Chicago, IL — August 20, 2026 — Upstream Literacy today announced its upcoming participation and featured presentation at the 2026 Big Sky Literacy Summit, hosted by The Transformative Reading Teacher Group at the Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Montana, from August 27–30, 2026.
Centering on this year’s summit theme, "Activating Genius," Upstream Literacy leaders will present actionable pathways for school, district, and state leaders to translate reading science into sustainable classroom outcomes by addressing systemic implementation gaps.
Presentation Highlights: Bridging Science and Implementation
During the summit, Dr. Liz Brooke, Chief Education Officer and Co-Founder of Upstream Literacy, and co-author Dr. Tiffany P. Hogan (MGH Institute of Health Professions) will highlight findings from their foundational white paper, "The Simple View of Outcomes – Literacy: The Science of Reading x Implementation Science = Sustainable Positive Literacy Outcomes" (Hogan, Brooke, Patton Terry, 2026).
The presentation will explore how combining the Science of Reading (Knowledge Domain) with Implementation Science (Systems Domain) provides school systems with a predictable, repeatable model for long-term reading success.
- The "Know-Do" Gap: Why adopting evidence-based curricula alone fails to move student outcomes without robust implementation systems.
- The Ten Components for Comprehensive-System Change: How to integrate the five Knowledge components (Assessment, Instruction, Intervention, Individual Differences, Spoken & Written Language) with the five Systems components (Leadership, Teacher Effectiveness, Data Use & Analysis, Shared Commitment, Stages of Implementation).
- Going "Upstream": Practical strategies for district leaders to fix underlying structural barriers rather than relying solely on reactive student intervention.
Voices from Leadership
“The Big Sky Literacy Summit brings together some of the most dedicated minds in education, making it the ideal venue to discuss systemic transformation. Educators across the country are working tirelessly, yet outcomes remain stagnant because our systems aren't designed to sustain evidence-based practices. We look forward to sharing how leaders can build the infrastructure necessary to turn the Science of Reading into lasting success for every student.”
“Sustainable educational change requires aligning leadership, data structures, and teacher capacity. We are excited to connect with literacy leaders in Big Sky to explore how implementation science can unlock the true potential of reading instruction nationwide.”
Connect with Upstream Literacy at the Summit
Upstream Literacy team members will be available throughout the four-day event to meet with district leaders, researchers, and educators. Attendees are invited to connect with the team to learn more about Upstream Literacy's proprietary diagnostic frameworks—including the G.E.A.R.S.™ framework and Literacy Success Index (LSI)—and software tools designed to build sustainable reading systems.
To read the white paper prior to the conference or schedule a meeting with the Upstream Literacy team at the Summit, visit upstreamliteracy.com.
About Upstream Literacy
Upstream Literacy is an education technology and solutions provider on a mission to establish literacy as a universal civil right. Grounded in the understanding that persistent literacy challenges stem from both knowledge and system gaps, we partner with school, district, and state leaders to build sustainable, school-based reading systems designed to help every child read proficiently.
By unifying human expertise with data intelligence, Upstream Literacy helps leaders translate evidence-based research into lasting outcomes. We pair diagnostic frameworks—including our proprietary G.E.A.R.S.™ framework and Literacy Success Index (LSI)—with actionable recommendations, tailored implementation pathways, 24/7 software tools, a collaborative peer network, and local leadership development. Through this integrated approach, Upstream Literacy turns complex systemic challenges into scalable, measurable reading success.