Hispanic literacy in U.S. shows troubling signs

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3528735.html

Dec. 16, 2005, 1:34PM

Hispanic literacy in U.S. shows troubling signs
Federal report indicates a rising number of those 16 and older lack even basic skills
By MATTHEW TRESAUGUE

An estimated 11 million U.S. adults lack the literacy skills to perform everyday tasks, while an increasing number of Hispanics struggle to do more than sign a form in English, a federal survey shows.

The U.S. Education Department reported Thursday virtually no progress over the past decade in the ability of the country's adults to read newspapers, bus schedules and prescription labels.

But every racial and ethnic group except for Hispanics improved in tasks ranging from reading materials arranged in sentences and paragraphs, computing numbers and comprehending documents such as bills.

Forty-four percent of Hispanics, ages 16 and older, do not have basic English skills, meaning they might be unable to use a television guide to find out what programs are on at a specific time or to compare ticket prices for two events. That is a substantial increase from 36 percent a decade ago, the last time the federal government released such a comprehensive literacy study.

Overall, 14 percent of adults have English skills considered below basic.

While some of those assessed could be literate in another language, the findings are significant at a time when the Hispanic population is surging in Texas and across the country.

Economics seems to play a role in the increasing percentage of Hispanics deemed illiterate in English, said David Dahnke, who leads the English as a Second Language program at North Harris College.

"Many people come to the United States to get better jobs, and they don't have a lot of time to learn English because they're trying to get food on the table," he said. "In many ways, learning English is a luxury."

The majority of students who don't speak English at home are Hispanic at North Harris, which will offer 68 sections of the English as a Second Language class next semester. A decade ago, the classes attracted mostly students of Asian descent, Dahnke said.

Since the previous federal literacy report, the proportion of Hispanic adults assessed increased from 8 to 12 percent, while whites decreased from 77 to 70 percent. At the same time, a growing number of Latinos are immigrants who speak English as a second language.


'A strong push' needed
"All of this research indicates a need for a strong push in adult literacy and family literacy," said Dominique Chlup, director of the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning at Texas A&M University. "These programs need federal money."

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said the federal government would invest more in proven, research-based methods to ensure that all adults have the necessary reading skills.

"One adult unable to read is one too many in America," she said, adding that many adults with below-basic literacy skills were casualties of high schools in need of reform.

The National Center for Education Statistics, which is run by the Education Department, surveyed more than 19,000 adults in homes and prisons across the country to measure English literacy. The sample represents a population of about 222 million.

The study, known as the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, also found that women made gains while men declined in their skills. And literacy rates did not improve, and even dropped, across every level of education, from those with college degrees to high school dropouts.

Of those without basic English skills, more than half failed to complete high school. Their average annual salary in 2003 was $22,464, about $28,000 below those with ability to perform challenging and complex reading tasks, according to the study.

The shifting demographics may have skewed the numbers for Hispanics in the report, said Roberto González, vice president of Employment and Training Centers in Houston.

Recent immigrants tend to be young men with low levels of education in their home countries, he said.

"I don't think it's a true indication of what is happening with Hispanics who have been here awhile," González said. "Over time, it will even out."

matthew.tresaugue@chron.com