The National Assessment of Adult Literacy

The National Assessment of Adult Literacy, or NAAL, assesses English literacy among American adults aged 16 and up. It is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics, and is one of the best known measures in the nation today.
In the year 2003, more than 19,000 adults participated in the assessments, both national and state-level. The results of the 2003 assessment were compared with those from the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey, thus providing the first analysis in a decade.
In addition, NAAL provides data on adults’ literary performance as well as related background characteristics to researchers, practitioners, policymakers and the public.