1999 Reading Instructional Method Survey

Note: Beginning in 1999, a new mandate was added to the School Performance Report legislation, requiring DPI to conduct an annual survey of districts' reading instructional methods. Survey responses are similar across time and are summarized below:

Responses to the survey vary from district to district as would be expected in a local control state. Wisconsin districts use a wide range of materials to teach reading including trade books, leveled books, and basal series.

In some districts, the schools within the district use the same foundational material, in other districts the materials vary from school to school. Some districts use the same materials in several grades; others select certain materials for certain grades. Many districts are using reading materials dated in the 1990s.

For the high school portion of the survey, some respondents indicated materials used in literature courses, some indicated that reading was taught in all content areas, some indicated that reading wasn't taught as a discrete course, and some indicated specific titles of trade books or content area textbooks. Reponses varied from district to district.

Responses to the checklist of methods of reading instruction used in each school included every possible combination of responses from checking one of the five listed methods or the other box to checking all five methods plus other and every combination in between that range. Most districts checked more than one method. This reporting is consistent with the June 1998 report released by the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau that indicated that Wisconsin teachers report using a mixture of approaches to reading instruction.

For questions about this information, contact dpistats@dpi.wi.gov (608) 267-3166

Last updated on 12/15/2011 4:32:55 PM