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Zielanis Elementary School KASD ACT 20 / Early Literacy Remediation
How We Address Act 20
The implementation of Wisconsin Act 20 reinforces the Kiel Area School District's commitment to ensuring that every student develops strong foundational reading skills. A key goal of Act 20 is to increase the number of students reading at grade level by the end of third grade.
This work aligns closely with the Kiel Area School District's mission to provide "an opportunity for each student to receive a comprehensive, personal, future-focused education in a safe, supportive environment for the purpose of achieving excellence in their lifelong pursuits, through a partnership of family, school, and community."
In alignment with the expectations of Act 20, our district has implemented four key practices:
Universal Screening: All students in grades 5K–4 are screened three times each year using aimswebPlus, a nationally normed literacy screening assessment approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Students in 4K are screened twice each year. This screening identifies students who might be considered, “At Risk” for literacy development.
Diagnostic Assessment: Students whose screening results fall below the 25th percentile participate in additional diagnostic assessments. These assessments provide more detailed information about each student's reading strengths and areas for growth.
Personalized Reading Support: For students in grades 5K-3 who score below the 25th percentile, information from the diagnostic assessments is used to develop a personal reading plan (PRP) that guides instruction and interventions, ensuring students receive targeted support based on their specific learning needs.
Universal Curriculum: We teach all students through a research-based and state-approved program designed to strengthen foundational reading skills following the Science of Reading. (CKLA Amplify)
KASD’s plan to address Act 20. Please click on each area below to read more on how Kiel aligns our work with the Act 20 mission.
Act 20 Requirements
Under Wisconsin Act 20, all teachers and reading specialists responsible for K–3 literacy instruction are required to complete training in science-based early literacy instruction by July 1, 2025. In addition, all principals overseeing grades K–3 must complete science-based literacy training by the same date.
Kiel Area School District Plan
During the 2024–2025 school year, all 4K–4th grade classroom teachers and special education teachers completed the 30-hour Cox Campus Structured Literacy Course. Teachers who join the district after the 2024–2025 school year will also complete this training as part of their onboarding and professional learning, or provide documentation of successful completion of an equivalent program.
Additionally, during the 2024-2025 school year, the Zielanis Elementary principal, Reading Specialist, Director of Teaching and Learning, and ELA Growth Coordinator attended the six-day Early Literacy Leadership Institute provided by CESA 6. This professional learning focused on building leadership capacity and strengthening the implementation of science-based literacy instruction across the district.
Act 20 Requirements
Wisconsin Act 20 requires all public schools to provide science-based early literacy instruction and intervention for students. This instruction must be systematic, explicit, and grounded in the science of reading to help all students develop strong foundational literacy skills.
Science-based early literacy instruction includes:
Phonological awareness
Phonemic awareness
Phonics
Building background knowledge
Oral language development
Vocabulary development
Writing instruction
Reading comprehension
Reading fluency
Under Act 20, phonics includes instruction in the relationships between letters and sounds, including the alphabetic principle, decoding, orthographic knowledge, encoding (spelling), and fluency. The Wisconsin Standards for English Language Arts (2020) define reading fluency as a combination of accuracy, automaticity, and prosody.
Kiel Area School District Plan
Beginning with the 2022–2023 school year, the Kiel Area School District implemented the CKLA Amplify curriculum for all students in grades K–5. This comprehensive, knowledge building, literacy curriculum is aligned with Wisconsin standards and Act 20 requirements and is grounded in science-based literacy practices. Through this curriculum, students receive explicit, systematic instruction in the essential components of reading, ensuring a strong foundation for literacy success.
Act 20 Requirements
4K Literacy Screening
Wisconsin Act 20 requires all 4K students to be screened for early literacy skills twice each school year using the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)-approved assessment, aimswebPlus. The first screening must be completed by the 45th day of school, and the second must be completed no later than 45 days before the end of the school year.
5K–Grade 3 Literacy Screening
Students in grades 5K–3 are required to participate in three universal literacy screenings each school year using the DPI-approved aimswebPlus assessment. Screenings are administered in the fall (by the 45th day of school), winter (midyear), and spring (no later than 45 days before the end of the school year).
When a student's universal screening results indicate they may be at risk for reading difficulties (scoring below the 25th percentile), the district must administer additional diagnostic assessments. These assessments provide more detailed information about a student's literacy strengths and areas of need and help determine appropriate instructional supports and interventions.
