Focus on the early years. The first year of school is the most important because this is where students learn the basic skills. Hire the best teachers to teach at the primary level and offer salary incentives to attract the top graduates. Give the grade one teacher more status than the principal.
Identify a holding point. If, at the end of grade six, for instance, children can't read well enough to pass the literacy test, they are assigned to work with special literacy tutors until their skill levels come up to an acceptable level. Catching up with their peers after they can read and write will be much easier than continuing to let them struggle along.
Start literacy summer camps. Provide state-funded residential programs for students who aren't keeping up with their reading. Concentrate on literacy, but include camp-type activities to provide students with a rounded program of studies.
Offer financial incentives. Literacy is related to income, so offer the black and Hispanic people who can't read and write a financial reward when they pass the test. Once they are literate, they are more likely to be able to find a job, so the state benefits by reducing the welfare role.
Have literacy programs on television. Dedicate prime time television to teaching people skills. Having a cooking program, for instance, that incorporates reading skills encourages people to read and if the recipes are nutritious it will also improve the viewer's health.
Fund community literacy programs. While some literacy programs work well with volunteer tutors, pay people who can't afford to donate their time. Start a registry of people who need help and team them up with individuals who have taken literacy teaching courses. Provide them with the materials they need.
Encourage older adults to take classes. Sometimes older individuals -- who may have had to drop out of school to help support the family -- are reluctant to sign up for literacy classes because they think they are too old to learn. Run a special advertising campaign for this target group.