A Kansas Senate committee rejects Brownbacks third-grade reading plan; University of Kansas study shows DEA reduces risk of pre-term birth.
Senate Panel Rejects Kansas Reading Initiative
A Kansas Senate committee Tuesday rejected Gov. Sam Brownback's proposal to hold back third-graders who fail the state reading test.
Gov. Brownback wants to bar schools from promoting third-graders to fourth grade if they fail to read at a proficient level on state tests. The bill also included a grant system for early education programs aimed at boosting reading skills.
After the disappointing 6-5 vote, Brownback said, "It's early in the process. We'll work with legislators."
Sen. Jeff Melcher of Leawood supported the idea. He wanted to know how many resources are wasted by allowing a non-reading fourth grader to move on.
Committee chairman Steve Abrams of Ark City amended the bill to allow schools to give students a chance to take a second, alternative test to measure reading proficiency.
Prenatal DHA Lowers Risk Of Pre-Term Birth
Newly-published research from the University of Kansas shows that prenatal supplements with the omega-3 fatty acid called DHA reduce the risk of severely-premature birth and a low birth-weight child.