Eleven curricula were recommended by the DPI to be approved by the legislature as eligible for partial reimbursement under 2023 Wisconsin Act 20 (“Right to Read Act”), according to a letter sent by the DPI to the legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance on Monday.
The DPI’s list is separate from the list submitted to the committee by the Wisconsin Early Literacy Curriculum Council last week.
The council recommended four curricula for the committee to review, and possibly approve, as the law requires. Read WCRIS’ coverage about it here.
In its letter, the DPI explains that it chose to independently review curricula since the department can make its own recommendations under the law. The department states that it had concerns about the council’s scoring process, though it commended the council members’ hard work. Read more about its reasoning here.
The DPI’s own list has 11 curricula. All but one of the four programs recommended by the council made the DPI’s list. Bookworms by Open Up Resources wasn’t included.
See the department’s recommendations below:
- American Reading Company K-3 by ARC Core;
- Being a Reader (K-2nd; 3rd) & Being a Writer (K-3rd) with Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics & Sight Words by Center for the Collaborative Classroom;
- Benchmark Education Advance by Benchmark Education Company;
- Core Knowledge Language Arts K-3 (CKLA) by Amplify Education;*
- EL Education K-3 Language Arts by Open up Resources;*
- EL Education K-3 by Imagine Learning LLC;
- Into Reading, National V2 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt;
- myView Literacy Elem. Reading Curriculum by Savvas Learning Company;
- Open Court by McGraw Hill;
- Wit and Wisdom by Great Minds with PK-3 Reading Curriculum by Really Great Reading;*
- Wonders by McGraw Hill.
*Also recommended by the Wisconsin Early Literacy Curriculum Council.
It’s important to remember that – just as with the council’s list – the above list isn’t official.
Legislators will now consider both lists for approval. They also have the authority to make modifications, if they choose.
This new development underscores that Act 20 is ever-evolving and already convoluted.
As stated in a previous story, WCRIS encourages choice schools to try to wait until a list is approved so that they can make informed curriculum decisions for next school year.
And as another reminder, the final list of recommended curricula will be eligible for partial reimbursement of the cost of purchasing that curriculum for public, charter and choice schools.
Schools aren’t required to use curricula from the list, but also cannot use curricula that incorporate three-cueing. It hasn’t been determined yet if the DPI will keep a running list of prohibited materials.
Act 20 regulations don’t directly apply to non-choice private schools, but these schools may still feel the impact of the state’s changing literacy landscape.
The implementation of the act is a large undertaking with several moving parts, involving several parties. WCRIS, with the help of its own WCRIS Literacy Council, will continue to share updates as they’re available. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions.
