Literacy
In 2025–26, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) introduced a new literacy plan that focuses on helping all students read—and all means all.
We are now using a “science of reading” approach that aligns with recent state legislation that has accelerated the district’s move in this important direction. The new plan shifts from a focus on intervening with struggling students to providing high-quality literacy instruction to all students from the very start. It also shifts from older tools such as “three cueing” that allow students to guess at words based on pictures and contexts to an intentional focus on “decoding” words by sounding them out. To put it in place, the district is providing 40 hours of intensive training this year to help make all educators experts in the science of reading.
Learn More (Presentation to the Milwaukee Board of School Directors)
Vision
The vision of the MPS literacy department is to educate all students to proficiency and beyond in order to prepare them for success in higher education, careers, and responsible citizenship. The ultimate goal of literacy education is to celebrate and utilize the language and literacy practices of our culturally and linguistically diverse learners as a tool to bridge, foster, and add academic literacy to students’ abilities.
Video: MPS Literacy Plan Explained (2025)
Act 20
As part of Wisconsin’s commitment to supporting strong reading skills under Act 20, all schools are required to provide science-based early literacy instruction. Learn more about Act 20.
MPS Reads
Each month, we feature suggested titles for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students. Our goal is to:
- Assist teachers, librarians, parents, and others in finding interesting books that will encourage and excite students to read more literature and informational text
- Suggest titles that allow students to see themselves, explore other cultures, and discover more about the world in which they live
- Increase the volume of books that students are reading independently to ignite a passion for reading
Volunteering with MPS
Are you interested in making a difference for students? Learn more about volunteering in classrooms.
More Information
If you have any questions about the MPS literacy plan, please contact Dr. Ana Gabriela Bell Jiménez, academic superintendent, at bella3@milwaukee.k12.wi.us or (414) 475-8464.