Vassar College, The Vassar Insider. According to one of their articles, “The Insiders 2020 Mission: Political Literacy,” “Throughout the year we will be publishing guides to elections, policies and other political stories that are crucial to understanding in order to be an informed voter.” This is important to note down, because voting will determine the type of governor we get for our states. Moreover, promoting civic engagement should be something that should be done from an early age. It becomes a huge issue when senior citizens misinterpret or sometimes get misleading information through various media outlets and end up making decisions that might have negative impact on the society. To undertake the problem, Dallas general Literacy Foundation have provided a grant of $5500 to Tarrant Literacy Coalition to help support adult literacy. Not only that. On October of 2020, DFW Literacy Symposium brought training sessions to educate senior citizens on politics.
Letting the public know more about things like incumbency advantage or the idea of redistricting and how many politicians can take advantage of the that can make a huge difference
on how we are governed. This will also allow the people to have more control and make wise decisions.
Government
Being ranked 46th out of 50 states in English literacy levels, the state government has put forth efforts to help increase adult literacy rates. Unfortunately, even with these programs in place, Tarrant County has less than 10,000 out of approximately more than 20,000 adults that are enrolled in such developmental programs (Tarrant County Coalition, 2022). After being founded in 2009, The Tarrant County Literacy Coalition has actively sought to bring awareness to low literacy and provide resources to programs that promote the education of illiterate adults. This organization is a great example of a non-governmental group organizing and providing resources for an important issue within the state. Though education is a costly investment, the Coalition provides support to such programs by using money from sponsors and supporters of the group. The coalition's funding up is important because it highlights that this organization is not financially backed by the state government. This is an important detail because it demonstrates that county residents have gone out to support such an issue with little to no governmental backing. Though there are many state and federal policy in place to increase literacy rates (such as the No Child Left Behind Act, Reading Excellence Act, and The Adult Literacy Act), without the right amount of advocation and awareness, Tarrant County residents are suffering the consequences of inadequate information and resources given by state and local government.
The failure of government has further distanced adults from receiving help within the county, due to the lack of attention and funding these groups and programs most need. As a result, a cycle of poverty and crime forms amongst illiterate adults. Like poverty, being illiterate has presented several problems to these individuals trying to better their lives financially. Aside
from the general education view, workplace literacy has been an issue that residents face as well. The Texas Workforce Commission has funded adult education and literacy programs to help these individuals acquire necessary workplace skills. Unfortunately, as stated in the previous paragraph, Tarrant County currently has very low enrollment rates in such programs. Although there are solutions in place to help, residents still face issues with enrolling in these programs. Many literacy programs require payments and time of the individuals enrolled. We can begin to see how this cycle moves. These people who are of typically of lower economic class simply do not have the time or money to spend on these programs. Living paycheck to paycheck quite literally impedes their education due to the time that these programs require of them. This ultimately traps illiterate adults in low paying jobs and economic conditions due to their literacy level. Without further outreach of government, these issues will continue to rise and keep cities in the county such as Fort Worth and Arlington ranked as the 65th and 70th lowest literacy rates out of 83 cities studied (Central Connecticut State University, 2018).
Overall, the state and local government has failed to provide support to nongovernmental organizations and programs trying to reduce one of the biggest educational issues that residents face, being literacy rates. Many would assume that Texas being the lowest 3 states in literacy rates would prompt urgent governmental action to help resolve such a pressing issue, but as we are seeing there is very little urgency to support educational programs and organizations financially.
Book Engagement
One issue with trying to solve illiteracy in adults is engagement. If people are not actively engaged in their efforts to improve their literacy, the rate of improvement can diminish or be removed entirely should they give up. Another issue is the books themselves. Simple books
are typically viewed as being for children, which can affect engagement should the reader feel embarrassed. On top of this, the way typical books made for the average readers are printed may not be suitable for those who are just beginning to learn. All things considered, by focusing mainly on genres a majority of people enjoy, plus taking reading level and how to cater towards one unfamiliar with reading into account, the effectiveness of any action to improve illiteracy can be increased.
