Built to Last: Central U.S. Leaders on Literacy

The science of reading has become a cornerstone of literacy initiatives in schools and districts over the past five years. In the central United States, leaders are moving beyond theory and policy to focus on making evidence-based literacy instruction work in classrooms, help students grow, and last for the long term.

At Lexia’s 2026 Science of Reading Leadership Summits, education leaders discussed what is working, where districts continue to face obstacles, and what practices may need to change. They all mentioned challenges like limited time, competing priorities, varying educator readiness, leadership alignment, professional learning needs, staffing constraints, and the struggle to keep momentum going.

This white paper brings together those insights with research on implementation, professional learning, and de-implementation. It also shares advice from education leaders, such as building teachers’ skills, rethinking old methods, and focusing time and resources on what will most improve literacy instruction.

Read this white paper to find six practical steps you can use to move literacy initiatives forward and learn how to establish a cycle of ongoing improvement.