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Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

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The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

New Report Card on Wisconsin Kids’ Reading Skills

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Wednesday, January 29, 2014   

MADISON, Wis. - Eighty percent of lower-income fourth graders and two-thirds of all students are not reading proficiently, according to a new report.

The "data snapshot" released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation takes a look at all the states, and according to Jim Moeser, deputy director of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, Wisconsin is doing about average.

"Well, Wisconsin is frankly, probably in about the middle, maybe a little bit above average in reading proficiency among all our kids," he said, "but a significantly larger gap between economic groups in Wisconsin and racial groups than in other states."

Elizabeth Burke Bryant, senior consultant at the Casey Foundation's Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, said the nation as a whole is making some progress in helping kids learn to read.

"We are showing some success with fourth-grade reading proficiency improving," she said, "and now we have to finish the job and make sure that all children are reading proficiently by the end of third grade."

After third grade, Bryant said, it's expected that kids already know how to read well enough to absorb classroom material.

The Casey Foundation report said reading proficiency is a key predictor of a student's future educational and economic success. All but six states have made progress in improving kids' reading skills in the past decade, the report said.

Of great concern is the gap in reading skills between higher- and lower-income families, which the Foundation's report said has been growing. Moeser said it's also a problem in Wisconsin.

"Wisconsin continues to have both a disparity in economics," he said, "but also, significant disparities along racial lines that really are troubling, and we ought to be concerned about for the future in terms of economic growth and the ability of kids to really make it in our communities."

Moeser said the state needs to continue to press schools to help all students learn to read at grade level and provide the resources to make that happen.

The Casey Foundation report, "Early Reading Proficiency in the United States," is online at aecf.org.


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