The READ Act
What is the READ Act?
According to the Minnesota Department of Education, "[the] Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act, known as the READ Act, was passed and signed into law by Governor Tim Walz on May 24, 2023. The goal of this legislation is to have every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten, and to support multilingual learner and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized reading goals. The READ Act replaces Read Well by Third Grade (RWBTG) and is in effect as of July, 1, 2023."
Since the passage of the Read Act, APS has been working to implement the statute. Below provides an update on our steps taken to meet the requirement of the law:
- APS has updated and implemented a new assessment plan to meet the need to screen all K-3 students with MDE approval. Students are benchmarked three times annually and parents receive a report of the results of the data on their child(ren). Students in grades 4-12 are required to be screened and progress monitored, however MDE continues to determine the criteria to identify students in grades 4-12 who must be screened and give recommendations on how to implement these new practices.
- Teachers in grades K-6, along with K-12 Special Education teachers are in the process of completing Phase I of the required Reading Professional Development. The district chose the highly respected Online Language and Literacy Academy for staff to gain the required PD. Six of our Instructional Coaches are certified trainers, guiding our staff through the learning. The district’s Paraprofessionals will complete their training during the 2025-2026 school year. Phase II of the required professional development, focused on secondary teachers, will occur in the 2026-2027 school year.
- Annually the district is required to submit our Local Literacy Plan in June. This plan replaced the Read Well by Third Grade plan and requires the submission of specific data such as percent proficiency on reading screeners and the number of staff trained and certified in Reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What screener will APS use to determine students’ proficiency level in reading?
- How will PK-12 staff be trained in the Science of Reading to meet the new requirements of the READ Act?
- Will APS have to purchase a new reading curriculum?
- How can a parent help their child progress their reading skills?
- Why is a change in how we teach children to read necessary?
- Will staff receive CEU's for the training?
- Can staff get graduate credit for completing the Online Language & Literacy Academy?
What screener will APS use to determine students’ proficiency level in reading?
How will PK-12 staff be trained in the Science of Reading to meet the new requirements of the READ Act?
Will APS have to purchase a new reading curriculum?
How can a parent help their child progress their reading skills?
Why is a change in how we teach children to read necessary?
Will staff receive CEU's for the training?
Can staff get graduate credit for completing the Online Language & Literacy Academy?
APS District Literacy Team
Katie Baskin
Executive Director of Academics and Administrative Services
Kane Malo
Secondary Principal
Christine Hulsebus
Special Education Supervisor
Jes Carlson
Sped Literacy Coach
Gretchen Erickson
PK
Kristen Becker
Grade K
Kristin Wenum
Grade 1
Tammy Nelson
Grade 2
Sheila Berger
K-4 Curriculum Coordinator/K-12 EL Coordinator
Christine Peters
Grade 3
Liz Ceballos
Grade 4
Lisa Lage
Grade 5/6
Julie Walski
Grade 7/8
Jen Smith
Grade 7/8
Leslie Leffers
High School
Angie Jannsen
Reading Intervention
Andrea Malo
5-12 Curriculum Coordinator, Talent Development, Teacher Mentoring
Andrea Waller
Reading Intervention
Lyndsey Raffelson
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Instructor
Nicole Edwards
Instruction Coach
Tracy Garry
Instruction Coach
Christy Halsey
Instruction Coach
Katie Keller
Instruction Coach
Alexa Dolan
Instructional Coach