18
Evidence criteria
Independently reviewed for California Tier 1 placement.
CALIFORNIA TK–5 LITERACY
Build literacy capacity that lasts beyond the training.
Teaching Lab + Relay’s TK–5 Structured Literacy Professional Learning Program combines sequenced professional learning with job-embedded coaching to help educators strengthen evidence-based literacy instruction across classrooms, schools, and districts.
STATE-APPROVED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
On California's approved list for TK–5 literacy professional development
Districts selecting from California's approved list can choose Teaching Lab + Relay's TK–5 Structured Literacy Professional Learning Program with confidence. The State Board of Education approved it on September 9, 2026, after an independent review against 18 evidence criteria, and it qualifies for state literacy professional development funding.
CALIFORNIA APPROVED
Eligible for Literacy PD Funds
California Literacy Professional Development Programs List
A COHERENT, JOB-EMBEDDED APPROACH
Development is only the beginning.
This is more than a course. The Teaching Lab + Relay model combines sequenced learning with ongoing coaching and implementation support so that new learning becomes sustained classroom and leadership practice.
01
Learn
Build shared understanding of evidence-based literacy practices.
02
Apply
Practice and translate new learning into daily instruction.
03
Coach
Use observation, modeling, feedback, and planning to strengthen implementation.
04
Improve
Use evidence from classrooms and student learning to refine practice.
05
Sustain
Build leadership routines and systems that support lasting implementation.
BUILT FOR MORE THAN ATTENDANCE
A model designed to move learning into practice.
Our program combines high-quality professional learning with sustained,
job-embedded coaching — so educator learning leads to meaningful,
lasting change in classrooms.
60%
Guided application
Approximately 60% of each professional learning session is dedicated to practice, rehearsal, and feedback.
6 – 8 weeks
Coaching cycles
Teachers receive sustained, job-embedded coaching around defined instructional goals.
3 levels
Of implementation support
Teacher, school leader, and district leader coaching reinforce the same literacy priorities.
WHAT THE PROGRAM INCLUDES
Support at every level of implementation.
Professional learning and coaching work together to build knowledge, strengthen instructional practice, and support coherent implementation across schools and systems.
Professional Learning Modules
Sequenced, interactive learning that builds shared understanding of evidence-based literacy practices and gives educators meaningful time to apply and reflect on new learning.
Teacher Coaching
Job-embedded coaching that can include observation, modeling, feedback, co-planning, and analysis of student work to strengthen daily literacy instruction.
School Leader Coaching
Support for principals and instructional leaders to strengthen walkthroughs, use instructional evidence, set priorities, and build systems that sustain high-quality literacy implementation.
District Leader Coaching
Support for district teams to align literacy priorities, monitor implementation across schools, and use evidence to differentiate support while maintaining systemwide coherence.
THE LEARNING SEQUENCE
Five modules. One coherent path from research to routine.
Teachers and leaders move through the same five modules on parallel tracks. Teachers build the instructional moves, leaders build the systems that sustain them, and everyone shares one language for what strong literacy instruction looks like. Every session is 60 minutes, and about 60% of each one goes to guided practice.
MODULE 1
An Overview of Skilled Reading
How reading develops, and what instruction every student needs.
Teachers
Trace how the brain learns to read, name the non-negotiables of evidence-based literacy, and build a shared language for strong HQIM lessons.
Leaders
Complete a literacy assets-and-needs assessment and set schoolwide goals aligned to California guidance.
MODULE 2
Cracking the Reading Code
Foundational skills for all learners.
Teachers
Practice explicit phonemic awareness and phonics routines, then use error analysis and quick diagnostic checks to group students and adjust instruction.
Leaders
Observe for explicit, systematic instruction and make sure Tier 2 and Tier 3 support reinforces core instruction instead of running alongside it.
MODULE 3
Fluency, Language, and Comprehension
Making meaning from text.
Teachers
Teach vocabulary, morphology, and syntax explicitly, and plan integrated and designated ELD moves into daily literacy lessons.
Leaders
Spot whether language is being taught or assumed, and support scaffolds that keep students in grade-level text.
MODULE 4
Building Knowledge and Expression
Using the strengths multilingual learners bring to every part of the literacy block.
Teachers
Build knowledge through text sets and structured discussion, and teach writing as a core literacy outcome, with strategies for multilingual learners at every proficiency level, including newcomers.
Leaders
Keep instruction coherent so schools stop choosing between phonics and comprehension, and calibrate feedback to name specific literacy moves.
MODULE 5
Early Intervention, Dyslexia Indicators, and Tiered Supports
Catching reading difficulty early, and responding before it takes hold.
