Georgia Department of Education Releases Grades 4-12 Literacy Playbook

GEORGIA – Building on the state’s work to improve early literacy outcomes, the Georgia Department of Education has released an Adolescent Literacy Playbook to help schools strengthen reading and writing instruction in grades 4-12.

Georgia’s recent literacy legislation has focused on the early years, when children build the foundations of reading. Those foundations remain essential as students advance through school, but the demands on readers and writers change. Older students must understand more complex texts, write about what they learn, and use those skills across subjects.

“We’ve learned a great deal through Georgia’s early literacy work, and we’re applying that knowledge across the later grades,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “When students can read and write well, they learn more deeply in every subject and have more opportunities after graduation. This playbook helps schools build on the resources already in place and align instruction with the science of reading and Georgia’s new K-12 English Language Arts standards.”

Developed by GaDOE’s offices of Teaching and Learning and Whole Child Supports with technical assistance from the RC5/SERVE Center, the playbook draws on the science of reading and writing to help schools develop a shared approach to literacy across classrooms. It offers guidance on strengthening literacy instruction across subjects, using student work and assessment results to identify gaps, and matching additional support to students’ needs. While the playbook is written primarily for principals, it also aims to help teachers support the reading and writing skills students need for different kinds of coursework, from interpreting a science text to analyzing a historical document.

The playbook is already gaining traction as a nationally recognized resource for states, and was recently featured at the U.S. Department of Education’s National Comprehensive Center Convening in Washington, D.C.

This new resource is part of Georgia’s broader efforts to strengthen literacy across a student’s education. GaDOE has worked with partners across the state to implement the provisions of Georgia’s early literacy legislation, make training available in structured literacy and the science of reading available to all educators, provide transparent access to reading results, and place literacy coaches in the highest-need schools. The agency is also working closely with the Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Strategy (GOEWS) and Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs) on the state’s new literacy coaching initiative which provides for a coach in every public school serving grades K-3.

Georgia’s new Adolescent Literacy Playbook was officially announced at the 2026 GaDOE Curriculum and Instructional Leaders conference, marking an important step in strengthening literacy instruction and support for adolescent learners across the state.