The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if providing targeted professional development (AIM Pathways to Proficient Reading) in foundational literacy skills based on the science of reading and Structured Literacy can lead to a difference in teacher knowledge and to determine a relationship between teacher knowledge and student proficiency outcomes in phonemic awareness. The study included a sample of kindergarten teachers and their students in an urban school district in south central Pennsylvania. The data collected included the pre/post-test scores of kindergarten teachers who participated in the professional development course and their respective students' scores from the Acadience Reading subtests of First Sound Fluency and Phoneme Segmentation Fluency. The Ex post Facto method was employed, and the data was analyzed using t-tests and Spearman's rank order correlation coefficient (Spearman's Rho). Statistically significant increases in teacher knowledge were found after teacher participation in the AIM Pathways to Proficient Reading course, however, there was no correlation between the knowledge gained by teachers and their respective students' scores in phonemic awareness. These findings indicate the need for schools to invest in high-quality professional development on the science of reading and Structured Literacy, to provide support in the implementation process, and develop a comprehensive curriculum that is inclusive of phonology. A critical finding is the need for educational institutions to embed knowledge and practice of the science of reading and Structured Literacy into their teacher preparation programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]