Secondary Literacy Professional Learning: A Planning Toolkit for Districts

Secondary literacy is a priority for many districts, but professional learning efforts don’t always translate into meaningful classroom change, especially at the middle and high school levels. Too often, professional development is adapted from elementary models or delivered as one-time experiences that fail to connect to the realities of secondary classrooms.

This practical toolkit is designed to help district leaders plan more effective, sustainable professional learning for grades 4–12. Rather than promoting a single program or approach, it provides a clear framework for making informed decisions about how professional learning should be structured to support meaningful instructional change.

Inside, you’ll find research-aligned design principles tailored specifically to secondary educators, along with a simple, repeatable planning cycle that helps ensure professional learning translates into classroom practice. The toolkit also explores how to balance shared literacy foundations with discipline-specific application, structure collaboration that works within secondary schedules, and identify meaningful indicators of progress beyond completion rates.

You’ll also see how leaders in one district, Lafayette Parish School System, applied these principles with Lexia Aspire® Professional Learning to build educator confidence, strengthen instructional clarity, and ultimately improve student outcomes through a thoughtful approach to professional learning.

Whether you’re launching a new initiative or refining an existing one, this toolkit will help you design professional learning that is relevant and built to support meaningful student growth.