The Brief

• More than one-third of Wisconsin students in 4K through 3rd grade are reading below grade level, affecting over 97,000 students statewide

• First-grade students face the greatest challenges, with 46% reading below the 25th percentile compared to their peers

• State officials expect improvements through Act 20, which emphasizes phonics-based reading instruction and was implemented in 2023

MADISON, Wis. — New data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction reveals significant literacy challenges among the state's youngest students, with more than 97,000 children in 4K through third grade reading below expected levels.

Dr. Barb Novak, director of the office of literacy for the Department of Public Instruction, analyzed reading performance data that shows more than on

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