READ Act
The Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) Act
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.
Access and read the full legislation under Minnesota Session Law, Chapter 55, Article 3, READ Act.
Introduction to the READ Act: Recorded webinar
This recorded webinar provides an introduction to the Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) Act legislation which replaces the Read Well by Third Grade legislation. The goals of this webinar include:
- To outline the implementation and requirements of the READ Act at the state and local levels
- To describe the partnerships outlined in the READ Act which include the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI), the MN Service Cooperatives and Regional Centers for Excellence.
- To provide an overview of the READ Act Appropriations, and
- To share resources for updates, questions, and more information on the READ Act
Please note, this presentation follows the format and sequence of the READ Act legislation – this is intentional to allow for viewers to pause the recording and take a deeper dive into each section of the statute. We encourage you to view this recording while having access to the READ Act statute.
MDE has approved the following literacy screening tools to support school districts and charters in conducting universal literacy and dyslexia screening in grades K-3, as required by Minnesota Statutes 2023, section 120B.12, The READ Act.
MDE Approved Literacy Screening Tools for Grades K-3:
DIBELS 8th Edition
FastBridge
What are our literacy plan goals?
The Monticello School District will develop proficient readers who have positive attitudes and habits about reading, are fluent enough to focus on understanding what they read, use their word knowledge to understand what they read, develop an understanding of what they read by extending, elaborating, and evaluating the meaning of the text and can read a variety of texts for a variety of purposes. Our literacy program strives to have all students achieve at or above grade level and become lifelong, independent readers. Monticello believes in accelerating the performance of all students to improve literacy and ensure that all students should read at least at grade level.
To provide feedback on Monticello's Literacy Plan, contact Cindy Fasching, Director of Teaching and Learning, at cynthia.fasching@monticello.k12.mn.us or call 763-272-2017
For more information, contact Eric Olson, Superintendent at eric.olson@monticello.k12.mn.us or call 763-272-2001
What is Monticello's plan for training teachers in the Science of Reading?