As literacy demands become increasingly complex in grades 4–12, every educator plays a role in developing skilled readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and thinkers. This five-session professional learning series is designed to deepen educators' understanding of adolescent literacy through current literacy research, the Science of Reading, language development, and disciplinary literacy.

Educators will engage with practical, classroom-ready instructional strategies that can immediately strengthen literacy instruction for all students, including multilingual learners and students with diverse learning needs. The series is organized around one central throughline: Students are Active Decision Makers. Participants will examine how the Science of Reading and the 2026 Washington State ELA Learning Standards work together to support students in becoming purposeful, strategic readers, writers, speakers, listeners, viewers, and creators.  While this series is not intended as standards implementation training, it provides a strong research foundation to support future instructional planning.

Whether you teach English language arts, science, social studies, mathematics, career and technical education, or another discipline, this series will strengthen your understanding of how literacy develops and how every educator contributes to students' success.