The Impact of Low Literacy

Low literacy is a concern in communities across the nation and in Buffalo the problem is particularly acute. Low literacy is at the very heart of many social ills. Without the ability to read, write and communicate, our children cannot succeed in school, adults cannot find and keep jobs that will sustain their families, and our city cannot compete effectively in the global economy. This translates to increased poverty for Buffalo, already ranked third poorest in the nation.

Consider these statistics:

•    30% of adults in the City of Buffalo - 65,000 people - read at or below a 5th grade level.

•    43% of children entering Kindergarten do not meet minimum benchmarks for language and literacy skills.

•    72% of 4th graders are not passing the New York State English Language Arts (ELA) learning standards for grade level competency.

•    39% of children entering 9th grade drop out of school before graduating.

There is a need for improved literacy and language skills for children at the earliest age to ensure a successful start to school in our community.  Over 40 percent of children starting Kindergarten in the Buffalo Public Schools are one to two years developmentally behind their peers in literacy skills.

Research shows that children who start school behind are more likely to stay behind, leading to frustration, higher drop out rates, and an increase of those in our community with poor literacy skills.

And, while student achievement is flat or decreasing, the demands of the workplace continue to grow.  In the global economy, employers are in need of employees with high level skills who can think critically, communicate effectively, research, analyze and use technology effectively. In our technical age, employers also have the ability to hire workers from across the globe, raising the competitive bar for those in our community, and effectively shutting out of the workplace those who do not have at least basic skills.
 
While improving literacy throughout the age span is important and part of Read to Succeed's strategic plan, the organization has focused its efforts on children ages birth through five to ensure that our youngest community members can begin school successfully and continue to achieve in school and in life.

Without an improvement in literacy rates, it will be nearly impossible to reduce poverty in Buffalo. Without strong literacy skills, children will not be able to complete high school, go to college, get a good job, or make enough money to support a family.
 

More Information Below you will find documents that shed some light on the literacy problem in our area and our plan for change. (Please note that some are under the Good Schools for All name before it was changed to Read to Succeed Buffalo.) You will need Adobe Reader to view these documents, click here to download Adobe Reader directly from the Adobe website.
Action Plan	Literacy Focus Groups	Buffalo's Needs	Needs Assessment