fluency homework week 15

Getting the Most Out of Fluency Homework

Timed, repeated readings with feedback are one of the best ways to improve students’ reading fluency.

Read more about repeated readings here!

How you manage repeated readings depends on what works best in your class. Some teachers have parent helpers or aides work with the students. Some teachers do timed readings as part of individual reading conferences. Some teachers have students read along with audio recordings.

Find what works for you!

For us, what worked best was assigning repeated readings as fluency homework.

How Does Fluency Homework Work?

I send each student home with a passage on Monday.  Most of my kids get the same passage, but I differentiate for my highest and lowest readers.  (You can differentiate for each individual reader if you have the time/patience!)  Students read the same text for 4 days.  For the lower reading levels (A-D, kindergarten and part of 1st grade) students color a box after each complete reading.  It’s not appropriate to time them at this stage in their development.  Starting on Level E, they’re timed reading for 1 minute and parents find their WCPM.

The reading passage is on the front.  The daily assignments are copied on the back.  Because we want to connect fluency with greater comprehension , from levels E and up students have a specific comprehension focus each day (levels A-D focus on sight words).  In a format that models close reading, the questions get progressively complex.

The key to making this assignment effective is to provide parent support .  Parents need to know how to give feedback.  Each week’s assignment has tips for how parents can make the most of the homework .  Some of it is general information on how to do the assignment or why reading fluency is important.  Some of the tips are related to that week’s particular story.  For example, how to read dialogue or how to give a character a unique voice.  Like the questions, the tips are related to the text.

Organization tip: make a stack of copies ahead of time for each level and store them in file folders. When it’s time to send home practice, use a check list to quickly pull fluency pages from your files.

What Makes Fluency Homework Worthwhile?

In the post about leveled passages (find it here ), I wrote about how to find quality texts for reading.  I set out 5 guidelines for recognizing quality:

• It’s leveled
• It’s brief
• It uses sight words
• It covers a variety of genres
• It fosters deeper comprehension

These are the guidelines we used when creating our fluency passages .

• Is it leveled?  It is leveled according to Guided Reading level.  You will find the leveling information in the top corner.  Estimated DRA and Lexile details are also included.

What does Level A look like? • designed to help develop concepts of print • short, predictable sentences • illustrations that support meaning • simple narratives and familiar themes

What does Level B look like? • short, predictable sentences • repetitive stories with familiar themes • illustrations that closely match print • text in a large, plain font

What does Level C look like? • predictable text with longer sentences, but still on a single line • illustrations that match print, but offer less support • greater range of high frequency words

What does Level D look like? • increasing number of lines of text per page • less repetition • some words in bold for emphasis • word-solving strategies may be required to understand meaning • simple dialogue

What does Level E look like? • more complex stories with subtler meanings • sentences that carry over to multiple lines • simple and split dialogue • large number of high-frequency words

What does Level F look like? • stories with greater development of plot and character • non-fiction texts are focus on a single idea • longer sentences • illustrations that support text, but don’t carry all the meaning • greater range of vocabulary

What does Level G look like? • more complex stories and ideas • wider variety of settings, characters, and vocabulary • includes plurals, possessives, and contractions • longer dialogue

What does Level H look like? • stories that run longer than 100 words • humorous situations and a wider variety of themes • dialogue that adds to the drama • a variety of words used to assign dialogue to readers (explained, told, etc.) • many words with inflectional endings • complex illustrations and text features

What does Level I look like? • several sentences longer than 10 words • prepositional phrases, adjectives, and clauses • abstract themes supported by the text and illustrations • stories that require inference

Levels J+ are still under construction.

• Is it brief?   All the stories in these passages fit on a single page.  For lower levels, it uses a large type with plenty of space between lines.
• Does it use sight words?   In the early levels (A-D) students are introduced to a sight word that is used repeatedly in the passage.  They also practice the word in multiple ways over the course of a week.  From level E and up, the focus is less on high-frequency words and more on comprehension.  However, the text is full of sight words and no more than one vocabulary word is introduced per passage.  Character names are short and decodable.  There are no difficult proper nouns or dates in the transitional level passages (E-K).

