Summary of the Ready to Read Act, 2019 and COMAR 13A.03.08*
Students in kindergarten through 3rd grade, and any student demonstrating a need thereafter, should be screened for risk of reading difficulties. The screener is chosen by the local school district. The guidelines for using the screener must be followed with fidelity. Screening in kindergarten and early elementary grades examines early reading skills that are most predictive of later reading competency. Any at-risk student should be identified to determine the extent of the risk and specific areas of need. Evidence-based supplemental instruction (Tier II) should be provided. Educators will use a progress monitoring system to determine if the supplemental instruction is working. If a student is making less than expected progress, a more intensive (Tier III) intervention should be considered. It is important to include families as a partner to assist at-risk students. Parents must be notified within 30 calendar days with a description of the screening results and the supplemental instruction the student will receive.
It is important to note that core instruction should be examined if a large number of students are identified as “at-risk” on the screener. Local school districts should ensure that core instruction is evidence-based. Core instruction should include a systematic, explicit approach to teaching phonemic awareness and phonics, as well as, instruction based in language comprehension including oral language, listening, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
View COMAR 13A.13.08 on MSDE's website by
clicking here.
*From the Maryland State Department of Education Ready to Read Act Implementation Guide
Overview of WCPS' Implementation Plan
Worcester County Public Schools is committed to identifying and addressing the needs of each student. WCPS utilizes universal screening, diagnostic assessments, and documented student performance to predict students’ likelihood of meeting grade-level expectations in reading and determine needs for supplemental instruction and intervention. Screening and diagnostic data is reviewed by grade-level teams to drive decisions about instruction and ensure that all students are having their academic needs met.
Screening
- Kindergarten teachers administer DIBELS 8 (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills - 8th Edition), a brief (5-8 minutes) screening tool, to kindergarteners three times throughout the school year.
- DIBELS 8 may also be administered to students in grades 1 - 3 if more information is needed about a student's reading progress.
- Students in grades 1 - 8 participate in the iReady reading diagnostic assessment three times throughout the school year. This assessment provides teachers with valuable data about students' development in reading.
Progress Monitoring
- Teachers and/or related personnel will use DIBELS 8 progress monitoring tools to identify students in need of additional support.
Communication with Families
- At the start of the school year, students in grades K - 3 will bring home a letter regarding WCPS' implementation. This year's letter is available for viewing by
clicking here.
- Families of students in grades K - 3 will receive a parent report by the end of October explaining their child(ren)'s progress. A sample of this report can be viewed by
clicking here. This report will give families an explanation of their child(ren)'s performance on each skill as well as resources and activities to support their child(ren)'s growth at home.
Supporting Student Literacy
Worcester County Public Schools' goal is to enable students to become successful with 21st century literacy skills and successful, independent readers and writers. To that end, to build early literacy skills are rooted in five Essential Components: phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle and phonics, accurate and fluent reading, reading comprehension, and vocabulary.
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The WCPS Structured Literacy Block
WCPS has designed a structured literacy block for students to meet ALL students’ early reading needs by addressing each of the essential components of literacy. Below is an illustration of how the varied literacy programs come together to make a comprehensive block of instruction designed to support a student's growth.
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