Research Tools: An Interactive Map Enables Users to View Estimates of Adult Literacy and Numeracy Skills in Each of the Fifty U.S. States and 3,000+ Counties
From the National Skills Coalition:
Data released recently from the US Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences is providing a first-of-its-kind look at American adults’ literacy and numeracy gaps at the state and local (county) level. The data comes from the widely respected Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Survey of Adult Skills, also known as the PIAAC. The new data will be a powerful tool for advocates looking to illustrate the impact of skill gaps on their local economies.
The U.S. PIAAC Skills Map is an interactive mapping tool that enables members of the public to view estimates of adult literacy and numeracy skills in each of the fifty US states and 3,000+ counties. These estimates are based on data collected in three rounds of US PIAAC survey (2012, 2014, and 2017) as well as data from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2013-2017).
The mapping tool provides estimates of the proportion of US adults ages 16–74 who have the lowest levels of proficiency (at or below Level 1 of the PIAAC), versus those with middle proficiency (at Level 2), or the highest levels of proficiency (at or above Level 3). The tool also allows users to make statistical comparisons between various states and counties.
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About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com. Gary is also the co-founder of infoDJ an innovation research consultancy supporting corporate product and business model teams with just-in-time fact and insight finding.