7/14/2024

How Leaders Can Approach a Science of Reading-Based District Implementation (Part 3)

In the previous two parts of this blog series, we explored how district administrators can quickly get up to speed on the state of literacy in their district by performing a needs assessment (Part 1) and then evaluating solutions to address any identified literacy gaps (Part 2). We also looked at how Ebone Johnson at Columbus City Schools led her team through these phases of a districtwide transformation.

Now that you’ve researched and analyzed the data, considered a variety of solutions, and created an implementation plan, it’s time to execute.

Implementing a new plan can be daunting for a district administrator. You’re just beginning to know key players—and you don’t necessarily bring the institutional knowledge developed over decades of some longtime district employees. You’re learning the dynamics that are unique to this population—but you’re aware that there’s a great deal you don’t know yet.

The good news is that you can take many proven steps to ensure a smooth transition. Let’s look at a few ways to set up the implementation for success.

How to Implement a Districtwide Science of Reading Literacy Plan

You’ve done the hard work of creating a well-researched strategic plan, and now it’s almost time to put that plan into action.

Before launching, make sure to put systems in place to create and leverage your support team, facilitate feedback to ensure key voices are heard, and, once those operations are humming along, move through the implementation phases as appropriate.

Here are some important steps you can take to set your district up for success:

1. Use Your Expert Team as Support Staff on the Ground

In collecting data to perform your needs assessment, you likely started to develop a sense of who your district's experts are. These are the administrators, teachers, coaches, and staff who have the skills needed to create a strong and well-rounded implementation team.

As Johnson at Columbus City Schools in Ohio said, “You can’t be an expert in everything. When you’re going through a districtwide implementation, you recruit the experts.”

Consider seeking out people to recruit to your expert team who:

• Are passionate about improving literacy education
• Stay current on the latest research in literacy and the science of reading
• Have the training and skills the team needs
• Are leaders and changemakers in their sphere of influence

By leveraging this well-connected and talented team, you’ll be positioned to launch with success.

2. Set Up a Strong Feedback Loop

Every transformational initiative depends on strong stakeholder engagement, which requires clear and open communication and continuous feedback. The wider community must understand the need for transformation and proposed strategies, which help set the stage for strong engagement and buy-in.

There are many ways to establish a feedback loop, and it’s beneficial to set up multiple channels for feedback to reach decision-makers. Some teachers and staff will want to share their feedback anonymously in writing, whereas others might feel most inclined to meet one on one or share in committees or staff meetings. District leaders should facilitate the flow of feedback by ensuring these channels are always available.

District leaders can solicit feedback by:

• Meeting one on one with leaders throughout the district with varying roles and responsibilities who can regularly report their observations from diverse perspectives.
• Forming committees that continually check in with their peers to get a read on how the transition is going and where people need additional support.
• Running meetings that foster inclusive decision-making so all district community members feel like their voices are heard.
• Administering surveys to solicit feedback in written form, either anonymously or not, to capture the experiences, ideas, and concerns of those at the heart of the transformation. Surveys can be sent to stakeholders, including teachers, staff, administrators, students, parents, and community members.

3. Scale Solutions as Appropriate for Your District

A phased approach to the implementation rollout can be ideal for a district that wants to control the transition with care. By taking one baby step at a time, leaders can monitor and adjust as needed and apply lessons learned across the board as they scale.

By rolling out the transformation in phases, you also have the opportunity to identify practices that yield exceptionally positive results—and scale those up to the larger community.

Administrators who effectively communicate with experts, leaders with diverse perspectives, passionate educators, parents, and the broader community will be best prepared to refine the plan as they go. Problems that need attention will rise to the surface, and educators will find a resolution before the next phase of scaling up.

Leaders who apply these principles to their implementation plan for improving literacy in their districts will be well informed as they make critical decisions about their districts' future.

How Columbus City Schools Approached the Implementation Process

Returning to our example from parts 1 and 2, Johnson, supervisor of literacy and library services at Columbus City Schools, started in her role in 2021 in the midst of the data-gathering process as district leaders worked toward a transformation in their approach to literacy. They shifted to a science of reading-based approach, moving from balanced literacy to Structured Literacy.

The district partnered with Lexia® to roll out professional learning on the science of reading for all administrators, teachers, and staff—using Lexia® LETRS®. LETRS is a flexible, self-paced professional learning experience that provides early childhood and elementary educators with literacy and language expertise in the science of reading.

The district opted not to do a phased rollout, instead training everyone in the district ecosystem simultaneously to accelerate the transition and get everyone in alignment. This kicked off a top-down approach to instruction so students would benefit from teachers who’d gone through this professional learning experience.

“We thought it was important to train district administrators, instructional coaches, and district leaders, training everyone possible in the organization on what it means to start teaching according to methods rooted in the science of reading,” Johnson said. She and her colleagues felt strongly that the benefits of implementing a science of reading-based approach should happen holistically and immediately so that everyone in the district could have a deep understanding of what the teachers and students would be experiencing.

Johnson is committed to helping people understand the “why” and building the capacity of district leaders and changemakers who influence everyone around them. She saw an opportunity to get key players into alignment with their implementation, so they all went through the LETRS training, too. Johnson observed one case where a superintendent went through a simulation of how it feels to be a struggling reader. They came out really understanding the frustrations students experience and the importance of giving them resources to help them advance. That superintendent became a champion who conveyed the importance and the urgency to principals and others who resisted change.

Johnson found the “internal local experts” who had done the research, knew a lot about the science of reading, and could advise on these topics—and she brought them to the table. She also welcomed feedback and leveraged surveys to keep her finger on the pulse of teachers at various points in the process. “Through internal survey results, we were able to make adjustments to the training as needed—and we’re seeing a greater sense of confidence in our teachers in teaching reading. Those are the gains so far,” Johnson said. “Teachers are feeling the impact of their learning.” 

Columbus City Schools educators reported a 95% satisfaction rate on LETRS in-person professional learning.

As new teachers and staff come onboard in Columbus City, ongoing training using LETRS welcomes them with a deep understanding of the science of reading. The entire district is now beginning to reap the benefits of consistent teacher training based on evidence-based approaches to reading instruction.

Johnson’s advice to district administrators beginning this journey? “Build a great team who can focus on this work. It is challenging and time-consuming but extremely rewarding when you build a team who can focus on literacy and keep it the priority,” she said. 

Interested in hearing more from Johnson about her ongoing implementation experience at Columbus City Schools? Check out her webinar, “Literacy Leadership: Essential Strategies for Capacity Building in Your District,” available on demand.

Read the full series

Part 1: How Leadership Can Leverage District Data Assessment for Literacy Change 

Read part 1

Part 2: How District Leaders Can Identify and Plan for Science of Reading District Solutions

Read part 2