READ Act Update�August 6, 2024

Bobbie Burnham, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Teaching & Learning

Julie Novak, State Literacy Director

Dr. Kim Gibbons, Director of the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI)

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Ten Minnesota Commitments to Equity

1. Prioritize equity.
2. Start from within.
3. Measure what matters.
4. Go local.
5. Follow the money.
6. Start early.
7. Monitor implementation of standards.
8. Value people.
9. Improve conditions for learning.
10. Give students options.

Today’s Objectives

• Provide information on updates to the READ Act
• Provide information on resources that are available to support district implementation of Structured Literacy

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

READ Act Goal

To have every child in Minnesota reading at or above grade level and multilingual learners and students receiving special education services are supported in achieving their individualized reading goals in order to meet grade level proficiency.

Minnesota Session Law Chapter 55, Article 3, READ ACT.

• Basic reading proficiency is a core developmental milestone in a child’s educational experience.
• Research shows that third grade students who are not reading proficiently face long-term challenges.¹ 
• Quality instruction, assessments, interventions, and curriculum paired with professional development and ongoing coaching for educators are the foundations of comprehensive systems of support that enable all learners to achieve reading proficiency by the end of third grade.

¹ Lesnick, J., Goerge, R.M., & Smithgall, C. (2010). Reading on grade level in third grade: How is it related to high school performance and college enrollment? Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

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Year 1: July 2023 to June 2024�4 Year READ Act Implementation Plan

Key Activities

• Survey districts on current literacy practices
• Establish partnerships and execute contracts: CAREI; MN Service Cooperatives; training vendors 
• Develop Regional Literacy Network; hire staff
• Hire State Literacy Director and READ Act staff at MDE
• Generate READ Act webpage; post overview webinar and FAQ
• Determine and post universal screening menu and training options
• Determine process for curriculum review; selection and reimbursement; post approved curriculum; and reimbursement process 
• Generate Local Literacy Plan template; develop LLP and data submission process
• Generate District Literacy Lead position description
• Revise BOLD to include The READ Act; post to website; offer webinar series to introduce districts and advocates to BOLD 
• MDE and WI/MN Comp Center develop an evaluation plan for The READ Act
• Plan, implement and evaluate first annual literacy conference 

Implementation Milestones

• Year 1 deadlines were met
• Local Literacy Plan template is provided to district with TA from the Literacy Unit
• All contracts were executed in a timely manner; staff were hired; regional literacy networks are being staffed with July 1 launch
• READ Act Evaluation Plan in development

Key Progress Indicators

• Number of teachers registered for training by January 1, 2024
• Number of districts submitting Local Literacy Plan by June 15, 2024
• UFARS data showing how Literacy Incentive Aid is being spent

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Year 2: July 2024 to June 2025�4 Year READ Act Implementation Plan

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Key Activities

• Districts provide access to approved trainings beginning July 1, 2024
• Districts have or will hire Literacy Leads by August, 2025
• Regional Literacy Network staff and District Literacy Leads participate in literacy leadership training jointly developed with CAREI
• Regional Literacy Networks are fully staffed, completing SOR training, and offering districts READ ACT implementation support via MnMTSS
• Districts submit universal screening data with their Local Literacy Plan by June 15, 2025
• MDE tracks how districts are spending Literacy Incentive Aid
• MDE, CAREI and WI/MN Comp Center implements evaluation plan for The READ Act
• MDE submits report to legislative committees
• Convene a State Literacy Committee who will engage with MDE, partners, and OHE on continued planning of state literacy activities, statewide literacy, and integrating structured literacy coursework into higher education institutions.

Implementation Milestones

• All district are offering approved training
• MDE reports to legislative committees
• Literacy Incentive Aid is funding only comprehensive literacy reform efforts
• All K-3 student are screened semi-annually
• Local Literacy Plans include screening data
• Regional Literacy Network staff have completed Literacy Leadership training

Key Performance Indicators

• Number of teachers trained
• Number of districts purchasing approved curriculum (reimbursement data)
• Number of districts having a qualified Literacy Lead on staff
• All districts submitting Local Literacy Plan with universal screening and program data by June 15

Connection to COMPASS and MnMTSS

• COMPASS: State and regional specialists dedicated to supporting districts with systematic and continuous improvement in areas such as Culturally Responsive School Leadership, Literacy, Math, School Climate, Social-Emotional Learning
• MnMTSS Framework: framework for the statewide system of support within which evidence-based practices are most likely to achieve the intended outcome
• The Regional Literacy Network focuses on the literacy content and coaching support to build capacity and sustainability within districts, charters, and tribal schools so that all students achieve literacy success at each grade level.

