HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 27

(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chambers, and Delegates Flanigan,

McGraw, Huffman, Frederick, Compton, Staton, Moore,

Preece, H. White, Dempsey, Browning, Ellis, Yeager,

Whitman, Hendricks and Kiss)



Requesting the federal government to recognize the (a) critical problem of illiteracy among both state and national populations; (b) the growing problem of confusing and overlapping organizational structures of agencies that are designed to combat growing illiteracy; and (c) the need for a state and national centralized ambition to accurately identify the serious impact of growing illiteracy on social and economic futures; and support the urgent need for a center in Southern West Virginia to direct, research and develop a mission to reverse state and national illiteracy.

Whereas, An alarming high percentage of high school seniors read at inadequate levels to carry out moderately complex tasks and have inadequate writing skills; and

 Whereas, The United States Department of Education has reported that a high percentage of Americans over age sixteen are, as far as most workplaces are concerned, not properly prepared for employment because of the lack of basic reading, math and comprehension skills; and
 Whereas, Southern West Virginia is recognized both state and nationally has having an image of a higher level of proportionate illiteracy; and
 Whereas, The public seeking benefits from adult education opportunities are faced with a complication of literacy programs that are not networked or interactive because of insufficient state and federal direction; and
 Whereas, There is no clearinghouse of accurate data on illiteracy nor a realistic evaluation of the social and economic crises posed by growing illiteracy; therefore, be it
 Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the federal government is requested to give full support to the development of a national center for literacy in Southern West Virginia that will direct, consolidate, research and develop national programs to identify the national crisis of illiteracy, its impact on the future of social and national security, and formulate national policies and programs to redirect a campaign to reverse that impact; and, be it
 Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates be hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the West Virginia Department of Education, Secretary Barbara Harmon-Schamberger, West Virginia Superintendent of Schools, Henry Marockie, the Governor, the West Virginia delegation to Congress, President Bill Clinton, and U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard Riley.