ZIMMERMAN, THANKS VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU.
>> HOT OFF THE PRESSES, A LIST OF TEXTBOOKS AND LEARN-TO-READ
MATERIALS FOR WISCONSIN SCHOOLS HAS BEEN RELEASED.
AWAITING APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATURE, WHICH COULD COME
MONDAY. THIS LIST COMES AS A RESULT OF A
NEW BIPARTISAN LAW CALLED ACT 20, WHICH MANITATES SCIENCE,
READING AND PHONICS INSTRUCTION INSTEAD OF BALANCED LITERACY,
WHICH INCLUDES SOMETHING CALLED THREE-CUEING, NOW EXPRESSLY
PROHIBITED. STATEWIDE TESTING IN THE THIRD
THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE SHOW JUST UNDER 40% OF STUDENTS ARE
PROFICIENT IN READING, MUCH LOWER THAN THAT IN GREEN FAIRWAY
AND MILWAUKEE. IN EFFORTS TO BOOST SKILLS ALONG
WITH-APPROVED LESSON PLANS, THE NEW LAW REQUIRES ENHANCED
TESTING, LITERACY COACHES, AND INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS AT
RISK OF NOT BEING ABLE TO READ. IT COMES WITH $50 MILLION IN
GRANTS FOR SCHOOLS TO PURCHASE, APPROVE CURRICULUM AND OTHER
COSTS. WITH CHOOSING THE-APPROVED
CURRICULUM JOINS US TO DESCRIBE MORE ABOUT CHANGES COMING TO
WISCONSIN CLASSROOMS. AMY McGOVERN IS ASSOCIATE
DIRECTOR OF CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND LITERACY READING
SPECIALIST FOR 22 DISTRICTS IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN.
SHE JOINS US NOW. AMY, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE. >> SO WE MENTIONED SOMETHING
CALLED THE THREE-CUEING METHOD OF READING INSTRUCTION, WHICH IS
NOW OUTLAWED. IT INCLUDES USING PICTURES, I
UNDERSTAND, FOR EXAMPLE, TO HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
WORDS ARE SAYING INSTEAD OF THE USE OF PHONICS OR SOUNDING OUT
WORDS. OUR STUDENTS?
>> WELL, I WOULD SAY THAT THREE-CUEING REALLY, YOU
MENTIONED THAT 40% OF THE STUDENTS ARE PROFICIENT IN
WISCONSIN, AND THAT'S ABOUT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO
THREE-CUEING IS REALLY DESIGNED TO WORK WELL FOR, THE KIDS WHO
ARE NOT HARD WIRED TO HAVE A HARD TIME LEARNING TO READ, SO I
WOULD ARGUE THERE'S PROBABLY A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THOSE TWO
THINGS. WHEN WE OVEREMPHASIZE USING
LOOKING AT THE PICTURE OR TAKING OUR EYES OFF THE WORD, STUDENTS
ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE ABLE -- THEY'RE SLOWING DOWN THEIR
ABILITY TO LEARN TO READ. SO THAT GETS IN THE WAY OF THEIR
PROGRESS AND THEN ONCE THEY GET PAST THIRD GRADE AND THEY'RE NOT
READING WELL, IT'S HARDER TO CLOSE THE GAP, IT TAKES LONGER.
>> SO YOU WERE AMONG THE PANEL OF EDUCATORS WHO CHOSE THE LIST
OF 11 EARLIER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS THAT SCHOOLS CAN SOON
USE. TEACHING CHILDREN TO READ FOR
TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE? >> WELL, THE ABSENCE OF
THREE-CUEING WILL BE DEFINITELY MAKE AN IMPACT FOR A LOT OF
STUDENTS AND THE CURRICULUM RESOURCES ARE DESIGNED TO -- THE
ONES THAT COUNCIL SELECTED REALLY MET A HIGH BAR OF QUALITY
AND NO RESOURCE IS GOING TO BE PERFECT, OF COURSE, AND SO ALL
THOSE OTHER THINGS YOU FACTORED IN WITH TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP
SUPPORT ALL MATTER, BUT THE ACTUAL DESIGN OF THE CURRICULUM
THAT WE SELECTED IS FAR MORE LIKELY TO PRODUCE READERS THAN
SOME OF THE OTHERS THAT WEREN'T SELECTED OUT BY THE COUNCIL.
