What the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies Says About the Effects of Social Background on Adult Skills and Social Mobility

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

It is important for U.S. adults, regardless of social background, to be equipped with the 21st century skills needed in today’s society. This session will focus on the impact of social background on adults’ skill level. All papers will use data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Findings presented include descriptive statistics examining the relationships between skills of young adults from immigrant and native families and their individual and family characteristics and regressions examining if the advantages of having highly educated parents are associated with educational attainment and literacy/numeracy level in adulthood. Data from the 2014 PIAAC National Supplement, focusing on young adults, unemployed adults, older adults, and incarcerated adults, will also be introduced.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Adult Literacy and Adult Education

Chair

• Jaleh Soroui, American Institutes for Research

Papers

• Skills and Competencies of Immigrant-Origin Young Adults in North America and Europe - Jeanne Batalova, Migration Policy Institute

• Persisting Gaps: Differences in Skill Levels Among College Graduates - Karly Ford, The Pennsylvania State University; Mark Umbricht, The Pennsylvania State University

• Exploring the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies U.S. National Supplement Findings on Young Adults, the Unemployed, and the Incarcerated - Stephen Provasnik, National Center for Education Statistics; Holly Xie, National Center for Education Statistics

Discussant

• Heidi V Silver-Pacuilla, U. S. Dept. of Education