College literacy

Headlines in the US national press have trumpeted low levels of literacy and numeracy among college students nearing graduation. The articles refer to a report conducted by the American Institutes of Research, “The Literacy of America’s College Students,” that describes the National Survey of America’s College Students (NSACS). Although the report describes some saddening results, it also presents some pretty predictable outcomes. However, to find alarming content, one has to dig a great deal. Here’s a snippet.

• The average prose, document, and quantitative literacy of students in 2- and 4-year institutions is significantly higher than the average literacy of adults in the nation.
• Across the literacy scales, the percentage of students in 2- and 4-year institutions with Below Basic literacy is significantly lower than the percentage of adults in the nation with Below Basic literacy. Below Basic literacy involves simple literacy skills, such as reading instructions to find out what a patient is allowed to drink before a medical test, or adding up amounts on a bank deposit slip.
• One percent of students in 4-year institutions have Below Basic prose literacy skills, while one percent have Below Basic document literacy, and another one percent have Below Basic quantitative literacy.
• Students in 2-year institutions scored similarly, with one percent having Below Basic skills in the prose and document categories, while four percent are Below Basic in quantitative literacy.

There are about 20 conclusions, but the one that got a lot of press was this one:

Students in 2- and 4-year colleges have the most difficulty with quantitative literacy: approximately 30 percent of students in 2-year institutions and nearly 20 percent of students in 4-year institutions have only Basic quantitative literacy. Basic literacy skills are those necessary to compare ticket prices or calculate the cost of a sandwich and a salad from a menu.

Link to the AIR press release about the study. See links at the foot of the page for the details on the study. Disclosure: My colleage, Peg Miller, is a member of the advisory panel that guided the study.

Most outlets have used the Associated Press by Ben Feller (AP Education Writer) story directly. Here’s a sampling:

• ABC News: Study: Most College Students Lack Skills–Study Says Most Students Are Not Equipped for Complex but Common Tasks;
• Black America Web: Study Says Most College Students Can’t Handle Common Tasks
• Boston.com: Study: most college students lack skills;
• CBS News: Many College Students Poor On 3 Rs;
• USA Today: Study: most college students lack skills;
• MSNBC: Reports on college literacy levels sobering–Study: Most students unable to handle complex but common reading tasks;