Kenosha Unified outlines early literacy remediation plan, reading policy to comply with Act 20

Kenosha Unified officials presented an early literacy remediation plan and a new reading policy to comply with Wisconsin Act 20 requirements, describing assessment tools, intervention tiers and parent notification procedures the district proposes to follow.

Mary Hoover and colleagues described the plan as containing the required screening and diagnostic assessments, caregiver notification of screening results, development of individualized reading plans and Tier 3 interventions, reference to a dyslexia guide, promotion criteria, summer reading support and exit criteria. The district stated it will use AIMSwebPlus for universal screening and also tap AIMSweb for diagnostic work to reduce costs.

District staff told the board that while the remediation plan and reading policy are ready to present, several components (including final state guidance on promotion policy and summer reading supports) remain unsettled at the state level. “It is not quite whole yet because the state has not made some final decisions on things like the promotion policy or the summer reading support piece,” staff said.

Board members asked practical questions about funding and timing. Staff said the district is not receiving state funds tied to Act 20 for most of the work: the only item currently covered is the selected early literacy screener; other required diagnostics and classroom interventions are the district’s responsibility. Staff noted a separate discussion at the WASB about a potential $50 million state pool that, if released, would be grant‑based, prorated and not expected to be available before 2026. The district described plans to follow state rubrics and indicated the reading policy (policy 6311) will be presented for board consideration as the district’s formal reading policy.

No formal board action on the remediation plan or the new reading policy was taken at the special meeting; staff indicated the policy and plan will return for review when state guidance and legal counsel recommendations are available.

Clarifying details: the district said it will continue to use AIMSwebPlus for screening and diagnostics (screener costs covered); other assessments and classroom interventions currently have no state funding and will be paid from district budgets.

What’s next: staff expected to consult legal counsel on recent court developments and finalize policy language before bringing policy 6311 and related items back to the board for a second reading at a later meeting.