SSC is partnering with Lexia to offer LETRS® training opportunities for teachers and administrators. The LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) provides early childhood and elementary educators and administrators with the deep knowledge they need to be literacy and language experts in the science of reading. Developed by Dr. Louisa Moats and other leaders in the field of literacy, LETRS is a comprehensive professional learning course of study designed to teach the foundational and fundamental skills of reading and writing instruction, including:

• Phonological Awareness
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension
• Written Language

The teacher and administrator LETRS® trainings will follow a guided implementation model using a combination of an online learning platform, print materials, and virtual unit professional learning sessions. Both the teacher and administrator trainings are facilitated over a two year timeframe.

LETRS® for Teachers Cohort Opportunities
We are offering two cohort opportunities (40 participants/cohort) for teachers this spring. The LETRS teacher cohort is a two year experience with 48 hours of virtual PD. We have set the dates outlined below for the first few virtual PD dates. The remaining dates and times will be scheduled to best fit the cohort members' needs.  

Information about the cohort opportunities are outlined below. If you would like to sign up for one of the cohort opportunities, please complete and submit page 3 of the LETRS Training Cohort District Agreement to Kari Kubicek at SSC by Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

April LETRS® Teacher Cohort
Participants will receive access to the online course and print materials the last week of March.

PD Session 1: April 27, 2023, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
PD Session 2: June 28, 2023, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
PD Session 3: September 28, 2023, 8:00  AM to 3:00 PM
*Five remaining PD dates to be determined.

June LETRS® Teacher Cohort
Participants will receive access to the online course and print materials the last week of May.

PD Session 1: June 28, 2023, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
*Seven remaining PD dates to be determined. 

More information about the LETRS Teacher Training can be found below.

LETRS® for Administrators Cohort Opportunity
We are offering one cohort opportunity (30 participants) for administrators this spring. The LETRS administrator cohort is a two year experience with 24 hours of virtual PD. We have set the dates outlined below for the first few virtual PD dates. The remaining dates and times will be scheduled to best fit the cohort members' needs.

April LETRS® Administrator Cohort
Participants will receive access to the online course and print materials the last week of March.

PD Session 1: April 20 and 27, 2023, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
PD Session 2: June14, 2023, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
*2 remaining PD dates to be determined.

More information about the LETRS Administrator Training can be found below.

LETRS® for Teachers is a professional learning course, composed of two volumes of content (Volume 1 (Units 1-4) and Volume 2 (Units 5-8)), for instructors of reading, spelling, and related language skills. Teachers will work as a cohort with support from an SSC staff member. Each unit is organized around four components that take deep, meaningful research and bridge that research into practice in the classroom: LETRS Online Learning Platform, LETRS Bridge to Practice, LETRS Participant Manual, and LETRS Unit Trainings.

• LETRS Online Learning Platform - Each unit in the online learning platform consists of sessions. Units 1-4 have eight sessions, and Units 5-8 each have six sessions. To reinforce understanding, participants will complete activities throughout each session. Each online session ends with a Check for Understanding assessment.
• LETRS Bridge to Practice activities - Each online session has a Bridge to Practice activity, where participants will be guided to transfer what they learned in the classroom.
• LETRS Unit Professional Learning Sessions - The eight professional learning sessions align to the eight units of content in the online platform and participant manual. Each professional learning session is a one-day, six hour virtual training led by a highly qualified LETRS facilitator. During a professional learning session, participants will have the opportunity to:
  • Review what they have learned so far
  • Take a deeper dive into LETRS content and theoretical models
  • Engage in interactive activities to practice what participants have learned
  • Ask questions about the content
• LETRS Participant Manual - The printed participant manual is a companion to the online content. Participants can reference the manual before, during, or after completing the online content and activities.

How long does it take to complete LETRS?
The time to complete the reading, online, and Bridge to Practice activities will vary, but as a rough guide, each volume takes approximately 48-60 hours of individual study to complete.

• Online course (including reading participant manual): approximately eight hours per unit
• Bridge to Practice application activities (online course): approximately two and a half hours per unit
• Virtual Unit Professional Learning Sessions: six hours per unit

For more detailed information, see LETRS Estimated Time to Complete by Unit.

LETRS Suite of Professional Learning: Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling Brochure

LETRS Teacher Training Cost: $2,100/person

LETRS® for Administrators is a professional learning opportunity designed specifically for school leadership, coaches, principals, and district administrators. The course defines the systems and infrastructures required to successfully implement a literacy initiative aligned to scientifically based research. Built from the research in implementation science and sustainability, school improvement, and shared leadership, the course provides numerous tools - including an analysis of the current systems required for improved literacy outcomes - for guiding an implementation through various stages. The course is designed to support leaders in creating a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and structures to improve overall literacy instruction. This two year commitment is organized around the LETRS online learning platform, LETRS print material, and the LETRS Unit Trainings.

LETRS for Administrators Online Learning Platform
Within the learning platform, participants will engage in five units that are meant to be completed over the course of two years.

Unit 1: Using Systems and Implementation Science to Improve Literacy Outcomes
Unit 2: Universal Instruction at the Word-Recognition Level
Unit 3: Universal Instruction at the Language Comprehension Level
Unit 4: Leadership, Assessment, Data-Based Decision-Making, and Literacy and Intervention Block Design
Unit 5: Professional Development, Community and Family Involvement, Problem-Solving, and Sustainability Planning

LETRS for Administrators printed participant manual

LETRS for Administrators, the printed participant manual, is a companion to the online content. You can refer to the print manual before, during, or after completing the online content and activities. 

LETRS for Administrators Professional Learning Sessions

The professional learning sessions align to the content in the online platform and print manual. Each session is led by a highly-qualified LETRS for Administrators facilitator. During a professional learning session, participants will have the opportunity to:

• Take a deeper dive into LETRS for Administrators content, including a review of the content of LETRS Vol 1 and Vol 2
• Engage in interactive activities and discussions with other administrators
• Ask questions about the content you’ve learned so far

How long does it take to complete LETRS for Administrators?

LETRS for Administrators takes approximately 60 hours of individual study, completed over the course of two years. 

• Online course and print manual: The online learning platform and manual are aligned and should take about 30-35 hours to complete. A LETRS overview is integrated in Units 2 and 3 of the online learning platform and participant manual.
• Live in-person/Live online professional learning sessions: LETRS for Administrators includes 24 hours of facilitator-led virtual professional learning.

LETRS for Administrators Brochure

LETRS for Administrators Training Cost: 1,100/person

Opportunities for Grad Credits
Lexia offers the opportunity to earn grad credits through the American College of Education. Click here to learn more.

If your district has an interest in your teachers or administrators participating in a LETRS training cohort, please contact Kari Kubicek at SSC.