2026-2027 Secondary Literacy

While the most frequently taught books in middle-and-high school English courses have remained relatively static over the last 50 years, our students and the world they live in is rapidly changing. Curricular requirements are also changing rapidly, as many commercial products have moved away from prioritizing full-length texts, including books. Keeping books in classrooms and students invested in themes and ideas requires cultivating critical approaches to teaching literature. This series will use place-based learning principles and practices to support secondary teachers and coaches in using critical literacy to support teaching traditional texts in ethical and responsive ways. Research shows that place-based learning is one of the primary drivers of student investment and a driver of growing student achievement because it honors student and community funds of knowledge. Over the course of this series, we will explore how to use place-based education and critical place-based practices to teach Of Mice and Men, Hatchet, Shakespeare, and The Great Gatsby in conversation with the land, the people, and the stories of Wayne County. Participants will also learn to use and gain access to responsive and affirming paired texts to support meaning-making with the main text. Participants will receive a text set with their participation in this series.

February 2: 9:00 am - 12:00 noon (virtual)

May 27: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm (in person)

Registration Coming Soon!

This session is designed to address the PA 146 requirements for educators serving students in grades 4-12, specifically adolescents who exhibit characteristics of dyslexia or engage in avoidance behaviors during reading and writing tasks. Dr. Rachael Gabriel will explore how the principles of structured literacy and disciplinary literacy can be applied in secondary school spaces to address underlying factors that place students at risk for reading difficulty. Participants will learn evidence-based approaches to support adolescent literacy development.

November 3: 90 minutes (on demand and asynchronous; link forthcoming)

In this session, participants will learn about instructional practices that effectively meet the needs of secondary students. With the Essential Practices for Disciplinary Literacy as a guide, participants will understand how to ground their instruction in the science of reading and the principles of structured literacy. Topics covered will include word study, enhancing students’ vocabulary, and building students’ background knowledge.

November 3: 90 minutes (on demand and asynchronous; link forthcoming)

In this course, you will explore intentional instruction in vocabulary and language use in context. These focus areas correspond to Practices 7 and 10 in the Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy in the Secondary Classroom.

To access this course, you will need to log in using MiLaunch Pad, search for your local district, and use your district Microsoft/Google credentials.

November 3: 90 minutes (on demand and asynchronous)

Educators will engage in a three-part virtual book study of Rebuilding Students’ Learning Power by Zaretta Hammond. Participants will examine Hammond’s five-step process for coaching students to strengthen their ability to process rigorous academic content, academic vocabulary and rebuild their learning power. Together, we will explore a model that centers students as the primary actors in their own learning, shifts cognitive load back to learners, and builds educator capacity to coach students as effective information processors. This book study also explores how skills acquisition, culturally responsive instruction, and meaningful access to texts work together to accelerate adolescent literacy development.

This course is designed for middle and high school English language arts teachers, instructional coaches, and interventionists supporting secondary schools. Participants will receive a copy of the text.

January 27, February 22, and March 16: 9:00 am - 10:30 am

Effective Tier 1 instruction across content areas at the secondary level requires careful attention to lesson design, development, and delivery. With the proper support and intentional planning, all students can access and engage meaningfully with content-area texts. This series explores the instructional decisions and evidence-based strategies that strengthen students’ ability to comprehend complex content at the secondary level. The intended audience for this professional learning series is secondary classroom teachers, coaches, and administrators.

March 12 and April 19: 8:30 am - 3:00 pm

These free, online courses are intended for all secondary educators and instructional leaders interested in learning about the Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy in the Secondary Classroom in an effort to improve adolescent literacy in every secondary classroom. Each approximately one-hour course is asynchronous and self-paced, and while the courses do not need to be taken sequentially, we do recommend that you begin with Course 1 to establish a broad understanding of the Essential Instructional Practices and disciplinary literacy.

