Adult illiteracy is not only a local issue it is a global issue. .
Low basic skills are factors that are the reason that we have so many social and economic issues. Researchers, practitioners, and other observes have seen the parallels between low literacy levels and problems like teenage pregnancy, school dropouts, welfare dependency and a decline in the growth of the workforce. Low basic skills are prevalent in urban communities. There have been problems that helped to create this problem. In 1998, Title II of the Workforce Investment Act replaced the Adult Education Act. This law had three goals, in regards to adult education. Those goals were (1) assistance in helping adults become literate and gain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment, (2) assist adults who are parents in getting the educational skills needed to help their children's educational goals, and (3) assist adults with getting their high school diploma or the equivalent (Amstutz and Sheared, 2000). These programs are failing. Adult literacy is an issue that needs to be taken more seriously and proactively. Reading over this literature, we can come across areas were things need to be retooled and look at new ways where this problem can be confronted.
State of Literacy Definitions .
In the literature, there was the use of both adult education and adult literacy to describe the same thing. They both speak about the instruction that is needed to complete high school. When the term literacy is used, it is mostly speaking about those who have not completed 8th grade. When it comes to the term adult education, that is referring to those who have not completed high school or are not proficient in English (Amstutz and Sheared, 2000). In 1991, the National Literary Act defined literacy as "having an ability to read write, speak English, compute and solve problems to achieve and function in a job and in society (Amstutz and Sheared, 2000 p.
