Key points:
On the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, only about one in four fourth graders in Michigan scored at or above proficiency in reading–a stark reminder that too many students are moving through elementary school without secure foundational literacy skills.
In Wayne-Westland Community School District, these statewide trends were visible locally. When I stepped into my role as the director of professional development and school improvement, I encountered a familiar paradox: committed teachers, significant investment in literacy resources, and uneven student outcomes. Instructional effort was high, but results were inconsistent.
The problem was not motivation. It was fragmentation.
Over time, our elementary schools had accumulated more than 100 literacy tools and resources. Without shared instructional routines or aligned data systems, reading instruction varied widely across classrooms. Students who appeared to be on track in the early grades often developed significant gaps by third or fourth grade. Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) referrals continued to rise.
In a district serving 10,000 students, where 63 percent face economic disadvantage, and 21 percent receive special education services, this lack of coherence was undermining equity. Strengthening Tier 1 instruction was essential–but doing so required more than selecting new materials. It required rebuilding the system that supports teaching and learning.
Building consensus
To guide this work, we convened a literacy task force comprising 80 teachers, coaches, specialists, and administrators from across our elementary schools. The group was charged with identifying research-aligned approaches grounded in Michigan’s Literacy Essentials and current evidence about how children learn to read.
Early discussions challenged long-held assumptions. Many educators, particularly those trained in the Science of Reading, raised concerns about gaps in instruction on foundational skills and the limitations of previous approaches. Rather than defaulting to what was familiar, we examined the research together and studied early classroom-level results from more systematic instructional models.
A few schools had already begun using evidence-based, structured foundational skills programs from Really Great Reading. Teachers reported clearer instructional routines, stronger alignment between assessment and instruction, and more consistent student progress.
From the outset, we knew that success would depend on sustained professional learning, coaching, and accountability–not a one-time rollout.
Supporting teachers after adoption
When our district moved forward with a unified foundational skills approach across all PreK–5 classrooms, the work did not end with adoption.
Implementation support focused on building teacher capacity and confidence. Professional learning was embedded and ongoing, helping teachers understand not only the routines they were expected to use, but the instructional purpose behind them. Coaching was positioned as support rather than compliance, with coaches and leaders using classroom observations and student data to guide instructional conversations.
Instructional routines, diagnostics, and progress-monitoring tools were tightly aligned, allowing educators to see how daily instruction connected to student growth. This alignment made the data usable rather than abstract. Teachers could identify specific skill gaps and respond in real time, rather than waiting for end-of-year results.
During the first semester, classroom observation data showed that 98 percent of teachers consistently implemented the diagnostic-to-instruction cycle, replacing the previously fragmented local assessments and instructional approaches that had varied across buildings. Within two months of implementation, 97 percent of teachers reported academic gains in K-5.
This support extended beyond classroom teachers. Interventionists, literacy coaches, and even substitute teachers were trained to ensure instructional continuity, reinforcing the expectation that foundational literacy instruction was a shared responsibility across the system.
What alignment made possible
Once instruction, assessment, and professional learning were aligned, what we found should give pause to districts everywhere. The decoding gaps we uncovered were not the result of poor teaching or low expectations–they were the result of never having looked.
In fall 2023, assessment results revealed that only 30 percent of fifth graders could accurately decode all single-letter consonant sounds and digraphs. By spring 2024, that figure had climbed to 85 percent.
Initially, our data showed that only 17 percent of our fourth- and fifth-grade students had mastered foundational literacy skills, typically achieved by the middle of third grade. Two years later, 67 percent demonstrated mastery.
In classrooms, the shift was visible. Students who had long struggled began showing steady progress. As decoding skills improved, they participated more confidently across subjects. Teachers also noticed that students who typically struggled with math word problems became more independent in their problem-solving. As literacy skills improved, so did cross-curricular performance.
At the system level, stronger Tier 1 instruction and increased understanding of the science of reading reduced the need for intensive interventions. MTSS referrals declined, allowing intervention teams to focus on students with the most complex needs.
Literacy outcomes as infrastructure
Wayne-Westland’s experience is not an outlier. Across the country, districts are discovering that students who appear to be progressing are carrying undetected foundational literacy gaps that compound over time. Proper diagnostics don’t expose failure. They create a foundation for understanding. Closing the gap requires systemwide implementation and alignment to drive measurable outcomes for all students.
Nancy Schulz, Wayne-Westland Community School District
Nancy Schulz is the Director of School Improvement and Professional Learning for Wayne-Westland Community School District, where she currently leads districtwide initiatives focused on strengthening MTSS implementation, improving student attendance, and advancing early literacy outcomes. She partners with school leaders and educators to build cohesive systems of support and promote data-driven decision-making to improve instructional outcomes.
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