As there do not seem to be many sources with a narrower scope, it was settled upon to find the most popular book genres overall based on Amazon purchase records. As far as books based on fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian are the most popular (Smailes G.). These types of books are written for a wide range of audiences, thus it should be relatively easy to find books that cater to all reading levels. But, sci-fi and fantasy books tend to have many words which are not used in typical conversation or are completely made up by the author altogether. This could cause problems for those who have issues reading real words as they are even more unfamiliar. In contrast, this could also assist in introducing unique sounds and pronunciations as practice.
Next, the most popular non-fiction categories are biographies, self-help, cooking, and religious books (Smailes G.). Nearly all of these books seem to be viable options should one wish to specify the genre they use. As they are frequently read in schools, biographies are written in a variety of levels, so these are a great option. On top of this, self-help and cook books may appeal to a larger group of people due to the practicality in reading them. However, religious books may not be an option, as one cannot have a book for every religion. Despite this, it may be beneficial to keep this type of book in mind. These texts are made to be accessible and easy to get into for above and below-average readers of wide backgrounds.
However, these surveys cover those who are reading. As a result, it is difficult, or nearly impossible, to find what genres of books people who cannot read enjoy. Thus, it is important to cater to them so that any issues and irritations caused by differences are counter-balanced by solutions. For instance, having ordinary twelve-point font may cause difficulty for new readers. As a solution, Barnes and Noble has a plethora of specifically large print books in numerous genres around 16-pt font (Large Print Books). This larger font size should naturally improve the ease in reading. Also, these can be bought in bulk, which would assist in helping more people at once. Another issue could be convoluted or overly complex wording, which could be confusing to an early reader. While there do not seem to be simplified versions of books already written, there is a website that can judge books based on their level, giving a numerical difficulty level (Book wizard). By using this site, one can categorize many books based upon their level of difficulty in order to more easily cater to all levels of reader respectively.
Gamification/ Technology
According to researchers from the Italian National Research Council, the term “gamification” can be defined as “the application of game mechanisms in non-gaming environments” whose sole purpose is to increase engagement and motivation. Although there are gaps within this practice of enhanced learning, it has been implemented in various sectors from education to social policy. Furthermore, it is estimated that 32 million adults in the United States cannot read, with 50% of adults having issues reading at an eighth-grade level (“Hiding in Plain Sight: The Adult Literacy Crisis”). Even though more studies have been conducted around students’ learning experience and attitudes, the results can be applied to a diverse range of age groups who want to focus on their personal levels of literacy.
Adult illiteracy has been linked to many societal issues such as poverty and unemployment. Not only do these issues create a stigma around illiteracy, it also creates a barrier for improvement as adults feel shame around it. But gamification may impose a solution to overcome this challenge. In the International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, researchers explore the self-determination theory of human motivation by linking video game elements to autonomous motivation. The researchers stated how game design plays a significant role in fostering a positive learning experience (Alsawaier 9). Not only do the gaming components provide satisfaction to the user, but it is also a remote style of learning that can cater to the learners’ personal learning style and pace.
Improving adult literacy can mean serving literacy councils, finding local adult education classes for others, and browsing resources at the local libraries (Peterson). However, the gamification of adult education can be another solution that is inclusive and accessible.
Volunteer Work
While tying into our primary research regarding illiteracy, our class participated in a service project at Mission Arlington while donating books to the organization for children in the area. Our original goal was to participate in volunteering at a local library, but had to divert our plans due to Covid restrictions still being intact in certain libraries. While trying to come up with alternative ideas, Mission Arlington was a proposed idea since it has a strong moral background with making sure everyone in Arlington has sufficient supplies for a functioning, happy life. The class was insistent on making sure literacy was tied into our service, so we decided to donate books while volunteering since books are always in high demand at volunteer sites.
Our class was split into two groups, a Friday group and a Saturday group to make sure everyone’s schedule was cleared. The Friday group began by bringing multiple bags of children’s books before beginning their tasks of the day. The group was asked to label and sort any medications that were still below the expiration date before putting them in their correct organization bins. Since many people who come through Mission Arlington can suffer from illiteracy and are not able to read the labels, this was a principal task for the group. The Saturday group was split into two groups of unloading donations from cars and sorting items and taking them into the makeshift store for people to come and shop for twenty minutes. While our classmates were inside, many were able to speak to residents coming to get supplies and learn about their situation. Questions were also asked if residents were able to read properly or had proper schooling. Multiple declined to answer the question. Some also spoke to the children and led them to where the books were to make sure to pick some out instead of staying primarily in the toys section.
