Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Literacy Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Director: district largely aligned with new state structured‑literacy requirements but awaiting PDE PD approvals
Summary
Donato told the board the state’s recent law (referred to in the presentation as an Act 47/2025 requirement) focuses on K–3 structured literacy — approved curricula, PDE‑approved PD, universal screeners and individualized intervention plans — and said the district already uses approved screeners and curricula but is awaiting PDE signoff on some local PD submissions.
Mrs. Donato summarized key requirements from a recently issued state law referenced in her presentation (identified in the talk as "Senate Bill ... Act 47 of 2025"). She said the statute centers on four pillars for K–3: evidence‑based reading curriculum, PDE‑approved professional development, universal screeners administered three times a year, and targeted intervention plans for students identified with reading deficiencies.
Donato told the board the district already conducts universal screening with AIMSwebPlus and has high‑quality curriculum materials in K–8 that appear on PDE's approved lists. She added that the district has submitted its own PD offerings to PDE for approval and is awaiting their decision: "I can't say that Big Spring is going to be on PDE's list of approved professional development, but I can tell you that I have submitted our PD to them and have asked them if they would approve it at least for us." She emphasized the district's multi‑year rollout and existing Title I reading plans and interventions that align with the state's frameworks.
The presentation contained screenshots from a PDE webinar illustrating the law's elements and a timeline the presenter said stretches to the 2027–28 school year for full compliance. Donato said district staff will continue to monitor PDE guidance and adjust professional development and intervention practices as official lists and timelines are finalized.
