ONE MONTH LEFT TO REGISTER 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: Abby Laber
Abby Francis Laber has joined the Kentucky Department of Education’s Office of Teaching and Learning as the State Regional Literacy Director for the Northeast region. A former special education teacher, ELA teacher, principal and regional literacy leader, Laber brings a deeply personal commitment to transforming literacy outcomes for all.
 “In my early years in special education, I saw what happens when students slip through the cracks and reach middle or high school without proficient reading skills,” Laber recalled. “It impacted them academically, emotionally and socially—and I knew we had to do better.”
That realization became even more profound during her time as a principal at a preschool through third-grade school. It was then that she began to understand just how complex and critical early literacy instruction is—and how ill-equipped many educators, including herself at the time, felt to meet that challenge. That experience sparked a journey of deep professional learning and advocacy for evidence-based literacy practices.
Laber most recently served as the Director of Educator Development at the Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC), where she created and led the Continuing Education Option II (CEOII) Rank Change Program for Literacy. The program empowered teachers participating in the Kentucky Reading Academies to apply their learning through action research and reflective capstone presentations. “Listening to teachers in over fifty of Kentucky’s public school districts share how their understanding of literacy transformed their teaching—and their students' lives—was one of the most moving and rewarding experiences of my career,” Laber said.
Having completed LETRS for Educators and LETRS for Administrators, Laber is passionate about the role of structured literacy in meeting the needs of all learners. “LETRS helped connect the dots for me. It clarified how our brains acquire language, what works in the classroom and why. It fueled my desire to be part of this groundswell of literacy work in our state.”
Her interest in the State Regional Literacy Director role was influenced by her close collaboration with the Division of Early Literacy while at KEDC. “I saw firsthand the passion and leadership driving this initiative,” Laber said. “And I knew I wanted to join that team and do my part in this collective effort to improve literacy for every child in Kentucky.”
Laber holds a Bachelor of Science in Learning and Behavior Disorders and a certificate in Middle School English Language Arts. Abby is a National Board Certified Teacher in Exceptional Learners - Birth - Young Adulthood. Laber obtained her Master of Arts in Education - Instructional Leadership through the University of the Cumberlands, and also acquired her Director of Special Education Level II through Murray State University as part of the Cohort 1 of the Kentucky LEADS program. The Kentucky Leading, Educating, Advocating for Directors of Special Education (LEADS) grant was a competitive grant offered by the KDE’s Office of Special Education and Early Learning to improve outcomes for children with disabilities by facilitating systematic change and increasing the capacity of certified Directors of Special Education.
A lifelong resident of northeastern Kentucky, Laber is from Flatwoods, where she now lives and raises her family. She and her husband, Joe, are parents to three children—Callan (8), Finley (6), and Shepherd (9 months).
As she steps into this new leadership role, Laber is clear in her mission: “I am passionate about ensuring that educators across the Northeast region have access to the best information and professional learning opportunities available. I want to support administrators and classroom teachers in implementing practices that we know can truly change the trajectory of a student’s life—by equipping them with the power to read and write with confidence and proficiency.”
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.
Alignment of the Read to Succeed Act & a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Resources
Implementing Kentucky’s Read to Succeed Act within an MTSS Framework guidance document helps educators understand how the key components of the Read to Succeed Act align with Kentucky’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports.
The Early Literacy Assessment within Kentucky's Multi-Tiered System of Supports (KyMTSS) document provides information around how universal screening and diagnostic assessment fit within a multi-tiered system of supports.
Early Literacy Assessment Flowchart
The Early Literacy Assessment Flowchart is designed to help educators navigate the who, what, when and why of early literacy assessments. This comprehensive tool guides educators through the process of assessing students' literacy development, ensuring students receive the appropriate interventions and support at the right time.
ICYMI: Kentucky Department of Education and the Kentucky Reading Research Center Partner
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.
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