Message from the Wisconsin Reading Coalition
The Governor’s office has just announced the introduction of the
education reform bill stemming from task force work during 2011. The important provisions covering reading include universal screening for reading readiness in kindergarten and a new exam in reading development and instruction that is required for initial K-5 and special education teaching licenses.
The Assembly and Senate Education Committees will be hearing invited and public testimony on Wednesday, February 15, beginning at 11:00 AM. Written comments are also welcome prior to the 15
th, and should be sent to
Rep. Steve Kestell and
Sen. Luther Olsen. Constructive comments on improving the language of the bill will be accepted. Now is your chance to be heard!
Although we feel that this bill could be made stronger by leaving fewer of the specifics to the discretion of the implementers, we also recognize that this is a huge first step for Wisconsin, where similar reading legislation was dead-on-arrival just two years ago. We will continue to work through the hearing process to make the bill as strong as possible for the benefit of our students and teachers.
Education Reform Bill Introduced
Governor Walker Thanks Education Leaders for Work on Reform Bill
MADISON- Governor Walker today thanked Senator Luther Olsen, Representative Steve Kestell, State Superintendent Tony Evers, and all of the members of the Read to Lead, Educator Effectiveness, and School Accountability groups for their hard work. LRB- 11-4017/2, a bill based on the recommendations of the 2011 education task forces, was circulated today by education chairs Representative Kestell and Senator Olsen.
“This bill is a result of bipartisan workgroups that spent the better part of last year finding ways to improve education for the students of our state,” said Governor Walker. “Through this bill, and the upcoming No Child Left Behind Waiver, Wisconsin will be able to find what is working in education in our state and replicate it while specifically focusing on fundamental skills like reading. Thank you to everyone who was involved in this process and a special thank you to Senator Olsen, Representative Kestell, and State Superintendent Evers for their leadership. We will also continue to work collaboratively with Tony Evers and his staff as they finalize their waiver.”
The education reform package includes legislation to implement Read to Lead recommendations and improve teacher effectiveness. School accountability will be improved through the upcoming No Child Left Behind Waiver.
Elements of the bill:
The Read to Lead Development Council – A public-private partnership to support and expand reading programs that are working throughout Wisconsin
The Read to Lead Development Council is aimed at finding what works and, along with private partners, funding broader replication throughout the state. The Superintendent and Governor will jointly decide the size of grants based on recommendations from board members. Non-state employee members will also assist in growing the fund’s reach. Programs funded might support afterschool, parent outreach, or teacher professional development efforts. The bill will allocate $400,000 in existing funds from the 2011-13 budget to help the fund get started.
Identifying Struggling Readers and Ensuring Teachers Are Prepared – A universal kindergarten reading screener and a new, more rigorous test for new elementary and reading teachers
Rather than wait until third grade to know if students are struggling, the legislation requires screening of all students as soon as they enter kindergarten to find possible areas in need of intervention. The screener will be funded with $800,000 in existing funds from the 2011-13 budget.
Massachusetts ranks better in reading than every other state by a statistically significant margin. Wisconsin will model the reading portion of its licensure test on Massachusetts’ to ensure teachers are equipped with the latest research on reading. The new test will replace the Praxis for all new K-5 and special education teachers. For practicing educators, the test will be voluntary.
A Fair Evaluation System for Teachers and Principals
The evaluation system was developed with teachers and administrators to fairly evaluate all educators. Rather than using raw test scores, the evaluation system puts teachers on a level playing field, regardless of the students assigned to them, through the use of value-added growth. The system uses multiple measures of educator practice (50%) and student outcomes (50%). Teachers will work collaboratively with their administrators to set student learning goals and will receive constructive, regular, and specific feedback to continually improve. The bill also establishes a new collaborative process with the higher education community to further improve our teacher preparatory programs by reviewing the performance of recent graduates.
Elements of No Child Left Behind Waiver
By the end of this month, the Department of Public Instruction will submit a waiver to the U.S. Department of Education, asking for state flexibilities from the No Child Left Behind law. The waiver will do more than identify which schools are performing, it will set new accountability standards and give the state the ability to intervene in the very lowest performing schools, while replicating best practices. A school and district report card will provide much needed information on reading and math scores along with details such as school environment, achievement gaps, course offerings, post-secondary attainment, and more. It will fairly evaluate all schools: choice, charter, and traditional public. Wisconsin will reallocate resources and find new ones where possible to support schools in need. The Governor’s Office and others continue to work with DPI to ensure a strong final product. Once negotiations over the waiver with the U.S. Department of Education have concluded, additional legislation may be necessary.
