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Beloit reviews Act 20 literacy work; teachers completed required 'sciences of reading' training, district fell short of one reading goal
Summary
District leaders reported implementation steps for Wisconsin Act 20 literacy requirements, including adoption of American Reading Company materials, teacher training completion and mixed outcomes on benchmarks and fluency screeners.
District leaders told the board on June 17 that Beloit has implemented components of Wisconsin’s Act 20 literacy law this school year and described gains and remaining gaps.
Dr. Garrison and instructional leaders summarized a package of work that included adoption of American Reading Company (ARC) materials, district‑wide professional learning in foundational skills aligned with the "sciences of reading," and creation of required remediation and assessment plans. The district reported that 96.3 percent of professional educators completed the state‑approved foundational skills modules and a summative assessment the district selected — the district had required training for preK through grade 5 even though the statute’s minimum applies through third grade.
Assessments and results: staff said the district administers a universal screener (oral reading fluency/ORF) and adopted diagnostic and progress monitoring tools and an assessment calendar. The district reported growth in some measures: MAP math proficiency increased by four percentage points year‑over‑year and MAP rank scores improved, and overall reading proficiency rose by four percentage points to 38 percent districtwide (the district had set a goal of 41 percent on IRLA/benchmarks and said it fell short).
Instructional detail and next steps: leaders described actions to strengthen instruction and interventions — coaching cycles, progress‑monitoring via the Next Path platform, expanded Lexia Core5 licensure for students with reading plans, and continued professional development. Kindergarten growth on district reading benchmarks averaged 0.6 of a year's growth from fall to spring, a gap that district instructional staff said they will examine with kindergarten teachers to identify causes and possible changes to interventions.
Why it matters: Act 20 sets statutory expectations for screening, remediation and teacher training; the district reported major compliance steps completed and signaled work ahead to improve outcomes. District staff said standards and report‑card frameworks are changing at the state level and that the district will continue to calibrate expectations and intervention plans.