Teachers
Recognize early signs of reading difficulty — including telling language acquisition apart from reading challenges — and use progress monitoring to adjust intervention.
Leaders
Build a Tier 1–3 plan for protected intervention time, plus a tracking system ready for California's reporting requirements: who was trained, in which program, and where it's being implemented.
NEW CA REQUIREMENT
Reporting-ready systems for California requirements.
Module 5 helps district and school leaders prepare to track who was trained, in which program, and where it is being implemented.
Aligned to the California ELA/ELD Framework, the California Dyslexia Guidelines, and the English Learner Roadmap, and built to work with the instructional materials your district already uses.
WHAT IT TAKES
Built to fit the school year, not compete with it.
Learning happens in monthly sessions and continues in classrooms through coaching, so every hour connects to the instruction happening that week.
| Who | What | How often | Approximate time per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| TK–5 teachers & school leaders | In-person professional learning sessions in grade-level and role-alike groups | Monthly, 60 minutes | ~9–10 hours per cohort |
| TK–5 teachers | One-on-one, in-person coaching: observation, modeling, co-planning, feedback | 6–8 week coaching cycles across the year | ~18–24 hours per teacher |
| Principals, APs & instructional coaches | Individual or small-group coaching on walkthroughs, data, and schoolwide systems | Bi-monthly | ~6–8 hours per leader |
| District leaders | Team coaching on implementation data and system-wide coherence, in person or virtual | Monthly, with more support at launch | ~6–9 hours per leader |
Most districts complete the program in one school year. Districts can also pace the same scope and sequence across multiple years based on readiness.
FUNDING & REPORTING
Your district may already have the funding for this.
California's 2025–26 budget appropriated $200 million for evidence-based literacy professional development. Funding is allocated to eligible LEAs from 2026–27 through 2029–30 in an equal amount per full-time-equivalent certificated staff member who teaches TK–5.
01
The funding is already allocated
Eligible California LEAs receive an allocation based on their number of full-time-equivalent certificated staff who teach TK–5. The funds are set aside specifically for literacy professional development aligned to the State Board's approved criteria.
02
Choosing from the approved list is simpler
This program is on the State Board of Education's approved list, which means it has already been reviewed against the state's criteria. LEAs may also select an off-list or locally developed program, but those programs must align to the same State Board-approved criteria.
03
Your CDE reporting is built in
LEAs report to CDE how many teachers received professional development and which program or programs they used. This program supports that work with participation and implementation tracking, coaching documentation, periodic written summaries, and a final summative report. The leader track also includes a session on building reporting-ready systems for California requirements.
One year or several:
pace it to your funding.
pace it to your funding.
Most districts complete the program in a single school year. The same
scope and sequence can also be spread across multiple years, so your
implementation plan can follow your allocation window through 2029–30.
Plan your funding with us
Tell us how many TK–5 teachers you have, and we'll map a program plan to your allocation.
Source:
California Department of Education
,
Literacy Professional Development Programs. Confirm your district's
allocation with CDE.
FIND YOUR STARTING POINT
What could accelerate literacy improvement in your district?
Answer five quick questions to identify the implementation priority that may deserve the most attention in your district and see how Teaching Lab + Relay can support it.
5 QUESTIONS
Get a clearer picture of where your district may need to focus first.
This short pathway looks at professional learning, classroom implementation, instructional leadership, system coherence, and learner needs.
Takes about 2 minutes
Choose an option before continuing.
YOUR SUGGESTED STARTING POINT
Teaching Lab + Relay support could include:
Would you like a copy of your literacy implementation snapshot emailed to you?
No problem. Your results will remain here on the page.
BUILT FOR CALIFORNIA CLASSROOMS
Literacy improvement has to work for every learner.
The program connects evidence-based literacy instruction with California’s instructional context, supporting educators in addressing language development, intervention, instructional materials, and implementation together.
Multilingual Learners
Language development is integrated alongside decoding, comprehension, vocabulary, oral language, and access to grade-level texts.
Dyslexia & Responsive Instruction
Professional learning addresses early intervention, dyslexia, responsive instruction, and the use of evidence to make instructional decisions.
High-Quality Instructional Materials
Learning and coaching help educators apply evidence-based practices through locally adopted high-quality instructional materials.
California-Aligned Implementation
The program is designed in alignment with California’s ELA/ELD Framework, Dyslexia Guidelines, English Learner Roadmap, and related literacy guidance.
TEACHING LAB + RELAY
One coherent implementation model.
Teaching Lab and Relay bring complementary expertise together in one integrated professional learning and coaching model designed to support sustained literacy implementation.
