USA: 'Fiscal Effect of Reading Failure: Any US School' - Education Consumers Foundation

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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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USA: 'Fiscal Effect of Reading Failure: Any US School' - Education Consumers Foundation

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Whilst the title of this information is the 'Fiscal Effect of Reading Failure: Any US School' - surely it could equally be the 'Fiscal Effect of Reading Instruction Failure: Any US School'?

http://education-consumers.org/research ... =hootsuite
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only a third of 4th grade students in the U.S. read at a proficient level. Approximately 70% of the two-thirds who are not up to speed in reading will either drop out or graduate unprepared for college or the workplace (i.e., they will require remedial studies or struggle with on-the-job training).

Dropouts and unprepared graduates are an economic burden to themselves and taxpayers. Their educational attainment is a barrier to self-sustaining wages. Over a working lifetime, they absorb substantially greater than average levels of publicly subsidized welfare, health care, public safety, and training.

ECF’s online calculator estimates costs and potential savings. Users need only to select the state, county, district, and school to estimate the number of dropouts and unprepared graduates per year and the estimated taxpayer costs.

Even modest levels of improvement can result in very substantial annual savings. Lifetime subsidies are approximately $90,000 for dropouts and $30,000 for unprepared graduates.

The ECF Cost Calculator: Determining the Cost of the Failure to Teach Reading

Reading failure is imposing a hidden annual surtax: Find out how much your schools are contributing to the problem
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