• Disciplinary Literacy: Identity and Community, Course 1
• Disciplinary Literacy: Framing Problems and Setting Purpose, Course 2
• Disciplinary Literacy: Planning for and Implementing Assessment, Course 3

• Disciplinary Literacy: Developing and Analyzing Resources/Text Sets, Course 4
• Disciplinary Literacy: Text-Based Activities and Discussions, Course 5.1
• Disciplinary Literacy: Text-Based Activities and Discussions, Course 5.2
• Disciplinary Literacy: Planning for Writing and Communication, Course 6.1
• Disciplinary Literacy: Planning for Writing and Communication, Course 6.2
• Disciplinary Literacy: Teaching Language in the Context of Use, Course 7

With the passage of Public Act 146, secondary schools must consider how to respond in ways that are compliant and developmentally appropriate. While much attention has centered on early literacy, PA 146 carries clear implications for grades 4-12, particularly around supporting adolescents with evidence-based literacy practices. We invite secondary ELA teachers, instructional coaches, and interventionists to join us in thoughtfully unpacking the requirements of the law and what it means for our classrooms.

These sessions will focus on practical, developmentally appropriate instructional shifts that support the needs of adolescents explicitly. These include strengthening meaning-making, morphology, and information processing while honoring students’ identities and capacity to learn. Join us as we consider the letter of the law and the spirit of adolescence.

As part of the registration, participants will receive lunch and a copy of Zaretta Hammond’s newest book, Rebuilding Students’ Learning Power at the first, in-person session.

November 12 (Virtual): 9:00 am - 12:00 noon

This series focuses on specific actions and considerations needed when preparing literacy interventions in the unique context of middle and high schools. Participation in this series results in clearly identified the next steps towards installing an intervention system for literacy at the secondary level.

This series will be most impactful if a reading interventionist, curriculum director, and school administrator attend together.

February 3 and 10: 9:00 am - 11:00 am

The Secondary Coaching Network is designed to support middle and high school instructional coaches and teacher leaders to enhance their coaching skills, support equitable instruction, and develop their confidence and competence around the Disciplinary Literacy Essentials.

In this year-long series, Secondary Coaching Network participants will:

• Engage in robust conversations about supporting adolescents and teachers of adolescents with secondary-focused coaches and teacher leaders.
• Develop a deeper understanding of the Disciplinary Literacy Essentials and strategies for teacher investment and implementation in middle and high schools.
• Grow their knowledge of adult learning principles to build literacy leadership capacity.
• Collaborate around humanizing and equitable ways to use data and assessment.

September 24, October 15, December 3, March 11, and May 20: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Join in collaboration with fellow Wayne County instructional coaches for a year-long series of deep learning, exploration, and inquiry to support responsive coaching models, to refine coaching practices and dispositions, and to enrich ongoing, embedded professional learning for teachers. This in-county networking opportunity provides multiple avenues to elevate a variety of coaching expertise, from a first-year lead teacher to a more veteran coach. Each session includes content-specific and/or grade-level pathways to support focused study and nurture and continue authentic interactions and conversations among colleagues.

October 1, January 7, March 4, and May 6: 9:00 am - 12:00 noon

K–5 educators have a special gift—they spark curiosity and lay the foundation for lifelong learning. This workshop series offers practical ways to bring science and literacy together, making lessons hands-on, engaging, and meaningful for your students. You’ll discover strategies that help culturally and linguistically diverse learners ask great questions, explain their thinking, and support their ideas with evidence—all while growing their identities as readers, scientists, and future problem-solvers.

Every participating teacher will receive a classroom science kit plus access to virtual resources, including student texts, lesson plans, and culturally relevant strategies that keep the learning going long after the workshop ends.

K-5 educators are encouraged to attend with partners or teams, including other science teachers, coaches, ELD teachers and/or interventionists.

November 18, March 2, and April 15: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

January 19: 4:00 - 5:30 pm (Virtual)

For additional information, please contact Rosalyn Shahid, Jeff Austin, or Laura Gabrion.