Kiel Area School District Plan
All 4K students participate in aimswebPlus literacy screenings twice each school year in accordance with the Wisconsin DPI's required screening windows.
All students in grades 5K–4 participate in aimswebPlus universal literacy screenings three times each year—in the fall, winter, and spring—following the DPI-designated screening schedule.
At Zielanis Elementary, classroom teachers and the Reading Specialist work collaboratively to review screening results, identify students who may benefit from additional support, and determine when diagnostic assessments are needed. The information gathered from these assessments is used to develop individualized reading plans and provide targeted instruction and interventions.
Parents and legal guardians may request a diagnostic literacy assessment for their child at any time, including requesting an evaluation through the district's special education referral process.
Diagnostic Reading Assessments
aimswebPLUS assessments
5K: Phoneme Segmentation (Fall), Spelling, Listening Comprehension, and RAN
1st: Listening Comprehension, Spelling, RAN- Phoneme Segmentation (Winter/Spring), Letter Naming(Winter/Spring)
CORE Phonics Survey (phonics and word recognition)
CORE MASI-R ORF (fluency)
CORE Reading Maze (comprehension)
Words Their Way (spelling inventory)
CORE Vocabulary Screening Test (vocabulary)
Really Great Reading Decoding Diagnostic (decoding)
Progress Monitoring Tools
Monitored weekly or bi-weekly using one of these tools from aimswebPlus:
Nonsense Word Fluency
Letter Naming Fluency
Letter Word Sound Fluency
Phoneme Segmentation Fluency
Oral Reading Fluency
Act 20 Requirements
We provide parents and families with the results of the reading readiness screener no later than 15 days after the assessment is scored in an understandable format that includes all of the following:
The pupil's score on the reading readiness assessment.
The pupil's score in each early literacy skill category assessed by the reading readiness assessment.
The pupil's percentile rank score on the reading readiness assessment, if available.
The definition of "at-risk" and the score on the reading readiness assessment would indicate that a pupil is at risk.
A plain language description of the literacy skills the reading readiness assessment is designed to measure
If a child is promoted to 4th grade without completing their personal reading plan, parents must be notified in writing, along with a description of the reading interventions that the child will continue to receive.
Kiel Area School District Plan
The Kiel Area School District is committed to keeping parents and guardians informed throughout the literacy screening and diagnostic assessment process, in accordance with Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) requirements.
Families will receive communication about their child's universal screening results and will be notified if additional diagnostic assessments are recommended. When diagnostic assessments are completed, parents and guardians will be provided with the results, an explanation of their child's literacy needs, and information about any recommended next steps, including the development of a Personal Reading Plan, if applicable. Parents and guardians will be updated on intervention progress at least every 10 weeks. All communications will be provided within the timelines established by the Wisconsin DPI.
Act 20 Requirements
Wisconsin Act 20 requires that every student in grades 5K–3 who is identified as at risk for reading difficulties have a Personal Reading Plan (PRP). The purpose of the PRP is to provide targeted instruction and monitor progress toward grade-level reading proficiency.
Each Personal Reading Plan must include:
The student's specific literacy skill needs, as identified through screening and diagnostic assessments.
Measurable goals and benchmarks for achieving grade-level reading skills.
A plan for monitoring the student's progress.
A description of the interventions and additional instructional supports that will address the student's identified literacy needs.
The instructional program and science-based literacy practices that will be used to provide reading instruction, including instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Strategies families can use at home to support their child's reading development.
Any additional services or supports available to help accelerate the student's literacy growth.
Kiel Area School District Plan
At Zielanis Elementary, classroom teachers and the Reading Specialist work collaboratively to review literacy screening results for all students in grades 5K–3. Students whose screening scores fall below the 25th percentile are identified for additional diagnostic assessment, when appropriate, to better understand their individual literacy needs and determine the most effective instructional supports. Parents and guardians may request a diagnostic assessment at any time, including a special education evaluation.
Students identified as at risk for reading difficulties will receive a Personal Reading Plan (PRP). Parents and guardians will be notified and provided access to the PRP electronically or in paper format upon request.
Student progress will be monitored on an ongoing basis, with the PRP reviewed approximately every eight to ten weeks. Families will receive regular updates regarding their child's progress, instructional supports, and any revisions made to the plan to ensure it continues to meet the student's needs.
Kilpatrick’s One Minute Drills (phonological awareness)
These drills focus on phonological awareness skills, such as: orally blending and segmenting words, identifying rhyme and alliteration, and being able to distinguish between words and syllables in a sentence.
