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,
UW Odyssey Project and WI Reads have partnered to host a private screening of The Truth About Reading* documentary on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 5:30 pm.
Join us for true stories about overcoming reading difficulties which illuminate the experience and prevalence of sub-literacy with its impact on the economy, education, mental health, and public safety - while also showing that proven and effective solutions can make high-level literacy possible for ALL.
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:
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Explore resources to Learn More before or after attending a screening of The Truth About Reading documentary.
There is no charge to attend the private screening of The Truth About Reading documentary. If you are able, you are invited to join us in achieving our mission!
Donations of any size, even $5, help us live our mission!
Donations are used for the costs of educational events like this, training, scholarships, resources, and operational costs.
All donations are tax-deductible. You will immediately receive a receipt via email. A separate tax-deductible donation letter will be sent via email in January.
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Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Nancy
Nancy Dressel
President