MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Senate has approved a bill that would phase out Wisconsin’s SAGE program. The Student Achievement Guarantee Program provides aid to schools if they maintain an 18-to-1 or 30-to-2 teacher-student ratio for low-income students in kindergarten through third grade. Schools enter into five-year contracts under the program. The bill would prohibit new SAGE contracts or renewals beyond one-year extensions for deals that expire this spring. The measure would create a program called Achievement Gap Reduction. That program would allow existing SAGE schools to earn aid by implementing tutoring, coaching for teachers or maintaining SAGE classroom ratios. Unlike SAGE, all participating grades wouldn’t have to adhere to the ratios. School boards would have to review performance in each participating school every semester. The Senate passed the bill 31-2 Wednesday.