Overall, this project changed our lives by the way we can see how fortunate our classmates were with being given the ability to read and write. The only way to stop this vicious cycle of illiteracy is making sure every child is given a book to learn the basics of reading to help combat more children falling victim and growing up without proper knowledge of reading.
Conclusion
Despite all the consequences put forth because of adult illiteracy, what occurs as a common theme among them is this bidirectional interaction between poverty and literacy. Individuals in poverty are more likely to be illiterate due to their inability to attain educational resources or the absence of high-quality resources. Consequently, those subject to illiteracy are unable to attain high paying jobs to relieve themselves from their situation. This is seen disproportionately affecting minorities and rural communities. This creates a cycle of poverty as individuals become buried in their situation unable to better themselves. The consequences are staggering. Higher crime rates, poverty rates, societal ostracization, and lower voter turnout are but a few.
The implications regarding the economy and society should be enough to drive more funding and government involvement into this issue, yet there is still much to be done. Nongovernment affiliated institutions have made significant efforts to combat the endemic of illiteracy in North Texas, but there is only so much these organizations can do as outreach programs are insufficiently funded and many individuals at risk of becoming illiterate are unidentified. More funding from state and local government must be devoted to increasing awareness for those at risk of becoming illiterate, specifically for those in poverty. Funding can also be devoted to finding and investing into other innovative solutions, such as gamification, to break the barriers of social ostracization and make reading more accessible to everyone.
There are many benefits to addressing issues of adult illiteracy, such as remedying its negative effects on our society. And unless this issue is addressed, it will continue to plague generation after generation of those in North Texas.
Works Cited
Akgun, Senay, et al. “Comparison of Psychological Distress and Mental Health Literacy Levels of Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients, Individuals under Quarantine, and Healthy Individuals of Society in the Pandemic.” ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 22, no. 8, Oct. 2021, pp. 1–16. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohostcom.ezproxy.uta.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=154094986&site=ehostlive
Ali, M., 2022. What a Successful Public School Dyslexia Program Looks Like. [online]
Learningally.org. Available at: <https://learningally.org/Blog/public-school-dyslexiasuccess>[Accessed 18 April 2022].
Alsawaier, Raed S. “The Effect of Gamification on Motivation and Engagement. International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 35, no. 1, 2018, pp. 56–79, doi:10.1108/ijilt-02-2017-0009.
Bailey, Victoria. “Low Health Literacy Hinders Access to Covid-19 Information.” PatientEngagementHIT, PatientEngagementHIT, 20 Sept. 2021, https://patientengagementhit.com/news/amp/low-health-literacy-hinders-access-to-covid19-information
Bazos, Audrey, and Jessica Hausman. “Correctional Education as a Crime Control.” Prison Legal News, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research Department of Policy Studies, Mar. 2004, https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/media/publications/Correctional%20Education%20as% 20a%20Crime%20Control%20Program%2C%20Bazos%20and%20Hausman%2C%2020 04.pdf. Accessed 02 March, 2022.
Book Wizard: Find and Level Books for Your Classroom, https://bookwizard.scholastic.com/.
“Large Print Books.” Barnes & Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/largeprint/_/N-1pu1?Nrpp=20&page=2#.
Bouvier, L. and Martin, J., 2022. Shaping Texas: The Effects of Immigration, 1970-2020 [online] Center for Immigration Studies. Available at: <https://cis.org/Report/ShapingTexas-Effects-Immigration-19702020> [Accessed 2 March 2022].
Burke, Lindsey. “Housing Redlining and Its Lingering Effects on Education Opportunity.” The Heritage Foundation, 11 Mar. 2021, https://www.heritage.org/education/report/housingredlining-and-its-lingering-effectseducation-opportunity
CBS DFW Staff. “Getting Fort Worth Voters to Polls May Be Biggest Problem.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 12 May 2011, https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/getting-fort-worthvoters-to-polls-may-be-biggest-problem/.
