As we speed through the digital information age, it’s crucial to blaze our trail with reminders to consider the source. Tuesday’s front-page story about adult illiteracy makes a good case in point.

“It’s long been known that America’s school kids haven’t measured well compared with international peers,” begins the story by the Associated Press. “Now, there’s a new twist: Adults don’t either.”

The AP story cites a report showing that American adults scored poorly in a global test measuring math, reading and problem-solving skills — all considered critical for global competitiveness and economic strength. The testing also concluded that it’s easier to overcome barriers to literacy overseas than in the United States.

It’s a roundabout way of observing that illiterate American teens generally become illiterate adults. The study statistics support this observation: Americans aged 55 to 65 years are performing about average compared with other populations their own age, but young Americans, those aged 16 to 25 years, rank the lowest among their peers in the 24 countries surveyed.

The Associated Press story does not mention the study originated with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a Paris-based coalition of developed countries with democratic governments. The OECD helps formulate policy that advances capitalist and democratic principals.

OECD traces its beginnings to post-World War II reconstruction of Western Europe — its core members united in 1947 to distribute U.S. aid provided under the Marshall Plan. The United States remains OECD’s greatest financial contributor under a budget formula based on population and gross national product.

It could be said America is the hand that feeds the OECD, not only financially, but ideologically as well. So when the organization criticizes the United States, it does so with self-preservation and sustainability in mind.

Considering that OECD is the source of this critique, American policymakers should strongly consider a few key suggestions from the study:

n There is a strong and growing link between literacy skills and quality of life — the low-skilled are more likely than others to be unemployed, have bad health and earn much less. Countries with greater inequality in skills proficiency also have higher income inequality — and nowhere is inequality between the literate and illiterate growing faster and wider than in the United States. One remedy is an emphasis on primary education coupled with widely available lifelong learning courses.

n There seems to be little correlation between more spending and better education. Involvement of teachers and parents, efficient administration, amount of classroom instruction time and availability of lifelong learning opportunities all factored more heavily than spending. However, below a certain spending threshold, education does suffer. Northern European nations scored better than their southern counterparts — Spain, Italy and Greece, all of which struggle with debt and deep budget cuts in education.

n More education doesn’t necessarily translate into better literacy and math skills. Schools and employers need to work together to match training with workplace demand.

The study is fact-based, unbiased and compiled with the best interests of the United States at heart. Policymakers should thoroughly consider the source as well as the suggestions.

—T.A.H.