Finance
Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee approves 4 reading curriculums under Act 20
Editor’s note: With low reading proficiency scores across the state, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin is exploring the causes and consequences of low literacy. This article is part of the By the Book series, which examines reading curriculum, instructional methods and solutions in K-12 education to answer the questions: Why do so many Wisconsin kids struggle to read, and what can be done about it?
To read other stories in the series, click here.
Wisconsin’s Joint Committee on Finance approved Monday a list of four reading curricula schools can adopt to be in compliance with the state’s new reading law, Act 20. The curricula approved are those recommended by the state’s Early Literacy Curriculum Council, a nine-member council created to specifically evaluate K-3 reading curriculums for their compliance with Act 20.
The four curricula approved are:
- Core Knowledge Language Arts K-3
- Our EL Education Language Arts
- Wit and Wisdom with Pk-3 Reading Curriculum
- Bookworms Reading and Writing K-3
Act 20, signed into law last summer, requires curriculum to be backed by the “science of reading”: a decades-old body of research that explains how the brain learns to read. It includes an emphasis on phonics, which teaches students the sounds letters make and how those sounds combine in predictable patterns to form words.
The law’s changes are aimed at improving reading proficiency in the state, which has been low for years. Fewer than half of students at the state’s five largest school districts are considered proficient in reading, according to state exam scores since 2018.
Part of the law’s revamping of reading instruction requires schools to use specific instructional methods that are systemic and explicit by next school year. This instruction must include fluency, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, phonics, oral language development, vocabulary, writing, comprehension and building background knowledge.
The list of approved curricula is significant because school districts that adopt one of them can receive reimbursement for up to half the cost, which can be millions of dollars. Many districts will be turning to this list as they redefine how they teach reading.
Committee Democrats, DPI worry list will open state up to litigation
This list was approved 10-4 along party lines with all Republicans on the committee voting in favor and no Democratic support. While Republicans were in favor of the four curricula recommended by the Early Literacy Curriculum Council, Democrats wanted to approve the Department of Public Instruction’s broader list.
In February, the Early Literacy Curriculum Council released its list of four recommended curricula. About 30 curriculum vendors submitted materials for evaluation by the council, and by February, it had reviewed about half, according to a memo from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
Given how much time curriculum review requires and the swift deadlines in Act 20, the council didn’t have enough time to review all the submitted curricula, the bureau’s memo said.
DPI, the state’s education agency, did its own evaluation of all the curricula, recommending 11. It rejected one of the council’s recommendations (Bookworms Reading & Writing for K-3) and added others that the council hadn’t rated.
More on Act 20: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction asks lawmakers to change deadline for implementing part of Wisconsin’s new literacy law
In a letter to the Joint Committee on Finance, the DPI said the council’s process for evaluating curricula had exposed the state to “an unacceptable level of risk.”
Because not all vendors who submitted curriculum materials were evaluated by the council, one that wasn’t evaluated could sue, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
Democrats on the Joint Committee on Finance said that was reason enough to go with DPI’s recommendations. However, Republicans saw that as weak argument, opting for the four curricula from the Early Literacy Curriculum Council.
“This council, they’re experts. This is what they do,” said. Sen. Duey Stroebel during the committee meeting. “And I’m sorry I’m not going to look to DPI as, my god, the only people in the world who can pick the correct curriculum.”
He said the committee shouldn’t “water down, not give our kids the best quality curriculum” because of a “far-fetched legal theory.”
More on Act 20: Wisconsin passed a landmark literacy law 3 months ago. So what happens next?
The committee’s move is a “missed opportunity,” said state Superintendent Jill Underly in a media release.
“The DPI’s list of high-quality materials is robust, offers more support and flexibility, meets the definition of science-based early literacy detailed in Act 20 and mirrors materials recommended by other states undergoing similar changes,” Underly said.
The Early Literacy Curriculum Council is required to annually recommend science-based K-3 reading curricula, so Monday’s list is subject to expansion next year.
Why does the list of curricula matter?
Districts aren’t required to adopt the approved curricula, but those will be the only ones eligible for partial reimbursement — a large incentive for districts, given the cost of curriculum adoption.
Many districts will likely make the switch to new reading curriculum, if not the four approved Monday. In the past, DPI has recommended that districts use curricula positively rated by a third-party curriculum evaluation organization called EdReports.
At least 79% of school districts surveyed by the Department of Public Instruction in 2021 said they use a curriculum that is either not rated or is negatively rated by EdReports. About 80% of school districts participated in the survey.
Districts have been waiting for the release of curricula so they can adopt new practices, train their staff and be in compliance with Act 20 by the 2024-25 school year. The Green Bay School District, for example, has been waiting for the literacy council and DPI to release its curriculum list before it buys new reading curriculum. It plans to select something for grades kindergarten through eight in March.
Danielle DuClos is a Report for America corps member who covers K-12 education for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at dduclos@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @danielle_duclos. You can directly support her work with a tax-deductible donation at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Families are navigating the already stressful college planning process, and a new set of financial grades is prompting many to look more closely at the stability of the schools they are considering.
