Register TODAY for the Kentucky Reading Academies: Cohort 4 of LETRS Professional Learning
Registration for the fourth Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) cohort of the Kentucky Reading Academies opened May 1, 2025, and will remain open through Aug. 22, 2025.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will continue the exciting partnership that brings the LETRS professional learning to educators across the Commonwealth, called the Kentucky Reading Academies. This course of study was chosen because of its demonstrated success on a national scale in bringing significant increases in literacy achievement.
The Kentucky Reading Academies is a comprehensive no-cost professional learning opportunity open to all K-5 public school educators. More than 6,000 Kentucky educators and administrators have participated or are currently participating in the LETRS professional learning opportunity.
Two different courses are being offered through the Kentucky Reading Academies: LETRS for Educators and LETRS for Administrators. Descriptions of each are following:
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LETRS for Educators Cohort 4: This course is recommended for K-5 teachers, interventionists, reading specialists, instructional coaches and anyone providing reading instruction or intervention supports to early readers.
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LETRS for Administrators Cohort 4: This course is recommended for instructional coaches who have completed LETRS for Educators, district leaders and building administrators.
Interested educators and administrators can register on the Kentucky Reading Academies webpage beginning May 1. Registrants will indicate which course they are enrolling in when completing the registration form.
PLEASE NOTE: Limited licenses are available for Cohort 4. Registration will be first come, first served. Once we reach capacity, registrants will be placed on a waitlist and invited as licenses become available. Registration does not guarantee enrollment into the professional learning. Registrants will receive an email from Christie Biggerstaff indicating their enrollment status mid to late August.
Also of note: Cohort 3 participants will not need to register for Cohort 4 as they are already enrolled in the professional learning.
Find out more about the Kentucky Reading Academies on the Kentucky Reading Academies webpage.
For questions about the Kentucky Reading Academies, please email KDE Director of Early Literacy Christie Biggerstaff.
Division of Early Literacy Spotlight: Amelia Powers Transitions to Co-Assistant Director of Early Literacy
The Kentucky Department of Education’s Division of Early Literacy is proud to announce an expansion in its leadership team with the appointment of Amelia Powers as one of its Assistant State Directors of Early Literacy, effective July 1. Powers brings 25 years of experience in education and a deep commitment to advancing literacy outcomes for students across the Commonwealth.
 She transitions into this role after two years of service with the division as a Regional Literacy Director, where she led implementation efforts and supported educators across school districts in the north/northeast region of the Commonwealth.
In this new capacity, Powers will continue to help guide the statewide implementation of the Read to Succeed Act and Kentucky’s literacy coaching model, centering on supporting educators and leaders across the Commonwealth, aligning practice with research and helping to build sustainable systems that ensure high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction for all students.
“I am incredibly honored to serve as an Assistant State Director and to continue advocating for literacy for all students,” says Powers. “The dedication of educators across the state, the momentum of the Kentucky Reading Academies and the work of the Division of Early Literacy team have already made a powerful impact in shifting how we implement evidence-based reading instruction for every child in Kentucky. I’m confident in the work our state is doing and excited for the road ahead.”
Powers’ literacy journey began in 2009 when she had her first experience with the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional learning. That experience ignited a deep professional curiosity in the science behind how the brain learns to read, a passion that has guided her work ever since. In addition to becoming a LETRS certified educator, Powers recently completed her certification to be a LETRS Certified Facilitator. Her commitment to lifelong learning and then sharing that learning has become the foundation of her career.
Prior to joining the department, Powers was a literacy consultant with the Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services. There, she supported schools and districts through customized professional learning experiences focused on reading instruction, intervention and systems change. Before that, she served as an elementary teacher and reading interventionist, building strong literacy foundations for students in grades K–5.
She holds a Bachelor's in Elementary Education from Northern Kentucky University, a Master’s in Educational Administration from Xavier University, and is National Board Certified in Early and Middle Childhood Literacy. She is currently pursuing a Supervisor of Instruction Certificate at Campbellsville University.
Powers is committed to building a future where every child has both the skills and the confidence to read and write well. She believes literacy is not just an academic skill, but a catalyst for opportunity that unlocks potential, fuels agency and empowers individuals to change their own lives and the world around them.
Partners: Kentucky Reading Research Center
The Kentucky Department of Education is partnering with the new Kentucky Reading Research Center. The center offers a variety of resources grounded in scientifically-based reading research to support Kentucky schools. Early in its development, a comprehensive research clearinghouse is available, providing summaries and reviews on the science of reading and evidence-based practices for teaching literacy, making the last decade of literacy studies more accessible to practicing and pre-service educators as well as other stakeholders. Literature reviews on The Effects of Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Instruction for K-3 Students and Multisyllabic Word Reading Interventions for Adolescent Learners are now available. To stay up-to-date on new releases and more information, subscribe to the Kentucky Research Center’s e-newsletter Bookmark at kyreadingresearch.org.
Early Literacy Resource Highlights:
As you prepare for the 2025-2026 school year, we are highlighting key resources for early literacy instruction in your district and school. Take time to explore the following resources and share them with others that could benefit, as well.
Resources:
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