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