New Kids Count Report Shows Too Many Wisconsin Kids are Below-Proficient Readers
A new Kids Count report released in mid-May by the Annie E. Casey Foundation contained some startling data on reading proficiency in Wisconsin and across the country. According to the report, Early Warning: Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters , 67% of Wisconsin 4th graders are not proficient readers, based on NAEP test scores. Particularly troubling are the huge racial disparities in Wisconsin. Our press release about the report contains our thoughts on what should be done to address the situation, such as strong investment in early education so that kids—especially those from low-income families—arrive in kindergarten ready to learn. The full report is available at http://datacenter.kidscount.org/reports/readingmatters.aspx. WCCF’s press release is at http://www.wccf.org/pdf/reading_proficiency_kidscount_051910pr.pdf.
New Report from WCCF and WECA on Credit for Prior Learning
WCCF has released a new brief in collaboration with the Wisconsin Early Children Association (WECA) about the concept of “credit for prior learning” to help early childhood teachers move toward academic credentials in order to advance their careers and improve quality. Teachers of young children perform better with more credit-based education, and so do the children they care for. But the number of child care teachers with at least a two-year Associate’s Degree has been dropping sharply because of barriers related to access and cost. But many teachers acquire vast amounts of training for which they do not receive credit, but which aligns well with credit-based programs. In this brief, we examine these trends and opportunities. The brief is available at http://www.wccf.org/pdf/pathways_one_credit_learning.pdf.
New Budget Project Website Launched
In mid-April—the day before Tax Day, to be precise—WCCF’s Wisconsin Budget Project unveiled a new website. In addition to all the content you are already accustomed to seeing on the Budget Project portion of the WCCF website, the new site features a comprehensive Wisconsin Budget Basics Guide, which includes a wealth of information about how the state budget works, where the money comes from, what it is spent on, and process through which it is crafted. The new Budget Project website is also the place to find three new briefs published this spring covering such topics as the benefits of the federal Recovery Act in Wisconsin; how Wisconsin compares to the rest of the country on spending growth; and the issue of collecting sales tax from online retailers. We’ve also posted a quiz to test your knowledge about taxes and spending in Wisconsin. Please take some time to see what the new Budget Project website has to offer at www.wisconsinbudgetproject.org.
Jim Moeser Named to Task Force
Gov. Doyle recently appointed a statewide committee to look at how the state should adjust in the wake of a decade-long reduction in juvenile crime and incarceration in juvenile correctional facilities. WCCF Deputy Director Jim Moeser, a well-known expert on juvenile justice matters in Wisconsin was tapped by the Governor to serve on the 11-member task force.
Celebrate Children Day a Success
Wisconsin’s first Celebrate Children's Day Giving Challenge, a 3-day fundraising challenge sponsored by the Celebrate Children Foundation to provide support for seven Wisconsin organizations involved in promoting the importance of the first five years in a child’s development. About $21,000 was raised over the course of the challenge. WCCF is grateful to the Celebrate Children Foundation—and to all of those who donated during the challenge—for the opportunity to participate in and benefit from the event.
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