44% of American 4th grade students cannot read fluently, even when they read grade-level stories aloud under supportive testing conditions.
33% of children in California will not finish high school.
44 million adults in the U.S. can't read well enough to read a simple story to a child.
More than 75% of those on welfare, 85% of unwed mothers, and 68% of those arrested are illiterate. About three in five of America's prison inmates are illiterate.
Children who have not developed some basic literacy skills by the time they enter school are three to four times more likely to drop out in later years.
When the State of Arizona projects how many prison beds it will need, it factors in the number of kids who read well in fourth grade.
In middle income neighborhoods there are on average 13 books for every child, yet in low-income neighborhoods there is only one book for every 300 children. (University of Michigan study)
54% of all teachers have limited English proficient (LEP) students in their classrooms, yet only one fifth of teachers feel very prepared to serve them.
It is estimated that the cost of illiteracy to business and the taxpayer is $20 billion per year.
