Senator Dayna Polehanki
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Back-to-School Updates and Resources
Dear Neighbor, Labor Day has now come and gone, and so has another beautiful Michigan summer. My legislative colleagues and I are heading back to the Senate chamber this month after a busy summer spent connecting with our constituents and communities. I’m eager to...
August Legislative Updates & Resources
Dear Neighbor, As we have officially entered August, we’re nearing the end of another beautiful Michigan summer. I hope you and your loved ones have the chance to get out and savor everything this wonderful season has to offer in our great state. Throughout the...
Legislative Updates & Resources
Dear Neighbor, With August right around the corner, I hope you are continuing to soak in all that summertime in Michigan has to offer — beautiful lakes, scenic parks and trails and abundant, fresh produce for your picnics and grill-outs. Grab a coffee or cold...
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Sen. Polehanki’s Legislative YouTube Channel
Senator Polehanki March is Reading Month
Sen Polehanki in Support of SB 944
Sen. Polehanki Testifying in Support of Senate Bills 857 and 858
Senator Polehanki Asks Colleagues to Vote Yes on SB 911
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Federal Oversight ... See MoreSee Less
Federal Oversight
senatedems.com
In Michigan, we’re standing firmly against the Trump administration’s blatant attacks on our people and communities0 CommentsComment on Facebook
ICYMI! Happy to be a cosponsor of the bill, now law, that made this happen👇🏼 ... See MoreSee Less
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While, I won't denigrate Mississippi's efforts to improve its academics, the picture that is being painted by at least one Michigan publication that Mississippi is outperforming Michigan on the NAEP reading test ("The Nation's Report Card") is MISLEADING.
While Mississippi has *scored higher than Michigan ONE TIME over the past decade on the Grade 4 NAEP reading test . . .
Michigan has *scored higher than Mississippi EVERY TIME over the past decade on the Grade 8 NAEP reading test.
The assertion in the Michigan publication that Michigan "abandoned" our 3rd grade read-or-flunk law to our detriment is not supported by test score data.
It's not surprising that states that flunk their "worst" 3rd grade readers achieve elevated results ahead of the Grade 4 NAEP reading test, but these elevated test scores tend to flatten over time (by Grade 8 NAEP reading), like they do with Mississippi.
This is borne out in NAEP data from other states as well, like Florida, which also flunks its worst performing 3rd grade readers.
Source: Grade 4 NAEP Reading (toggle through the years) www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=1&sub=RED&sj=&st=MN&year=2015R3
Source: Grade 8 NAEP Reading (toggle through the years) www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=RED&sj=&st=MN&year=2015R3
*statistically significantly higher
Note: NAEP only tests Grade 4 in elementary and Grade 8 in middle school. High school Grade 12 is not tested in Michigan and many other states in reading.
In my time in office, I’m proud to have pushed for a DATA-DRIVEN approach to improving Michigan's reading scores by doing the following:
Funding free high-quality preschool, getting closer and closer to making it universal
Making a law that will completely overhaul how our teachers teach reading (going back to phonics, the "science of reading")
Incentivizing the best and brightest of our young people to join our ranks as educators, while paying our veteran teachers closer to what they deserve (reversing the Snyder years 59% decline in teacher candidates)
On my still-need-to-do list:
Make Kindergarten mandatory
Shrink class sizes in K-3 classrooms
Tackle our chronic absenteeism problem
and more to come . . ... See MoreSee Less
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