TRL to support TK-5 educators and leaders with evidence-aligned professional learning as California invests $200 million in literacy
SYRACUSE, N.Y., October 7, 2026 – The Reading League (TRL), a global nonprofit advancing evidence-aligned reading instruction, has been approved as a California Literacy Professional Development Provider by the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California State Board of Education (SBE).
The designation follows a new statewide process under Assembly Bill 121 (2025) to identify literacy professional development programs that meet state-approved criteria for effective literacy instruction and professional learning for kindergarten through fifth grade (TK-5).
“Professional learning is most powerful when it builds educators’ knowledge and gives them practical ways to apply that knowledge in their classrooms,” said Katie Sojewicz, Vice President of Professional Learning at The Reading League. “We look forward to bringing The Reading League’s evidence-aligned resources and support to California educators and partnering with schools and districts as they strengthen literacy instruction for all students.”
The approval comes as California districts prepare to put new resources to work. The 2025 state budget appropriated $200 million for local educational agencies (LEAs) from 2026-27 to 2029-30.
As an approved provider, TRL will partner with LEAs, school districts, TK-5 educators, administrators, and leadership teams across the state to deliver professional learning grounded in California’s English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework and Dyslexia Guidelines. The offerings include:
- Curriculum Adoption Support: Evidence-aligned learning and technical assistance that build leader and educator capacity to evaluate, select, and implement high-quality instructional materials using tools like TRL’s Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines and Navigation Reports.
- Core Knowledge Sessions: Facilitator-led professional learning that deepens educators’ knowledge of the science of reading, including foundational skills, language comprehension, and explicit instructional strategies designed to support all students, with an intentional focus on supporting multilingual learners and striving readers.
- Customized Implementation & Coaching Support: Job-embedded coaching for educators and administrators, paired with strategic consultation, to help districts connect evidence-based practices to local curricula, structures, and instructional priorities for sustained improvement.
To learn more about TRL’s professional learning offerings in California, please visit: https://www.thereadingleague.org/california/.
About The Reading League
Celebrating a decade of impact, The Reading League is a global education nonprofit, advancing evidence-aligned reading instruction through advocacy, professional learning, research, and a growing network of 46 chapters. The Reading League’s work is grounded in the science of reading—decades of research revealing how the brain learns to read and which instructional practices are most effective. The Reading League believes that all children deserve to learn to read, and all educators deserve the knowledge to make it possible. For more information, please visit thereadingleague.org.
Media Contact: Soledad Calvino, Director of Public Relations, media@thereadingleague.org, 315-362-2378
