SASD Act 20 Implementation
Stoughton Area School District Act 20 Implementation
In the Stoughton Area School District, we believe that every child has the right to read. We provide explicit, systematic instruction in language comprehension (including background knowledge, vocabulary and verbal reasoning) and word recognition (decoding, phonological awareness and sight recognition of familiar words) within our culture of belonging that leads to skilled reading. The Stoughton Area School District is committed to providing the reading and literacy resources all students need to better understand themselves and our world, to acquire knowledge, and to participate in a democratic society.
Act 20 Legislation
Wisconsin DPI-Wisconsin Reads
Act 20 Implementation (Early Literacy Remediation Plan)
2023 Act 20 Requirements
SASD has had many components of Act 20 in place for several years, including science based literacy instruction for all, universal screening with reading support for students who need it, and clear and ongoing family communication.
Additional Information Required from DPI
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Information about Interventions and Accommodations for Children with Characteristics of Dyslexia
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A Description of the Common Indicators and Characteristics of Dyslexia
Required Reading Training
2023 ACT 20 Requirements
Act 20 requires that 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.
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A program endorsed by the Center for Effective Reading Instruction as an accredited independent teacher training program.
SASD Implementation
All 4K-5th grade teachers will complete IDA accredited training which meets knowledge and practice standards for teachers of reading offered through Cox Campus. Our 4k teachers, coordinator and principal will complete the Pre-K/4k courses and our 5k-5th Grade classroom teachers, support staff and administration will complete the K-3rd Structured Literacy Program offered through Cox Campus.
All of our trained staff will participate in in-person application and implementation coaching provided by our 4k coordinator and K-5 coaches. Our training will be completed during the 2024-2025 school year, and coaching will be ongoing during and following our training.
Curriculum & Instruction
2023 ACT 20 Requirements
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 instruction that is systematic and explicit and consists of all the following:
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Phonological awareness
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Phonemic awareness
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Phonics
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Building background knowledge
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Oral language development
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Vocabulary building
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Instruction in writing
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Instruction in comprehension
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Reading fluency
For more information, see the Wisconsin Reads website.
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.
SASD Implementation
Over the past several years, our SASD staff have engaged in extensive study, collaboration and action in support of science-based literacy instruction. In 2020, amidst the pandemic and virtual schooling, our K-5 teachers implemented Wit & Wisdom and Sonday System Essentials for all learners. In 2023, our K-2 staff engaged in additional study in foundational skills instruction aligned with science-based literacy instruction and Wisconsin’s Foundational Skills Tool and implemented Magnetic Reading for Grades K-2.
Our 4k curriculum resources include the Owl curriculum and Heggerty Phonological and Phonemic Awareness.
All of our curriculum and resources meet statutory requirements of Act 20.
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Additionally, we have a wide variety of interventions we offer to students who benefit from additional reading support. All of our interventions also align with science-based reading instruction.
SASD will engage in ongoing study and review to align tenets of ACT 20 and our resources to ensure we respond to student’s needs.
Assessments
2023 ACT 20 Requirements
4K Assessment Requirements:
All students are to be assessed twice during the school year using a fundamental skills screening assessment selected by the DPI. DPI has selected aimswebPlus.
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 Requirements:
All students are to be assessed at least 3 times during the school year using a fundamental skills screening assessment selected by the DPI.DPI has selected aimswebPlus.
The first universal screening 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.
SASD Implementation
The Stoughton Area School District will implement the required early literacy assessments provided by the state (aimswebPLUS). SASD will use a combination of aimswebPLUS and FastBridge for all K-3 students who indicate they are at risk and fall below the 25th percentile on the early literacy assessment.
AimswebPlus offers a nationally-normed, skills-based benchmark assessment to measure early literacy skills. See below for the items assessed throughout the year by grade level, including the estimated time for each grade level assessment.
*In continuation of practices for the past several years, SASD will assess all 4k students in additional areas not required by law, yet essential for educators and families as we strive to provide as much targeted support and proactive communication as we can to serve our youngest learners equitably and well.
- Alphabet Knowledge/Letter Naming Fluency (5K): Measures a student’s knowledge of upper-and lower-case letters. Your child will have one minute to say the names of visually presented upper-and lowercase letters that they know.
- Letter Word Sounds Fluency (4K-1st grade): Measures a student’s letter sound knowledge. Your child will have one minute to say the sounds of visually presented letters, syllables, and words that they know.
- Phonemic Awareness/Initial Sounds (4K-1st Grade): Measures a student’s phonemic awareness. Your child will be provided a page with four pictures. Your child will be asked to either point to a picture of a word that matches the initial sound the teacher says or make the initial sound of a word spoken by the teacher. This assessment will take 2-3 minutes.
- Phoneme segmentation (1st grade): Measures a student’s phonemic awareness. Your child will listen to a word that is spoken by the teacher and then say each sound they hear in the word. This assessment will take 2-3 minutes.
- Auditory vocabulary (5K-1st grade): Measures a student’s knowledge of words commonly found in 5-year old Kindergarten and Grade 1 reading materials. Your child will match a picture to an orally presented word. This assessment will take 2-4 minutes.
- Oral Vocabulary (2nd- 3rd grade): Measures a student’s knowledge of the meanings of grade-appropriate words. Your child will choose the meaning of target words by selecting from multiple choice options. This is an untimed, computerized assessment that typically takes 4-7 minutes.
- Decoding Skills/Oral Reading Fluency (1st-5th grade): Measures a student’s decoding skills. Your child will read two stories aloud, each for one minute.
AimswebPlus is a state-mandated and state-selected screening tool. See § 118.016(3)(a). State law does not permit an opt out policy for this assessment.
For more information on all SASD Screening and Assessments, please see the Universal Screening Assessments tab on our website.
Family Notification/Communication
2023 ACT 20 Requirements
As has been our practice for many years, after each assessment window, schools will share information on progress with families. Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, in compliance with 2023 Act 20 (Click here for our Act 20 website) we will send a letter to all parents and families of students in 4k-3 with the results of the reading readiness screener no later than 15 days after the assessment is scored. We will use an understandable format that includes all of the following:
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The pupil's score on the reading readiness assessment.
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The pupil's score in each early literacy skill category assessed by the reading readiness assessment.
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The pupil's percentile rank score on the reading readiness assessment, if available.
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The definition of “at-risk” and the score on the reading readiness assessment that would indicate that a pupil is at-risk.
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A plain language description of the literacy skills the reading readiness assessment is designed to measure.
SASD Implementation
In addition to our reading screener information At Fall Family Conferences, all families will receive their student’s results on all other universal screening assessments, beyond the required early literacy assessment. We will send home the information if families are unable to attend conferences). Along with results, we will share information explaining the results.
In addition, Stoughton staff will communicate and collaborate with families about the need for additional diagnostic assessments and the development and progress of the personal reading plan.
Personal Reading Plans
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:
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The specific early literacy skill deficiencies,
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goals and benchmarks for the pupils progress toward grade-level literacy skills,
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how progress will be monitored, a description of interventions and additional instructional services being provided,
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the science-based reading programming the teacher will use,
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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.
SASD Implementation
SASD will create a Personal Reading Plan for all students who score below the 25th percentile. To help us organize, document and track student’s progress, we are partnering with NextPath. Reading Plans will include all the required information as stipulated in WI ACT 20. All plans will be shared with families.
Promotion Plans
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.
SASD Implementation
During the 2024-2025 school year, we will update our promotion policy in accordance with the DPI’s model policy when it is released.
Early Literacy Remediation Plan (More Information Coming Soon)
2023 ACT 20 Requirements