Minnetonka outlines Read Act rollout, teacher training and expanded screening

Minnetonka Public Schools officials told the school board on March 13 that the district is advancing a multi-year plan to meet Minnesota’s Read Act requirements through expanded teacher training, more frequent student screening and updates to curriculum and intervention resources.

The district’s associate superintendent, Amy Ladue, and literacy coordinator Alyssa Rutherford told the board the work centers on districtwide professional learning tied to evidence-based structured literacy practices and on screening students more frequently to identify needs earlier. “The district goal is about implementation of the updated literacy plan and this centers on providing training for all of our teachers,” Ladue said. Rutherford described a five-day Core Learning academy that covered phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension and said teachers must demonstrate mastery by submitting classroom artifacts and reflections.

Why it matters: The Minnesota Read Act (state legislation referenced by district presenters) requires districts to provide…