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Sunday, May 15, 2011

Schools Matter: Senator Patty Murray's bad bill

Schools Matter: Senator Patty Murray's bad bill

Senator Patty Murray's bad bill

PUBLISHED IN THE SEATTLE TIMES, May 13, 20

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Editor, The Times:

There is no evidence that Sen. Patty Murray’s bill to improve literacy will work [“Murray’s literacy plan a test of clout,” News, May 11].

As The Times notes, Murray’s LEARN Act is a combination of three existing programs, none of which has been successful.

Reading First only helped children do better on tests on which they had to pronounce words presented in a list. It had no impact on tests on which children had to understand what they read.

The Early Reading First program is for preschoolers. According to Education Week, evaluation of one