House panel would eliminate Reading First funding

The controversial federal Reading First program would be eliminated under a fiscal spending measure approved unanimously last week by a House Appropriations subcommittee, according to an article by Alyson Klein appearing on Education Week online. Representative David Obey (D-WI), chair of the House Appropriations Committee explained the decision by citing the results of a preliminary federal evaluation of Reading First, released last month, which found the program had not had an impact on students' reading comprehension. He also cited concerns about mismanagement and conflicts of interest, as noted in previous reports issued by the U.S. Department of Education Inspector General's office.

For further information, read the full article at the Education Week website.