From Sen. Amanda Ragan –
If a student cannot read, they will not do their best in school. We should do all we can to help kids learn to read by third grade.
SSB 1142, approved by the Senate Education Committee, will prepare our young readers by keeping class sizes small in the early grades. Class size affects student success, especially when children are learning to read.
We can help limit class sizes for kindergarten through third-graders by extending Iowa’s Early Intervention Block Grant Program, more commonly known as the “class size reduction” program, so young students have the one-on-one attention they need to get a good start in school.
Local school districts use the money for additional licensed instructional staff, before- and after-school programs, tutoring, all-day kindergarten and other steps to help young learners. By investing in helping our youngest students learn to read, we set the stage for success in school and in life.