Expressing support for Teen Read Week.

Whereas 70 percent of 8th graders and 65 percent of 12th graders do not read at grade level;

Whereas for many adolescent students, ongoing difficulties with reading and writing figure prominently into the decision to drop out of school;

Whereas available data shows 85 percent of all juvenile offenders have reading problems and approximately one-third of all juvenile offenders read below the fourth-grade level;

Whereas advanced literacy across content areas is the best available predictor of the ability of students to succeed in introductory college courses;

Whereas research shows that teens who read for fun have better test scores and are more likely to succeed in the workforce;

Whereas Teen Read Week encourages teens to read a book for leisure purposes;

Whereas Teen Read Week recognizes that it is important for adolescents to read proficiently; and

Whereas October 18 to October 24, 2009, is Teen Read Week: Now, therefore, be it