Clark, Chloe Haderlie & Alyssa. “Illiteracy among Adults in the United States.” Ballard Brief, Ballard Brief, 23 Feb. 2022, https://www.ballardbrief.org/our-briefs/illiteracy-amongadults-in-the-us.
“Collin County Adult Literacy Council.” Collin County Adult Literacy Council | Volunteer McKinney, https://volunteermckinney.galaxydigital.com/agency/detail/?agency_id=8531.
“Comparison Charts of State and County Estimates - Texas.” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education, 2017, https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/skillsmap/src/PDF/Texas.pdf.
“Crime in Bexar County, Texas.” Best Places, Sperling's Best Places, 2019, https://www.bestplaces.net/crime/county/texas/bexar.
“Crime in Tarrant County, Texas.” Best Places, Sperling's Best Places, 2019, https://www.bestplaces.net/crime/county/texas/tarrant
Darling-Hammond, Linda. “Unequal Opportunity: Race and Education.” Brookings, 28 July 2016, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/unequal-opportunity-race-and-education/.
Diallo, A., 2022. Improving Literacy in the United States: Recommendations for Increasing Reading Success. [online] Center for American Progress. Available at: <https://www.americanprogress.org/article/improving-literacy-united-statesrecommendations-increasing-reading-success/>[Accessed 2 March 2022].
Dotson, Vonetta M., et al. “Effects of Race and Socioeconomic Status on the Relative Influence of Education and Literacy on Cognitive Functioning: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.” Cambridge Core, Cambridge University Press, 1 July 2009, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-internationalneuropsychological-society/article/abs/effects-of-race-and-socioeconomic-status-on-therelative-influence-of-education-and-literacy-on-cognitivefunctioning/D331E428F18058DE2F36C7902881B5BD. Accessed 01 March, 2022.
D’Souza, Karen. “What impact will the pandemic have on early literacy?”, Edsource, August 18, 2021,p.3 Bulut, Necati Serkut, et al. “Impact of COVID-19 on the Life of HigherEducation Students in Istanbul: Relationship Between Social Support, Health-Risk Behaviors, and Mental/Academic Well-Being.” Alpha Psychiatry, vol. 22, no. 6, Nov. 2021, pp. 291–300.
Elias, Tanya. “71. Universal Instructional Design Principles for Mobile Learning.” Eric.Ed.Gov,
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ920738.pdf. Accessed 5 Mar. 2022.
“Facts, Statistics, and Reports.” Tarrant Literacy Coalition, https://www.tarrantliteracycoalition.org/literacy/facts.html
Ferrer, Ana, et al. “The Effect of Literacy on Immigrant Earnings.” The Journal of Human Resources, vol. 41, no. 2, 2006, pp. 380–410, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40057280.
Accessed 26 Apr. 2022.
Ferrell, Susan T., and Aimee Howley. “Adult Literacy in Rural Areas.” Journal of Reading, vol. 34, no. 5, [Wiley, International Reading Association], 1991, pp. 368–72, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40032077
Foundation, World Literacy. “The Serious, Lifelong Impacts of Illiteracy: Resilient Educator.”
ResilientEducator.com, 3 Mar. 2020, resilienteducator.com/classroomresources/illiteracy-impacts/.
Hannon, Lance, and James Defronzo. “Welfare and Property Crime.” Justice Quarterly, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, June 1998, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07418829800093741?casa_token=OWiIK deK3OYAAAAA%3A4FmdWKWXeVgOW5AghUmsbtS6kH9oXpPSwccDJzXWEnzh Q6_SfU-7iYu8eQLAakW2T6jyOJaH5C2J
Harrison, Shannon. “Literacy Coalition.” Adult Learning, 27 Dec. 2017, http://dallaslibrary2.org/adultlearning/literacy-coalition/.
Herrick, E. “Prison Literacy Connection.” Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, Dec. 1991, https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/prison-literacyconnection. Accessed 02 March, 2022.
“Household Income in Tarrant County, Texas.” The Demographic Statistical Atlas of the United States - Statistical Atlas, Cedar Lake Ventures, Inc., 4 Sept. 2018, https://statisticalatlas.com/county/Texas/Tarrant-County/Household-Income.
International Literacy Programs | ProLiteracy www.proliteracy.org/What-We-Do/International
Accessed 4 Mar. 2022.
