VERMONT · ACT 139 (2024)
Evidence-based reading practice for the students Vermont’s K-3 screening finds
Vermont’s Act 139 requires every public school to screen K-3 students at least once a year and to respond with evidence-based reading instruction when a student is significantly below benchmark. ReadGenie gives those students short daily practice on the skill taught that week and returns mastery and fluency data to staff.
AT A GLANCE
Key date
In effect since May 30, 2024
Who it’s for
K-6 readers in Tier 2 and 3
Daily practice
10 to 15 minutes per student
Devices
iPad, Chromebook, Android
Typical funding
Title I, IDEA, Title II-A, Title IV-A
THE DEADLINE
Vermont’s K-3 reading screening law is already in effect
Act 139 took effect when it was signed on May 30, 2024. Schools must screen all K-3 students at least annually with a universal reading screener. When a student is significantly below benchmark, the school must decide on supports such as supplementary evidence-based reading instruction and ongoing progress monitoring, and inform the parent or guardian within 30 calendar days.
Screening identifies more students than intervention time can serve. The law also requires that supports be explicit and systematic and cover phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. ReadGenie was built for that gap. It adds daily foundational skills practice between sessions.
May 30, 2024
Act 139 (S.204) signed. 16 V.S.A. § 2907 K-3 screening and intervention takes effect.
November 1, 2024
Agency of Education publishes screening and parent notification guidance.
July 1, 2025
K-3 literacy professional learning requirement (16 V.S.A. § 1710) takes effect.
HOW IT WORKS
How it works in a Vermont school
01
Your interventionist teaches the skill from your chosen program.
02
They set ReadGenie to that week’s skills.
03
Students practice 10 to 15 minutes a day, at school or home, with corrective feedback.
04
Each week, review mastery and fluency for MTSS records and parent updates.
FOR YOUR REVIEW COMMITTEE
What Vermont schools get
The short version for your review committee.
Intended use
Supplemental practice inside your MTSS model. Not a standalone program.
Who it’s for
K-6 readers in Tier 2 and 3, including students with dyslexia characteristics
Devices
iPad, Chromebook, Android
Statutory fit
Supports the supplementary evidence-based reading instruction and progress monitoring in 16 V.S.A. § 2907
Progress monitoring
Mastery bands, fluency, and practice summaries in one adult dashboard
Act 139 reporting support
Practice and progress data to inform the K-3 reading data your supervisory union reports to the Agency of Education each year
Parent reports
Activity reports that support Act 139’s parent notification emphasis
Educator reports
Roster access and progress views for staff
Evidence level
ESSA Tier 4 statement (logic model and planned research), plus usage and progress data
STATE ALIGNMENT
Vermont alignment at a glance
Each row pairs a Vermont requirement with what ReadGenie does. Source links go to the Vermont General Assembly.
16 V.S.A. § 2907(c): Supplementary evidence-based reading instruction and ongoing progress monitoring
Daily practice on the skill taught that week, with mastery and fluency data between formal progress checks.
16 V.S.A. § 2907(c): Parent notification within 30 days
Parent activity reports help schools keep families informed after the required screening notice.
16 V.S.A. § 2907(d): Explicit, systematic interventions
Practice follows the skill your interventionist teaches each week, with corrective feedback on every item.
16 V.S.A. § 2903: Supplemental reading instruction for students below grade-level standards
Adds practice time for students who need supplemental reading instruction, including students past grade 3.
Phonemic Awareness
Phoneme drills and sound-in-word practice between intervention sessions.
Phonics
Decoding, word reading, and spelling practice built from the pattern taught that week.
Fluency
Decodable passages for accurate, fluent reading of connected text.
WHERE IT FITS
Where ReadGenie fits, honestly
ReadGenie is
Supplemental practice for students in Tier 2/3 intervention. Your educator picks the skill, students practice with feedback, and you get evidence before the next session.
ReadGenie is not
A screener, a Tier 1 core curriculum, or a replacement for your interventionists. The Agency of Education reviews and publishes guidance on universal reading screeners, and each supervisory union and school chooses its own screener and reports it to the Agency. ReadGenie adds practice capacity next to whatever your district chooses.
FUNDING
How Vermont schools fund ReadGenie
Schools typically use existing federal funds. No competitive application needed.
Title I, Part A
Supplemental reading practice for struggling readers in schoolwide and targeted assistance programs.
IDEA Part B and CEIS
Serves students with IEP reading goals. The 15 percent CEIS set-aside can cover Tier 2/3 students not yet identified, and usage data supports CEIS reporting.
Title II-A and Title IV-A
Title II-A can fund educator data-use training. Title IV-A can fund licenses under the effective use of technology priority.
Your federal programs office makes the final allowability call. We can send an allowable use memo and our ESSA Tier 4 statement on request.
PROCUREMENT
Vermont procurement checklist
A quick list to share with your review committee.
Supports Vermont Act 139 and 16 V.S.A. § 2907
Explicit, systematic foundational skills practice
Guided practice with error correction
Progress monitoring dashboard
Parent reports
Educator reports
ESSA Tier 4 evidence statement
COPPA and FERPA-aware workflows
Chromebook, iPad, and Android
12 to 16 week pilot with implementation support
LET’S TALK
See where ReadGenie fits in your intervention plan
Tell us how intervention runs in your schools today. We’ll show you where ReadGenie fits and what a 12 to 16 week pilot would look like.