Robert Wedgeworth named to Two Adult Education Commissions

Syracuse, N.Y.
December 1, 2006

Two national education commissions have tapped ProLiteracy Worldwide’s expertise in the adult literacy field with the addition of Robert Wedgeworth, ProLiteracy’s president and CEO. The National Commission on Adult Literacy (NCAL), launched by Dollar General Corporation and the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAAL), will examine the adult education and literacy system in the U.S. The National Information and Communication Technology (ITC) Literacy Policy Council, formed by The National Forum on Informational Literacy, will determine national standards for information and communication technology.

National Commission on Adult Literacy
The NCAL will recommend changes to federal and state policies regarding the adult education and literacy system in America, suggest ways to increase awareness and involvement by the business and philanthropic communities, and look for ways to create stronger public support for the issue of adult literacy. Its report is expected in mid-2008.

“We are proud to lend our name and support to this Commission. Its work will help millions of undereducated adults improve their life prospects and find good jobs, strengthening the American workforce,” Dollar General Chairman and CEO David Perdue said. “We’ve assembled a truly remarkable group of commissioners who bring deep knowledge, enthusiasm, and a high sense of purpose to this undertaking.”

National Information and Communication Technology Literacy Policy Council
The ITC Literacy Policy Council will determine how many ICT assessment levels there should be, and determine what students should know and be able to achieve at each level. It also will determine cut points for each of the performance levels, so that students who score above a cut point will be considered more ICT literate than students who score below that cut point. These cut points are intended to help educators determine which students are proficient and which may need additional ICT literacy instruction.

“Meeting the complex range of skills likely to be required of our workforce presents a significant challenge, but it is a challenge we can no longer afford to ignore,” says National Forum on Information Literacy Co-chair Lana W. Jackman, convener of the new National ICT Literacy Policy Council. “The Council will recommend policy changes and create national standards for ICT literacy proficiency so that we can ensure that every student knows how to use technology to locate, evaluate, and use information to solve complex problems.”

“The United States has 30 million individuals over the age of 16 who read and write English at what a recent survey termed ‘below basic’ level. That’s 14 percent of our adult population that can barely understand the average newspaper article and can’t compare the prices of two tickets to a sporting event,” Wedgeworth says. “These commissions will recommend educational and technological standards that we hope will become federal and state policies that will ensure the United States’ continuing place as a competitive force in the world market.”

About Dollar General
Dollar General is a Fortune 500® discount retailer with more than 8,000 neighborhood stores. Dollar General Stores offer convenience and value to customers by offering consumable basic items that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids and cleaning supplies, as well as a selection of basic apparel, house wares, and seasonal items at everyday low prices. The company has a longstanding tradition of supporting literacy and education in the U.S. In 2005, its support of nonprofit organizations helped more than 81,000 individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma, or English proficiency. For more information about Dollar General, go to DollarGeneral.com

About the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy
CAAL is a nonprofit organization, incorporated as a national public charity. It is dedicated to expanding and strengthening the adult education and literacy system in America through a program of research and analysis, symposia, and special cutting-edge projects—all designed to improve policy, planning, and practice at the state and national levels. For more information about CAAL, go to CAALUSA.org.

About The National Forum on Information Literacy
The National Forum on Information Literacy was created in 1989 as a response to the recommendations of the American Library Association's Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. These education, library, and business leaders stated that no other change in American society has offered greater challenges than the emergence of the Information Age. Information is expanding at an unprecedented rate, and enormously rapid strides are being made in technology for storing, organizing, and accessing the ever-growing tidal wave of information. For more information, visit infolit.org.