Attendees must complete the RSVP form and will be asked to select the AM or PM screening.
Literacy is essential to developing self-worth and becoming successful in all aspects of life including family, education, work, and community service. Varied levels of awareness, understanding, and action have contributed to long-standing myths about reading and growing challenges that impact every Wisconsinite.
Educational attainment is a barrier to self-sustaining wages for dropouts and unprepared graduates creating an economic burden for themselves and taxpayers. The average lifetime costs to taxpayers resulting from schooling failure are approximately $90,000 per dropout and $30,000 per unprepared graduate (Education Consumers Foundation, 2022).
In 2021-2022:
37% of WI students in grades 3-8 scored proficient or advanced on the Wisconsin Forward Exam for English Language Arts (WISEdash, 2022).
35 % of WI students in grade 11 scored proficient or advanced on the ACT exam for English Language Arts (WISEdash, 2022).
WI had the widest achievement gap between African American and white students in the nation (IES and NAEP, 2022).
Currently, 1:7 Wisconsin adults struggle with low literacy. An estimated 1.5 million Wisconsinites need help building literacy skills because they struggle to understand short simple sentences necessary for following printed instructions, filling out forms, and performing simple tasks (Wisconsin Literacy, 2022).
With a shared vision to connect with stakeholders interested in improving Wisconsin literacy outcomes,
The School District of New Berlin and WI Reads have partnered to host a private screening of The Truth About Reading* documentary on Sunday, February 19, 2023 at 2:00 pm.
Join us for inspiring stories of overcoming reading difficulties which illuminate the prevalence of sub-literacy and illiteracy and detrimental impacts on our society and economy - while also making high-level literacy possible for ALL by showing proven and effective solutions.
How long is the film?
The film's runtime is 83 minutes.
What is the target audience of the film?
The Truth About Reading speaks to a broad audience. Whether someone has years of experience with literacy, or no prior knowledge at all, they will walk away touched by the true stories of lives impacted by this crisis, and empowered to make a change. The content is appropriate for all ages.
What kind of literacy curriculum does the film support?
The Truth About Reading is not affiliated with a specific program. The subjects of the documentary learn to read through curriculum that adheres to the Science of Reading.
How has the film been received by educators?
The John Corcoran Foundation has always believed that teachers should be "trained, not blamed." The Truth About Reading reveals the urgency of the literacy crisis, without pinning educators as the reason for the issue.
Additional Information: