Why Literacy Matters
This is not just an education issue —
it is an economic, health, and equity issue with lifelong consequences.
Pennsylvania is in a Literacy Crisis
Right now, just 1 in 3 Pennsylvania fourth graders read on grade level. That means 67% of fourth grade students can’t read proficiently.
For students furthest from opportunity — including students of color and students from low-income communities — proficiency rates are significantly lower.
Fourth grade marks a pivotal transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Without strong literacy skills by this point, students are far more likely to struggle across subjects, fall behind academically, and face long-term barriers to success.
This is not just an education issue — it is an economic, health, and equity issue with lifelong consequences.
The Economic Impact
Literacy is foundational to workforce readiness and long-term economic growth.
Students who do not read proficiently by fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2011). Lower graduation rates are associated with:
Reduced lifetime earnings
Higher unemployment rates
Increased reliance on social services
National research shows that raising adult literacy rates would generate trillions in additional economic output and significantly strengthen GDP.
In Pennsylvania alone, increasing literacy rates could generate an estimated $113 billion in additional annual economic output. Our state’s long-term economic competitiveness depends on building a literate workforce.
To understand what low literacy means for your community, explore our county-level fact sheets outlining the economic impact across Pennsylvania.
Source:
PIAAC & U.S. Census data; Earnings potential calculated usingmethodology developed by Jonathan Rothwell (2020), Assessing Economic Gains of Eradicating Illiteracy Nationally and Regionally in the United States
The Health Impact
Low literacy is closely tied to poor health outcomes — and the consequences are measurable and costly.
Adults with limited literacy are more likely to be hospitalized, use preventive care less frequently, struggle to understand medical instructions, and live with greater rates of chronic illness. When people can't navigate the healthcare system confidently, small problems become serious ones.
The economic burden of low literacy-related health costs in the United States runs into the hundreds of billions annually — a staggering price for a preventable problem.
Literacy doesn't just shape what children learn in school. It shapes how long they live, how healthy they are, and how well they can care for themselves and their families. It is, in every sense, a public health issue.
The Social Impact
Literacy is the foundation of opportunity — and its absence touches every part of life.
Adults with low literacy are more likely to face unemployment, limited career mobility, and barriers to civic participation. They struggle to navigate healthcare systems, understand contracts, and complete job applications. These are not abstract consequences — they are daily realities for millions of Pennsylvanians.
And the cycle compounds. When parents struggle to read, their children are more likely to as well. Low literacy doesn't just limit individuals — it limits families, neighborhoods, and communities across generations.
When children learn to read, everything else opens up: better health outcomes, stronger families, a more engaged citizenry, a more competitive workforce.
This is why literacy is not just an education issue. It is an economic issue, a health issue, and a social justice issue — and it is one of the most solvable problems Pennsylvania faces.
How We Got Here —
& Where We're Headed
Pennsylvania's literacy crisis is not a failure of effort. Our educators show up every day committed to their students. The problem is systemic — decades of instructional approaches that research has since proven ineffective, with no dedicated state funding for training, no aligned curriculum guidance, and no cohesive statewide support.
The good news: we know exactly what works — and the proof is already here.
States that committed to science-based instruction, aligned curriculum, and teacher training have seen historic results. Mississippi — once ranked last in the nation — posted the largest reading gains of any state in the country. Louisiana and Alabama followed the same playbook and saw the same results.
And it's working right here in Pennsylvania. Districts like Scranton, Mohawk Area, Westmont Hilltop, and Middletown Area have already begun implementing the conditions that research shows drive literacy gains — and students are responding.
Pennsylvania passed Act 47 with broad bipartisan support. We have the law. We have the research. We have nearly 80 organizations united behind a common ask.
Pennsylvania is poised to be the next state that proves every child can learn to read — regardless of zip code.
The question is no longer whether we know how to improve literacy outcomes. It's whether we have the will to fund what works. This budget cycle is the moment.
Ready to make history for Pennsylvania's kids?
Tell your legislator to fund literacy in
the FY26–27 budget →
"The question is no longer whether we know how to improve literacy outcomes. It's whether we have the will to invest in what works."
— Rachael Garnick, PA Literacy Coalition