Many adult learners take classes not to get a new job but to be able to help with their children's education.
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(KNOXVILLE, TN) Over half of Philadelphia adults ages 18-64 read at a fifth grade level or below, according to a nationwide assessment released in 2020. A recent Axios Philadelphia article pointed to a lack of funding for adult education programs, some of which have wait lists, as a major cause of this decades-long adult literacy crisis.

As a longtime adult literacy researcher and former staff member at Philadelphia’s Office of Adult Education, I’m glad adult literacy is receiving public attention.

But the years I spent visiting adult literacy agencies across Philadelphia revealed a more nuanced story about the adult learners in these programs – and the challenges of supporting them – than a focus on standardized test scores, grade levels and lack of funding suggests.

Problems with standardized assessments

The most comprehensive measure of adult literacy levels is the Survey of Adult Skills, which is part of a larger international assessment known as the PIAAC. The PIAAC is a standardized test that provides a snapshot of how well adults are reading in a geographic area. In the U.S., the test is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, the official research branch of the U.S. Department of Education.

PIAAC data shows that 32% of adults ages 16-74 in Philadelphia read at or below the test’s lowest level. This percentage is higher than the Pennsylvania average. If you are curious what this test looks like, try some of the questions yourself.

Yes, this stat is alarming. But tests of reading tend to measure academic, school-based kinds of reading versus practical, everyday reading. For example, an academic reading task might involve identifying the main idea in a paragraph. A practical reading task would involve applying this information to everyday life – such as understanding doses of medication or a child’s school calendar.

Research has shown that adult readers test differently than kids do. While children may do better when tested on academics, adults do better when tested on practical knowledge. For example, one adult literacy researcher described a woman in her Philadelphia adult literacy program who tested at the third grade level. Yet this woman also told the researcher about being a local minister who wrote a monthly newsletter for parishioners.

Since the PIAAC is designed with adults in mind, it aims to test reading in practical situations. But this is hard to achieve because practical knowledge is gained through experiences at work, at home and in the community, and these experiences often vary depending on industry, age and geographic area.

Test anxiety is also a common issue for adult learners. This can be based on negative memories of school or never being taught good test-taking strategies.

Imagine being in your 40s, 50s or even 70s – you have been out of school for decades. One day, a stranger hands you a tablet and asks you to identify the correct words in a passage or find information in a chart.

Grade level comparisons can be misleading

The phrase “adults are reading at a fifth grade level” is a convenient and attention-grabbing way to describe adults who struggle with reading. But comparing adults to elementary school kids can be misleading.

As adult literacy researcher Hannah Fingeret noted in 1990. “The image of nonreading adults as fundamentally incompetent has become deeply embedded in our conventional wisdom.”

Adults with low print literacy may be especially creative and resourceful because of the challenges they must navigate. One local Philadelphia example is Wanda Steward, who narrated original stories for her children based on the pictures in books before attending an adult literacy program and writing her own children’s book.

Idris Elba reads ‘The Little Chicken Named Pong-Pong,’ by a Philadelphia woman who learned to read and write through a local literacy program.

As my own research shows, adult literacy is also increasingly about more than reading and writing printed text, as people routinely move across digital platforms and devices. Literacy is about adapting to this constant flux between the physical and digital world. And navigating a website might involve deciphering images or knowing what links to click.

There’s also a lot we still don’t know about the state of adult literacy in Philadelphia and in general.

Unlike K-12 education, many adults in Philadelphia with low print literacy may never go to a program. This makes it harder to conduct high-quality research. Recruiting adults outside of literacy programs for research can be problematic – these adults may not want to come forward due to embarrassment, or they might not see themselves as having low print literacy.

More research is also needed to understand, for example, the best approaches to teach adults how to read. It’s likely they need different methods than children do.

Close up of person holding pen and writing on sheet of paper
Literacy isn’t just about reading and writing, but being able to complete daily life tasks such as filling out a job application or understanding how to take a prescription medicine. Westend61/Getty Images

Funding is part of the problem

Philadelphia has suffered for decades from underfunding of its public K-12 schools. A landmark lawsuit in 2023 found that the formula for distributing state education funds to districts like Philadelphia was unconstitutional and showed the severity of the chronic underfunding.

Adult literacy agencies in Philadelphia and elsewhere must deal with the consequences of poorly funded K-12 school systems, which may not have the resources to make sure all students graduate with strong reading skills while being severely underfunded themselves.

Only four state or federally funded adult literacy programs exist in Philadelphia. This reflects 12 years of decreased or flat funding to adult education programs in Pennsylvania.

Other adult literacy programs rely on foundations, faith-based organizations and volunteers.

Philadelphia residents can find adult education programs by calling the Philadelphia adult education hotline at 833-750-5627. Information is provided in over 50 languages.

Learners’ needs, schedules and motivations vary

Lack of funding is a problem – but so is how adult literacy programs are often structured.

A recent 12-year longitudinal study of federally funded adult literacy programs showed that about a third of the adults attended multiple programs, and another third attended over multiple years. Yet over the long term this type of attendance could lead to literacy gains.

Adults may stop participating in a program because of a work layoff or a new baby, then start again after months or years, then move across town and go to another program. But many programs are not designed for these shifting circumstances. For example, if adults move across town and attend another program, or are gone for many months, they may have to start over. And this means they make less progress over time.

Investments in adult literacy programs are often rationalized through a simple argument: Spending money to help adults read results in greater economic contributions from them when they get a new or higher-paying job. However, research has shown that much of the evidence about the return on investment of adult literacy programs can be misleading. These returns are hard to measure because it requires saying that being in a program is directly related to getting a job.

Furthermore, gains can go beyond an individual’s financial well-being or a community’s tax base. As a recent study found, adult learners are almost as likely to be motivated by supporting their children’s learning as by gaining a job.

Research has also shown how it’s often the adults with the highest level of literacy need who have the least support. It’s not that literacy programs don’t want to help them, it’s that federal funding is tied to outcomes such as getting a higher-paying job or a high school equivalency diploma. Adults who test at the lowest reading levels may have the longest journeys to these goals.

In my view, Philadelphia absolutely needs greater investment in adult literacy. But if we define reading by standardized test scores and grade levels alone, we’ll continue to overlook the best ways to help all adult learners thrive.

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This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Jennifer D. Kobrin, University of Tennessee

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Jennifer D. Kobrin was a staff member at the City of Philadelphia's Office of Adult Education, where she later served as a consultant. She has also conducted research and volunteered with adult literacy agencies in Philadelphia.