Doing Less to Achieve More: Eastern U.S. Leaders on Literacy

Across the Eastern United States, science of reading legislation, mandates, and accountability measures have accelerated the adoption of evidence-based literacy practices. As schools and districts move beyond implementation planning, many leaders are facing a new challenge: ensuring those practices are used consistently across classrooms and sustained over time.

During Lexia’s 2026 Science of Reading Leadership Summits, school and district administrators from the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeast shared what’s standing in the way of lasting change. They pointed to mindset and buy-in, competing priorities, teacher capacity, leadership alignment, funding constraints, time, and fragmented systems as ongoing barriers. Their conversations showed that successful implementation depends on more than choosing the right programs or providing initial training. It requires the systems, structures, and support necessary to turn expectations into everyday practice.

Leaders also explored a growing concept in implementation science: de-implementation. Participants identified opportunities to eliminate redundant programs, remove disconnected tools, move away from ineffective instructional routines, and stop investing in interventions that lack evidence of impact. By strategically doing less, leaders can create more time and capacity to prioritize the practices with the greatest impact on student outcomes. 

In this white paper, you will learn:

• What education leaders in the Eastern United States are experiencing

• What leaders want to change

• What administrators are learning from their peers

• How implementation science, de-implementation, professional learning, and continuous improvement can help districts move beyond adopting new practices and build lasting literacy systems

Discover what education leaders across the Eastern United States are learning from one another and how they are moving from compliance-driven adoption to sustainable, systemwide change.