2023 Wisconsin Act 20
The implementation of the requirements of Wisconsin Act 20 focuses our work at the elementary level on increasing the number of our students reading on grade level by the end of third grade.
This focus is in alignment with the mission of the McFarland School District: “Meeting the needs of every learner, every day.”
The information below is provided to inform parents, caregivers, and the community about McFarland’s plans to fulfill our mission and meet the true intent of Act 20.
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| Act 20 Requirement |
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MCFSD Plan |
| 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. |
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Our K-3 principals, teachers (including reading teachers, special education teachers and teachers of multilingual learners) and reading specialists will complete LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training by July 1, 2025. This training includes online modules and reading for approximately 32 hours and four full days of in person learning for an additional 32 hours.
Additionally, our 4th-12th teachers were given the option to complete Cox Campus Structured Literacy Modules during the summer of 2024. This is an online training platform that includes 12 modules for a total of 32 hours.
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| Act 20 Requirement |
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MCFSD Plan |
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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.
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In the fall of 2023, McFarland adopted Wonders 2023 as its K-2 Literacy curriculum. This resource is science-based and includes all of the components of systematic and explicit instruction listed in Act 20 and was included in the February 2024 memo from DPI to the Joint Finance Committee as a recommended resource.
At K-2 we also use Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum to supplement Wonders.
Additionally, in the fall of 2023, McFarland adopted 95 Phonics Core program for grades 3-5 to supplement the Units of Study for Reading and Writing. This word study program is explicit and systematic and is listed as Strong on the Evidence for ESSA website for Tier 1, Whole-Class instruction.
See below for intervention instruction under Personal Reading Plans and/or Early Literacy Remediation Plan
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| Act 20 Requirement |
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MCFSD Plan |
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.
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All 4K-3rd grade educators will administer aimswebPLUS screening assessments three times throughout the school year in accordance with DPI-published screening windows.
An assessment team will monitor the results of screening assessments to determine, develop, and implement plans to follow up with additional diagnostic assessments with our 5K-3rd grade students.
A legal guardian has the right to submit a request for diagnostic assessment at any time, including the right to request an evaluation through special education.
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| Act 20 Requirement |
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MCFSD Plan |
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. |
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For students receiving Personal Reading Plans, families will be notified and will have access to the plan online.
Educators will regularly review student growth (approximately every four to six weeks). Families will be notified of progress minimally after 10 weeks of the intervention.
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| Act 20 Requirement |
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MCFSD Plan |
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
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McFarland’s promotion policy was last updated in 2023. This policy will be reviewed and revised as needed once the DPI model policy is available. |
| Act 20 Requirement |
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MCFSD Plan |
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.
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Diagnostic reading assessment: Our primary resource is FastBridge assessments (letter names, letter sounds, word segmentation, nonsense words, curriculum based measures (CBM)) but also have a variety of local phonemic awareness and phonics assessments that we use to diagnose student need.
Reading interventions: Intervention tools are customized to student need, but our primary resources include 95% Group Literacy Interventions, Sonday System Interventions and UFLI Foundations.
Progress Monitoring: Students who have a Personal Reading plan will be progress monitored weekly using FastBridge progress monitoring assessments.
Use of early literacy assessment results:
Assessment results are used to identify students in need of additional support or challenge to meet their needs. Supports are provided by special education case managers, interventionists, literacy coordinators and/or classroom teachers.
Further, results are analyzed as a part of our school improvement goal setting process and disaggregated by a variety of demographic factors to see if there are trends in students who need additional support and to form action items to address any disparities.
Family notification procedure:
Historically, we have provided families with access to their literacy and math screening assessment scores via our student information system, Infinite Campus and intervention data is shared with families at the beginning, middle and end of interventions..
Beginning in the Winter 2024/25 to comply with Act 20 requirements, we will continue to share screening assessment results along with diagnostic and progress monitoring assessment data according to the timelines outlined in Act 20.
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