SUPPORT LANGUAGE AND LITERACY EDUCATION. 1. humanitiesindicators.org/content/indicatordoc.aspx?i=8, Supporting Table I-5a: Mean SAT Verbal/Critical Reading Score of College-Bound Seniors Compared with Mean Math and Writing Scores, 1968–2014 2. humanitiesindicators.org/content/indicatordoc.aspx?i=8, Supporting Table I-1f: Percentages of 12th Graders Scoring at Reading Achievement Levels Compared with Those for Math and Science, Early 1990s/2005–2009/2013 3. humanitiesindicators.org/content/indicatordoc.aspx?i=8, Supporting Table I-1g: Average Scores on International Reading Assessment, 2012 4. www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/funding-down-tuition-up 5. www.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/business/a-rising-call-to-promote-stem-education-and-cut-liberal-arts-funding.html?_r=1 6. www.ala.org/offices/sites/ala.org.offices/files/content/QF2012_annotatedFINAL_2.pdf, p. 3 7–8. humanitiesindicators.org/content/document.aspx?i=15 (illustration) 9–11. www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/LEAP/2013_EmployerSurvey.pdf, pp. 1, 8, 2 AND U.S. RESIDENTS ARE READING LESS . . . Family members reading to children declined 8%. 8 From 1992 to 2008, the percentage of U.S. residents who read for pleasure declined 11%. 7 LANGUAGE AND LITERACY IN THE U.S. VERBAL SKILLS ARE DECLINING . . . The mean SAT verbal score among college-bound seniors decreased more than 8% between 1968 and 2014. 1 From 1992 to 2013, the percentage of 12th graders who scored below basic on reading achievement increased from 20% to 25%, while those at or above proficient decreased from 40% to 37%. 2 In international reading assessments, the U.S. scores 23rd, behind China, Estonia, and Poland. 3 23 Please share this infographic. Going in the Wrong Direction Support the MLA. We’re going in the wrong direction. YET EMPLOYERS STILL VALUE LITERACY AND LANGUAGE SKILLS 93% 74% 80% 93% of employers agree that skills in critical thinking, communication, and problem solving are important. 9 74% of employers recommend a liberal education as the best preparation for a global economy. 11 80% of employers want colleges to emphasize written and oral communication skills. 10 Several states are targeting language and literature programs as "an expendable . . . luxury that taxpayers should not be expected to pay for.” 5 FUNDING FOR LITERACY IS LOW . . . In 2011, humanities research received only 0.48% of the amount dedicated to science and engineering R&D in higher education. College libraries receive fewer than three cents of every dollar spent on higher education. 6 45 states are spending less per student in the 2015–16 school year than they did before the recession. 4