Global Courant
Wisconsin would shift to a sound-based approach to public school reading lessons under a bill passed by the state assembly on Wednesday. The bill also requires coaching and more frequent testing. The bill comes as only one-third of Wisconsin’s fourth graders are said to be able to read at a level considered proficient, the lowest literacy rate reported in two decades.
The way reading is taught in Wisconsin would change to a phonics-based approach under a bill passed by the state assembly on Wednesday, a measure drafted by Republicans that supporters say is designed to bolster marker test scores.
Democratic Governor Tony Evers did not pass the legislation, but his education department spent months working with Republicans on it. Jill Underly, secretary of the Department of Public Instruction, called the deal “a big step in the right direction.”
Republicans control both houses of the state legislature.
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Backers say the education measure will address low reading scores by requiring more frequent testing, coaching and a curriculum that emphasizes phonics, the relationship between sounds and letters, over memorization.
“We’re failing and this is an opportunity to change that,” said Republican Rep. Joel Kitchens, the bill’s lead sponsor.
A nationwide push to embrace similar methods has gained ground as lawmakers try to address learning losses attributed to the coronavirus pandemic. Wisconsin’s bill is modeled after literacy laws in Mississippi, dubbed the “Mississippi Miracle” because the changes have led to dramatic improvements in the state’s reading scores over the past decade.
Only about a third of Wisconsin fourth graders scored high enough to be considered proficient readers by 2022, a 20-year low, according to data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The Wisconsin Assembly has approved a review of the state’s public school reading infrastructure. (Jordan McAlister / Contributor)
The Department of Public Instruction initially opposed the bill because it required low-scoring third graders to repeat reading classes over the summer or during their fourth grade. That idea was changed in favor of placing those students in a remedial program of required summer reading classes.
Democrats, many of whom said they generally supported the bill, said it moved too quickly to fully understand it.
“There is no reason why this bill should be rushed in this way,” said Democratic Rep. Christine Sinicki.
But Kitchens said any delay could cause the deal to fall apart.
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The General Assembly passed it by a bipartisan vote of 67 to 27, sending the measure first to the state Senate for consideration and then to Evers for him to sign or veto.
The policy changes would apply to both public and private schools participating in state-funded school choice programs. Kindergarten through third grade students should take a reading test three times a year, instead of just one at the moment. Republicans have already earmarked $50 million for new curriculum materials, teacher training and hiring reading coaches if the bill becomes law.
Evers vetoed a similar bill last year because it did not contain enough money. Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said the governor’s office was still reviewing the final changes.
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Kitchens said Wednesday that he believed the governor would sign the bill because the state’s education department had already signed it.
