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Minnetonka outlines Read Act rollout, teacher training and expanded screening
Summary
Minnetonka Public Schools told the board on March 13 that it is implementing the Minnesota Read Act through expanded professional learning, increased screening and new instructional materials, including a $100,000 foundation grant for decodable readers and a Reading Corps pilot at two elementary sites.
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 evidence-based reading instruction and sets new timelines and reporting expectations for screening, intervention and professional learning. District leaders said the work aims to ensure multilingual learners and students receiving special education services make measurable reading growth.
Key elements discussed - Professional learning: The district ran a five-day Core Learning series for K–3 and associated staff, expanded to include some 4th–5th grade teachers, EL teachers and advanced-learning staff. Rutherford said districts must demonstrate teacher mastery through assessments, classroom artifacts and written reflections. Paraeducators will receive an 8-hour training through regional literacy networks.
- Screening and data use: Minnetonka is using FastBridge as its benchmark screener and has increased screening frequency in early grades. First graders now receive the Early Reading Screening three times a year; fifth graders are also screened three times a year. Administrators described a “screening to intervention” protocol embedded in FastBridge and the district’s MTSS data-response process.
- Interventions and materials: District staff described gated screening for second and third graders who do not meet benchmarks and follow-up diagnostic assessments to target instruction. The Minnetonka Schools Foundation provided a $100,000 grant to purchase decodable readers; administrators said the purchase yielded roughly 35,292 books and extended decodables to K–2 (and to some second-grade classrooms) in English and Spanish. Rutherford noted Chinese immersion programs are reviewing appropriate language-specific materials because alphabetic decodables do not apply to Mandarin instruction.
- Tutoring pilot: The district piloted Reading Corps tutors at Minnewashta and Excelsior elementary schools and reported “substantial and sometimes accelerated progress” for participating students. District leaders said they have applied to expand the pilot to additional schools.
- Curriculum review: The district’s ELA curriculum review is underway. Leadership said the review will use Minnesota Department of Education guidance and alignment rubrics to identify evidence-based Tier 1 resources and to recommend materials for K–5 and interventions for Tier 2/3.
Board questions and reception Board members asked about delivery modes for required training and how disciplinary literacy will be supported in secondary classrooms. Rutherford said the regional paraeducator training will likely be blended (online/in-person) but that district leaders prefer in-person sessions when possible. Amy Ladue described disciplinary literacy as strategies specific to reading and interpreting texts in individual subject areas such as science or social studies.
What remains to be decided District leaders said MDE will provide additional guidance for Phase 2 Read Act training for grades 4–12 in October and that the district will continue refining screening, intervention and curriculum recommendations. No formal board action was taken on instructional resources during the March 13 meeting.
Sources: Remarks and slides presented March 13 by Amy Ladue, associate superintendent, and Alyssa Rutherford, literacy coordinator for Minnetonka Public Schools.
