A Fresh Look at Adult Skills in the United States and Around the World: Key Findings From the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies 2012 and Their Implications

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This symposium provides a first look at results from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), a cognitive assessment and background questionnaire administered to adults aged 16-65. Twenty-four nations participated in PIAAC, with roughly 130,000 adults assessed in total. Country-level estimates of literacy, numeracy, and computer-based problem solving skills will be presented, as well as details on how these cognitive skills relate to workplace skills, employment, educational attainment, and demographics in the United States. Experts and researchers from the public sector, the private sector, and the academic sector will be presenting different aspects of this study and discussing the findings from a national and global perspective.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Adult Literacy and Adult Education

Chair

• John P. Sabatini, ETS

Papers

• Literacy, Numeracy, and Problem Solving in Technology-Rich Environments Among U.S. Adults: Results From the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies 2012 - Tim Werwath, American Institutes for Research; Eugene H. Owen, National Center for Education Statistics; Stephen J. Provasnik, National Center for Education Statistics

• An Analysis of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies U.S. Country Report - Johan Uvin, U.S. Department of Education

• Building a Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies-Centered Research Community - Stephen M. Reder, Portland State University

• Literacy Skills and the Health Status of U.S. Adults: A Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies Data Explorer Interactive Presentation - Tim Werwath, American Institutes for Research