Making Critical Changes in EPP

Written by: Lori Anderson, Literacy Specialist, WGU

In 2022, the Utah Legislature passed Senate Bill 127 (SB127) establishing significant new expectations for educator preparation programs (EPPs) across the state. Among its provisions, the legislation required universities to integrate evidence-based reading instruction grounded in the Science of Reading into teacher preparation curricula. The bill also mandated that all preservice teachers pass the Foundations of Reading assessment as a condition of licensure. These policy changes created both urgency and opportunity for systemic reform within Utah’s educator preparation landscape.

Soon after this bill was passed, I was hired as the Literacy Specialist for the Utah State Board of Education and was tasked with supporting statewide implementation. Initial efforts focused on establishing a baseline understanding of candidate preparedness through a pilot administration of the Foundations of Reading assessment. Results revealed a statewide pass rate of 57%, highlighting substantial opportunities to strengthen teacher candidates’ knowledge of evidence-based literacy practices.

Recognizing that meaningful change requires both capacity building and sustained support, Utah implemented a coordinated statewide improvement strategy. Over the next two years, I facilitated professional learning for 35 literacy and teacher education faculty members across eight universities through Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training. In addition, each institution had identified/hired a literacy specialist to lead local implementation efforts and serve as a liaison between the university and state initiatives.

Beyond formal training, faculty leaders engaged in ongoing collaborative inquiry focused on curriculum redesign, instructional practices, and assessment alignment. These conversations created opportunities for institutions to examine existing coursework, identify gaps in Science of Reading content, and develop shared understandings of effective literacy instruction. To further bridge policy and practice, I also served as an adjunct faculty member, providing direct support to educator preparation programs and contributing practitioner-based perspectives to course development and implementation efforts.

As the Foundations of Reading assessment transitioned from pilot status to a high-stakes licensure requirement, I worked with the universities to develop systems of support designed to increase implementation efforts. These efforts reflect research suggesting that sustainable educational change requires coherent systems, aligned professional learning, and shared accountability structures rather than isolated interventions (Reid Lyon, 2026). Establishing these systems became a critical first step in strengthening both curriculum and instruction within educator preparation programs throughout the state.

Importantly, the policy mandate itself served as a powerful driver of change. The legislation provided funding for faculty professional development, supported literacy leadership positions within institutions, and offered financial resources to assist universities in implementing the new requirements. These investments helped create the conditions necessary for large-scale reform.

Changes at this level require resources. Consequently, alternative funding mechanisms were needed to support curriculum transformation and faculty learning. Support from the Lilly Endowment became instrumental in enabling WGU to engage in the same level of evidence-based literacy reform occurring across other educator preparation programs in the state. Through this partnership, WGU was able to advance Science of Reading implementation.

This experience demonstrates how policy, funding, leadership, and collaborative professional learning can work together to create the conditions necessary for meaningful and sustainable change in educator preparation programs. (More info on the details of this bill found here: Podcast)

While statewide policy and systems-level support established the conditions for change, the most important work occurred within individual educator preparation programs. To better understand the challenges faculty and candidates were experiencing, I continued serving as an adjunct instructor at one of the universities that was struggling to improve candidate outcomes on the Foundations of Reading assessment. This role provided a unique opportunity to examine implementation efforts from the practitioner perspective and identify strategies that could strengthen both instruction and candidate performance.

One of the first priorities was ensuring curricular alignment. Faculty members conducted a careful review of coursework to determine whether essential Science of Reading concepts were being taught systematically and comprehensively across programs. Particular attention was given to candidates in special education programs, who historically had fewer opportunities to engage in specialized literacy coursework despite their future responsibility for supporting students with diverse learning needs. As a result, literacy content was strengthened and more intentionally integrated into their preparation pathway.

Faculty collaboration became a critical component of this improvement effort. Together, we worked to ensure that candidates developed a deep understanding of foundational literacy concepts, disciplinary vocabulary, and the research underpinning the Science of Reading and the Science of Learning. However, we quickly recognized that increasing content coverage alone would not be sufficient. Candidates needed opportunities to actively process, apply, and teach what they were learning.

Consequently, instructional practices within coursework shifted away from a predominantly lecture-based model toward more active and engaging learning experiences. Candidates regularly participated in structured discussions in which they summarized and synthesized key concepts from weekly learning activities. Interactive “turn-and-talk” opportunities allowed candidates to articulate their understanding, clarify misconceptions, and build disciplinary language through peer discourse. Faculty also incorporated opportunities for candidates to assume instructional leadership by teaching concepts and facilitating learning activities for their peers. These experiences reinforced understanding while simultaneously developing instructional confidence.

