Reps. Melton, Corriveau, Ball, Constan, Kennedy, Liss, Neumann and Rogers offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 320.   

            A resolution to memorialize Congress to enact the Literacy for All, Results for the Nation Act.

            Whereas, Literacy development begins at birth and requires a sustained engagement and investment. The Literacy for All, Results for the Nation (LEARN) Act, H.R. 4037, would provide aid to states and educational agencies for comprehensive planning to improve the literacy of students from birth through grade twelve. Discretionary grants would be provided to bridge America's learning gap by supporting text-rich learning environments to improve reading, writing, and academic achievement. The act would provide for competitive subgrants focused on early language and literacy development in children under the age of six and districts with the highest percentages of disadvantaged or low-performing students. The Secretary of Education would perform a five-year evaluation of initiatives funded through the act, thus making school districts and states accountable for the dollars they receive and programs they support; and

            Whereas, According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), approximately 70 percent of fourth and eighth graders read below the proficiency level. Only one-third of secondary school students who enter the ninth grade can expect to graduate in four years with adequate skills needed to succeed in higher education and their place of work. These statistics are worrisome when 25 of today's fastest growing professions require higher than average literacy skills; and

            Whereas, The LEARN Act would benefit Michigan, especially Detroit and other urban centers. Forty-seven percent of Detroit's adults are functionally illiterate and over 50 percent of displaced Detroit workers are literacy challenged. This low rate of literacy impacts the ability of Michigan's largest city to attract industries seeking professionals that are prepared for today's work environment. This challenge exacerbates joblessness, poverty, and crime; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize Congress to enact the Literacy for All, Results for the Nation Act (LEARN); and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.