READ Act Details

From the MDE website: https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/READ/faq/ (Check back to source for most current information!)

How will the READ Act professional development allocation be used? (Updated 2/22/24)

The READ Act professional development allocation will be used to pay for registration costs/materials for the approved training programs.

Can 4th and 5th grade teachers register in Phase 1? (Updated 2/22/24)

4th and 5th grade (6th grade depending on the structure of your elementary school) classroom educators may be included in Phase 1, as literacy data indicates the need for foundational reading skill instruction in these grades.

When will registration open for Phase 2 Educators? (Updated 2/22/24)

Registration for Phase 2 educators will open on February 1, 2025.

When will Phase 2 PD options be available? (Updated 2/22/24)

Phase 2 options will be posted by January 2025.

How are instructional support staff being defined? (Updated 2/22/24)

Instructional support staff are defined as paraprofessionals who (1) provide one-on-one tutoring if such tutoring is scheduled at a time when a student would not otherwise receive instruction from a teacher or (2) provide instructional support services under the direct supervision of a highly qualified teacher. Additional guidance and information on training options for paraprofessionals will be available Spring, 2024. Registration requests for Instructional Support Staff will be delayed until information is released.

If an educator previously completed one of the approved training programs, but did not receive an 80% on the posttest(s) do they need to retake the training? (Updated 2/22/24)

No. The requirement for receiving an 80% on the posttest(s) prior to July 1, 2024, has been revised. The 80% requirement will only be required moving forward as of July 1, 2024.

If an educator does not receive an 80% on the posttest(s) for the required training after July 1, 2024, will they need to retake the training? (Updated 2/22/24)

No. Districts and charter schools will include a plan in their local literacy plan submission that is due on June 15th of each year on how they plan to support educators who have not achieved 80% in reaching proficiency.

Will an extension to the July 1, 2025 date be given to those districts and charter schools who chose LETRS training since it is a two year program? (Updated 2/22/24)

Yes. Extensions will be provided.

Do specialists (art, music, phy ed., etc.) need to complete the required training? (Updated 2/22/24)

No. Only educators with the responsibility of providing reading instruction/teaching the MN ELA standards need to complete one of the approved training programs.

If a PreK teacher has a license that goes above PreK can they still take LETRS EC or do they need to complete one of the other approved training programs? (Updated 2/22/24)

For PreK educators who have licenses that go beyond PreK, the decision on which training program to complete will be left up to district or charter school to make those decisions with their staff. One question to consider would be does the teacher plan to just stay in PreK? If not taking one of the other approved programs may make more sense.

Can curriculum directors complete LETRS for Administrators to meet the READ Act requirements? (Updated 2/22/24)

Yes. LETRS for Administrators has been added to the list of approved programs for curriculum directors.

According to the READ Act PD Summary in Phase 2, classroom teachers responsible for reading instruction in grades 4-12 are included. Would this include English Language Arts teachers, all core content teachers or just reading teachers (i.e., reading intervention teachers)?

Classroom teachers in grades 4–12 who are responsible for providing reading instruction and/or teaching the MN ELA standards are required to complete one of the three approved training programs. K–12 reading intervention teachers are included in Phase 1.

Can districts/charters offer other PD options to meet the READ Act training requirements, or must they only use the three identified programs?

The three professional development programs identified and posted to the MDE READ Act webpage are the approved training that will be provided statewide and funded through the READ Act allocation.

Do Speech-Language Pathologists or Occupational Therapists need to complete one of the three approved training programs?

Only educators who are responsible for providing reading instruction are required to complete one of the three training programs. If SLPs or OTs are providing reading instruction they will need to complete one of the three approved training programs. If they do not provide reading instruction, they are exempt.

How do districts/charters request reconsideration for professional development programs?

The reconsideration process is in development and will be posted to the READ Act webpage when available.

How were the three professional development programs selected?

MDE and CAREI used an adapted version of the Observation Checklist for High-Quality Professional Development Training (HQPD) to determine the approved menu of rigorous professional development programs that local education providers will be required to offer per Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 120B.12. Listed below are additional criteria used to identify state-funded professional development programs:

Focused on or aligns with the science of reading, including teaching in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency including oral language skills, and reading comprehension;
Includes information on how the brain learns to read and the nature of reading difficulties (e.g., dyslexia, generalized language learning disorders) as well as special considerations for supporting culturally and linguistically diverse learners with learning to read;
Includes rigorous evaluations of learning throughout and at the end of the course that a person taking the course must pass to complete the course;
End-of-course assessment must demonstrate the participant's mastery of content learned throughout the course;
Aligns with adult learning theory;
Must be eligible for CERI Certification;
Training staff are highly qualified; assurances will be required from the vendor before being selected;
A minimum of 42-45 hours of instruction; includes a scope and sequence; and synchronous reflection session with trainer;
Produces completion documentation (e.g., certificate, data pull, etc.) that will allow the LEA to submit evidence to the department that the participants passed an end-of-course assessment which demonstrates participants' understanding of evidence-based practices based in structured literacy; and
Not associated with a specific curriculum.

