Literacy in Noble County

THE LITERACY CHALLENGE IN NOBLE COUNTY

•        In Noble County, 44% of adults function at the two lowest levels of
literacy (out of five) (National Adult Literacy Survey)

•        31% of Noble County 3rd Graders did not pass the ISTEP+ in 2003-
2004 (Indiana Department of Education)

•        23.7% of adults aged 25 and over in Noble County do not have a
high school diploma or a GED (US Census 2000)

•        In 1990 Noble County ranked 60th among Indiana’s 92 counties in
the number of adults aged 25+ without a high school diploma. By 2000,
Noble County’s ranking had fallen to 76th (US Census 2000)

•        Noble County’s Hispanic population grew by 428% between 1990-
2000 and now accounts for roughly 7% of the county’s overall
population (US Census 2000)
•        West Noble School Corporation hosts the second highest
percentage of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students among Indiana’
s school districts (Indiana DOE)

•        24.6% of Noble County’s Hispanic population lives below the
poverty line (US Census 2000)

•        Between June 2000-June 2002, the average number of monthly
TANF recipients grew by 220% in Noble County (STATS Indiana)

•        48% of Noble County’s workers are employed in low skill labor jobs
•        12 of the top 20 skills in demand by employers in Noble County are
skills developed in literacy programs (Indiana Workforce Development)

“Both parents and children are equally important parts of the learning
equation. Low literacy skills are a crosscutting barrier to effective
performance in all of the important arenas of life for adults and children.
That is why it is so important that adult literacy and basic education
become a national priority that matches our commitment to better
schools for our children”—Robert Wedgeworth, President ProLiteracy
Worldwide

ANSWERING THE LITERACY CHALLENGE IN NOBLE COUNTY

•        In 2003-2004, LEAP of Noble County, Inc. served more than 700
students in   education programs throughout Noble County

•        67% of adults enrolled in LEAP of Noble County, Inc. programs are
employed

•        44% of adults students left school between 8th and 11th grade

•        96% of LEAP adult students working toward a GED demonstrated
growth

•        79% of LEAP of Noble County, Inc.’s English as a New Language
students demonstrated growth in reading comprehension

•        66% of ENL students demonstrated growth in listening
comprehension

•        LEAP of Noble County, Inc. and its partners served 275 children in
the New DAWN 21st Century Community Learning Center program

•        Attendance at the Noble County Learning Center increased 23% in
2003-2004 (3,273 hours) over 2002-2003

•        School age children served at the Noble County Learning Center
hailed form all three county school corporations, as well as private
schools, home schools, and other county schools (Dekalb, LaGrange,
and Smith-Green)

•        72% of school-age children at the Noble County Learning Center
demonstrated academic growth

•        LEAP of Noble County, Inc.’s South Side Even Start Family
Learning Program served 20 families in a four day per week family
literacy program

WHY LITERACY MATTERS
•        According to the May 2001 issue of Training, "literacy problems
cost U.S. companies $60 billion annually in lost productivity."
•        70% of all people entering state correctional facilities have not
completed high school and 14 percent have no high school education at
all (US DOJ)

•        Increasing workers' literacy level by one year was found to increase
productivity by an average of 11 percent (National Institute for Literacy)
•        When adults improve their literacy skills, children have fewer
nutrition and health problems, drop out of school less, have fewer teen
pregnancies, less joblessness, and less social alienation (Padak and
Rasinski)