Case Study | Reading School District
How Sustained Collaboration and Personalized, Evolving Support Drove District-wide Growth for Teachers of Multilingual Learners
Our Partner
Our long time partner since 2019, the Reading School District (RSD) , is an an urban school district in Pennsylvania with over 16,000 students. Approximately 34% of RSD’s students are enrolled in the district’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program, with 97% speaking Spanish as their primary language.
The Challenge
Our partnership began with the collaborative development of an ESL Handbook. However, the district recognized that written guidance alone could not drive the instructional shifts needed in order to see improved outcomes for multilingual learners (MLs). Educators needed ongoing, personalized support to translate district inititaives into consistent classroom practice. The challenge became how to build sustainable, instructional capacity across all schools and roles.
The Approach
Our partnership expanded to deliver a comprehensive, district-wide professional learning (PL) model—pairing coaching with targeted PL sessions—reaching all 13 elementary schools and all five middle schools and strengthening instruction for multilingual learners.
Role-Specific Professional Learning
- + School leaders
- + ELD teachers
- + Content teachers
- + Paraprofessionals
Focus Areas
- + Aligning PL with district priorities
- + Promoting asset-based instructional practices
- + Fostering peer collaboration
- + Using formative data to guide instruction
The Results
The integrated approach built lasting capacity and ensured professional learning remained responsive to evolving district needs. Sustained coaching and professional learning led to significant growth in multilingual learner-focused teaching practices across the district. In the 2024–2025 school year, RSD reported:
Educators also reported:
- Greater confidence implementing asset-based practices
- Improved collaboration with colleagues
- Enhanced ability to use formative assessment data to guide instruction
By combining personalized coaching, targeted professional learning, and collaborative support, SupportEd helped RSD embed lasting instructional changes and strengthen outcomes for all multilingual learners.