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District advances Act 20 literacy work: first reading of promotion policy and fifth-grade CKLA recommendation
Summary
The board held a first reading of a required promotion policy tied to Wisconsin’s Act 20 early literacy law and heard a recommendation to adopt Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) for fifth grade to align K–5 instruction. The policy would not take effect until 2027; schools are already implementing curriculum and intervention steps.
The West Bend Joint School District No. 1 held a first reading on a promotion policy aligned to Wisconsin’s Act 20 early literacy requirements and discussed expanding Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) into fifth grade to create a K–5 coherent literacy sequence.
Superintendent Wimmer summarized the state requirement and the district’s response, saying the policy’s purpose is to establish clear, multi-data promotion criteria tied to statewide literacy goals. "It just means this becomes an intensive conversation and planning with a family on behalf of a student," Wimmer said, stressing the policy is intended to formalize supports and not to automatically retain students.
Heather Isaacson, program administrator, presented the CKLA recommendation for fifth grade. District staff said CKLA was implemented in K–4 this year in response to Act 20 and that adopting CKLA for grade 5 would align elementary literacy instruction through the district. Staff described the K–5 alignment as a priority identified in a program analysis and said teachers and literacy specialists from multiple grade levels reviewed materials, visited implementation sites and met with current fourth-grade teams using CKLA.
Board members asked how the district will support students who need additional intervention and how the policy accounts for English learners. Wimmer said the policy includes statutory “good cause” exemptions and that the district will develop supplementary process documents to clarify how interventions, exemptions and family communications will be handled.
The policy is a first reading; it was drafted using guidance from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) and Department of Public Instruction (DPI) templates. The administration noted the policy must be in place by July 1, 2025, but will not take effect until Sept. 1, 2027, allowing time to expand diagnostics, strengthen multi-tiered literacy interventions, train staff and refine timelines.
Board members requested more details about diagnostic tools, intervention materials and how Title I funds would be used to support the work. Staff said they would return with process documents and implementation steps ahead of the policy’s effective date.
