MADISON, WI – Rep. Plumer released the following statement after voting to create a new reading plan to help struggling students across Wisconsin:
“Despite the Legislature continuing to increase K-12 school funding, reading proficiency for students in Wisconsin is woefully inadequate. While there are great schools and great teachers doing a wonderful job teaching our kids, far too many are being left behind. This week we learned that reading scores among 13 year-olds across the nation plunged to their lowest levels in decades. A disastrous side effect of keeping schools closed and kids out of the classroom.
Yesterday in the Assembly, we passed the Right to Read Act to help kids get back on track. Simply moving students who can’t read onto the next grade does nothing to help them succeed. The Right to Read Act helps fix that problem by screening kids earlier for potential reading struggles.
Beginning in 3rd grade, students who score in the lowest reading proficiency category will remain in 3rd grade reading even as they move up to 4th grade. When this situation occurs, the Right to Read Act ensures the school has a plan and support to get them to the proficiency levels they need for educational success.”
