Adolescence

To meet the demands of life in the 21st century, today's adolescents must develop and use sophisticated literacy skills. But approximately two-thirds of eighth and twelfth grade students read at less than the "proficient" level, as described by the 2005 National Assessment for Educational Progress. They may struggle to understand their textbooks and find themselves poorly prepared for post-secondary education and work.

The National Institute for Literacy has joined several other Federal agencies to bring resources and attention to bear on adolescent literacy. With the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, four offices of the U.S. Department of Education, and national education organizations, the Institute helped sponsor a series of workshops to develop recommendations for a program of research on adolescent literacy. Research studies that address the priorities identified during the workshops are underway now.

The Institute also is collaborating with NICHD and the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) in the U.S. Department of Education to summarize some of the current literature on adolescent literacy research and practice. The result, expected in Summer 2006, will be a report for teachers and others that provides basic information on building adolescents' reading and writing skills.