Background
In 2003 the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducted the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) to measure the English literacy skills of the nation's adults. The NAAL was a follow up to the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), conducted by NCES in 1992. The 2003 NAAL included interviews of more than 18,500 adults (age 16 and older) who resided in private households across the country. As a part of that interview, participants were asked to perform a variety of reading and math activities using documents from daily life. The overall sample comprised a core national sample supplemented by samples in the 6 states that participated in the State Assessment of Adult Literacy (SAAL). The SAAL was designed to provide direct survey estimates of adult literacy levels for each of the participating states.1 In a similar fashion, the 1992 NALS interviewed more than 24,000 adults in private households. It consisted of a core national sample supplemented by samples in the 11 states that participated in the State Adult Literacy Survey (SALS).2,3
To find out more visit http://nces.ed.gov/naal/estimates/overview.aspx.