Dallas County Education Leaders Collaborate On Early Literacy At National Conference With Commit's Support

Last fall, the leaders of teaching and learning departments from several Dallas County school systems joined hundreds of educators, researchers and literacy advocates from across the nation at The Reading League’s (TRL) national conference in Chicago, one of the largest annual gatherings dedicated to advancing evidence-aligned reading instruction.

The Reading League focuses on ensuring every student learns to read through effective, evidence-based instruction supported by the science of reading. This work aligns with the Commit Partnership EC-12 team’s Rigorous Instruction and Curriculum priority and our strategic plan to improve systems and instructional practices that support student achievement. It also advances Commit’s Opportunity 2040 goals and priorities, which provided funding for this initiative and focus on strengthening academic outcomes by helping school systems align classroom practice with strong data and support systems, including research on how the brain learns to read to improve early literacy outcomes.

That is why Commit’s Early Learning team was proud to host leaders from 10 Dallas County school systems and three technical assistance partners at this year’s TRL conference to explore how to strengthen literacy outcomes across Dallas County. All participating leaders are members of the Dallas County Early Learning Community of Practice; a collaborative learning community grounded in research and national best practices that emphasize Pre-K through third grade instructional alignment. This cohort of Dallas County early learning leaders, known as Commit to LIT(eracy), was selected from more than 50 applicants based on their demonstrated commitment to learning, collaboration, and bringing new insights back to their school systems and communities.

"The Commit 2 LIT(eracy) Reading League Conference Cohort wasn't just a literacy professional learning opportunity, it was a strategic investment in literacy leadership across Dallas County. By creating a space for leaders to step outside their systems to learn together and build authentic relationships, we are laying the groundwork for stronger cross system collaboration which leads to increased student outcomes," said Devron Armstrong, Senior Manager of Early Learning at The Commit Partnership, who led the planning and execution of this year's cohort experience.

Over the course of the event, participants attended sessions focused on explicit instruction, comprehension, and writing conferences. District leaders shared how they plan to embed these insights into professional learning communities, Tier 1 frameworks and district plans.

“Attending the TRL conference was a powerful experience that deepened my understanding of literacy best practices and their impact on student outcomes,” said Carminia Moreno, executive director of early learning and bilingual education at DeSoto ISD. “Watching other districts successfully implement these strategies created a sense of urgency and inspiration for the work happening in my own district.”

Following the conference, each district implemented evidence-based strategies learned at TRL through collaborative coaching, cross-district learning walks, and targeted professional development sessions focused on structured literacy.  

DeSoto’s Moreno has already created and facilitated a teacher and principal professional development session. With insights gained at the TRL conference, Moreno trained instructional leaders to use sentence stems to guide students toward richer, more structured classroom dialogue, especially in multilingual or bilingual classrooms. Her professional development is rooted in the idea that, “If I can say it, I can write it. If I can write it, I can own it.” When teachers structure those conversations intentionally, students gain academic language, confidence, and ownership of learning.

Moreno also emphasized the importance of recognizing bilingualism as an asset, not a deficit. “Sometimes we see bilingual students as two monolingual students rather than one bilingual learner,” she said. “We need to move our conversations toward that asset mindset.”

By aligning Dallas County’s early literacy systems with the Science of Reading, participating districts are already seeing early signs of stronger instructional coherence. Leaders are reporting improved comprehension frameworks, enhanced bilingual literacy practices and more intentional integration of Tier 1 supports across pre-K through third grade.

“This experience is driving a culture shift from remediation to affirming competence, improving both student engagement and motivation,” said Dr. Cassandra Barker, literacy director of Lancaster ISD and another “Commit to Literacy” cohort member.

Scaling the science of teaching reading extends beyond here. The Reading League conference is one part of a broader, coordinated effort to strengthen instructional practice and improve student outcomes across Dallas County. As part of this ongoing work, Commit and its partners will sponsor the next cohort of 10 early learning and literacy directors to attend TRL’s national conference. In addition, the Dallas County Early Learning Community of Practice will continue to collaborate and learn together to support the consistent use of evidence based instructional practices across systems. This sustained investment in professional learning reflects a shared belief that literacy is foundational to student success and that when systems lead with evidence, students benefit.

“Commit provides space and time for partnership for walking schools, learning together and solving problems of practice. It’s helpful because I don’t feel so alone in the work,” said Moreno.

Together, through aligned leadership, evidence-based instruction, and strong community partnership, Dallas County is building a sustainable model for early literacy that advances the Commit Partnership’s mission to ensure all students are on a path to economic mobility. By strengthening early learning, this work lays the foundation for students to succeed inside and outside the classroom.

“We are absolutely thrilled that The Commit Partnership is providing 10 Dallas County leaders the opportunity to attend the 10th Annual Conference in Chicago in September 2026, which centers around evidence-aligned reading instruction. We hope other regions will see what’s possible when local partnerships join forces with The Reading League to deepen this work together. This will be more than conference attendance—it’s an investment in leadership, community, and shared purpose,” said Dr. Maria S. Murray, CEO of the Reading League.

Applications for the 2026 Reading League Cohort are now open! Dallas County district leaders focused on improving literacy outcomes can apply by January 31st. See the flyer below for details, and contact Commit’s Managing Director of Early Learning, Amber Shields, at amber.shields@commitpartnership.org with any questions.

Learn more about The Reading League conference here and The Commit Partnership’s Early Learning initiatives here.