NM PED 2026 Literacy and Humanities Summer Conference

Text complexity remains one of the most misunderstood aspects of literacy instruction, as many educators rely solely on Lexile levels to determine appropriate texts for students. Because this limited approach often restricts access to grade-level content and perpetuates achievement gaps, understanding how to comprehensively evaluate text is essential for college and career readiness.

In this session, Student Achievement Partners will share the research base for text complexity analysis. You will explore the three-dimensional framework that evaluates quantitative measures, qualitative features, and reader and task considerations. Using practical tools and rubrics, you will examine how structure, language, knowledge demands, and meaning interact to create complexity. You will partner with colleagues to practice using qualitative analysis tools on authentic instructional materials and leave with strategies for designing scaffolds that provide all students access to grade-level complex texts. By the end of the session, you will be equipped to build student capacity through the thoughtful selection and support of challenging, high-quality texts.

In this session designed for school and district leaders, participants will explore how to move beyond good intentions and into sustained, measurable impact. This presentation highlights the research-based principles of implementation science and the specific phases of implementation that help schools and districts turn literacy initiatives into consistent classroom practice.

Attendees will examine practical strategies for effectively rolling out literacy initiatives, building staff capacity, and supporting instructional fidelity. The session focuses on creating the organizational systems necessary to ensure literacy efforts lead to lasting student outcomes rather than becoming "just another initiative." Leaders will leave with a clearer understanding of how to navigate the shift from initial adoption to full, sustainable integration, ensuring that evidence-aligned practices reach every student in every classroom.

Students must be given grade level appropriate lessons and text in content area instruction. However, we often have students who read well below grade level. Participants in this session will learn about and practice strategies and activities to use to better enable ALL students to engage with grade level text in the classroom.

How can a rural elementary school provide high-frequency, specialized literacy instruction to every student without overextending its staff? You will find the answer in this case study of Jemez Valley Elementary, where the "WIN" (What I Need) block was reimagined through a strategic partnership with Redwood Literacy. This session explores a successful Multi-Layered System of Supports (MLSS) in action, demonstrating how to prioritize the "Right to Read" through innovative scheduling and specialized collaboration.

In this session, you will explore the "Jemez Valley Model," a structured literacy approach that leverages outside experts to work alongside school teams. You will learn the logistical "how-to" of scheduling a school-wide intervention block that minimizes transition loss and maximizes instructional minutes. Furthermore, you will discover how to use BOY and MOY data to move beyond "one size fits all" instruction, creating fluid groupings that address specific gaps in phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency. By examining the growth data and success stories from this implementation, you will leave with a practical framework for forging strategic partnerships, individualizing instruction at scale, and using evidence-based interventions to significantly improve student proficiency and confidence.

Secondary literacy is a leadership priority. In this session, you will examine why a focused approach to adolescent literacy is critical for student success and how to strategically support educators in implementing evidence-based reading and writing practices.

With particular attention to the AIM Pathways to Proficient Reading for Secondary, you will explore the frameworks necessary to drive school-wide improvement. You will leave with practical leadership actions to strengthen implementation and ensure literacy is embedded across all content areas. By focusing on sustainable systems and professional support, you will gain the tools needed to make literacy a foundational pillar of your school or district’s academic strategy.

In this interactive session, you will explore the powerful intersection of nature-based learning and the Science of Reading. You will discover how to transition phonics instruction from the desk to the dirt by utilizing sensory-rich environments to make abstract letter-sound relationships concrete.

Through hands-on demonstration, you will learn specific outdoor strategies including Nature Alphabet Hunts, Syllable Stomps, and the use of natural writing tools. These activities boost phonemic awareness and decoding skills while fostering a deep connection to the environment. You will leave with a practical toolkit for implementing high-impact, movement-based literacy activities in any outdoor space to ensure your students stay engaged while building foundational reading skills.

New Mexico’s MLSS framework makes one truth unavoidable: if Layer 1 instruction is weak, every other layer becomes remediation instead of opportunity. In a post–Yazzie/Martinez landscape, the state has affirmed that students are entitled to culturally and linguistically responsive, grade-level instruction. Layer 1 is where that promise lives or fails. In this session, you will focus on two critical design decisions: intentional text selection and grade-appropriate assignments that preserve cognitive demand.

You will examine how to select texts that reflect New Mexico communities, land, and languages while aligning to NMPED standards and supporting multilingual learners. You will also analyze common Layer 1 pitfalls, such as over-scaffolded texts and low-level tasks that unintentionally track students. Using New Mexico-centered examples, including land-based literature and borderlands narratives, you will practice redesigning assignments to increase cognitive demand while maintaining accessibility. This session positions Layer 1 as enrichment-first design, helping you raise both the floor and the ceiling in your classroom. You will leave with planning protocols, assignment redesign templates, and New Mexico-aligned examples ready for immediate implementation.