Wisconsin Republicans Remove Sticking Point in Bill Revamping How Children Learn to Read

Tuesday, June 20th, 2023 -- 11:01 AM

(By Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio) -Republicans have removed a key sticking point in a robust bill that revamps how children learn to read, but the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction says the changes aren’t enough to gain their support of the legislation.  

According to Corrinne Hess with Wisconsin Public Radio, the legislation introduced last week included a requirement beginning Jan. 1, 2025 that third graders who can’t pass a reading assessment be held back rather than moving on to fourth grade.

DPI said they were blindsided by the requirement and called the provision a "non-starter." This led Republicans to amend the bill by changing the retainment policy to requiring the student to repeat third grade reading, not the entire grade.

But during a Senate Committee on Education hearing Thursday, DPI representatives said holding third graders back for one subject is still retention. "Simply retaining a student in third grade reading is still a retention policy and that is not something DPI can support," said Laura Adams, policy initiatives advisor with DPI.

"We know that there is a great deal of research that show there is mixed results at best for any type of retention for students." "I think it’s that word that freaks people out," Kitchens said. "Third grade retention is not grade retention. It’s a delicate balance getting all the parties happy, but third grade retention in reading is just not a big deal."  

Kitchens said school districts will have four years to decide how third graders will be screened and what screening tool will be used. "All of the kids who will be subject to that will be identified in kindergarten and first grade and be going through the whole process, so I imagine (problems) being identified right away," Kitchens said.

The heart of the bill moves schools away from teaching what is known as "balanced literacy" to a "science of reading" approach. Instead of being taught reading through pictures, word cues and memorization, children would be taught using a phonics-based method that focuses on learning to sound out letters and phrases.

Adams said DPI supports that approach as well as other aspects of the legislation, including the development of individualized reading plans, diagnostic screenings for students and coaches in schools. The $50 million bill includes 64 reading coaches who would be divided between low-performing schools and other school districts that want to apply for help. 

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