LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More than 1,600 educators, administrators and district leaders gathered at the Galt House on June 8-9 for the third-annual Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference, according to Kentucky Teacher.

The Kentucky Department of Education-hosted conference featured 73 breakout sessions designed to support classroom teachers, interventionists, instructional coaches, principals and district leaders, showcasing the state's growing literacy infrastructure.

The event highlighted several key initiatives, including the Kentucky Reading Academies and its Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling professional learning program, known as LETRS. The conference also featured the Kentucky Early Literacy Leadership Network and the statewide literacy coaching model.

The timing reflects momentum in Kentucky's reading initiatives. Recent research shows that schools with higher percentages of LETRS-trained teachers had significantly more students reaching proficient levels in reading, with students in grades 4 and 5 showing particularly strong gains when taught by LETRS-trained educators for consecutive years.

The initiatives stem from Senate Bill 9, the Read to Succeed Act passed in 2022, which aims to support evidence-based early literacy instruction across the commonwealth. The Kentucky Reading Academies offer no-cost professional learning to K-5 educators and administrators statewide.

Over 1,800 educators and administrators have already completed LETRS training through the first cohort, with multiple additional cohorts operating throughout Kentucky. The program focuses on teaching educators how students learn to read and implementing evidence-based reading instruction strategies.