Forbes’ annual financial report card for private, nonprofit colleges and universities is putting a spotlight on how well schools can manage their finances. The rankings are based on each institution’s ability to cover immediate expenses with cash on hand — a measure that is increasingly resonating with parents.
In the Triangle, the grades vary widely. Duke University received an A+, while Meredith College earned a B-. Shaw University was rated C-, and Saint Augustine’s University received a D.
For families, those grades are becoming an important part of the decision-making process, alongside academic and campus life.
“This college experience is much more than the books and the tuition,” Wake Forest parent Meranda Van Ningen said.
Van Ningen said a school’s financial condition is now a key factor as she — and many other parents — evaluate long-term value and security.
“We had to really lean in and ask the questions, make sure that we were getting the answers we appreciated,” she said. “They want us. They want our money to come in and to pay for that next year.”
She said the financial grades offer insight into how well schools can navigate economic challenges.
“Show that they can handle this tough, tough economy, to be honest, and that they know how to roll with it because campuses have good years and bad years as well,” Van Ningen said.
Financial planners say that shift in focus is well-founded, especially as some colleges across the country face financial strain or closure.
“A lot of smaller colleges are closing throughout the country,” said Gray Pendleton, president of Pendleton Financial. “I think it’s important to look at the financial health of the school.”
Experts say the added scrutiny reflects the high stakes of higher education, often one of the largest investments a family will make. Along with reviewing financial grades, they encourage families to thoroughly research institutions before committing.
They also stress the importance of early financial preparation to manage rising costs.
“Even like, $10 to $100 a month,” Pendleton said. “The NC 529 savings plan is great. And that’s an aggressive, age based plan. That’s a good opportunity.”
As financial grades draw more attention, families are increasingly weighing not just where students will thrive academically, but also which schools are best positioned to remain financially secure over the long term.
Copyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Investors and analysts said the market was moving beyond the smaller hotel conversions that dominated the past two years, with more sizeable transactions expected as financing conditions improve, distressed sales accelerate, and buyers hunt for assets capable of generating stable income.
“This year and next year, there will be more sizeable transactions,” said Kavis Ip, CEO of Centaline Investment.
Unlike earlier student housing projects typically backed by smaller private investors, the Regal deal was structured with an equity partner and sized for eventual exit to institutional buyers such as insurers, sovereign wealth funds and private equity firms.
“We always wanted to do deals of this size,” Ip said. “Large institutional-grade assets create a completely different buyer pool when you eventually exit.”
In February and March 2026, Snowflake was the stock Wall Street couldn’t quite figure out. The stock was down 50% from the early January high to early April 2026, according to TradingView data. Snowflake was caught between a decelerating core business and an AI narrative that kept getting pushed further into the future.
Then Snowflake reported earnings. And the stock jumped 37% in a single session. Goldman Sachs responded with one of its most dramatic price target increases on a major software stock this year, raising its Snowflake (SNOW) target in a note shared with me at TheStreet.
SNOW is now trading at $255.37, up 16.42% year-to-date after the post-earnings surge, according to Yahoo Finance.
The Goldman note identified two specific dynamics converging inside Snowflake’s business right now that the market had been underpricing. Once you understand both, the 37% single-day move starts to look less like euphoria and more like a rational repricing.
Goldman Sachs raises Snowflake price target to $278 from $216
Right after earnings, Goldman Sachs raised its Snowflake (SNOW) target to $278 from $216 in a note shared with me at TheStreet, while maintaining its Buy rating. The two AI inflections Goldman mentioned in the note are compounding simultaneously within Snowflake’s business.
The first is external: the proliferation of AI coding tools is making it dramatically easier for enterprises to migrate from legacy data platforms to modern ones like Snowflake. Migrations that previously required months of engineering work are being compressed.
More Wall Street:
The cost of switching has fallen. The urgency to switch has risen as companies need governed, structured data environments to run AI applications. Snowflake is the direct beneficiary of both forces.
The second is internal: Cortex Code. That’s Snowflake’s own AI coding product, launched in general availability in mid-February 2026, which embeds a context-aware AI coding agent directly into the development workflow.
It enables customers to build, deploy, and iterate on data pipelines, analytics, and AI agents faster while remaining fully governed within the Snowflake environment.
Related: Snowflake stock analyst reveals surprising stock forecast
Adoption has been the fastest of any Snowflake product in company history, with over 7,100 accounts already using it — approximately 50% penetration — according to the Q1 earnings release report and the note.
-
Austin, TX4 minutes agoAustin Pets Alive! gets $10K donation, pet beds
-
Alabama11 minutes agoAlabama football in for some major recruiting news soon
-
Alaska13 minutes agoAfter dispute, Assembly allows small-scale farmers to continue selling hay and feed in Anchorage neighborhoods
-
Arizona19 minutes agoNature: Cactus blooms in Arizona
-
Arkansas26 minutes agoKansas baseball earns chance at NCAA regional title, defeats Arkansas
-
California29 minutes agoCalifornia reports one of largest drops in homelessness in past year, Hud reports
-
Colorado34 minutes agoPolice arrest burglary suspect in southeast Colorado Springs
-
Connecticut41 minutes agoMan arrested after stealing from Connecticut Children’s Hospital donation bin
