NCES releases state and county adult literacy & numeracy estimates.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the U.S. Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Skills Map with State and County Indicators of Adult Literacy and Numeracy.
According to the study, an estimated 24% of adults in Florida perform at the lowest literacy level and 35% perform at the lowest numeracy level. This puts Florida slightly below the national average on both metrics. Adults at the upper end of Level 1 can typically read short texts and understand the meaning well enough to perform simple tasks, such as filling out a basic form. Adults who are below Level 1 may be able to understand only very basic vocabulary or even struggle to do this. Approximately 34% of Florida adults are estimated to perform at Level 2 in literacy, and 42% function at Level 3 or above. Adults whose skills are below Level 3 are generally not considered to be fully proficient in working with information and ideas in text. (See study for more details)
This is the first time such local adult literacy data has been available in more than a decade. The Skills Map provides an interactive mapping tool that allows users to access estimates of literacy and numeracy proficiency in all U.S. states and counties. These estimates are based on data collected in the three rounds of U.S. PIAAC data collection (in 2012, 2014, and 2017), as well as data from the American Community Survey (2013-2017). The mapping tool also allows one to add other population variables such as race/ethnicity, education level, and residents who are foreign-born or living in poverty.
