As we approach the conclusion of the school year, the Michigan Legislature has begun to move forward on a third grade reading bill that could result in the retention of thousands of Michigan students. A bill that could cost school districts large sums of money and fails to put the needs of students first.
Following the 2014 Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) results, our state discovered that 39% of Michigan’s third grade students did not meet proficiency standards in reading. In response, Representative Amanda Price (R-Park Township) introduced House Bill 4822, or most commonly known as the 3rd Grade Literacy Bill. The main component of the bill states that a third grade student's promotion to grade four would be based on reading proficiency, with a possible retention lasting no more than one year. This bill is full of roadblocks that could make it virtually impossible for school districts to implement this proposed law.
One of the biggest roadblock is how the bill is going to be funded. The current budget allocated in the bill is $27.9 million dollars, with zero going directly to school districts. Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) will receive around $3 million, but the ISDs are independent from control of the Michigan Department of Education. Some schools may never see the benefit of these funds being given to the ISDs. Staff costs may also increase, especially in the area of literacy coaches and reading specialists. The bill does not allow reading specialists, who serve as literacy coaches, from splitting their time between coaching and classroom teaching. The response from Legislators is that the ISDs will be required to assist in this, but the state has no jurisdiction over them. The result is additional costs to school districts that the Legislature has no plans to fund. This was also the case with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, which has led to numerous problems since its adoption in Michigan.
A second major roadblock is the failure of the bill to address reading disorders, mainly dyslexia, when retaining students. Punishing students who have difficulty reading at no fault of their own could lead to the disenfranchisement of thousands of students to the learning process. The bill itself is setting students in Michigan with dyslexia up for failure with needless assessments and remediation that is not geared towards addressing the reading disorder. This clearly does not put the needs of children first and creates a punitive culture in the learning environment.
It is my sincere hope the Michigan Legislature sees the flaws in this legislation that could have far reaching ramifications for years to come. Having all third-graders reading proficiently is significant, but we have to ask ourselves if this legislation is the means of achieving this goal. While we all agree there needs to be an urgency to addressing the literacy deficiencies among our young learners, this is clearly not the answer.
The Bill: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2015-2016/billanalysis/House/pdf/2015-HLA-4822-9F886ABC.pdf
For More Information:
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/03/28/third-grade-reading-legislation-sent-to-conference-committee/
http://woodtv.com/2016/03/24/3rd-grade-reading-bills-sent-to-conference-committee/
Following the 2014 Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) results, our state discovered that 39% of Michigan’s third grade students did not meet proficiency standards in reading. In response, Representative Amanda Price (R-Park Township) introduced House Bill 4822, or most commonly known as the 3rd Grade Literacy Bill. The main component of the bill states that a third grade student's promotion to grade four would be based on reading proficiency, with a possible retention lasting no more than one year. This bill is full of roadblocks that could make it virtually impossible for school districts to implement this proposed law.
One of the biggest roadblock is how the bill is going to be funded. The current budget allocated in the bill is $27.9 million dollars, with zero going directly to school districts. Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) will receive around $3 million, but the ISDs are independent from control of the Michigan Department of Education. Some schools may never see the benefit of these funds being given to the ISDs. Staff costs may also increase, especially in the area of literacy coaches and reading specialists. The bill does not allow reading specialists, who serve as literacy coaches, from splitting their time between coaching and classroom teaching. The response from Legislators is that the ISDs will be required to assist in this, but the state has no jurisdiction over them. The result is additional costs to school districts that the Legislature has no plans to fund. This was also the case with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, which has led to numerous problems since its adoption in Michigan.
A second major roadblock is the failure of the bill to address reading disorders, mainly dyslexia, when retaining students. Punishing students who have difficulty reading at no fault of their own could lead to the disenfranchisement of thousands of students to the learning process. The bill itself is setting students in Michigan with dyslexia up for failure with needless assessments and remediation that is not geared towards addressing the reading disorder. This clearly does not put the needs of children first and creates a punitive culture in the learning environment.
It is my sincere hope the Michigan Legislature sees the flaws in this legislation that could have far reaching ramifications for years to come. Having all third-graders reading proficiently is significant, but we have to ask ourselves if this legislation is the means of achieving this goal. While we all agree there needs to be an urgency to addressing the literacy deficiencies among our young learners, this is clearly not the answer.
The Bill: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2015-2016/billanalysis/House/pdf/2015-HLA-4822-9F886ABC.pdf
For More Information:
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/03/28/third-grade-reading-legislation-sent-to-conference-committee/
http://woodtv.com/2016/03/24/3rd-grade-reading-bills-sent-to-conference-committee/