Evidence-Based, No-Cost Professional Learning: How Arizona Is Strengthening Literacy in K–5 Classrooms

April 15, 2026

Arizona has made significant investments in early literacy, aligning policy with the science of reading and building momentum across the state. The next phase of that work is supporting how those shifts are reflected in classrooms across the state.

Arizona’s Structured Literacy for Success Initiative is helping strengthen K–5 literacy instruction in Arizona. In partnership with the Arizona K12 Center and the Helios Education Foundation, WestEd is providing 300 teachers with coursework and classroom coaching as they work toward Arizona’s K–5 Literacy Endorsement. The initiative is designed to build educator capacity and improve literacy outcomes for students across the state.

Jennifer Blitz is a senior program associate with WestEd’s English Learners and Migrant Education Services team. In this Q&A, she discusses how the program supports literacy instruction for all learners.

What’s making early literacy such an urgent issue right now, and where are you seeing the biggest opportunities for growth?

States have made really important moves in early literacy. Teachers are being asked to implement evidence-based approaches, but they haven’t always had access to the kind of sustained, job-embedded learning that actually builds that expertise over time. What we’re seeing on the ground is that policy has moved faster than practice.

The biggest growth opportunities tend to show up in two places. One is depth of content knowledge, especially around how reading develops and what to do when it doesn’t. The other is translating that knowledge into daily instruction, particularly for students who need more support, including English Learners and students with reading difficulties. The opportunity right now is to connect strong content with coaching and practice so it actually sticks.

How does participating in the Structured Literacy for Success program compare to what teachers are already doing in the classroom?

It’s very intentionally designed not to feel separate from classroom practice. Teachers aren’t just learning about structured literacy in the abstract. They’re applying it directly to what they’re already teaching.

So instead of “one more thing,” it’s more like refining and strengthening what’s already happening. Assignments are tied to their own students, their own lessons, and their own data. Then they get feedback and coaching on that real work. Over time, it becomes less about completing a course and more about improving instruction in a way that’s immediately relevant.

If I’m a teacher participating in this program, what will my week look like?

In a typical week, there’s a 1-hour live session via Zoom, which is designed to be interactive. Then there are flexible online tasks you complete on your own time asynchronously.

What makes it different is the coaching layer. Teachers also get ongoing support from a coach, which might include co-planning, modeling, or just talking through what happened in a lesson and what to try next. It’s not overwhelming, but it is consistent and connected to practice, which is key. In some cases, the coach is someone from their own campus, but in other cases, the coach is a National Board Certified Teacher provided by the Arizona K12 Center.

Often, learning in traditional coursework involves sharing of information with teachers without regard to the daily work of those teachers. How does the coaching in this model help teachers translate learning from the coursework into sustainable classroom practice?

This is really the core of the model. The courses build knowledge, but the coaching is what helps that knowledge turn into changes in practice.

Coaches are working alongside teachers in very concrete ways. A coach might plan a lesson with the teacher, model part of that lesson, observe, or debrief using actual student work or evidence from the lesson. That cycle repeats over time, so teachers are not just trying something once. They’re refining it.

There’s also a level of accountability and support that keeps the work going. It’s so much more effective to grow your practice when someone is in your classroom thinking with you about your students and your instruction.

Where do you expect this work to show up first—in teacher practice, student outcomes, or somewhere else?

It almost always shows up first in teacher decision-making. You start to see shifts in how teachers plan, what they pay attention to, and how they respond to student needs.

From there, you see changes in instruction. Lessons become more explicit, more systematic, and more responsive. And then, over time, that’s when you start to see movement in students’ reading achievement and how children feel about reading—their enjoyment in it and their willingness to read harder and more complex texts.

For a school or district leader weighing whether to have a team participate, what makes this a worthwhile investment of time and attention?

A few things stand out. First, it’s comprehensive. It’s not just a workshop or a set of materials. It is content, coaching, and collaboration over time, which is what we know actually leads to changes in instruction.

Second, it’s aligned with Arizona’s K–5 Literacy Endorsement requirements, so teachers are working toward something that matters for a state requirement while also improving their practice.

And third, it’s fully funded. That removes a huge barrier and allows districts to focus on selecting the right teachers and supporting their participation rather than figuring out how to pay for it.

With the Cohort 2 deadline of May 1 approaching, what would you say to schools that are on the fence?

I’d say this is one of those opportunities that’s hard to recreate locally. It brings together strong content, sustained coaching, and a community of educators across the state, all at no cost.

If a school is already trying to strengthen literacy instruction, this can accelerate that work in a really meaningful way. And if they’re still building momentum, it can help create that foundation. It’s also important to note that this opportunity is designed for school teams to participate in together rather than for individual teachers to enroll in on their own. Because of that, it does require a commitment from school and district leaders.

So, the question I’d encourage schools to ask is not just “Do we have time?” but “Is this the kind of support our teachers need to improve instruction?” If the answer is yes, it’s worth leaning in now rather than waiting.

It’s also worth noting that, if they aren’t ready to commit by the upcoming deadline for the Fall 2026 Cohort, another opportunity will be available for fall 2027. They should still complete our interest form so we can reach out with information as it becomes available.