The Education Week Spotlight on Teacher PD: A Key to the Best Literacy Gains is a collection of articles hand-picked by our editors.
Many educators, both new and experienced, have not been fully prepared to teach foundational literacy skills using evidence-based practices, making ongoing PD essential. The most effective approaches go beyond one-time workshops, aligning teacher-preparation programs, district initiatives, and coaching to build deep instructional knowledge and ensure consistency across classrooms. Successful implementation also requires attention to the systems that support it, including leadership, time for collaboration, and coherent curricula. Taken together, these articles highlight that investing in teachers’ literacy expertise is critical to strengthening reading instruction and improving outcomes for students at every stage of learning.