New Ulm – Amanda Thorson, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented New Ulm Public Schools’ 2025-2026 Local Literacy Plan at Thursday’s school board meeting. 

As part of the READ Act, the literacy plan aims to enhance literacy outcomes for all students that are data-driven, measurable, and continuous. Additionally, the plan stresses the importance of communication between teachers, parents, and students. 

“We use multiple methods… everything from in-depth conferences, phone calls, emails, progress monitoring updates,” Thorson said,  “[Whichever] way that meets the families’ needs.” 

Parents are also provided resources to support their child’s learning outside of the classroom. 

“We often get the question, ‘How do I help them?'” Thorson said. 

The district aims to increase student growth by three percent according to state and national assessment, while reducing the achievement gap between those who qualify for free/reduced lunch and those who do not by three percent. 

Literacy achievement is tracked by screening tools such as Fast Bridge and Capti, which assess student reading levels and determine which students would benefit from additional resources. 

Screenings look for patterns to find students demonstrating characteristics of dyslexia. These screenings do not diagnose dyslexia, but help identity where additional resources might be needed to benefit students. 

Thorson gathered input from teachers and staff members to show what implementation of the Local Literacy Plan looks different across grade levels.

At Washington Learning Center, additional adults enter the classroom to teach reading skills in small group settings. Following the lessons, weekly assessments determine which skills each student needs assistance with. Groups are then arranged so kids work on skills specific to their needs. 

Jefferson Elementary School focuses on curriculum that is engaging and relatable.

Kim Haroldson, a first grade teacher, said that students who resonate with characters or stories “cannot wait to read about their next adventure.” The right stories early on can create a lifelong love of reading. 

Kim Schmiel, a staff member at the New Ulm Middle School talked about the benefits that literacy training has for the staff.

“The literacy training provided data to improve or adjust instruction and determine whether students are making adequate progress,” she said. 

At the high school, Meredith Gunderson highlighted the range of classes offered for those who need additional assistance with literacy skills.

“We offer classes such as Reading Foundations, a Reading-Intensive History course and Special Education reading courses,” Gunderson said, “and we plan to develop interventions for General Education students who need additional reading support.”

Thorson said that staff are going “above and beyond” the state requirements. New Ulm High School staff member Madelaine Formica said, “We have staff at the high school participating in a cultural competency book club where they read six books this year.”

Reading these books allowed for discussion between staff members and students who were already familiar or might be interested in these books. 

On top of the benefits that the Local Literacy Plan brought New Ulm Public Schools, Thorson also said that New Ulm Public Schools has acted as a mentor to other schools looking to better their own literacy plans.