Jeanne Batalova, M. F. (2015, July 21). Through an immigrant lens: PIAAC assessment of the competencies of adults in the United States. migrationpolicy.org. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/through-immigrant-lens-piaacassessment-competencies-adults-united-states
Kalthoff, Ken. “Removing Fort Worth Redlines.” NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, 5 Feb. 2021, https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/removing-fortworthredlines/2542859/
Kearney, Melissa S. “Income Inequality, Social Mobility, and the Decision to Drop Out of High School.” Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Brookings Institution Press, 2016, pp. 333–80, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43869027.
Kenyon, Rochelle. “Facts And Statistics on Learning Disabilities and Literacy.” Mylakelibrary.Org, 2003, https://www.mylakelibrary.org/pdfs/adult_literacy_program/tutor_training_orientation/Br idges_to_Practice_Learning_Disbilities.pdf.
Lopes, H., McKay, V. Adult learning and education as a tool to contain pandemics: The COVID19 experience. Int Rev Educ 66, 575–602 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-02009843-0.
Lopez, Gabriella. “Tarrant Literacy Coalition Receives $5,500 Grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to Support Adult Literacy.” Tarrant Literacy Coalition June 1st , 2021. www.tarrantliteracycoalition.org/coalition/news.html/article/2021/06/01/tarrantliteracy-coalition-receives-5-500-grant-from-the-dollar-general-literacy-foundation-tosupport-adult-literacy
“Map of Percentage At or Below Level 1 Literacy.” U.S. Skills Map: State and County Indicators of Adult Literacy and Numeracy, Program for International Assessment of Adult Competence, https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/skillsmap/.
Martínez-Alcalá, Claudia I., et al. “The Effects of Covid-19 on the Digital Literacy of the Elderly: Norms for Digital Inclusion.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 1 Jan. 1AD, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.716025/full
Miller, John W. Central Conneticut State University. 2018. 3 March 2022. <https://web.ccsu.edu/americasmostliteratecities/2018/author.asp>.
“National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL).” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education, https://nces.ed.gov/naal/.
National Center for Education Statistics. “Percentage of high school dropouts.” National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, 2007. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/tables/dt07_105.asp
National Center for Education Statistics. “U.S. PIAAC Skills Map.” U.S. Skills Map: State and County Indicators of Adult Literacy and Numeracy, Institute of Education Services, 2018, https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/skillsmap/.
Nietzel, Michael. “Low Literacy Levels among U.S. Adults Could Be Costing the Economy $2.2
Trillion a Year.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 1 Sept. 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2020/09/09/low-literacy-levels-among-usadults-could-be-costing-the-economy-22-trillion-a-year/?sh=454c09664c90
Post, Ashley. “Outstanding Literacy Organizations.” Charity Navigator, 10 September 2018, https://blog.charitynavigator.org/2018/09/outstanding-literacy-organizations.html.
Accessed 4 March 2022.
Percentage by County of Illiterate Adult Texans - Agrilife.org. https://agrilife.org/lubbock/files/2011/10/09illitmap.pdf.
Peterson, Deb. “5 Ways to Improve Adult Literacy.” ThoughtCo, https://www.thoughtco.com/ways-to-improve-adult-literacy-31729. Accessed 5 Mar. 2022.
Rockets, Reading. “Learning Disabilities: An Overview.” Reading Rockets, 24 Apr. 2013, https://www.readingrockets.org/article/learning-disabilities-overview.
Race, Diversity, and Ethnicity in Tarrant County, TX ... https://bestneighborhood.org/raceintarrant-county-tx/.
Rea, Amy. “How Serious Is America's Literacy Problem?” Library Journal, 29 April 2020, https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/How-Serious-Is-Americas-Literacy-Problem Accessed 4 March 2022.
Reading Horizons. “Poor Reading Skills Lead More Students to Dropout of School Than Poverty.” Reading Horizons, 20 Apr. 2011, www.readinghorizons.com/blog/post/2011/04/20/poor-reading-skills-are-responsible-formore-dropouts-than-poverty.