UFLI (phonics)
UFLI Foundations is an explicit and systematic phonics program that introduces students to the foundational reading skills necessary for proficient reading. It follows a carefully developed scope and sequence designed to ensure that students systematically acquire each skill needed and learn to apply each skill with automaticity and confidence. Students practice skills through reading and writing dictated words, sentences, and passages.
The Orton-Gillingham approach is a structured literacy teaching method that helps struggling readers.The approach is personalized, diagnostic, and prescriptive, and focuses on a student's learning style. It's considered effective for all students, but is especially essential for teaching students with dyslexia and related learning disabilities.
The Orton-Gillingham approach breaks reading and spelling down into smaller skills, such as letters and sounds, and then builds on those skills over time. It starts with the basics, like phonics and language structure, and gradually integrates reading, spelling, and writing skills. Orton-Gillingham also pioneered the multisensory approach to teaching reading, which uses sight, hearing, touch, and movement to help students connect language with letters and words.
Orton-Gillingham Morphology (vocabulary and comprehension)
The Orton-Gillingham Morphology program is designed to be multisensory and follows a scope and sequence, just like Orton-Gillingham Comprehensive. The Morphology program then focuses on teaching students the origin and meaning of roots and base words. This is done so that students can use those roots/base words when decoding an unknown word. It also helps them develop meaning for new words, thus building their vocabulary and aiding in comprehension.
HELPS (fluency)
HELPS is an evidence-based intervention package that includes the following effective treatment components: adult modeling of fluent reading, repeated reading of passages by the student, phrase-drill error correction, verbal cueing and retell check to encourage student reading comprehension, and timely performance feedback, and reward procedures to engage and encourage the student reader.
This Toolkit aligns with our CKLA program. It utilizes passages being used in the classroom to focus on skills such as comprehension, phonological awareness, phonics, and multisyllabic words. Staff can give assessments to help determine the best starting point for instruction. It also provides formative progress monitoring.
This research based reading program is built for success for beginning readers, striving readers, and students with dyslexia, through an intensive, structured, and spiraling curriculum. SPIRE® incorporates phonological awareness, phonics, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension in systematic 10-step teacher-led lessons, reinforced by practice to lock in measurable gains.
IXL (reading comprehension, phonemic and phonological awareness, phonics, grammar, vocabulary)
IXL offers personalized learning with a comprehensive K-12 curriculum, individualized guidance, and real-time analytics to address the unique needs of each student. It provides targeted intervention in phonics, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and phonological awareness, helping learners develop essential communication skills for academic and career success.
Act 20 Requirements
Wisconsin Act 20 requires school districts to develop a policy outlining reading achievement criteria for promotion from third to fourth grade.
Kiel Area School District Plan
The Kiel Area School District reviewed its student promotion policy during the 2024–2025 school year to ensure alignment with the requirements of Wisconsin Act 20. Revisions were made as needed to incorporate reading achievement criteria for promotion from third to fourth grade. This promotion policy has been approved and goes into effect during the 2027-2028 school year.
Act 20 Requirements
Wisconsin Act 20 requires each school district to develop and publicly post an Early Literacy Remediation Plan. This plan must describe how the district identifies and supports students with reading difficulties and must include the following:
The diagnostic reading assessment(s) used by the district.
A description of the reading interventions provided, including interventions that address characteristics of dyslexia.
An explanation of how student progress is monitored during interventions, including the assessment tools used and the frequency of progress monitoring.
A description of how early literacy assessment data is used to evaluate and improve early literacy instruction.
The district's parent and guardian notification procedures, ensuring compliance with the communication requirements outlined in Wisconsin Act 20.
In alignment with Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) requirements, the Kiel Area School District uses a variety of literacy assessments to identify students who may need additional reading support and to guide effective instruction. Educators analyze assessment results to understand each student's specific literacy needs and develop personalized plans to support their growth.
Personal Reading Plans (PRPs) provide targeted instruction and interventions based on individual student needs. These supports may include instruction in phonemic awareness, sound patterns, reading practice, language development, and spelling. All students receive regular opportunities for reading practice, along with meaningful feedback to strengthen their skills and encourage continued progress.
Student growth is monitored throughout the school year through ongoing assessments, and parents and guardians are kept informed about progress and recommended next steps. For students receiving support through a PRP, progress monitoring occurs more frequently to ensure interventions are effective and that students are making measurable progress toward their literacy goals.
More information on Kiel Area School District's Early Literacy Remediation Plan can be found by clicking HERE.
