Adult Education and Attainment Scores Across Nations

A new report released compares average literacy and numeracy assessment scores for adults at different levels of education attainment in 22 countries, including the U.S. The countries all participated in the Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), which is sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The report, Adult Education Attainment and Assessment Scores: A Cross-National Comparison, was released today by the National Center for Education Statistics. Among the findings: The score gaps in both literacy and numeracy between adults who did not have a high school degree and those who had at least an associate's degree were higher in the United States than in almost any other OECD country that participated in PIAAC except France; The literacy and numeracy score gaps between adults who did not have a high school degree and those who had at least an associate's degree were wider for U.S. adults in their 20s than for all adults ages 16 to 65. The gap for adults in their 20s in almost all of the participating OECD countries was larger between those who did not finish high school and high school graduates when compared to the gap between high school graduates and those with at least an associate's degree. This was true for both literacy and numeracy.