To further support learning, courses incorporated note catchers, graphic organizers, and other visual learning tools that encouraged candidates to organize, connect, and represent their knowledge in meaningful ways. Instruction was intentionally modeled using the gradual release of responsibility framework (“I do, We do, You do”), providing candidates with direct experience in an evidence-based instructional approach they would later be expected to implement in their own classrooms. This modeling allowed candidates not only to learn about effective literacy instruction but also to experience it firsthand as learners.

These changes reflect principles from cognitive science and teacher learning research, which suggest that active engagement, retrieval practice, collaborative discourse, and opportunities to teach others strengthen both knowledge acquisition and long-term retention. By aligning curriculum, strengthening instructional practices, and fostering a collaborative culture among faculty, the program was able to achieve substantial improvements in candidate outcomes. Within approximately one year of implementation, the Foundations of Reading assessment pass rate increased from levels of concern to approximately 95%, demonstrating the impact of intentional, evidence-based changes to educator preparation.

This experience reinforced an important lesson: successful implementation of Science of Reading initiatives requires more than adding content to a syllabus. Sustainable improvement occurs when educator preparation programs align curriculum, instructional practices, and assessment expectations while simultaneously modeling the evidence-based teaching approaches candidates will be expected to use in their own classrooms.

Following my work supporting literacy initiatives across Utah’s educator preparation programs, I was invited to serve as the literacy specialist for the state’s largest teacher preparation provider, Western Governors University (WGU). This opportunity presented a new and significantly different challenge. WGU operates as a national institution with fully online, asynchronous programs serving candidates across multiple states. As a result, the university prepares nearly 1,300 elementary teacher candidates each year, making the scale of implementation substantially larger and increasing the complexity of achieving meaningful program-wide change.

Recognizing the need for transformational rather than incremental improvement, the university leveraged support from the Lilly Endowment Literacy Grant to undertake a comprehensive redesign of its literacy preparation curriculum. Analysis of candidate performance data indicated that existing coursework did not consistently produce the level of knowledge and skill required for success on the Foundations of Reading assessment. Consequently, the curriculum development process began with a commitment to alignment, coherence, and evidence-based practice.

Each of the six newly designed literacy courses was developed with the involvement of faculty members who had completed LETRS training, ensuring that course content reflected current research on reading development, language structures, assessment, and intervention. At the same time, faculty capacity-building became a central component of the initiative. Professional learning extended beyond foundational Science of Reading knowledge to include instructional approaches such as IMSE’s Orton-Gillingham training and application-focused professional development designed to bridge theory and practice. This approach recognized that effective implementation requires educators to understand not only why evidence-based literacy practices are effective, but also how to enact them in authentic classroom settings.

The redesign effort also prioritized the development of learning resources for teacher candidates. Drawing on principles from the Science of Learning, the team created a comprehensive suite of resources designed to enhance knowledge acquisition, retrieval, and transfer. More than 80 instructional videos were developed to model evidence-based literacy practices and demonstrate their application in classroom contexts. In addition, faculty created a centralized learning repository using Padlet that organized key concepts, visual supports, vocabulary, instructional examples, and supplemental resources from across the literacy sequence. These materials provided candidates with multiple opportunities to revisit, review, and interleave concepts over time—an approach supported by research on retrieval practice, dual coding, and distributed learning.

Continuous improvement efforts are guided by a commitment to data-informed decision making. Faculty, instructors, and program leaders regularly analyze candidate assessment data to identify areas of strength and opportunities for refinement. These findings inform both curriculum revisions and targeted professional development for instructional teams. Through this iterative process, literacy coursework is continually evolving into a more coherent and responsive system designed to support candidate success.

The results of these efforts have been substantial. Across more than 1,300 teacher candidates, Foundations of Reading assessment performance increased by more than 30 percentage points. Current pass rates are 90% among elementary education candidates and 98% among special education candidates. Given the scale of WGU’s educator preparation programs, these improvements represent thousands of future teachers entering classrooms with stronger preparation in evidence-based literacy instruction.

