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Principal presents READ Act update: Bridge to Read added; screenings and interventions expanding
Summary
Principal Waller told the board that most teachers have completed initial science-of-reading training, the district added the free Bridge to Read resource to fill curriculum gaps, K–3 screening is in place and a new dyslexia screener will be used for students below benchmark in grades 4–12; directors pressed for clear family-notification protocols and an equitable rollout plan.
Principal Waller briefed the board on the district’s progress implementing Minnesota’s READ Act requirements. She said more than 90% of staff have completed the phase‑one science-of-reading training and the district has been using FastBridge screening at K–3. For students below benchmark in grades 4–12, the district is administering an additional CAP/Read Basics dyslexia screener (staff emphasized this is not a diagnosis but a tool to identify areas of need).
Waller told the board the district reviewed curricular resources against state guidance and is adding Bridge to Read — a free resource funded through Serve Minnesota — because it meets all foundational structured‑literacy criteria that HMH only partially met. Waller described Bridge to Read as containing a phonemic-awareness strand and a 30‑minute core decoding/phonics block used for explicit instruction in early grades.
Board members raised questions about the staggered rollout (some classrooms are piloting while others will transition later) and asked how the district will explain screening results to families. Waller said administrators plan to send family-friendly letters and one‑pagers explaining results and next steps, and that secondary admin teams will meet after spring break to plan interventions and schedules for students needing extra support.
What directors asked: directors sought assurances about equity (how pilot classrooms are chosen), communication protocols for families (especially secondary families), and how vision/hearing or neurodivergent conditions will factor into screening and intervention planning. Waller invited board members to visit classrooms and join literacy-team meetings for deeper briefings.
Next step: the district will finalize intervention selections this spring, complete the literacy plan for submission to the state in June, and return updated implementation timelines to the board.