• Does it introduce a variety of genres?   Starting at Level E, the texts alternate between fiction and nonfiction.  The concepts in the fiction and nonfiction passages are related.  Starting in Level G, all the stories in a set (4 weeks of passages) are related.  Genres include: realistic fiction, simple fantasy (talking animals), how-to texts, fables, informational…as we add more advanced levels the range of genres will grow.
• Does it foster comprehension?   For every reading, students are given a comprehension focus as a purpose for reading.  They then read the text and use that focus to answer the day’s questions.  After the first read, students are asked questions about general understandings and details.  On day two, they’re focusing on the author’s craft, vocabulary, comparing and contrasting–deeper thinking skills.  By day three, they’re asked to infer a character’s feelings based on his actions or analyze how text features help the reader gain more information.  The end of the week has students do something with their new understanding.  Maybe they’re asked to support an opinion or maybe they’re asked to clarify information about a topic.  The questions for each week depend on that week’s text– no two assignments have the same questions .

——————————————————————————————-

I worked hard to ensure that the passages were of a quality that make them worth rereading.  Instead of writing “All About Polar Bears,” I took an aspect of polar bears–where they live–and connected it to a larger idea: why they can’t meet penguins. Instead of a passage about what ocean animals eat, I wrote about the relationship between giant blue whales and tiny krill and then asked students to connect that theme to the fable of The Lion and the Mouse.

Illustrating has pushed me to the edge of my meager drawing abilities.  I have had to draw so many random things: a panda’s jaw line, bread holes, a grasshopper egg pod, a salamander with a worm…But it was important to me that the stories have illustrations.  We teach beginning readers to use picture cues, so there needed to be picture cues available.  Illustrations support understanding.  As readers advance, they learn how pictures can teach and clarify information.  I worked really hard to make sure our illustrations did that.  We include maps, diagrams, cutaways, captions, and labels. The passages grow increasingly complex so that as students advance, the pictures become less important to comprehending the passage and the text carries more of that weight.

Writing these fluency passages is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done!!  And I still have half of 2nd and all of 3rd to go…

Kindergarten Fluency Homework

We have 36 weeks of kindergarten homework available.  That includes: 8 weeks of Letter Name Fluency practice, 4 weeks of Letter Sound Fluency practice, 4 weeks of Segmenting & Blending practice (this is perfect for students working on Nonsense Word Fluency), and 16 weeks of Leveled Reading Passages (Level A-D). The A-D passages in Kindergarten are different than those in First. While there is some overlap of levels in each pack, all passages and practice pages are unique. Click here to download a sampler of Kindergarten Fluency Homework.

First Grade has another 36 weeks of practice: 4 weeks each of levels A-I.  The A-D passages are different than those in Kindergarten. The E-I levels are different than those in Second. While there is some overlap of levels in each pack, all passages and practice pages are unique.  Click here to download a sampler of First Grade Fluency Homework.

Second Grade Fluency Homework

Second Grade has another 36 weeks of practice (this image says coming soon but it is now complete!): 4 weeks each of levels E-M. The E-I levels in second are different than those in First. While there is some overlap of levels in each pack, all passages and practice pages are unique.  Click here to download a sampler of Second Grade Fluency Homework.

Third Grade Fluency Homework

Third Grade will grow to another 36 weeks of practice: 4 weeks each of levels J-M, 8 weeks of Levels N and O, and 4 weeks of Level P. The J-M passages in third grade bundle are different than those in the second grade bundle. While there is some overlap of levels in each pack, all passages and practice pages are unique.

—–

Whether or not you use our fluency passages , we hope that this post has provided you with some insight on how you can make fluency homework work for you. 

• Read more about: 1st Grade , 2nd grade , 3rd Grade , fluency , homework , Kindergarten

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• Principal Magazine

Rethinking Homework to Focus on Fluency

Data reveals that eliminating traditional assignments supports educational equity.

• Denise R. Fuhrman
• Principal Magazine - March/April 2021

Topics: Equity and Diversity

Do a quick search of “homework at the elementary level,” and Google will present up to 75 million articles either denouncing it or listing its potential benefits. I, too, have been of many minds on the topic; during 25 years in education, my opinion regarding homework’s value has changed at least 25 times.

There was only one way for me to find out if my school could maintain academic excellence without homework. During the 2019–2020 school year, I challenged the school staff and families to complete some action research with me by implementing a “No-Homework November and December.”

