Reading Access

[dmadisetti]

from slack by @emhsieh:

ward 7, 8, 5 estimated % of adults at level 1 (ages 3-6) about 50%

Another article mentions an adult charter school in DC, most students enter the school around a 4th-5th grade reading level (will link source.)

[emhsieh]

More sources we found. I know they're not solutions, just evidence to help us fine tune the reading level on the directory.

• Washington Post article: Hiding in plain sight: the adult literacy crisis (2016)

  • "According to data from the 2014 U.S. Census Bureau, 21 percent — or nearly 60,000 — of working age adults in the city lack a high school diploma...
  • 19 percent of adults cannot read a newspaper, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
  • Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School, which is an institution that provides education and other necessary services to adults with low literacy skills.
  • With 90 percent of our students arriving at or below a sixth-grade level in reading, math and computer literacy,

• The State of Adult Literacy Report, University of DC. PDF report attached, where the above screenshot comes from. (2006 data) dc-adult-literacy.pdf

[emhsieh]

Using Hemingway Editor to try to reduce reading levels:

1. Current: 42 organizations providing free legal services in Washington DC (Grade 12)

   • Suggestion: 42 organizations give free legal services in DC (Grade 6)

2. Current: Learn about organizations and programs offering services for those in need of legal assistance who cannot afford it. (Grade 13)

   • Suggestion: Learn about places offering services for those in need of legal help who cannot afford it. (Grade 8)

3. Current: Under Want to learn more? (Grade 16.) I don't know if we are "allowed" to edit this part. Is it from D4BL national?

   • Suggestion: (Grade 11)

   Data for Black Lives is a movement of activists, organizers, and mathematicians. Our mission is to use data science to create concrete and measurable change in the lives of Black people.

   Big data and algorithms are part of every aspect of our lives. These new data systems have tremendous potential to empower communities of color. Statistical modeling, data visualization, and crowd-sourcing are powerful tools. They can fight bias, build progressive movements, and promote civic engagement.

   History tells a different story. Data is often wielded as an instrument of oppression. Where it reinforces inequality and perpetuates injustice. Redlining was a data-driven operation that excluded Black communities from financial services. More recently, predictive policing, risk-based sentencing, and predatory lending, are troubling variations. Today, discrimination is a high-tech enterprise.

[mcoirad]

I'm guessing we can update that, did pull it from the d4bl website. I assume people can vet site before everything goes officially live. Thanks for these other suggestions! we can update the relevant test.

[dmadisetti]

We made these changes right?