Poor writing costs states $250M

States spend nearly $250 million annually on remedial writing training for their nearly 2.7 million employees. This is one of the findings in a report issued today by The National Commission on Writing, established by the College Board. The National Governors Association conducted the survey of state human resources directors for the Commission. Forty-nine states responded.

Topics covered in the Report include: How important is writing in the state workplace? Is writing an important hiring consideration? What kind of writing is expected in state government today? How do state officials define good writing?

Both within and without state government, writing must serve a wide spectrum of constituents. Government notices must be comprehensible to school dropouts and university graduates. Within state agencies, government funtioning depends on clear writing. Legislative analyses must respond to complex questions of public policy. "In government, writing is the servant of many masters."

Writing: A Powerful Message from State Government, July 2005
(available as a PDF, 535K, from The National Commission on Writing)