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Somerset district outlines early steps to implement Wisconsin's Act 20 literacy law
Summary
District reading staff told the board the district has begun implementing Wisconsin's Act 20, has screened hundreds of K–3 students with the selected universal screener and is developing required personal reading plans while noting continuing rule clarifications and funding uncertainty.
Mindy, the district's reading specialist and early literacy coach, told the Somerset School Board the district has begun implementing Wisconsin's Act 20, a new state law that promotes science‑based early reading instruction and requires districts to support students to be proficient readers by the end of third grade.
Mindy said Somerset's current reading resources are on the Department of Public Instruction's recommended list, all teachers are participating in the required reading training, and the district completed universal screening for grades kindergarten through third grade using the ASWeb screener this fall. "Act 20 is a new law in the state of Wisconsin to promote literacy using science-based early reading instruction to support our students becoming proficient readers by the end of third grade," Mindy said.
Board members were told that the district is preparing personal reading plans using an approved template and that leadership and classroom staff have completed or are completing multi‑year training (described in the meeting as "tools 1–10" across two years). Presenters thanked the district IT staff and specific employees who compiled testing materials and supported the rollout.
School staff said the district screened K–3 students at the start of the year and will follow up in winter; 4K students will be added in spring so that 4K–3 screening is complete then. The presentation also noted a recent implementation clarification: if a screener flags possible needs, a full diagnostic evaluation across the listed reading skill areas is required rather than relying solely on screener results.
Board members raised concerns about workload and funding. Meeting remarks said some components of Act 20 are unfunded, and while state funds currently support parts of the rollout, those dollars may not continue in the next state budget; the board discussed the strain that continued unfunded mandates could place on staffing and schedules.
The board asked that staff provide further updates as personal reading plans are developed and as additional rule guidance arrives. The district said it will continue weekly monitoring of state guidance and provide periodic progress reports to the board.
