Wisconsin

Yes

Yes. A shortened description can be found here:

• Wisconsin Legislative Council

An office of literacy has been created. There is an early literacy councils of curriculum within the DPI office of literacy. Their role is to annually recommend to DPI science-based literacy curricula and instructional materials for use in grades K-3, beginning in the 2023-24 school year.

Act 20 creates a non-competitive grant covering a portion of costs for purchasing curriculum and instructional materials recommended by the Council on Early Literacy Curricula. Schools that purchased and implemented an early literacy curriculum that appears on the recommended list may apply for the partial reimbursement grants for the purchase of any consumables or on-going costs made on or after January 1, 2024.

The act establishes a Literacy Coaching Program within the DPI Office of Literacy, which assigns literacy coaches to work with traditional public schools, independent charters schools, and private schools participating in a choice program (“choice schools”). Under the act, DPI literacy coaches will provide support to school administrators, school-based literacy coaches, principals, and teachers to build capacity to teach reading using science-based early reading instruction2 and increase the percentage of students reading at grade level by the end of third grade.

Act 20 replaces the 4K to second grade current requirement with a new system of literacy assessment involving more frequent testing, and creates a new assessment requirement for students in five year-old kindergarten (5K) to third grade.

All 4K students must be assessed 2x/year.

Act 20 requires traditional public schools and independent charter schools to administer a universal screening assessment (aimswebPlus) to 5K-3rd grade. It must evaluate the following for each student: (1) phonemic awareness; (2) decoding skills; (3) alphabet knowledge; (4) letter sound knowledge; and (5) oral vocabulary.

All 4K learners must take the fundamental reading skills screener on or before the 45th day of programming in the fall and again on or before the 45th day prior to the last day of programming in the spring.

All 5K through grade 3 learners must take the universal reading screener on or before the 45th day of school in the fall, once mid-year, and on or before the 45th day prior to the last day of school in the spring.

Under state law, “days” means calendar days.

Diagnostic assessments must be given when a student scores below the 25th percentile on any required aimswebPlus subtest. aimswebPlus scores are available at the time of administration. Therefore, diagnostic assessment must be administered as necessary within 10 days after a universal reading screener shows that a child meets the definition of “at-risk”.

There are also processes mandated for interventions, enforcement, reporting, and policies for promotion.

The three cueing method has been eliminated from all teaching pedagogy and purchased curriculum.

Yes, although it’s a recommended list and not required. Updates can be found here: https://dpi.wi.gov/wi-reads

The three cueing method has been eliminated from all teaching pedagogy and purchased curriculum.

Yes it was. It was based on the below definition and will be published in January 2024.

“Science-based early reading instruction” is defined to mean instruction that is systematic and explicit and consists of at least the following:

• phonological awareness, including word awareness, rhyme recognition, repetition and creation of alliteration, syllable counting or identification, onset, and rime manipulation;
• phonemic awareness, including phoneme identification, isolation, blending, segmentation, addition, substitution, and deletion;
• phonics;
• building background knowledge;
• oral language development;
• vocabulary building to develop lexical and morphological knowledge;
• instruction in writing;
• instruction in comprehension;
• reading fluency.

Rubric used: https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/wi-reads/24-25_Early_Lit_Curr_Council_Rating_Form_-_Google_Forms.pdf.

The three cueing method has been eliminated from all teaching pedagogy and purchased curriculum.

Yes, aimsWeb+ was chosen as the selected screener.

Required Reading Assessments
Prior law required traditional public schools and independent charter schools to assess students in four year-old kindergarten (4K) to second grade for reading readiness each year. This assessment was required to evaluate whether the student possesses phonemic awareness and letter sound knowledge. Act 20 replaces this 4K to second grade requirement with a new system of literacy assessment involving more frequent testing, and creates a new assessment requirement for students in five year-old kindergarten (5K) to third grade. The act requires traditional public schools and independent charter schools to administer fundamental skills screening assessments to 4K students, administer universal screening assessments and diagnostic assessments to 5K to third grade students, and notify parents of assessment results. Schools must also report specific assessment data to DPI regarding students identified as “at-risk” based on their assessment results and the number of students receiving reading interventions. The assessment, notification, and reporting requirements take effect on July 1, 2024, first applying in the 2024-25 school year. The requirements do not apply to choice schools.

Fundamental Skills Screening Assessments
All 4K Students The act requires traditional public schools and independent charter schools to administer a fundamental skills screening assessment selected and provided by DPI to assess the early literacy skills of each 4K student. A fundamental skills screening assessment must evaluate whether a student possesses phonemic awareness and letter sound knowledge. Schools must assess 4K students at least two times each year, with the first assessment administered within 45 days of the beginning of the school year and the second assessment at least 45 days before the end of the school year. Schools must ensure that they administer assessments with fidelity, meaning they perform the assessments in the manner the program or assessment author or publisher intends.

Universal Screening Assessments
All 5K to Third Grade Students Act 20 requires traditional public schools and independent charter schools to administer a universal screening assessment selected and provided by DPI to assess the early literacy skills of 5K to third grade students. A universal screening assessment must evaluate the following for each student:

• Phonemic awareness
• Decoding skills
• Alphabet knowledge
• Letter sound knowledge
• Oral vocabulary

Schools must assess 5K to third grade students at least three times each year, with the initial assessment administered within the first 45 days of the school year, the second administered in the middle of the school year, and the third administered at least 45 days before the end of the school year. Schools must administer the universal screening assessments with fidelity.

