Reading Apprenticeship Across the Disciplines (RAAD)

Reading Apprenticeship Across the Disciplines (RAAD) is a cross-disciplinary blended professional development model for middle school teachers (grades 7-8) in English Language Arts, science, and social studies. The program provides 5 days (32.5 hours) of face-to-face training delivered in two institutes (3-day summer Foundations Institute and 2-day winter Calibration Institute), monthly online Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings (approximately 7 hours per year), and monthly site-based school team meetings (approximately 8 hours per year) facilitated by Teacher Leaders. The professional development teaches teachers to integrate literacy instruction into subject-area teaching using the Reading Apprenticeship framework, which focuses on four dimensions: Social, Personal, Cognitive, and Knowledge-Building, supported by metacognitive conversations and extensive reading. Teachers learn to make reading processes visible, support student collaboration, provide explicit comprehension strategy instruction, and differentiate instruction. The model includes support from Regional Partners (local education organizations) and trained Teacher Leaders who facilitate monthly school team meetings. Teachers receive materials including Reading for Understanding text and online resources through Canvas platform.