Dr. Stavum of the Nebraska Department of Education briefed the State Board of Education on Dec. 5 about "Nebraska Leads Literacy," a new initiative designed to add leadership development to existing literacy work across the state. The initiative will launch a leadership cohort in late March and is intended to complement statutory teacher training, regional literacy coaches and the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant.

Dr. Stavum said the CLSD grant provides direct funds to districts through subgrants and that 44 districts have received CLSD funding to date, while statutory training and regional supports are the foundation. "This initiative now adds the leadership aspect to that, which I think rounds everything out very nicely," Stavum said, adding that the department will produce graphics and web resources for board review.

Questions from board members focused on reach and equity. One member asked how the department plans to ensure training reaches all of the state's roughly 23,000 teachers; Stavum replied that literacy work is multilayered — statutory requirements, regional coaches, CLSD grants and the new leadership cohort — and that NDE will post resources on its website. Stavum said she expected to provide more detailed rollout materials to committees and the full board in upcoming months.

Why it matters: The initiative seeks to scale evidence-based reading instruction and create leadership capacity that can support district-level implementation. Board members requested clarity on how leadership training and CLSD funds align with district implementation so that opportunities are available beyond direct grant recipients.

Next steps: NDE said it will bring graphics and a formal presentation to upcoming committee meetings and provide more detailed plans by January or February.