>> SO YOU SPOKE TO ALL THOSE OTHER MEASURES, INCLUDING
THE-APPROVED TEACHING METHODS, MORE TESTING, LITERACY COACHING,
TRAINING. CAN SCHOOLS HANDLE THIS LOAD,
THOUGH? THIS?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S NOT ON THE
TEACHERS' PLATE TO DETERMINE HOW THE TIME IS USED, IT'S ON THE
ADMINISTRATOR'S PLATE BECAUSE THEY NEED TO BALANCE THAT FOR
THE TEACHERS AND THERE IS ACTUALLY PART OF ACT 20 IS
LEADERSHIP WITH LITERACY TRAINING TO HELP THEM SET UP A
SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS THIS ROLL-OUT.
THERE HAS TO BE SUPPORT FROM THOSE ADMINISTRATORS.
IT'S PROTECTING THE TEACHERS, REALLY.
>> SO WE MENTIONED THAT THE BILL CALLS FOR $50 MILLION IN GRANTS
FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS. HOW FAR WILL THAT GO?
>> NOT FAR ENOUGH. SOME OF THAT MONEY IS BEING USED
FOR THE DIRECTOR AND FOR THE COACHES AND NOW I UNDERSTAND
SOME OF IT'S BEEN SET ASIDE FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR
TEACHERS. SO THAT LEAVES A SMALL AMOUNT
THAT WILL BE ALLOCATED FOR THE CURRICULAR RESOURCES.
BUT SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING AND WHO KNOWS WHERE THIS
WILL LEAD US. IT'S HARD TO SAY EXACTLY HOW FAR
IT WILL GO. PROBABLY NOT FAR ENOUGH.
>> IN THE SCHOOLS -- IN THE DISTRICTS THAT YOU WORK WITH,
WHAT ARE THEIR REACTIONS TO THIS CHANGE?
>> I THINK THERE'S SOME ANXIETY ABOUT THE TIMELINE.
A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS THAT I WORK WITH ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE
SHIFT. THEY RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR
CHANGE AND THOSE THAT MIGHT STILL BE HOLDING ON TO PAST
PRACTICES OR REALIZING THAT THEY MIGHT NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES
TO MAKE PROGRESS. BUT THERE IS ANXIETY ABOUT THE
TIMELINE BECAUSE IT'S SUPPOSED TO START NEXT FALL AND THERE IS
A BILL THAT MIGHT DELAY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT 20 UNTIL
THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR DISTRICTS
TO GET THEIR FEET UNDER THEM WITH THE TRAINING THAT'S
REQUIRED. >> HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR
TEACHERS WHO SPECIALIZE IN READING AND TEACHING CHILDREN TO
READ TO SEE THOSE KINDS OF TEST SCORE NUMBERS?
>> WELL, I MEAN, THE TEACHERS POUR THEIR HEART AND SOUL INTO
HELPING THEIR CHILDREN LEARN TO READ, THEIR STUDENTS LEARN TO
READ, SO IT'S VERY DISHEARTENING WHEN YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING
YOU'VE BEEN TAUGHT TO DO AND IT'S NOT WORKING.
PART OF ACT 20 ALSO ADDRESS HOW UNIVERSITIES ADDRESS THE
TEACHING OF TEACHERS SO THAT WE CAN SEND THEM INTO THE FIELD
WITH THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION.
>> WHAT SHOULD PARENTS AND STUDENTS EXPECT IN THE CLASSROOM
WHEN ALL THE PROVISION OF THE NEW READING LAW ARE ROLLED OUT?
>> WELL, PARENTS SHOULD EXPECT TO BE NOTIFIED MUCH MORE QUICKLY
IF THEIR STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING, BECAUSE PART OF ACT
20 REQUIRES A READING READINESS PLAN TO BE COMMUNICATED WITH
PARENTS FOR ANY STUDENT THAT FALLS BELOW THE 20th
PERCENTILE. THE PIKE.
SO I WOULD IMAGINE THAT PARENTS WILL HAVE GREATER COMMUNICATION
WITH THEIR SCHOOL RIGHT FROM THE START.
THAT'S GOOD NEWS. AMY McGOVERN, THANKS VERY