Literacy as a Strategy for Systemwide Improvement

Join the fifth and final session in our K–5 Language, Literacy, and Learning webinar series. In this 30-minute webinar, learn research-based strategies for deepening reading comprehension and supporting students who read above grade level. Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET

What does a strong literacy culture look like? Literacy Research Director Misty Sailors points to concrete examples like student work posted on the walls and the manner in which leaders talk about reading. For state leaders, these are visible markers of improvement taking hold from school to school.

WestEd’s new Language, Literacy, and Learning service connects classroom instruction, coaching, and leadership into one research-based system. The service is grounded in established reading science and built to support striving readers across a state’s schools.

Many STEM teachers have tried GenAI for lesson planning and feedback, but few have received formal training on it. Based on interviews with more than 60 educators, this brief provides concrete next steps for state and district leaders to take to align AI training with instructional goals.

From compliance reviews to staff training, WestEd helps state and local agencies design fiscal systems that are practical and sustainable and that are built for accountability. The result: confident teams and funding that reaches every school and learner.

California’s P–3 Learning Progressions offer a shared, research-based roadmap for exploring how learning builds across five key domains. The Progressions support statewide continuity and smoother grade-level transitions.

Early math skills are among the clearest predictors of long-term academic achievement, but not all young children develop the math skills needed to succeed in school. This brief outlines how states can improve math instruction in early childhood contexts and how WestEd can help.