Contents
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Early Literacy Screening: aimswebPlus in 2025 – 2026
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Reimbursement: Early Literacy Curriculum and Professional Development Training
- Professional Development Training Survey
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Early Literacy Coaching Program
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What I’m Reading
Early Literacy Screening: aimswebPlus in 25-26
In fall, early literacy screening with aimswebPlus is required for all students in districts or independent charter schools serving 4K – 3rd grade.
Information about screening is shared regularly in the DAC Digest ; early literacy screening information is toward the end of the publication.
- Training opportunities for 2025 – 2026
- Norms for 2025 – 2026 (new information for fall)
- Required subtests for 2025 – 2026 (changes in subtests for fall)
- Rostering
Visit the Pearson/Wisconsin website and/or contact Pearson customer service with questions about early literacy screening requirements for 2025 – 2026.
Reimbursement: Early Literacy Curriculum and Professional Development Training
The 2026 – 2028 state budget includes funds to reimburse for:
- Partial reimbursement for 5K – 3rd grade early literacy curriculum purchased from the Early Literacy Curriculum Council (ELCC) list for 2024 – 2025 or 2025 – 2026.
- Reimbursement for registration costs related to the Act 20 professional development and training requirement for 5K – 3rd grade teachers and administrators (fees must have been paid with local funds between July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2025.
Applications for partial reimbursement for early literacy curriculum and reimbursement for professional development training costs are available at www.dpi.wi.gov/wi-reads through August 1, 2025.
If you’ve already applied, it is not necessary to resubmit.
In the coming weeks, expect the following:
- Information about accounting for accepting revenue from 2025 – 2026 for an expenditure from 2023 – 2024 or 2024 – 2026.
- Opportunities for 5K – 3rd grade partial reimbursement for early literacy curriculum for future school years (such as partial reimbursement for materials for 2026 – 2027 purchased from the 2026 ELCC list, which will be published in January).
- Pending a change in legislation, opportunities for reimbursement for Act 20 required professional development training fees paid after July 1, 2025.
Professional Development Training Survey
By October 15, the department must report to the legislature about completion of the professional development training requirement in Act 20. District administrators and the equivalent at independent charter schools serving 5K – 3rd grade will soon receive a survey, due August 15.
The survey will ask for the following, reported at the district or independent charter school level:
- By grade 5K – 3rd, the number of teachers who have:
- Completed the PD training requirement
- Enrolled in the PD training requirement
- Not completed the PD training requirement
- Separated by administrator type (5K – 3rd grade principals and reading specialists), the number who have:
- Completed the PD training requirement
- Not completed the PD training requirement
More information about the PD training requirement is available at Professional Development Training Requirement.
Early Literacy Coaching
In late June, the Joint Committee on Finance took actions which made around $9 million available for administering the early literacy coaching program as described in Act 20.
The department is committed to intentionally implementing an early literacy coaching program which will positively impact each and every Wisconsin learner while not contributing to staffing shortages.
Watch for updates here and in the Early Literacy Newsletter about the early literacy coaching program.
What I’m Reading
Catch that Chicken!, written by Atinuke and illustrated by Angela Brooksbank, introduces us to Lami.
Lami lives in a compound; there are many chickens in her community. Lani’s job is to catch the chickens. Throughout the book, we see Lami’s community – the humans and the animals – cheering Lami on and celebrating her special skill. When Lami gets injured, the chickens still need catching. With the support of her community, Lami figures out a new way to catch chickens.
Catch That Chicken! features coloring and endearing illustrations of Lami, an African child, and her community. There is some fun dialogue when her friends and family cheer her on that I can picture young children acting out. There are many repeated letter sounds. It’s a joyful story.
But, Catch That Chicken! is also a great book to use as part of your professional learning. Read it with a team and think about talents of team members, managing change, or being a leader. Grown-ups, it turns out, have a lot to learn from Lami.
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