Diagnostic Assessments
5K to Third Grade Students Identified as “At Risk” or for Whom Assessment is Requested The act requires traditional public schools and independent charter schools to administer a diagnostic assessment to students scoring below a certain level on a universal screening assessment, or to students for whom a teacher or parent requests a diagnostic assessment. Specifically, a school must administer a diagnostic assessment to a student identified as “at-risk,” meaning the student scores below the 25th percentile on a universal screening assessment or a previous diagnostic assessment. A diagnostic assessment is a tool that includes both an assessment to evaluate specified literacy skills, and a family history survey. The assessment must evaluate the following:

• Phonemic awareness
• Decoding skills
• Alphabet knowledge
• Letter sound knowledge
• Oral vocabulary
• Rapid naming
• Phonological awareness
• Word recognition
• Spelling
• Vocabulary
• Listening comprehension
• Oral reading fluency and reading comprehension (when developmentally appropriate).

The assessment must also provide an opportunity for a student’s parent to complete a family history survey, which is a questionnaire inquiring about previous recommended summer reading – 4 – support or outside tutoring, general interest in reading and books, family history of dyslexia, 4 and any other known family struggles with learning or spelling. Schools must administer a diagnostic assessment within a certain time frame after a student scores below the 25th percentile on a universal screening assessment, or after a parent or teacher requests the diagnostic assessment for the student. A school must administer a diagnostic assessment to a student by the second Friday of November if the first universal screening of the school year indicates the student is “at risk,” or within 10 days if a mid-year universal screening indicates the student is “at risk.” A school must also administer a diagnostic assessment within 20 days after a teacher or parent who suspects a student has characteristics of dyslexia submits a request for the assessment. School districts and independent charter schools may choose (but not required) the particular diagnostic assessment they administer from a list of DPI-approved assessments, but must administer the assessment with fidelity.

Yes.

Reading interventions for students
Act 20 requires schools to provide reading interventions for 5K to third grade students identified as “at risk” on a universal screening assessment or diagnostic assessment. The school must initially create a personal reading plan for the student. The plan must include the student’s specified early literacy skill deficiencies, goals and benchmarks for the student’s progress, the interventions and instructional services the student will receive, progress monitoring, programming the student’s teacher will use, and strategies the parent is encouraged to use at home. In addition to creating a personal reading plan, a school must provide a student with the interventions identified in the plan and monitor the student’s weekly progress. Schools must provide parents with a copy of the personal reading plan, which the parents must sign, and must notify parents of a student’s progress after 10 weeks of interventions. If a diagnostic assessment indicates a student is “at-risk,” the school must also provide information to parents about how to make a special education evaluation referral.

Yes.

Professional Development
Act 20 requires all of the following individuals to receive specific professional development training in science-based reading instruction:

• Educators who teach grades K-3
• Principals of schools that offer grades K-3
• Reading specialists
• University of Wisconsin System faculty and academic staff members who teach a course that includes curriculum in reading instruction designed for educators.

The professional development must meet certain requirements, including that the training be the Lexia Learning Systems, LLC, Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) or another program endorsed by the Center for Effective Reading Instruction. Leadership training outlines parameters although does not specifically call out a training from CERI.

Leaders have 6 months from date of hire to complete CERI approved training.

Yes. Teachers will be mandated to take one of these required courses from this list:

• CERI

• ARPA-Motion 57 LETRS Reimbursement Participation – Technical Assistance

Reading curriculum purchasing grants
Act 20 creates grants covering a portion of costs for purchasing curriculum and instructional materials recommended by the Council on Early Literacy Curricula. Traditional public schools, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, the Racine Parental Choice Program, and the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (“choice programs”) are eligible for grants if they adopt a recommended curriculum after January 1, 2024. DPI must provide schools with 50 percent reimbursement for eligible costs, except that DPI must prorate payments if there are insufficient funds to cover all grant awards.

The three cueing method has been eliminated from all teaching pedagogy and purchased curriculum.

Yes. The standards were revised in 2020 and were aligned to the science of reading.

• FRST Foundational Reading Skills Tool, aligned with the standards and best practices according to SoR research

• Informational Guidebook on Dyslexia and Related Conditions | Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• Wisconsin Roadmap for Dyslexia

Three cueing methodology is banned from instruction.

See this link. See FAQ portion of the Act 20 Page around English Learners.

Yes. Prior law prohibited DPI from issuing a license to teach reading or language arts in pre-kindergarten to sixth grade unless applicants successfully completed instruction preparing them to teach reading and language arts using phonics. Act 20 instead requires applicants to receive instruction to teach reading and language arts using science-based literacy instruction, which includes phonics as one component. The instruction cannot include three-cueing as a method for teaching reading and language arts for licenses issued on or after July 1, 2026. The act also requires teacher preparatory programs to demonstrate they provide instruction that prepares teachers to teach reading and language arts using science-based early reading instruction and they do not provide instruction incorporating three-cueing.

• Motion 57 includes language universities can use to provide appropriate syllabus audit. See 8f

• WI Reads

• Excellence in Teaching Program/ CESA 9 Reading Teacher 316 Program

Motion 57 8C Academy of Foundational Literacy CESAs 8 & 9

Leadership and Literacy Institute

CESA #1 Literacy Hub