National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) - Demographics

National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)

A nationally representative and continuing assessment of English language literary skills of American Adults

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Demographics -> Race/Age

Race/Ethnicity

Performance in 2003

Prose: Whites had the highest scores followed by Asians/Pacific Islanders, Blacks, and Hispanics
Document: Whites and Asians/Pacific Islanders had the highest scores followed by Blacks and Hispanics
Quantitative: Whites had the highest scores followed by Asians/Pacific Islanders, and both Blacks and Hispanics

Changes between 1992 and 2003

White Adults
Up 9 points in quantitative
Black Adults
Up 6 points in prose, 8 points in document, and 16 points in quantitative
Hispanic Adults
Down 18 points in prose and 14 points in document
Asian/Pacific Islander Adults
Up 16 points in prose

Change in Literacy between 1992 and 2003

Age Cohorts

Performance in 2003
Adults age 65+ had the lowest literacy
Changes between 1992 and 2003
Literacy increased among age cohorts 25-39, 50-64, and 65+

Average quantative literacy scores of adults by age: 1992 and 2003

* Significantly different from 1992.
NOTE: Adults are defined as people 16 years of age and older living in households or prisons. Adults who could not be interviewed due to language spoken or cognitive or mental disabilities (3 percent in 2003 and 4 percent in 1992) are excluded from this figure.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey and 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

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