This was a scary concept for some members of the school community. Our district has a long and storied tradition of academic excellence. My argument? What made us successful in the past won’t necessarily make us successful in the future.

The first step of this adventure was to educate parents and students on what I meant by “no homework.” While the staff and I question the value of spelling lists and worksheets completed at home, we wholeheartedly believe in the value of practicing math facts regularly, as well as reading to and with children. We continued to communicate that fluency is key to academic performance.

Fluency refers to a student’s ability to read and recall accurately, quickly, and effortlessly. We sent the message that reading and math fact fluency are the building blocks of comprehension and high-level thought. Families were encouraged to practice math facts and read daily for 15 minutes. The hope was that families would use the extra no-homework time to start new, fun routines with their children.

Participation Spikes

After the two-month no-homework trial, we surveyed parents and teachers. The surveys had some of the highest participation rates compared to previous surveys, and the feedback was mostly favorable. Accountability and communication were the main concerns of teachers and families.

We analyzed December benchmark data, comparing the results to those of previous years. Quantitative data proved tricky to review due to a districtwide change in benchmarking companies from the previous year. From September to December, fourth- and fifth-graders showed greater growth in math than in reading on districtwide benchmark assessments—growth comparable to that of our sister school.

I ultimately made the decision to move forward with the shift from traditional homework toward practices focused on fluency. I made several modifications to how the school implemented the change. We changed our vocabulary; we stopped saying “no homework” and instead talked about “fluency practice.” Teachers were given the option of assigning fluency practice logs, which parents appreciated because it made practice and accountability into requirements.

We learned that parents value homework because they feel it helps them understand the skills and concepts students are studying and learning. The staff and I used a January faculty meeting to brainstorm ways other than homework to improve our communication with families.

Five Months Later

I enjoy analyzing data; it’s what helps me help my staff make their “good” better and their “better” best. But due to COVID-19’s school closings, I didn’t have year-end school benchmark or state achievement data to analyze. I wouldn’t be able to compare and contrast the academic data from the days when we assigned traditional homework against that of our fluency-​focused student cohort.

The data I did have available is school discipline data. And what I uncovered is astonishing!

From Nov. 1, 2019, through our final in-person day on March 12, 2020, there were 79 days of school. I narrowed the 2018–2019 data to a comparable 79 days of school. As I expected, there were fewer disciplinary infractions for failing to complete homework. But even though there were 26 more students in the building in 2019–2020, there were 64 fewer discipline infractions reported to the office than in 2018–2019.

Things became even more interesting when I looked at discipline through the lens of race and ethnicity. (See Figure 1 below)

I had never seen anything like this. On March 12, 2020, the racial and ethnic breakdown of the student body at East York Elementary School was 67 percent white and 33 percent minority. So 65 percent of the discipline assigned while performing fluency-​focused action research went to white students, and 35 percent to minority students—roughly matching our school makeup for the first time.

Is it possible that when we make homework attainable for all students, regardless of their home supports, we improve the school environment? Is it possible that when we remove homework variables that are beyond our students’ control, they feel more confident at school? Is it possible that when we make bold choices in instruction, we make all learners feel like valued members of our school community?

These things are possible. At the very least, East York Elementary seems to have uncovered a truth about traditional homework: It favors nonminority students. Concentrating on fluency instead improved the school climate.

Denise R. Fuhrman is principal of East York Elementary School in York, Pennsylvania.

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Week-by-Week Homework for Building Reading Comprehension & Fluency: Grades 2–3: 30 Reproducible High-Interest Passages for Kids to Read Aloud at Home―With Companion Activities 52621st Edition

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Teaching Resources; 52621st edition (August 1, 2004)
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This Dividend Stock Hasn't Yielded This Much in Over 15 Years. Here's Why It's a Buy Near Its 52-Week Low

• UPS badly overestimated post-pandemic consumer behavior trends.
• Investors should hold UPS accountable for its three-year plan.
• The dividend yield is high, and the valuation is inexpensive.
• Motley Fool Issues Rare “All In” Buy Alert

United Parcel Service

The sell-off in UPS has gone too far.

United Parcel Service ( UPS 0.03% ) stock gained an impressive 83% between 2020 and the end of 2021 -- benefiting from a shift away from services and in-store shopping toward home delivery. But since the beginning of 2022, UPS is down over 35% compared to a 12% gain in the S&P 500 .