- Job-embedded coaching for teachers and leaders
- School and district implementation support
- Observation, feedback, and leader development
- Sequenced professional learning grounded in evidence-based literacy practices
- Time for guided application, rehearsal, and reflection
- Resources and tools to support sustained implementation
Together: one coherent implementation model.
Connected support from professional learning through classroom, school, and district implementation.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Answers for planning, funding, and implementation.
Explore the details districts ask most often about approval, funding, fit, and getting started.
Approval & funding
Is the Teaching Lab + Relay TK–5 Structured Literacy program on California's approved literacy professional development list?
Yes. The California State Board of Education approved the Teaching Lab + Relay TK–5 Structured Literacy Professional Learning Program for the state's Literacy Professional Development Programs List on September 9, 2026, after an independent review against 18 evidence criteria.
Can districts use California's state literacy professional development funds to pay for this program?
Yes. California set aside $200 million for evidence-based literacy training for TK–5 teachers, allocated to districts in an equal amount per full-time TK–5 teacher from 2026–27 through 2029–30. Districts can use these funds for programs on the state's approved list without having to self-certify that the program meets the state criteria.
Does this program help districts meet CDE reporting requirements under AB 1454?
Yes. Districts must report to the California Department of Education how many teachers completed training and which program they used. The program tracks participation throughout, provides progress summaries for leaders and a final summary report, and includes a leader session on building reporting-ready tracking systems.
The program
What topics does the TK–5 structured literacy training cover?
The program has five modules: an overview of skilled reading; foundational skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding); fluency, language, and comprehension; building knowledge and writing while leveraging the assets of multilingual learners; and early intervention, dyslexia indicators, and MTSS-aligned tiered supports. Teachers and school leaders follow parallel tracks through the same modules.
Is this professional development aligned with the science of reading?
Yes. The program is grounded in research on how children learn to read, including explicit, systematic instruction in phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, and fluency. It connects those foundational skills to language development, background knowledge, comprehension, and writing, rather than teaching them in isolation.
Who is the program designed for?
The program serves TK–5 classroom teachers, school leaders (principals, assistant principals, and instructional coaches), and district leaders. Each group gets its own coaching, so the whole system moves together.
How much time does the program take for teachers and leaders?
Most districts complete the program in one school year. Teachers attend monthly 60-minute professional learning sessions (about 9–10 hours per year) and receive about 18–24 hours of one-on-one coaching in 6–8 week cycles. School leaders receive about 6–8 hours of coaching per year and district leaders about 6–9 hours.
Is the training in person or virtual?
Professional learning sessions, teacher coaching, and school leader coaching are delivered in person. District leader coaching can be in person or virtual.
Fit for your district
Does the program work with our district's adopted curriculum?
Yes. The program is designed to support implementation of each district's locally adopted high-quality instructional materials (HQIM). It doesn't replace your curriculum.
How does the program support multilingual learners and English learners?
Language development is built into every module, aligned to the California ELA/ELD Framework and the English Learner Roadmap. Teachers learn to integrate designated and integrated ELD into core literacy instruction, and the program treats students' home languages and cultural knowledge as assets.
How does the program address dyslexia and early reading difficulties?
The program is aligned to the California Dyslexia Guidelines. Teachers learn to recognize early signs of reading difficulty, tell language acquisition apart from reading challenges, and respond with explicit, cumulative intervention. Leaders build coherent Tier 1–3 MTSS systems so intervention reinforces core instruction.
How do you measure the program's impact?
Evaluation follows Guskey's framework for professional learning and looks at educator knowledge, classroom practice, and student learning. Evidence includes pre- and post-module assessments, classroom observations, coaching records, and student data, summarized for leaders during the year and in a final report.
Getting started
Can the program be spread over more than one school year?
Yes. Most districts complete it in one year, but the same scope and sequence can be paced across multiple years based on district readiness, which fits the state's multi-year funding window.
How much does the program cost?
Cost depends on the number of teachers, schools, and leaders taking part and which coaching components your district chooses. Contact us for a plan and estimate based on your district's TK–5 staffing.
How do we get started?
Start with the two-minute "Find your starting point" tool on this page, then talk with our team. District work begins with a Literacy Assets and Needs Assessment to set implementation goals and decide how progress will be measured.
LET’S TALK
Let’s talk about your school or district’s literacy priorities.
Tell us a little about where you are in your literacy work. We’ll follow up to think through fit, implementation, and next steps with you.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Build the conditions for literacy improvement that lasts.
Let’s talk about your priorities, current implementation, and where professional development and coaching could make the greatest difference.