In no more than 500 words, please write a professional policy memorandum for a senior staffer

in a department where you would like to intern. The memorandum should address a topic that
you are particularly passionate or knowledgeable about.
1. To: Cecilia Muoz , Presidents Domestic Policy Advisor and the Director of the
Domestic Policy Council
From: Psalms White Date: 1/12/16
RE: Inhibiting Illiteracy: The Reading Efficiency Test
45 million people in America are functionally illiterate and cannot read over the 5th grade
reading level [1]. Illiteracy has been linked to criminal justice issues, economic disparity, and the
stagnation of the United States as a whole. The government already has several programs in
place to combat illiteracy including the Presidents Race to the Top initiative. However, an
addendum to this initiative that consists of teacher accountability evaluations and a reading exam
given in the 2nd grade called the Reading Efficiency Test or RET could promote even higher
levels of literacy.
The dangers of illiteracy
According to the Literacy Project Foundation, over 50% of adults in America cannot read books
written on an 8th grade level, which costs American taxpayers approximately $20 billion dollars
annually through lost wages, unemployment, welfare and other government assistance [1]. The
RET would help decrease these numbers by increasing literacy in America.
What is the RET?
The RET is an oral exam that 2nd graders take and must pass before moving on the the 3rd
grade. The exam consists of reading a passage aloud within a set window of time. Those who
finish reading the passage with minimal errors within the allotted time will pass, and those who
finish after the time, fail. The test is administered at the beginning of the year to set a benchmark
and ensure that students who fail have all year to increase their reading proficiency, so that they
are better prepared to take the test at year-end. Those who fail both tests may go to summer
school or they would not progress to 3rd grade.
Why the 3rd grade?
It is important that students be able to read at grade level by 3rd grade because it is widely
theorized that governments look at 3rd grade literacy to determine how much funding to give to
jails. There are some holes in this concept, but the bulk of the theory holds true. According to
Readingpartners.org, a student not reading at his grade level by the end of the 3rd grade is four
times less likely to graduate high school on time, and it reaches to six times less likely for
students from low-income families. Taking that data and adding it to it a Northwestern
University study that found that high school dropouts were 63 times more likely to be
incarcerated than college grads [2] and you can start to see how many arrive at this conclusion.
Teacher Accountability
Teacher accountability plays a large role in the effectiveness of the RET as they are required to
provide remedial help to those who fail the first exam. Teachers who fail to meet the requirement
of 80% passing by the end of the year could be in jeopardy of decreased wageswill be put on
monetary probation. Too often, especially in schools in low-income areas, teachers unwittingly

set the bar lower for minority students who struggle in literacy due to their home environments.
According to the Literacy Project Foundation, three-fourths of people on welfare are illiterate, so
there is a clear correlation between illiteracy and poverty. The RET is certainly not the answer to
all of these problems. However, because the focus of this test is to decrease illiteracy in a
calculable manner, many of the issues surrounding illiteracy will have an increased potential of
being eliminated.
References:
1. "Literacy Project Foundation - Statistics." Literacy Project Foundation - Statistics. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
2. "Do Prisons Use Third Grade Reading Scores to Predict the Number of Prison Beds
They'll Need? - Reading Partners." Reading Partners Do Prisons Use Third Grade
Reading Scores to Predict the Number of Prison Beds Theyll Need Comments. N.p., n.d.
Web. 13 Jan. 2016.