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

Regional Literacy Network

Purpose: Partnership between the department, CAREI and the Minnesota Service Cooperatives to provide the following to districts, charter schools, and tribal schools:

• ongoing training and coaching based in structured literacy
• support with comprehensive literacy reform efforts based on structured literacy including supports for district and site level leadership teams; literacy data collection and analysis; and curriculum selection
• supports for the planning, implementation and evaluation of Local Literacy Plan
• Staffing: Each region must add a literacy lead position and establish a team of trained literacy coaches 
• Launch: July 1

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Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

READ Act Updates – Professional Development

• Phase 1 PD: 31,000+ educators
• Phase 1: Training provided by July1, 2026
• Phase 2 PD options: in RFP process
• Phase 2 educators: provided by July 1, 2027
• Allows one non-student contact day for SY24-25 with approval to allow teachers to take training
• Paraprofessional/Instructional Support Staff Professional Development
• 8 hours – offered through the Regional Literacy Network

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Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

Progress On Educator Training in Structured Literacy Across MN

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513 districts (94%) have engaged in the professional development registration process by identifying their district literacy contact.

Data as of April 18, 2024. Self reported data from 376 of 550 (69%) school districts/charter schools. This chart represents educators serving 83% of students.

Requested Educator Training

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READ Act Updates – Curriculum

• Curricula Resources – full re-review (5 resources); due – March 3, 2025
• Categories of Curricula aligned to evidence-based Structured Literacy practices
• Highly aligned: 100% of domains were above the cut point with no significant red flags identified for the program. Allowable use of READ Act Literacy Aid
• Partially aligned: 60-99% of the domains were above the cut point. Not allowable use.
• Minimally aligned: 34-59% of domains were above the cut point. Not allowable use.
• Not aligned: 33% or less of domains were above the cut point. Not allowable use.
• Interventions – 15 intervention models; due – November 1, 2025

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Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

READ Act Updates – Screening

• Guidance for Universal Screening
• Tools for screening students Grades 4+ reading below grade level
• Webinars (coming soon):
• Guidance for Universal Screening K-3
• Guidance for Grades 4+ Tools

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Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

READ Act Updates – PELSB

• Evaluates whether or how approved teacher training programs for reading licensure areas meet subject matter standards
• Submit final report by August 1, 2026
• Identify reading standards for each licensure area
• Describe how the board conducted the audit
• Identify the results
• Summarize the program effectiveness for continuing approval related to reading standards

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

READ Act 2.0 Allocations

• READ Act Literacy Aid
• Broadened the use of funds that initially were limited to curriculum reimbursement
• Will be distributed beginning of October
• Webinar coming – end of August

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

READ Act Literacy Aid

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

READ Act 2.0 Allocations

• An allocation of $33.225M distributed by the number of teachers who have completed training between 2021 and 2024; provides stipends; MOU process
• $4M additional allocation to approved professional development
• $1M is proposed to address cultural relevance in the approved curriculum. RFP process to hire partners who will work with the publishers to identify changes that can support cultural appropriateness in these curriculum and to build supports for  districts to add these components to the teaching practices.
• $100,000 Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing work group; report due January 15, 2025

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

Culturally Responsive Work

• Upon approval of the evidence-based intervention models, the department must ensure the models are reviewed by a contracted third party for culturally responsive guidance and materials, and make those findings available to districts once the review process is complete. The department must notify districts of the two-step review process for all materials approved under the Read Act for effectiveness as evidence-based structured literacy, and for cultural responsiveness.
• For the Department of Education to issue a request for proposals for a contract to develop supplemental culturally responsive materials for the approved evidence-based structured literacy curricula under Minnesota Statutes
• The contractor must review all approved instructional and intervention materials to ensure they are culturally responsive within 90 days of receiving the materials from the Department of Education. The contractor must work with publishers to ensure materials are culturally responsive and provide districts with supplementary materials and guidance as needed

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Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

 Read Act Deaf, Deafblind, And Hard Of Hearing �Working Group

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

Subdivision 1. Working group purpose

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The Department of Education must establish a working group to make recommendations on literacy training, screeners, and curriculum for students who cannot fully access sound-based approaches such as phonics.

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Report due: January 15, 2025

How Can You Support READ Act Implementation?

Non-Free and Reduced Lunch

Statewide

Free and Reduced Lunch

Statewide

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Review the reading data in your district. How well is the system supporting all students? Consider reviewing the Free and Reduced Lunch data point in your district as a starting spot for assessing how well your system is meeting the needs of all students.

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

64.1%

68.4%

71.2%

64.1%

32.7%

41%

38.8%

How Can You Support READ Act Implementation?

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024

Questions

Thank you!

https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/READ/

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Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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7/19/2024