NM PED 2026 Literacy and Humanities Summer Conference

As New Mexico districts work to strengthen literacy outcomes statewide, you are increasingly called upon to move beyond simple adoption toward coherent, sustainable implementation. While you may have already made significant investments in evidence-based literacy materials and professional learning, the challenge often lies in translating those tools into consistent, high-quality classroom practice.

In this session, you will focus on the specific leadership actions that support coherent literacy implementation and sustained improvement. You will explore how alignment among curriculum, professional learning, coaching, and assessment directly influences instructional quality and student outcomes. Drawing on classroom, district, and national implementation experience, you will identify common challenges that emerge during literacy shifts and the leadership moves necessary to address them. You will leave with a practical framework for assessing implementation coherence and identifying high-leverage strategies that strengthen literacy systems across your schools.

Secondary readers deserve instruction that builds skill, confidence, and understanding rather than more time spent in isolated programs. In this session, you will reframe intervention as high-quality, evidence-based instruction that belongs in every classroom. You will explore how explicit and systematic teaching in word recognition, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension ensures that all students can access grade-level texts.

Grounded in the science of reading and adolescent literacy research, this session provides practical strategies for you to deliver instruction that transforms reading outcomes. You will work toward key learning targets, including understanding how to integrate intervention practices into Tier 1 instruction and learning to distinguish between intervention as a physical place and intervention as effective teaching. You will leave equipped to translate research into practice, improving reading comprehension outcomes and building a culture of literacy that empowers every student in your school.

This session dives into the Road to Reading for English Learners model, a framework that treats oral language development and differentiated linguistic scaffolds as fundamental components of instructional design rather than optional add-ons. You will examine the systematic integration of language acquisition and reading strategies to ensure that literacy instruction is both accessible and rigorous.

Throughout the session, you will explore concrete examples of how to improve language and literacy instruction for all students with a specific focus on the unique needs of English Learners. You will learn how to design lessons that prioritize linguistic support without sacrificing grade-level content. You will leave with a clear understanding of the Road to Reading framework and a set of practical tools to help your English Learners thrive as they build both language proficiency and deep reading skills.