[marden]

Study Finds One-Third in D.C. Illiterate

Mar 19 11:50 AM US/Eastern

WASHINGTON (AP) - About one-third of the people living in the national's capital are functionally illiterate, compared with about one-fifth nationally, according to a report on the District of Columbia.
Adults are considered functionally illiterate if they have trouble doing such things as comprehending bus schedules, reading maps and filling out job applications.

The study by the State Education Agency, a quasi-governmental office created by the U.S. Department of Education to distribute federal funds for literacy services, was ordered by Mayor Anthony A. Williams in 2003 as part of his four-year, $4 million adult literacy initiative.

The growing number of Hispanic and Ethiopian immigrants who aren't proficient in English contributed to the city's high functional illiteracy level, which translated to 170,000 people, said Connie Spinner, director of the State Education Agency. The report says the district's functional illiteracy rate is 36 percent and the nation's 21 percent.

Adults age 65 and older had the lowest literacy score of any group, the report found.

The District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce, which contributed to the report, said the city lost up to $107 million in taxes annually between 2000 and 2005 because of a lack of qualified job applicants.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1

I could understand if the study found that young people were the most illiterate, but people over 65???

Can ANYONE explain this? I am at a loss.

[Captain Obvious]

1) Washington is not very big compared to other cities. 60% of the population is black and not very well off. The people with money and an education don't live in D.C. they live in NoVa or Maryland.

2) immigrants who aren't proficient in English contributed to the city's high functional illiteracy level, which translated to 170,000 people

It has a larger than normal foreign population living there because of the embassies and government related work. If you consider the population is close to a half million and 170K are foreign then 33% is understandable.

3) "Adults are considered functionally illiterate if they have trouble doing such things as comprehending bus schedules, reading maps"

I'd say that would contribute significantly as to why seniors had a lower score than other groups. Senility is always going to be a contributing factor with people over 65 in studies like these.

I would be more worried about the national scores than the score of D.C. residents.

Issue explained. Now lock the thread.

[Peter]

marden... patience... waning...

Even more Lounge threads?
Even more infractions.