Here's why the high-yield dividend stock deserved to sell off but is worth buying now.

Image source: Getty Images.

A major slowdown

One look at a chart of UPS' stock price, sales, and operating margin, and it's easy to see why the stock is hovering around a three-year low.

UPS data by YCharts

During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, UPS' high-margin business-to-business volumes plummeted. However, demand for residential package deliveries soared, leading to rapidly rising revenue. As the business environment recovered, UPS entered a golden period of revenue growth and rising margins. In the chart, you can see the stock price peak in early 2022, with revenue and operating margins peaking later that year.

The last two years have been very difficult for UPS for reasons within and outside its control. The company's most damaging decision was to overexpand its routes in anticipation of sustained growth in the U.S. small package market. Unfortunately, UPS' forecast badly missed reality, as the pandemic-induced surge in package delivery volume proved short-lived.

UPS has revised its forecast, expecting a 5.5% compound annual growth rate in average daily volume between 2023 and 2026. Based on that growth rate, it expects to grow revenue to a range of $108 billion to $114 billion by 2026 and reach an adjusted operating margin of at least 13%. In other words, it expects an adjusted operating margin similar to the peak from late 2021 and 2022, paired with higher revenue.

A key part of UPS' growth plan is healthcare. UPS expects healthcare revenue to double by 2026 , thanks to organic growth and acquisitions. UPS is making a big bet on this segment, and it's important to understand that its medium-term targets largely hinge on the success of healthcare. Monitoring the segment's performance in UPS' quarterly financials, as well as management's commentary on healthcare during its earnings calls, can help you determine if the bet is paying off or not going as planned.

Get paid to wait

UPS has set clear medium-term targets and expectations for investors, which is a helpful yardstick by which to judge the company. However, until UPS progresses toward those targets, the stock will likely remain in "prove it mode." The story has dramatically changed, as UPS went from a company that consistently blew expectations out of the water to falling short of guidance. UPS has run out of slack, and deservingly so.

At times like this, it can be helpful to zoom out and understand what's driving negative investor sentiment and judge that sentiment within the context of the long-term investment thesis. UPS benefits from a growing economy, both domestically and intentionally. Its push into healthcare, which is both time and temperature-sensitive, makes a lot of sense and is a great way to give UPS an edge over competitors.

UPS has reached a valuation and dividend yield that are too generous to pass up.

UPS Dividend Yield data by YCharts

Its dividend yield sits at 4.7% -- the most in over 15 years. UPS has also raised its dividend every year for the last 15 years, including a monster 49% raise in early 2022.

In the short term, UPS doesn't have the earnings growth to justify a growing dividend . However, management's commentary on the first-quarter 2024 earnings call suggested that UPS would work to keep the dividend steady or slightly raise it and bring down the payout ratio with earnings growth rather than lowering the dividend.

UPS has an adjusted payout ratio target of 50%, meaning it plans to distribute half of the adjusted earnings to shareholders through the dividend. UPS recognizes that it needs to improve its profitability to resume making sizable dividend raises. But in the meantime, the dividend is already quite attractive -- especially given the S&P 500 yields just 1.3%.

UPS' price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 19.9 is close to the 10-year median of 20.6. However, UPS' forward P/E is 16.8 -- indicating that analysts expect earnings to improve in the next year.

Consensus analyst estimates call for $8.23 in 2024 earnings per share (EPS) and a whopping $9.82 in 2025 EPS. These are merely projections, so they should be approached with caution. However, at a price per share of around $137.50, UPS looks very cheap if its earnings improve even closer to the forecast pace.

Don't pass on this passive income opportunity

In today's expensive market, it can be difficult to find juicy opportunities. But UPS is one of them.

UPS' inexpensive valuation and high dividend yield provide worthwhile incentives to hold the stock through this challenging time. However, if UPS continues to disappoint and veer off course from its medium-term targets, analysts will likely revise their forecasts, and the stock won't look like such a bargain.

UPS is a prime example of an out-of-favor stock. It's easy to spotlight the company's recent blemishes and blunders, but it's also a big mistake to discount UPS' impressive market position and runway in healthcare.

The passive income opportunity and potential for a turnaround outweigh the cons, making UPS a worthwhile, high-yield dividend stock to buy if you're willing to ride out volatility.

