Literacy profiles of at-risk young adults enrolled in career and technical education

A latent profile analysis of 323 economically and academically at-risk adolescent and young adult learners yielded two classes: an average literacy class (92%) and a low literacy class (8%). The class profiles significantly differed in their word reading and math skills, and in their processing speeds and self-reported learning disabilities. The class profiles did not significantly differ in their language comprehension and cognitive processing/working memory abilities. These findings suggest targeted instructional interventions to overcome deficits, leading to overall improvements in literacy and numeracy among this important population.