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KUSD presents Act 20 reading policy and early literacy remediation plan; first reading approved
Summary
Kenosha Unified presented a new district reading policy and an early literacy remediation plan required by Act 20; board approved the district reading policy as a first reading and discussed timelines for diagnostics, reading plans and parent notification.
Kenosha Unified School District staff presented a new district reading policy and an early literacy remediation plan developed to comply with Act 20, Wisconsin's statute requiring districts to adopt literacy goals, assessments and remediation procedures.
Mary Hoover, coordinator of elementary English language arts, and Jay Kirby, coordinator for secondary English language arts, told the board the policy outlines district goals, curriculum evaluation, student readiness assessment and a literacy remediation plan. Hoover said the diagnostics are K'2 screenings: "The diagnostic assessment is actually a K'2. So, any student who performs below the 20 fifth percentile on a ... assessment" will receive a reading plan. (Transcript language: "below the 20 fifth percentile" appears as presented.) Staff described a three-tiered intervention system; students scoring below the threshold receive an individualized reading plan and the most at-risk students are assigned tier 3, intensive interventions.
Hoover said CESA 6 has provided collaborative supports and office hours for districts implementing Act 20 and that much of the early diagnostic testing has concluded. Staff said parent notification is built into the remediation plan and that reading plans include a "very healthy section of parent support, very detailed, bulleted outlined ways in which parents can help." The district also described supports for multilingual learners: "they're actually merging these" supports so language instruction and reading plan interventions are delivered together.
Board questions focused on dyslexia identification and special education. Staff said the district does not diagnose dyslexia as part of these universal assessments but that the characteristics of dyslexia are considered in reading plans: "We don't diagnose dyslexia, however ... we use the characteristics and use the information from the assessments to put together a reading plan." When board members asked about who implements plans and staffing, staff said reading-plan delivery is expected to involve teams in each school and that the IEP team will determine services for students with disabilities.
Action: Board member moved to approve policy 63-11 (District reading goals and early literacy programming) as a first reading; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The administration presented the early literacy remediation plan as a discussion item; staff noted that promotion-policy specifics and summer reading details depend on forthcoming state guidance.
Why it matters: Act 20 requires districts to identify students needing reading support early and to provide remediation. The policy and remediation procedures shape screening, parent notification, interventions and potential use of state grant funding for curriculum adoption.
What comes next: Staff said the district will continue assessment cycles, notify parents of reading-plan placement, and update the remediation plan as state guidance and funding (including possible prorated grants for adopted curriculum) become available.
