Evidence-Based Writing PD in Canada: Funding Paths That Work

This blog is the third installment in my three-part series on SRSD in Canada, where I explore how evidence-based writing instruction is transforming classrooms across provinces. If you missed the earlier posts, you can start with:

• The Science of Writing: Why Canadian Schools Need SRSD Now
• SRSD Implementation Strategies for K–12 in Canada

Together, these three blogs offer a roadmap for Canadian leaders: why writing instruction matters, how to implement SRSD across grade levels, and how to fund evidence-based writing PD using existing resources.

Discover Existing Funding Avenues Within School Budgets

School districts and education leaders across Canada know how critical strong writing skills are for students’ long-term success. The research on explicit, evidence-based writing instruction is clearer than ever, and programs like Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) are gaining traction in schools determined to close achievement gaps. But the pressing question remains: how do boards actually pay for it?

The encouraging news: most boards already have funding streams that overlap with writing instruction and literacy improvement. Leaders can unlock funds often hiding in plain sight by strategically connecting evidence-based practices in writing PD to existing priorities. Success comes from knowing where to look, how to frame the initiative, and how to sustain it across years and departments.

Common Funding Lines That Support Writing PD

Regardless of region or board size, literacy improvement is embedded in multiple budget lines. By aligning your planning with these existing allocations, boards can build a cost-effective strategy for scaling PD.

• Curriculum and Instruction PD Budgets
  Most boards already earmark funds for teacher planning, strategies, and instructional techniques. If your board’s three-year improvement plan prioritizes literacy, these funds can directly support writing-focused PD.
  
• Literacy Intervention and Recovery Funds
  Following COVID-19, provinces invested heavily in literacy recovery. Writing PD, particularly structured approaches like SRSD, can be positioned as part of learning acceleration efforts for students who are behind.
  Ontario Learning Recovery Plan

• ELL / MLL / EAL Supports
  Students identified as English Language Learners (ELL), English as an Additional Language (EAL), or Multilingual Learners (MLL) benefit greatly from explicit instruction using mentor texts, structured feedback, and vocabulary development. Boards often dedicate funding to closing these language gaps.
  Ontario ESL/ELD Policy

• Special Education Allocations
  SRSD is strongly supported in research with students with learning disabilities and diverse needs. Allocations for students requiring targeted interventions can be tapped to pilot or expand writing PD.
  What Works Clearinghouse: SRSD Research

• Indigenous Education Budgets
  Writing instruction highlighting voice, identity, and culturally relevant approaches aligns well with Indigenous education priorities. For example, British Columbia provides targeted Indigenous Education funding for boards.
  BC Indigenous Education Funding

• Rural and Small School Innovation Funds
  Multi-grade classrooms in rural Canada need flexible, efficient writing instruction. Ontario’s Rural and Northern Education Fund (RNEF) is one example of resources that can be used to support effective PD.
  Ontario Rural and Northern Education Fund

Provincial Levers and How to Frame SRSD

Each province has unique funding mechanisms and educational priorities. Understanding these helps leaders position evidence-based writing PD for success.

Ontario
After the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read (2022), boards are expected to use evidence-based literacy practices. The 2023 Ontario Language Curriculum reinforces the importance of systematic, explicit instruction in reading and writing.
Ontario Right to Read Inquiry | Ontario Language Curriculum 2023

British Columbia
BC emphasizes Core Competencies (Communication, Thinking, Personal, and social) and proficiency-based learning. Framing writing PD as central to education, skills development, and social-emotional growth makes it a strong fit.
BC Core Competencies | BC Proficiency Scale

Alberta & Saskatchewan
Alberta is implementing a new English Language Arts and Literature (ELAL) curriculum focused on structured, explicit approaches. Saskatchewan’s 2023 Human Rights Commission report on reading disabilities highlights the urgency of interventions, making writing PD a natural extension.
Alberta ELAL Curriculum | Saskatchewan Right to Read Report

Atlantic Canada
Results from the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) underscore ongoing literacy challenges. Provinces like Nova Scotia now provide targeted recovery grants and pilot funds that can be aligned with evidence-based writing PD.
PCAP 2021 Report | Nova Scotia OST Grants

Cooperative and Shared Service Models

Boards can reduce costs and maximize impact by collaborating:

• Board Consortia  Neighboring boards pool funds for shared PD sessions or coaching. In Ontario, procurement groups like OECM make joint initiatives cost-effective.
• University Partnerships  Partnering with education faculties opens access to cost-shared PD and opportunities to publish local student data for grants.
• Philanthropy & Foundations   Canadian foundations and local education funds often support PD framed as equity and career-readiness initiatives.

Making the Case: A Clear Funding Narrative

When presenting to finance teams or trustees, leaders succeed by showing:

• Research-based and proven outcomes (e.g., SRSD effect sizes with students with LD)
  Meta-Analysis of SRSD
• Target groups (ELL, LD, Indigenous, rural learners)
• Planning and progress monitoring (baseline assessments → checkpoints → growth data)
• Sustainability (e.g., Year 2 costs decline as coaches and curriculum specialists take over training)

Conclusion

Investing in evidence-based writing PD is not about finding new money but reframing existing priorities. Across Canada, leaders are strategically tapping curriculum funds, literacy recovery budgets, Indigenous education allocations, and rural innovation grants to make writing instruction a reality. By aligning initiatives with provincial strategies, leveraging shared service models, and grounding proposals in research, schools can give teachers the strategies, feedback, and mentor texts they need to transform student writing. The path forward is clear: with thoughtful planning and smart funding alignment, boards can ensure every student builds the writing skills, vocabulary, and confidence they need for success.

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