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Quincy School District has embarked on a comprehensive K–12 literacy initiative designed to improve reading outcomes for all students. Recognizing that literacy is foundational to academic success across subjects, the district committed to a research-based approach grounded in the science of reading and structured literacy.

To support this work, Quincy partnered with Shanna Brooks, the Regional Literacy Coordinator at North Central ESD, whose expertise in structured literacy has helped guide professional development, instructional coaching, and system-wide alignment. Together, they are building a sustainable model that equips educators with the tools to deliver high-quality literacy instruction and empowers students to become confident readers, writers, speakers, and listeners.

The initiative began with a simple but powerful insight: teachers knew students were struggling with reading, but they lacked the tools to pinpoint exactly how. In response, the district implemented diagnostic decoding surveys, which revealed that many students, especially multilingual learners, had specific decoding challenges. This data prompted the district to adopt a structured literacy approach that would address foundational skills and language comprehension across all grade levels.

“We wanted to make sure we were doing a reading program that followed the science of reading, not just decoding intervention, but the full reading rope,” explained Alicen Gaytley, Director of Teaching & Learning at Quincy School District.

Structured literacy, grounded in decades of research known as the science of reading, emphasizes how the brain learns to decode and comprehend text. As Brooks explains, it’s a comprehensive system that weaves together word recognition, vocabulary, genre awareness, and comprehension strategies.

To support this approach, Quincy adopted Scarborough’s Reading Rope model, which highlights the interplay between word recognition and language comprehension. This ensures students not only build strong foundational skills but also grow in their ability to understand and engage with diverse texts.

In classrooms, this means students engage in routines like “hear it, say it, write it, read it,” while also building oral language skills across subjects. Teachers emphasize academic vocabulary and encourage students to talk about their learning, helping them connect spoken and written language in meaningful ways.

To bring this vision to life, Quincy partnered with NCESD to provide professional development and coaching tailored to every grade level. Before implementation began, district teams attended Brooks’ multi-day workshop and visited other districts to observe structured literacy in action. Once the initiative launched, Brooks provided targeted professional development tailored to each grade band.

“Shanna has a gift for breaking down complex concepts in ways that are accessible and actionable,” Gaytley said. This clarity helped build teacher confidence and buy-in.

All of the professional learning was responsive to teacher needs. Brooks worked closely with district leadership to design sessions that addressed real-time questions and challenges. Whether it was dictation in K–1 or vocabulary strategies in secondary classrooms, the training was immediately applicable.

“Everything we learned felt actionable,” shared Christina Hernandez, a 1st grade teacher at George Elementary School. “It was something that we could try or improve on.”

Beyond workshops, Brooks’ support extended into classrooms. She regularly modeled instructional routines during collaboration time, helping teachers understand not just how to implement a strategy, but why it matters.

This hands-on coaching helped teachers feel more confident and consistent in their instruction. As Brooks noted, “The more you use a routine with kids, the more comfortable they are with it. That frees up their brain to focus on what they’re learning, not what they’re supposed to do next.”

As Quincy expanded its structured literacy initiative into the upper grades, it became clear that many middle and high school students—especially multilingual learners—still struggled with decoding. To address this, the district implemented the Really Great Reading intervention program, offering targeted support for older students needing foundational skill development.

But intervention was just the beginning. Recognizing that literacy is everyone’s responsibility, Quincy partnered with NCESD to deliver professional learning tailored to secondary educators. These sessions focused on vocabulary instruction and strategies for supporting struggling readers within content-area classrooms. By equipping teachers to embed literacy into their daily instruction, the district is ensuring that multilingual learners receive consistent, high-quality support across all subjects.

This shift has transformed classroom practice. Where students with decoding challenges were once pulled out for support, they now receive it within inclusive learning environments. Teachers are empowered to integrate literacy strategies into every lesson, making reading instruction a shared, schoolwide effort.

