The Literacy Priorities That Matter Most Next Year

By July, leadership teams are naturally looking ahead. End-of-year assessment reviews are complete, annual reflections have taken place, and conversations begin shifting toward priorities for the coming academic year.

Last month, we looked at what end-of-year literacy data can reveal. This month, the question becomes what school leaders choose to do with that information.

Many schools spend this period reviewing programs, resources, professional development plans, and possible new initiatives.

Yet literacy improvement rarely comes from doing more.

What matters most at this stage is not the number of initiatives a school adopts, but the clarity of the priorities it chooses to pursue.

This month’s leadership brief focuses on The Literacy Priorities That Matter Most Next Year — and how school leaders can identify the few decisions most likely to improve literacy outcomes.

Leadership Insight

The strongest schools do not enter a new academic year with more initiatives. They enter with greater clarity.

Strong literacy growth is not defined by how many programs, trainings, or resources are introduced.

It is defined by whether the school’s efforts are aligned around a small number of high-impact priorities that teachers can implement consistently.

At this point in the year, we often observe:

• Schools launching multiple literacy initiatives simultaneously
• Professional development plans that are disconnected from identified literacy needs
• Resources being added without a clear implementation strategy
• Leadership teams struggling to determine which priorities will have the greatest impact

These patterns are common — but they often dilute focus and reduce the likelihood of meaningful improvement.

Leadership Lens

The Literacy Priority Filter

Before introducing a new initiative or confirming next year’s literacy plan, leaders can ask:

• What did our end-of-year literacy data reveal?
• Will this priority improve decoding and reading independence?
• Will it strengthen oral language and comprehension?
• Will it improve instructional consistency across classrooms?
• Will it support stronger Arabic–English literacy alignment?
• Can teachers implement it consistently and effectively?

These questions help leaders distinguish between attractive opportunities and strategic priorities.

Red Flag / Green Flag

This contrast helps leadership teams focus resources, time, and effort where they are most likely to improve student outcomes.

Leadership Use Case — Next 30 Days

Over the next month, school leaders might apply this by:

• Reviewing current literacy initiatives and identifying overlap or duplication
• Looking again at end-of-year literacy data and asking what it should influence
• Narrowing next year’s literacy plan to a small number of high-impact priorities
• Aligning professional development, coaching, and classroom expectations around those priorities

These focused actions often create greater impact than adding new programs or resources.

A Leadership Question to Carry Forward

“What are the few literacy decisions that will matter most for students this year?”

This question can guide planning discussions, leadership meetings, and academic decision-making throughout the year.

From Planning to Implementation

Schools may choose to use this framework internally as part of their annual planning process.

Alternatively, schools are welcome to schedule a short online literacy priority-setting conversation. This discussion can help leadership teams review what their end-of-year data may be showing, identify which literacy priorities deserve the most attention, and clarify how those priorities can be supported through professional development, classroom expectations, and implementation planning.

Where relevant, schools may also ask about structured literacy implementation options, including upcoming sMiles and Basamat pilot opportunities.

To schedule an online conversation or learn more about the pilot program, schools are welcome to contact us directly.

This brief was brought to you by The Literacy Channel — the educational voice of Chapters & Co., behind the structured KG literacy programs sMiles and Basamat for English and Arabic.