Education drives the economy. Almost a decade into the 21st Century, America faces a choice: It can invest in the basic education and skills of its workforce and remain competitive in today's global economy, or it can continue to overlook glaring evidence of a national crisis and move further down the path to decline. In this report, the National Commission on Adult Literacy presents powerful evidence that the failure to address America's adult education and workforce skills needs is putting the country in great jeopardy and threatening the nation's standard of living and economic viability. The Commission recommends immediate action to reverse the course America is on. It calls for strong, bold leadership from federal and state government, and it challenges business leaders, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector to become part of the solution. Ten appendices are included: (1) References; (2) Commissioners and Staff; (3) Acknowledgments; (4) Commission Research Papers and Policy Briefs; (5) Commission Meetings and Presentations; (6) Percent of Adult Education State Match to Federal Grant, 2008; (7) Adult Education Enrollment, 2006-2007; (8) U.S. GED Trends, 1995-2006; (9) National GED Need and Attainment, 2006; and (10) Relationship Between Education and Personal Income, 2006. (Contains 8 figures and 3 tables.) [Additional support for this report was provided by Dollar General Corporation.]