Importantly, these outcomes were not achieved through curriculum redesign alone. Success resulted from the integration of multiple interconnected factors, including faculty professional learning, instructional resource development, continuous assessment, collaborative leadership, and sustained stakeholder engagement. Faculty members worked closely with accreditation teams, state agencies, and literacy experts to ensure alignment with evolving licensure requirements, national literacy standards, and emerging research. This collaborative approach strengthened program quality, supported approval in additional states, and enhanced external evaluations of the university’s literacy preparation efforts.

The impact of this work has been recognized through multiple honors, including three awards from the Utah State Board of Education acknowledging WGU’s contributions to literacy preparation. Additionally, improvements in curriculum quality and evidence-based literacy instruction have contributed to stronger ratings from external evaluators, including the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), whose reviews are widely consulted by prospective students and educational stakeholders.

This phase of the journey reinforced a key lesson about educational change: large-scale improvement requires more than adopting new content standards or revising coursework. Sustainable transformation occurs when curriculum, assessment, professional learning, and organizational systems are intentionally aligned around a shared vision of effective teaching and learning. By integrating principles from both the Science of Reading and the Science of Learning, WGU was able to create a scalable model for preparing literacy-proficient educators capable of meeting the needs of diverse learners across multiple educational contexts.

Although significant progress has been made, the work of improving literacy preparation remains ongoing. Addressing the nation’s literacy challenges requires educator preparation programs to view improvement not as a destination but as a continuous process of inquiry, refinement, and innovation. As research evolves and the needs of schools and students change, programs must remain responsive and committed to strengthening the preparation of future educators.

At WGU, continuous improvement serves as a guiding principle for program development. Faculty and program leaders regularly examine multiple sources of evidence, including candidate feedback, course performance data, licensure assessment outcomes, and emerging literacy research, to identify opportunities for enhancement. These data-informed decision-making processes ensure that curriculum and instruction remain aligned with both evidence-based practices and the evolving demands of the educational landscape.

Equally important has been the development of a culture of collective efficacy. Drawing upon the work of John Hattie, collective efficacy reflects a shared belief among educators that, through collaborative effort, they can positively influence learner outcomes. This mindset has become a driving force behind ongoing program improvements. Faculty, instructional leaders, and external partners have embraced a common vision that high-quality literacy preparation has the potential to influence not only teacher candidates but also the countless students those educators will ultimately serve throughout their careers.

Looking ahead, the next phase of this work will focus on expanding professional learning opportunities for faculty and strengthening pathways for continued educator development. Planned initiatives include additional professional development focused on emerging research in literacy instruction and the creation of a Literacy Specialist Endorsement designed to support graduates in extending their expertise beyond initial licensure. These efforts reflect a commitment to lifelong professional learning and recognize that literacy expertise develops through sustained study, practice, and reflection.

The journey described in this paper illustrates how meaningful transformation in educator preparation can occur when policy, leadership, funding, professional learning, curriculum design, and continuous improvement are intentionally aligned around a common goal. The passage of Utah’s literacy legislation created the urgency for change, but lasting improvement required much more than compliance with policy mandates. It required building systems of support, investing in faculty expertise, redesigning curriculum, applying principles from both the Science of Reading and the Science of Learning, and fostering collaborative cultures focused on candidate success.

Across multiple educator preparation programs, these efforts demonstrated that sustainable change is achieved not through isolated initiatives but through coherent systems that connect research, instruction, assessment, and practice. The substantial increases in Foundations of Reading assessment outcomes, the strengthening of program quality, and the preparation of thousands of teacher candidates with deeper literacy knowledge provide evidence of what is possible when educational stakeholders work toward a shared vision.

Perhaps the most important lesson learned throughout this journey is that improving literacy outcomes for children begins long before students enter elementary classrooms. It begins with how educators are prepared. When teacher preparation programs embrace evidence-based practices, invest in faculty learning, and continually refine their systems based on data and research, they create a multiplier effect that extends far beyond individual candidates. Every well-prepared teacher has the potential to influence hundreds of students throughout a career, making educator preparation one of the most powerful levers for addressing literacy achievement at scale.

As this work continues, the goal remains unchanged: to ensure that every teacher enters the profession equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to provide effective literacy instruction for all learners. The mountains climbed thus far have revealed an important truth—transformational change is possible when educators believe in a shared purpose, commit to continuous improvement, and work collectively to turn research into practice. Through that commitment, educator preparation programs can play a critical role in changing the literacy trajectory for future generations.