Literacy: A common currency

Andreas Schleicher, expert on international assessments, told attendees at the Tuesday General Session at IRA's Annual Convention in Atlanta that there is a common currency in today's global market--literacy.

Using charts, graphs, and other forms of data, Schleicher revealed how some countries, such as Poland, have dramatically increased the value of reading, while countries such as the United States have fallen behind. "The global talent pool is changing," said Schleicher, division head for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and director of the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and other programs.

Schleicher noted that countries that continue to show progress in education share one thing in common--a devotion to reading. He showed data revealing that in such countries families promote literacy through having more books at home, more frequently visiting local libraries, and creating a more diverse reading environment at home. "Having diverse reading material at home is strongly connected to high student performance and reading engagement, which includes a positive attitude torward reading," he said.