From Commitment to Capacity: Building Literacy Across Minnesota

Minnesota’s READ Act sets a clear goal: helping every child read at or above grade level while supporting multilingual learners and students who receive special education services. For district and school leaders, the next challenge is implementation: building the time, training, systems, and support needed to bring Structured Literacy into daily classroom practice.

That work requires leaders to connect curricula, screening, intervention, professional learning, coaching, staffing, and local literacy plans. Completing professional learning is an important step, but lasting change depends on helping educators apply new knowledge consistently with students.

Minnesota has made significant investments in this shift, including nearly $70 million in 2023 for professional development and curricula, plus $37.2 million in 2024 for educator compensation, additional training, culturally responsive materials, and other implementation supports. Recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results show the need for continued focus: reading scores have held steady since 2022, while longer-term results underscore the importance of sustained improvement.

At Lexia’s 2026 Science of Reading Leadership Summits, leaders across the Midwest described implementation challenges that may feel familiar to Minnesota districts.

This executive summary offers practical ideas for focusing priorities, strengthening professional learning, and building capacity at a manageable pace.