The Shift From Research to Results

3 days of actionable strategies for building-level literacy leadership

Shifting mandates. Rising expectations. Constant change. As a school leader, you’re expected to drive literacy improvement while managing everything else in your building. That’s exactly what this event was built to address.

Science of Reading Week: From Theory to Practice brought together national experts, district practitioners, and classroom innovators across three focused sessions. They were all designed to cut through the complexity and show how the science of reading works in practice.

Here’s what school leaders are walking away with:

Day 1: Connecting Policy and Practice Nationwide

Our opening keynote featured a candid conversation with Lexia’s José Viana, former assistant deputy secretary and director of the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) at the U.S. Department of Education, designed to pull back the curtain on federal education policy and what it actually means for educators across the country. School leaders came away with a clearer understanding of current guidance and how to translate it into building-level literacy decisions they can make with confidence.

Day 2: How One District Made It Work

Dr. Michelle Picard, supervisor of Secondary English and Reading for Loudoun County Public Schools (VA), spoke with the Lexia® team about her district’s full implementation, describing how educators on her team partnered with Lexia and building-level leaders alike to plan, build alignment, and sustain fidelity in implementation—not to mention the measurable adolescent literacy gains they’ve achieved already. Dr. Picard also provided concrete insights and replicable approaches you can adapt for your school.

Day 3: Expanding Teacher Capacity, Powered by AI

School administrators saw how science of reading-aligned instruction and AI-supported tools can come together to simplify implementation and strengthen teacher capacity. Dr. Nicolas Cracco of New Rochelle City Schools (NY) shared insights from his district’s partnership with Lexia that offer leaders strategies for leveraging instructional technology that actually empowers teachers and drives results, helping administrators support their staff without adding to their already overfull plates.

Explore the full recap