Daniel Foelber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends United Parcel Service. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

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Got tinnitus a device that tickles the tongue helps this musician find relief.

Allison Aubrey

After using the Lenire device for an hour each day for 12 weeks, Victoria Banks says her tinnitus is "barely noticeable." David Petrelli/Victoria Banks hide caption

After using the Lenire device for an hour each day for 12 weeks, Victoria Banks says her tinnitus is "barely noticeable."

Imagine if every moment is filled with a high-pitched buzz or ring that you can't turn off.

More than 25 million adults in the U.S., have a condition called tinnitus, according to the American Tinnitus Association. It can be stressful, even panic-inducing and difficult to manage. Dozens of factors can contribute to the onset of tinnitus, including hearing loss, exposure to loud noise or a viral illness.

There's no cure, but there are a range of strategies to reduce the symptoms and make it less bothersome, including hearing aids, mindfulness therapy , and one newer option – a device approved by the FDA to treat tinnitus using electrical stimulation of the tongue.

The device has helped Victoria Banks, a singer and songwriter in Nashville, Tenn., who developed tinnitus about three years ago.

"The noise in my head felt like a bunch of cicadas," Banks says. "It was terrifying." The buzz made it difficult for her to sing and listen to music. "It can be absolutely debilitating," she says.

Shots - Health News

Tinnitus bothers millions of americans. here's how to turn down the noise.

Banks tried taking dietary supplements , but those didn't help. She also stepped up exercise, but that didn't bring relief either. Then she read about a device called Lenire, which was approved by the FDA in March 2023. It includes a plastic mouthpiece with stainless steel electrodes that electrically stimulate the tongue. It is the first device of its kind to be approved for tinnitus.

"This had worked for other people, and I thought I'm willing to try anything at this point," Banks recalls.

She sought out audiologist Brian Fligor, who treats severe cases of tinnitus in the Boston area. Fligor was impressed by the results of a clinical trial that found 84% of participants who tried Lenire experienced a significant reduction in symptoms. He became one of the first providers in the U.S. to use the device with his patients. Fligor also served on an advisory panel assembled by the company who developed it.

"A good candidate for this device is somebody who's had tinnitus for at least three months," Fligor says, emphasizing that people should be evaluated first to make sure there's not an underlying medical issue.

Tinnitus often accompanies hearing loss, but Victoria Banks' hearing was fine and she had no other medical issue, so she was a good candidate.

Banks used the device for an hour each day for 12 weeks. During the hour-long sessions, the electrical stimulation "tickles" the tongue, she says. In addition, the device includes a set of headphones that play a series of tones and ocean-wave sounds.

The device works, in part, by shifting the brain's attention away from the buzz. We're wired to focus on important information coming into our brains, Fligor says. Think of it as a spotlight at a show pointed at the most important thing on the stage. "When you have tinnitus and you're frustrated or angry or scared by it, that spotlight gets really strong and focused on the tinnitus," Fligor says.

"It's the combination of what you're feeling through the nerves in your tongue and what you're hearing through your ears happening in synchrony that causes the spotlight in your brain to not be so stuck on the tinnitus," Fligor explains.

A clinical trial found 84% of people who used the device experienced a significant reduction in symptoms. Brian Fligor hide caption

A clinical trial found 84% of people who used the device experienced a significant reduction in symptoms.

"It unsticks your spotlight" and helps desensitize people to the perceived noise that their tinnitus creates, he says.

Banks says the ringing in her ears did not completely disappear, but now it's barely noticeable on most days.

"It's kind of like if I lived near a waterfall and the waterfall was constantly going," she says. Over time, the waterfall sound fades out of consciousness.

"My brain is now focusing on other things," and the buzz is no longer so distracting. She's back to listening to music, writing music, and performing music." I'm doing all of those things," she says.

When the buzz comes back into focus, Banks says a refresher session with the device helps.

A clinical trial found that 84% of people who tried Lenire , saw significant improvements in their condition. To measure changes, the participants took a questionnaire that asked them to rate how much tinnitus was impacting their sleep, sense of control, feelings of well-being and quality of life. After 12 weeks of using the device, participants improved by an average of 14 points.

"Where this device fits into the big picture, is that it's not a cure-all, but it's quickly become my go-to," for people who do not respond to other ways of managing tinnitus, Fligor says.

