When Dr. Gustavo Balderas became superintendent of the Beaverton School District in 2022, he brought his vision of a unified, systematic approach to supporting literacy for all students. With 54 campuses, 60% of students from diverse backgrounds, and nearly 100 languages spoken, educators needed a scalable and equitable strategy to meet student goals.
Beaverton district leaders like Robin Kobrowski built a strategic plan focused on educator support and evidence-based instruction. Literacy became the throughline connecting early learning, K–12 academic achievement, and college and career readiness—and kept district leaders focused and on track.
They identified Lexia® LETRS® Professional Learning as a key first step toward providing educators with a deeper understanding of the science of reading. Next, they introduced Lexia® Core5® Reading for elementary students and Lexia® PowerUp Literacy® for grades 6–12 within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
Through intentional implementation, this strategy is resulting in measurable gains in student literacy and growing teacher capacity. District leaders have maintained a laser focus on achieving these goals by aligning their systems and using student data to guide their path forward.
Dr. Balderas’ number one piece of advice? “Have a plan that’s intentional. Don’t just jump in the deep end. Know what you are doing and why you are doing it.”
Discover how educators in this large and diverse district are improving literacy outcomes with intentional strategy, a systems structure, and a shared sense of purpose.
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