The National Center for Education Statistics’ “National Assessment of Adult Literacy” study revealed that approximately 32 million illiterate adults lived in the U.S. in 2003. According to the results of the study, “[f]rom 1992 to 2003, the USA added about 23 million adults to its population; in that period, an estimated 3.6 million more joined the ranks of adults with low literacy skills.” While some states, including Mississippi, improved adult literacy rates during this period, several large states’ numbers worsened. California, New York, Florida, and Nevada were among those with disappointing results.

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