The impact on students has been profound. High schoolers can now articulate the strategies they use to decode multisyllabic words. Advice one student has for teachers is: “Please don’t say ‘sound it out.’ If I could, I would. Give me a strategy.” That shift—from frustration to empowerment—is echoed across grade levels.

For teachers like Hernandez, the change is personal. “It’s opened the doors for many of my students who viewed reading as stressful and anxiety-driven,” she said. “Now they know they can. That’s why I do what I do.”

One of the most powerful shifts in Quincy’s literacy initiative has been cultural. Teachers are embracing vulnerability and continuous learning. “Teachers don’t have to already know,” Gaytley said. “This initiative permitted veteran and new teachers alike to say, ‘Let’s learn this together.’ That mindset has transformed our practice.”

This openness is visible in classrooms. As Michelle Doctor, an ELA coach at Quincy Middle School, described, teachers now explain why specific vocabulary words are posted on the wall and how they’re used in instruction.

“It’s become a living, breathing part of the learning environment,” she said. “In the past, words were just put up because someone said to. Now they’re part of the culture.”

The initiative has also led to deeper conversations about student needs. Educators are looking at the whole child—whether they need language support, math support, or reading intervention—and making targeted decisions based on data. “We’re really coming together to ask, ‘Where is this student best supported?’” Doctor added.

These efforts have led to measurable improvements in student learning, engagement, and confidence. The results of Quincy’s literacy initiative are backed by data and student voice. Teachers report that students are not only reading more fluently but also writing with greater clarity and purpose.

“Our data is showing it,” Gaytley said. “Whether you’re doing walkthroughs or looking at assessment data, we can see that our kids are really learning. They’re applying their skills and building knowledge.”

Teachers are seeing growth in writing. Even kindergartners are producing full sentences with confidence. Lisa Hansen, a kindergarten teacher at George Elementary School, shared that students now eagerly participate in spelling and writing activities, using tools like sound walls and finger tapping to support their learning.

“My students’ writing is where I really notice their confidence has flourished,” she said. “They’re writing sentences and sentences—and it’s really good. Very different from years past.”

Students are approaching challenges with confidence. When asked, students can articulate their strategies. In one high school class, students proudly demonstrated how they break apart multisyllabic words using syllable types and vowel patterns. This shift from passive to active learning is a hallmark of the initiative’s success.

Cathy Chavez, an instructional coach at George Elementary School, described how students who once skipped over unfamiliar words now confidently attempt to decode them.

“As our teacher efficacy has been building, our student efficacy has been building,” she said. “Students who previously just looked and went, ‘I don’t know,’ now will attack a multisyllabic word. It’s incredibly powerful to witness that transformation.”

Instructional practices support standards. These instructional practices are not only building literacy skills, they’re helping students meet academic standards. As Hernandez reflected, “When we have grade-level standards and we’re working toward them, having a clear plan and shared understanding across classrooms makes all the difference.” The initiative has created a collective focus on proficiency, ensuring that students are supported in mastering foundational skills that align with grade-level expectations.

Kinesthetic routines are boosting engagement. In kindergarten classrooms, students physically prepare to segment words by saying “elbows up,” a cue that gets every child involved. “Every single one of them is engaged while they’re doing that,” said Hansen. “It absolutely shows in their reading and in their writing. Especially in their writing—it’s amazing.” These physical routines help students internalize phonemic awareness and spelling patterns, translating movement into meaning.

The initiative’s success is rooted in collaboration. From administrators to paraeducators, everyone is working toward the same goal. NCESD’s partnership has helped unify the district’s efforts, ensuring that interventions, classroom instruction, and professional learning all align.

“Every single element of our system has been working toward the same common goal,” Gaytley said. “Whether it’s the partnership with the ESD, our instructional coach team, our administrators, our K–12 team—we’re all working together.”

Quincy’s journey shows what’s possible when a district commits to research-based instruction and partners deeply with its regional service agency. As the district continues to refine and expand its literacy work, it offers a model of what’s possible when systems align, educators are empowered, and students are at the center.