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Beloit board hears Act 20 literacy update; district cites gains and gaps after new materials and training
Summary
Administrators reported implementation activities required by Wisconsin Act 20 including adoption of American Reading Company, staff training in foundational skills, a new assessment schedule and mixed progress on benchmarks; kindergarten fluency growth lagged district expectations.
District administrators reviewed implementation of Wisconsin Act 20 literacy requirements and the local rollout of new materials and professional development on June 17.
Dr. Garrison and Teresa Moritek summarized the district’s adoption of American Reading Company (ARC) curricular materials, expanded professional development for foundational skills, and a newly adopted assessment schedule. Moritek said the district selected a vendor that met the state’s requirement for approximately 50 hours of training in the sciences of reading and that 96.3 percent of participating educators completed required modules this year. She told the board the district chose a vendor that did not charge a per‑person fee to reduce budget impact.
Administrators said they conducted universal screeners and diagnostic assessments and implemented reading plans for students below the 25th percentile (the district described compliance with required diagnostic follow‑ups). Moritek noted alignment between the universal screener (ORF — oral reading fluency) and IRLA benchmarks tied to ARC content, but said the district fell slightly short of its IRLA target (38 percent at benchmark versus a 41 percent goal).
District staff highlighted growth in some MAP and ACT indicators. Moritek said the district saw a 4‑point increase in spring ELA results and similar gains in MAP mathematics proficiency compared to the prior spring. However, she warned that kindergarten gains were below expectations (average growth reported as 0.6 of a school year in ARC benchmarks), and the district intends to meet with kindergarten teachers to investigate causes.
Administrators described action steps including expanded Lexia Core5 licensing for students with reading plans, adopting a platform for progress monitoring (NextPath), and focused professional development and coaching cycles for coherent implementation of curriculum and high‑leverage instructional practices.
Why it matters: Act 20 literacy mandates and related state reporting affect curriculum, professional development and intervention schedules and have budgetary and staffing implications. Administrators said they intend a sustained, multi‑year implementation to close gaps.
