Act 20 - Early Literacy

2023 ACT 20 Requirements

All K-3 teachers, principals where there are grades K-3, and reading specialists must receive training on science-based literacy instruction by July 1, 2025. This must be from an approved list.

WRPS Implementation

All K-5 teachers, reading teachers, and administration will complete Cox Campus (PK-5th Structured Literacy Program) This process will be completed during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. 

The District Reading Specialist and administrators will also engage in 2 days of leadership training provided by CESA 5 during the 2024-2025 school year. All administrators and the District Reading Specialist will complete the leadership training before July 1, 2025. 

2023 ACT 20 Requirements

What type of early literacy instruction and intervention do schools need to provide?

Act 20 states that all Wisconsin schools are required to provide science-based early literacy instruction in both universal and intervention settings. Science-based early literacy instruction is defined as the following.

Instruction that is systematic and explicit and consists of all the following:

• Phonological awareness
• Phonemic awareness
• Phonics
• Building background knowledge
• Oral language development
• Vocabulary building
• Instruction in writing
• Instruction in comprehension
• Reading fluency

See the Wisconsin Reads website for more information.

WRPS Implementation

WRPS followed the District's established curriculum acquisition process when choosing English Language Arts materials for kindergarten through 5th grade that also met the criteria outlined in Wisconsin Act 20.

Classroom teachers piloted and evaluated materials that were on the 2024-2025 early literacy instructional materials list, created by the Early Literacy Curriculum Council and approved by the Joint Committee on Finance. The WRPS Elementary Language Arts CII Committee reviewed the feedback and selected Amplify CKLA. These materials were open for a community review, presented to the District CII Committee and, ultimately, were approved by the WRPS School Board in June of 2024.

Amplify CKLA training is being provided to all elementary teaching staff throughout the 2024-2025 school year. Additional training will also be provided to elementary administrators to assist with implementation. Additional District DEUs were offered for continuous support.

2023 ACT 20 Requirements

4K Assessment:

Students are to be assessed twice during the school year using a fundamental skills screening assessment selected by the DPI.  The first is to be completed by the 45th school day and the second by 45 days before the end of the school year.

5K-3 Assessment:

At least 3 universal screenings during the school year.
The first must be before the 45th day of the school year, the second in the middle of the school year, and the third by 45 days left in the school year.
Universal screenings must include phonemic awareness, decoding, alphabet knowledge, letter sound knowledge, and oral vocabulary.
A diagnostic assessment must be used when a universal screening assessment indicates a pupil is at-risk (below 25th percentile). This occurs no later than the second Friday of November for the Fall assessment or within 10 days after the 2nd universal screening.  Diagnostic assessments must also be given within 20 days when a teacher or parent suspects a student has characteristics of dyslexia and submits a request.

WRPS Implementation

WRPS will implement the required Early Literacy assessments provided by the state (aimswebPLUS).

WRPS will be using a combination of aimswebPLUS, STAR, and Fastbridge for all K-3 students who indicate they are at-risk and fall below the 25th percentile on the Early Literacy assessment. (Both assessments were recommended by DPI as meeting the diagnostic requirements).

2023 ACT 20 Requirements

Beginning in January of the 2024-2025 school year, school districts are to provide parents and families with results of the reading readiness screener no later than 15 days after the assessment is scored in an understandable format that includes all of the following:

• The pupil's score on the reading readiness assessment.
• The pupil's score in each early literacy skill category assessed by the reading readiness assessment.
• The pupil's percentile rank score on the reading readiness assessment, if available.
• The definition of “at-risk” and the score on the reading readiness assessment that would indicate that a pupil is at-risk.
• A plain language description of the literacy skills the reading readiness assessment is designed to measure.

If a child is promoted to 4th grade without completing their personal reading plan, parents must be notified in writing along with a description of the reading interventions that child will continue to receive.

WRPS Implementation

All families will receive their child's results on all universal screening assessments, not just the required Early Literacy Assessment. These results will be printed reports from the assessment and a letter explaining the results and all other required information related to special education and dyslexia. All communication will be translated into the family's preferred language. 

*This is our practice on all universal and state-required assessments 4K-12 as we value our partnership with families.

In addition, WRPS staff will communicate and collaborate with families about the need for additional diagnostic assessments and the development and progress in the personal reading plan.

2023 ACT 20 Requirements

If students are identified as at-risk on a universal screening assessment or diagnostic assessment, a personal reading plan must be created that includes:

• the specific early literacy skill deficiencies
• goals and benchmarks for the pupil's progress toward grade-level literacy skills
• how progress will be monitored, a description of interventions and additional instructional services being provided
• the science-based reading programming the teacher will use 
• strategies for the parent to support grade-level literacy skills, and any additional services available and appropriate

Local education agencies (public schools and independent charter schools) will provide a copy of the personal reading plan to parents, as well as provide progress updates after 10 weeks.

WRPS Implementation

WRPS will create a Personal Reading Plan for all qualifying students. This plan will be created in EduClimber and include all the required information. All plans will be shared with families.

2023 ACT 20 Requirements

Schools must have a policy for promotion from 3rd to 4th grade, based on a DPI model policy, by July 1, 2025.  This would go into effect September 1, 2027. 

WRPS Implementation

Third Grade Promotion and Retention:  At-Risk Students

2023 ACT 20 Requirements

Act 20 requires each school district to articulate and post an early literacy remediation plan that includes all of the following. The name of the diagnostic reading assessment the school district uses; a description of the reading interventions the school district uses to address characteristics of dyslexia; a description of how the school district monitors pupil progress during interventions, including the tools used and their frequency; a description of how the school district uses early literacy assessment results to evaluate early literacy instruction; and a description of the parent notification policy that complies with Act 20.

School districts are still required to publicly post the academic standards that they use and to provide a link to Wisconsin’s Informational Guidebook on Dyslexia and Related Conditions on their school district website.

WRPS Implementation

See our Early Literacy Remediation Plan