Early Literacy - Wisconsin Act 20

Act 20 Requirement
All K-3 teachers, principals where there are grades K-3, and reading specialists must begin training on science-based literacy instruction by July 1, 2025. This must be from an approved list.

MHASD Plan
All K-3 teachers (including reading teachers, special education teachers, and teachers of multilingual learners) and administration completed Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training during the 2022/23 or 2023/24 school year.  

Act 20 Requirement
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 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

*School boards retain the independent authority to select the early literacy instructional materials they will adopt and implement. Those instructional materials are required to meet the definition of “science-based early literacy instruction” found in Act 20.

MHASD Plan
All Kindergarten educators began implementing Amplify CKLA in September 2023. Educators in grades 1-5 will followed suit with implementation in September 2024. This curriculum is science-based and includes all the components of systematic and explicit instruction outlined above. Amplify CKLA is one of the top curricular resources approved by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Staff received professional development for the initial implementation and have also participated in training sessions focused on planning and strengthening their use of the resource.

Act 20 Requirement
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: Administer 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, 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.

MHASD Plan
District staff will administer the required early literacy screener, aimswebPlus, as provided by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, following the DPI's screening windows throughout the school year.

AimswebPlus will be used for the initial diagnostic assessment. Legal guardians may request a diagnostic assessment or an evaluation through special education at any time.

For more information, visit our District and School Assessments page.

Act 20 Requirement
Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, provide parents and families with the 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, the parents must be notified in writing, along with a description of the reading interventions that the child will continue to receive.

MHASD Plan
Parents/guardians will receive notification and information throughout the screening and diagnostic assessment process.  This includes information about screening assessments, screening assessment results, and if additional diagnostic assessment is warranted.  If additional diagnostic assessment is warranted, additional information will also follow including those results and the student's Personal Reading Plan.  Families will also be provided a Family Reading History Survey.  All communications will occur according to the timelines indicated in Wisconsin Act 20. More information can be found in the District's Early Literacy Remediation Plan. 

Act 20 Requirement
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.

MHASD Plan
Students scoring below the 25th percentile on reading screening measures will receive a Personal Reading Plan. Parents/caregivers will be notified and can access the plan via NextPath or in paper form at conferences, where it will be discussed. Educators will review student progress monitoring data and notify parents/caregivers of updates. Parents/caregivers can also request to see their student's progress at any time.

Act 20 Requirement
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.

MHASD Plan
The Board of Education promotion policy will be reviewed/revised as needed during the 2024-2025 school year.
​​​​​​

Act 20 Requirement
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.

MHASD Plan
Please see the District Early Literacy Remediation Plan for more information.