One down-side is the cost. Banks paid about $4,000 for the Lenire device, and insurance doesn't cover it. She put the expense on her credit card and paid it off gradually.

Fligor hopes that as the evidence of its effectiveness accumulates, insurers will begin to cover it. Despite the cost, more than 80% of participants in the clinical trial said they would recommend the device to a friend with tinnitus.

But, it's unclear how long the benefits last. Clinical trials have only evaluated Lenire over a 1-year period. "How durable are the effects? We don't really know yet," says audiologist Marc Fagelson, the scientific advisory committee chair of the American Tinnitus Association. He says research is promising but there's still more to learn.

Fagelson says the first step he takes with his patients is an evaluation for hearing loss. Research shows that hearing aids can be an effective treatment for tinnitus among people who have both tinnitus and hearing loss, which is much more common among older adults. An estimated one-third of adults 65 years of age and older who have hearing loss, also have tinnitus.

"We do see a lot of patients, even with very mild loss, who benefit from hearing aids," Fagelson says, but in his experience it's about 50-50 in terms of improving tinnitus. Often, he says people with tinnitus need to explore options beyond hearing aids.

Bruce Freeman , a scientist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, says he's benefitted from both hearing aids and Lenire. He was fitted for the device in Ireland where it was developed, before it was available in the U.S.

Freeman agrees that the ringing never truly disappears, but the device has helped him manage the condition. He describes the sounds that play through the device headphones as very calming and "almost hypnotic" and combined with the tongue vibration, it's helped desensitize him to the ring.

Freeman – who is a research scientist – says he's impressed with the results of research, including a study published in Nature, Scientific Reports that points to significant improvements among clinical trial participants with tinnitus.

Freeman experienced a return of his symptoms when he stopped using the device. "Without it the tinnitus got worse," he says. Then, when he resumed use, it improved.

Freeman believes his long-term exposure to noisy instruments in his research laboratory may have played a role in his condition, and also a neck injury from a bicycle accident that fractured his vertebra. "All of those things converged," he says.

Freeman has developed several habits that help keep the high-pitched ring out of his consciousness and maintain good health. "One thing that does wonders is swimming," he says, pointing to the swooshing sound of water in his ears. "That's a form of mindfulness," he explains.

When it comes to the ring of tinnitus, "it comes and goes," Freeman says. For now, it has subsided into the background, he told me with a sense of relief. "The last two years have been great," he says – a combination of the device, hearing aids and the mindfulness that comes from a swim.

This story was edited by Jane Greenhalgh

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U.S. Suspends Funding for Group at Center of Covid Origins Fight

The decision came after a scorching hearing in which lawmakers barraged EcoHealth Alliance’s president with claims of misrepresenting work with Chinese virologists.

By Benjamin Mueller

The Biden administration, under acute pressure from House lawmakers, moved on Wednesday to ban funding for a prominent virus-hunting nonprofit group whose work with Chinese scientists had put it at the heart of theories that Covid leaked from a lab.

The decision, announced in a letter from the Department of Health and Human Services, came on the heels of a scorching congressional hearing this month at which lawmakers barraged the group’s president with suggestions that he had misrepresented work with virologists in Wuhan, China, where the pandemic began. Republicans went further, demanding that Peter Daszak, the president of the nonprofit, EcoHealth Alliance, be criminally investigated.

For EcoHealth, which relied on federal funding to study the threat of wild animal viruses, the loss of funding is another twist in a saga that has long dominated discussions of how the pandemic began.

In April 2020, under orders from the Trump administration, the National Institutes of Health terminated a grant to EcoHealth amid President Donald J. Trump’s feud with China over the origin of the coronavirus. Three years later, an internal federal watchdog agency determined that the N.I.H. had failed to give a proper cause for ending the grant, which supplied an average of roughly $625,000 per year. The N.I.H. restarted a pared-back version of the award.

Now, with Republicans stepping up their campaign against EcoHealth, and Democrats joining in the anger, the Biden administration has cut off funding for EcoHealth again.

Health officials said they were suspending three active N.I.H. grants to EcoHealth that totaled $2.6 million for last year. And they proposed barring the group from receiving future federal research funding. Such bans, they said, usually last no more than three years, but could be longer or shorter.

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