High Illiteracy Rate in D.C.

A study by the State Education Agency, which was created by the U.S. Department of Education, has found that approximately one-third of people in Washington, D.C. are functionally illiterate, the Associated Press reported. The national average for illiteracy rates is about one-fifth, or 21 percent, the study found.

Functional illiteracy means that individuals cannot handle such tasks as understanding bus schedules, reading maps or filling out job applications, the AP said. Connie Spinner, the director of the State Education Agency, said the percentage equals approximately 170,000 people in D.C., and that the high figure is due to a growing number of Ethiopian and Hispanic immigrants.