How will districts and charters provide documentation that staff have completed one of the three approved training programs?

Districts will collect certificates of completion and submit summary data in their local literacy plans that are due on June 15 of each year. Further guidance will be included when the local literacy plan template is released in March 2024.

If a district or charter chooses LETRS, can Kindergarten teachers take LETRS for Early Childhood since Lexia states the LETRS EC is designed for prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers?

If the teacher’s license does not go above kindergarten, then LETRS Early Childhood is acceptable. If the teacher’s license goes above kindergarten, then LETRS is required.

Is LETRS EC the only option for early childhood educators responsible for providing reading instruction or could they complete one of the other approved programs?

For early childhood educators, it is recommended to complete the LETRS EC program because it is specifically designed for early childhood. However, districts/charters may want to consider one of the other training programs if the educator's license goes above PreK and they may switch positions in the future.

What are the requirements for non-licensed staff currently providing reading interventions?

Non-licensed instructional support staff may assist a licensed teacher in providing reading instruction or intervention given that they receive training on phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy as required by the READ Act, and the training must be one of the MDE approved professional development programs posted on the READ Act webpage.

What are the requirements for the three identified professional development programs?

Professional development for Phase 1 teachers:

1. Complete one of the three MDE-approved programs.

a. CAREIALL: Advancing Language and Literacy – Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI University of Minnesota)

b. OL&LA: Online Language and Literacy Academy – Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education (CORE)

c. LETRS: Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (Lexia)

LETRS, LETRS for Administrators, and LETRS for Early Childhood Educators

2. Synchronous Debrief

a. With a National Facilitator

b. With a Certified Local Facilitator

3. Submit certificate of completion with a passing score

a. CAREIALL – 80%

b. OL&LA – 80%

c. LETRS – 80%

Professional development requirements for Phase 2 teachers:

For grades 6–12 additional professional development options have not yet been approved. Details coming soon.

Registration for Phase 2 educators will occur February–October, 2025.

Districts/Charters and/or teachers who have previously taken 3rd Edition LETRS or CORE training before the READ Act training being offered, do not need to retake training.

What Special Education teachers are included in the READ Act training requirements?

Any special education teacher with responsibility for teaching reading would need to complete training in grades PreK–12.

What typical role would be classified as instructional support staff under the training requirements in the READ Act?

This list would include staff who work with students to provide reading instruction, reading support, reading intervention, etc. This list could include special education paraprofessionals, Title 1 staff, general education paraprofessionals, etc. Please note that this is not an all-inclusive list as who provides reading instruction may vary from district to district or charter to charter.

When can districts/charters begin to access the statewide training opportunities?

When MDE completes the contracts with vendors, the state-funded training registration process will be released and posted to the MDE READ Act webpage.

Who is required to complete one of the approved professional development programs and by when? (updated 2/8/2024)

Districts and charters are required to provide access to professional development beginning July 1, 2024; however, districts can register for PD once contracts with vendors are executed.

Professional Development Phase 1: Required staff to be completed by July 1, 2025

PreK Classroom Educators* (See Early Childhood Professional Development Options Question)
K–3 Classroom Educator (including ESL instructors who are responsible for reading instruction)
Grades K–12 Reading Intervention Educators
Grades PreK–12 Special Education Educators responsible for reading instruction
Grades PreK–5 Curriculum Directors
Grades PreK–5 Instructional support staff who provide reading support
Employees who select literacy instructional materials for grades PreK–5
4th and 5th grade (6th grade depending on the structure of your elementary school) classroom educators may be included in Phase 1, as literacy data indicates the need for foundational reading skill instruction in these grades.

For those districts and charter schools who are choosing LEXIA/LETRS, we acknowledge additional time (beyond the July, 2025 completion deadline) will be needed to complete this course and extensions will be provided.

* PreK Classroom Educators – PreK educators include Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten/School Readiness Plus, Early Childhood Special Education (Part B/619) responsible for early literacy/reading instruction and School Readiness

Professional Development Phase 2: Required staff (all other educators responsible for reading instruction) to be completed by July 1, 2027