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District outlines Act 20 literacy reporting, highlights UFLI rollout and summer supports
Summary
New London staff presented required Act 20 literacy reporting data, explained how AIMSweb screening and local diagnostics feed personalized reading plans, described first‑year UFLI phonics implementation and planned summer reading supports, and agreed to a mid‑year update after winter testing.
District staff provided the board with an update on implementation and reporting under Wisconsin’s Act 20 literacy requirements, and described steps the district is taking to support struggling readers.
Staff explained that Act 20 (enacted 2023) establishes a statewide early‑literacy assessment system. The district must submit required reporting by July 15; the presentation described AIMSweb Plus screening completed in three windows (fall, winter, spring) and how local diagnostics such as I‑Ready and IRLA are used alongside AIMSweb to determine whether a student remains on or exits a personalized reading plan (PRP). Presenters noted that one criterion for exiting a PRP is scoring above the 25th percentile on AIMSweb plus, and that local measures can be used when a fluency‑based screener does not align with other evidence of proficiency.
School‑level charts were discussed, with staff warning that small class sizes can exaggerate percentage swings. Examples called out included a school figure of '135' in a district chart and a Parkview second‑grade PRP percentage reported at about 33 percent. Presenters emphasized that norms in AIMSweb were recently re‑normed by the vendor, complicating year‑to‑year comparisons.
To address gaps in phonics and phonemic awareness, the district implemented UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Initiative) in K–2 this year (extended implementation into K–4 this year for targeted support). Teachers and board members reported positive classroom observations—improved spelling and student engagement—and staff said UFLI materials are low cost (a cited example: a $75 manual plus online resources). The district plans continued professional development, model classrooms, and teacher teams to improve fidelity of instruction.
Staff also described summer school outreach: three reading specialists will run summer programming targeted at students referred for remediation and the district is proactively contacting families to encourage enrollment. Board members asked for and received an agreement to provide a mid‑year update after winter testing (December/January) to track progress.
No formal change to core curriculum was adopted at the meeting; board members expressed differing views on whether to replace existing resources such as ARC and whether additional investments are warranted.
