School District of Lodi ACT 20 Implementation

 

2023 ACT 20 Requirements 

By July 1, 2025, all individuals employed as a 5K-grade 3 teacher of reading will need to begin a reading training that meets the following criteria.

- A program endorsed by the Center for Effective Reading Instruction as an accredited independent teacher training program.

Lodi Implementation 

All 4K-5 teachers of reading and administration will complete the Keys to Beginning Reading Program and participate in in-person application/implementation training provided by CESA 5 Literacy Coordinators. This process will be completed during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years. 

Staff can be exempt from portions of the above training with proof of completion of an alternative approved program.

 

 

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

*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.

*Act 20 does not require schools to change their curriculum. It does require schools to implement science-based early literacy instruction as defined in the statute and prohibits schools from implementing three-cueing instruction as defined in the statute.

Lodi Implementation 

Over the past several years, prior to the introduction of Wisconsin ACT 20, the School District of Lodi made a conscious effort to invest in updated, highly rated curricular resources that align with recent reading research.

Current Core Curriculum Resources Leveraged: 

• Heggerty Phonemic Awareness & Phonics to Reading (4K-2nd) - Lodi Primary School 
• myView Literacy (3rd-5th) - Lodi Elementary School 
• Ready Reading, Ready Writing, Sonday Essentials Phonics (3rd-5th) -  OSC School

 

 

 

 

Lodi will continue to review what curricular resources best meet ACT 20's requirements and our students' needs. During the 24-25 school year, we will continue to evaluate recommended resources from the Department of Public Instruction. 

Current Tier 2 and Tier 3 Intervention Resources Leveraged: 

• Sonday System 1
• Sonday System 2 
• UFLI Foundations

 

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, 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.

Lodi Implementation 

The School District of Lodi will implement the required early literacy assessments provided by the state (aimswebPLUS).

Lodi will use one of the following diagnostic tools for 4K-3 students who indicate they are at risk and fall below the 25th percentile on the early literacy assessment. 

• aimswebPLUS
• iReady
• Core Phonics Assessment - Assessing Reading: Multiple Measures, Revised 2nd Edition

Please see the Lodi 2024/2025 Assessment Calendar for additional information.

 

2023 ACT 20 Requirements 

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.

Lodi 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 accompanied by a letter explaining the results.

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

In addition, Lodi staff will communicate and collaborate with families about the need for additional diagnostic assessments and the development and progress of 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 pupils 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 give parents a copy of the personal reading plan and provide progress updates after 10 weeks.

Lodi Implementation 

Lodi will create a Personal Reading Plan for all qualifying students in NextPath. This plan will include all the required information as stipulated in WI ACT 20. 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 Sept 1, 2027

Lodi Implementation 

FOURTH GRADE/EIGHTH GRADE PROMOTION - po5410

*This policy will be updated following the release of DPI's model policy

 

 

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.

 

If your student has a Personalized Reading Plan, they are receiving targeted support in a specific area of literacy identified for continued growth. We encourage you to connect with your child’s teacher to learn more about this focus area and to explore resources for reinforcing that support at home.

For instance, the teacher may provide reading passages or letter/word study games that are being used at school and can be practiced at home. Repeating these activities at home will help reinforce what your child is learning at school and strengthen their skills.

Regular, short practice sessions in a cozy reading space can make this process enjoyable and effective.