Romano, Andrew. “How Ignorant Are Americans.” Newsweek, March 20th, 2011.
www.newsweek.com/how-ignorant-are-americans-66053
Schultz, Robert M. “Truancy: Issues and Interventions.” Behavioral Disorders, vol. 12, no. 2, 1987, pp. 117–30, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23882311. Accessed 26 Apr. 2022.
Scott, John B. “Historical Election Results.” Texas Secretary of State, 2022, https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/historical/.
Smailes G. “Which Book Genre is Most Popular in 2021?”. ProActive Writer, 13 August 2020. https://proactivewriter.com/blog/how-to-pick-a-genre-for-your-book-what-is-the-mostpopular-best-selling-book-genre. Accessed 2 March 2022.
Solender, Andrew. “The Insiders 2020 Mission: Political Literacy.” The Vassar Insider, September 6th, 2019. www.vassarinsider.com/post/the-vprs-2020-mission-politicalliteracy-to-combat-the- civic-education-crisis
Strauss, Valerie. “Hiding in Plain Sight: The Adult Literacy Crisis.” Washington Post (Washington, D.C.: 1974), The Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/11/01/hiding-in-plainsight-the-adult-literacy-crisis/.
Stromquist, Nelly P. “The Political Benefits of Adult Literacy: Presumed and Real Effects.”
International Multilingual Research Journal, vol. 2, no. 1-2, 11 Jan. 2008, pp. 88–101., https://doi.org/10.1080/19313150802010285.
Summers, Kathryn, et al. “Understanding Voting Barriers to Access for Americans with Low Literacy Skills.” Lecture Notes in Computer Science, May 2017, pp. 294–312., https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58640-3_21.
Tam, Ken, and About Ken Tam. “The Impact of Poor Literacy in School Students: Lynn's Learning Blog.” Lynn's Learning, 7 July 2017, lynnslearning.com.au/impact-poorliteracy-school-students/.
Tarrant Literacy Coalition. “DFW Literacy Symposium is going BIG in 2020.” Tarrant Literacy Coalition, October 9th, 2020. https://www.tarrantliteracycoalition.org/coalition/news.html/article/2020/10/09/dfwliteracy-symposium-is-going-big-in-2020
Tarrant Literacy Coalition. “Tarrant Literacy Coalition: Facts, Statistics, and Reports.”
Understanding Literacy, www.tarrantliteracycoalition.org/literacy/facts.html. Accessed 1 Mar. 2022.
Texas Work Force Comission. 30 March 2020. 3 March 2022. <https://www.twc.texas.gov/students/adulteducation#:~:text=Adult%20education%20and%20literacy%20programs%20funded%20 by%20the,enter%20college%20or%20career%20training.%20Adult%20Education%20St udents>.
Temple, Kay Miller. “Rural Health Literacy: Understanding Skills and Demands Is Key to Improvement.” Rural Health Information Hub, The Center for Rural Health, 19 Apr. 2017, https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/rural-monitor/rural-health-literacy/
Temple, Larry E., et al. Texas Interagency Literacy Council Report. Texas Workforce Commission, https://www.twc.texas.gov/files/partners/texas-interagency-literacycouncil-report-twc.pdf.
Texas Education Agency. “Attendance, Admission, Enrollment Records, and Tuition - August 2017.” Texas Education Agency, Texas Education Agency, 17 Dec. 2019,
https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/news-and-multimedia/correspondence/taaletters/attendance-admission-enrollment-records-and-tuition-august-2017.
The Texas Tribune. 2022. TribBlog: The 51st State. [online] Available at: <https://www.texastribune.org/2010/07/26/why-does-texas-rank-last-in-high-schooldiplomas/> [Accessed 2 March 2022].
United States, Congress, Educational Research and Improvement, et al. Adult Literacy in America: A First Look at the Results of the National Adult Literacy Survey, 3rd ed., Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Dept. of Education, 2002, pp. 53–54.
“U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Forest Hill City, Texas; Southlake City, Texas.” Census Bureau QuickFacts, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/foresthillcitytexas,southlakecitytexas/PST045221 Accessed 1 Mar. 2022.
“U.S. Literacy Rates by State 2022.” worldpopulationreview.com, World Population Review, 2022, worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/us-literacy-rates-by-state. Accessed 4 Mar. 2022.
“U.S. PIAAC Skills Map.” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education, https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/skillsmap/
