Watertown City School District: Transforming Literacy Instruction With The Reading League

Watertown City School District, located in Upstate New York, faced a familiar yet critical challenge: improving literacy outcomes while navigating a crowded field of programs and instructional approaches. Despite a strong commitment to student success, district leaders identified a gap in their K–4 reading instruction.

The district needed a trusted partner to help assess its current curricular resources and align its instructional practices with evidence from reading research. Additionally, they sought support in making better data-driven decisions, particularly in how to efficiently screen students for reading difficulties and then use diagnostic assessments strategically to provide more targeted instruction.

The Reading League (TRL) supported the Watertown City School District as it conducted a curriculum review using TRL’s Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines and Curriculum Navigation Reports. TRL also supported the district’s literacy initiative by providing professional learning for educators, administrators, and coaches, as well as ongoing consulting and implementation visits. 

Together, The Reading League and Watertown worked to:

• Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the district’s K–4 literacy program using the Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines 
• Identify the specific gap in word recognition instruction and select a replacement program aligned with research
• Strengthen the district’s existing language materials by including more evidence-aligned instructional practices and helping teachers to better scaffold complex texts 
• Lead ongoing professional learning and school-based support for educators at every level, including professional learning sessions, classroom visits, modeling, and administrator coaching
• Guide classroom observations, debriefs, and implementation coaching to support instructional change
• Offer direct consultation to guide leadership decision-making
• Identify valid, reliable, and efficient assessments to better understand students’ needs and allocate resources more effectively
• Analyze data to measure the district’s progress toward boosting student achievement

This partnership focused on practical implementation—helping educators apply research in real-time to strengthen literacy instruction.

Watertown’s educators now have a clearer path and feel empowered to use diagnostic data to provide flexible, targeted instruction. Administrators use data to track and support student growth, and can provide actionable feedback based on their classroom visits. Instructional coherence is stronger, and reading scores are on the rise. For example, in one elementary school, while only 10% of kindergartners began the school year meeting early literacy benchmark expectations according to DIBELS, more than 70% of them were at or above the benchmark by the spring. That same school also saw a 20-point increase in the percentage of first graders meeting grade-level benchmarks over the course of the year. Furthermore, Watertown CSD State ELA assessment scores improved at every single grade level.

These results show up in the following ways:

• Measurable improvement in student reading proficiency as shown in benchmark assessments 
• Increased teacher confidence and instructional clarity, as reported across K–4 classrooms
• Sustainable literacy practices aligned with the science of reading

The Reading League helped the Watertown City School District overcome its challenges with the following supports:

• A tailored approach grounded in the science of reading and specific to Watertown’s needs
• Ongoing, job-embedded support that empowered teachers and administrators alike
• A focus on leadership alignment and clarity around how to use curriculum and assessment resources effectively 
• Clear, actionable guidance to navigate program decisions

Watertown City School District’s partnership with The Reading League demonstrates what’s possible when professional learning, curriculum alignment, and data-informed decision-making come together. This model continues to serve as a blueprint for districts nationwide seeking to transform literacy outcomes at scale.

Learn more about partnering with The Reading League