Disciplinary Literacy Task Force

As we launch this September newsletter, we pause to reflect on the journey of the Disciplinary Literacy Taskforce—rooted in years of collaborative work, research, and dedication to supporting secondary educators. We are grateful for the foundation that has established our focus and shaped the resources we share today.

At the same time, we are energized by what lies ahead, building on this work to explore new research, refine practices, and expand support across disciplines. In this edition, you’ll find our Research Update Addendum, resources connecting the 6–12 Disciplinary Literacy Essentials to College Board outcomes, and in case you missed it in August, another look at the “Beyond the Core” DL Essentials for content areas often overlooked in traditional literacy efforts.

We invite you to explore these tools, celebrate the work that has brought us here, and join us in advancing disciplinary literacy for all students. Together, we continue to grow, adapt, and inspire meaningful learning across secondary classrooms in Michigan and beyond.

Make sure to check out our updated Professional Learning flyer, as we have multiple professional learning events and offerings for you to explore!

• This year will be a busy one for our Task Force, so be sure to invite a colleague to join our mailing list as well!
• Want to access previous newsletters? No problem! Click here to access the archives.
• Looking to explore all that our website has to offer, including vetted resources? Click here!

Happy Reading!

We are excited to share the Research Update Addendum to support our key resources, Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy in the Secondary Classroom and The Disciplinary Essentials: Beyond “the Core”. Educators will find updated insights across core disciplines, as well as research related to learner variability. Our Disciplinary Literacy Taskforce actively monitors emerging research and collaborates to keep the Essentials a living, evolving resource—designed to stay useful, relevant, and impactful for all secondary educators.

View this on-demand webinar featuring Dr. Elizabeth Moje, Dr. Darin Stockdill, and members of the 6-12 Disciplinary Literacy Task Force. This webinar is approximately 45 minutes long and provides a general overview of the purpose and content of the Essential Practices, an explanation of how the Practices fit within the statewide literacy framework, a description of how the ten Practices were determined, and statements on how the Practices connect to and support current work within each of the four disciplines.

Research shows that nearly all students in the United States can read and write at a basic level—but many struggle to navigate complex texts and communicate nuanced ideas effectively. A disciplinary literacy approach, rather than a focus on general reading or writing skills, equips students to engage deeply with subject-specific texts and practices. As Timothy Shanahan notes, content-area teachers are uniquely positioned to guide students in understanding the literacy demands of their disciplines, helping them become skilled interpreters and communicators of sophisticated ideas. The Disciplinary Literacy Resources for College Board document highlights resources that connect the Grades 6–12 Disciplinary Literacy Essentials to outcomes like those assessed on the SAT, showing how disciplinary literacy can improve student performance across secondary classrooms. We invite educators to explore these resources and discover practical ways to strengthen literacy within each content area.

The Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy: Beyond "the Core" supports teachers in important content areas that are often overlooked in traditional literacy efforts, specifically Dance/Movement, Drama/Theatre, Music (Choral and Instrumental), Physical Education/Health, Visual Arts, and World/Heritage Languages. Created by teacher experts and consultants, this document builds on Essential Instructional Practices in Disciplinary Literacy: Grades 6 to 12 and is designed to evolve as we gain a deeper understanding of how literacy works in various secondary subjects. This document is intended to be used in conjunction with the Essential School-Wide Practices for Disciplinary Literacy: Grades 6 to 12. Not all secondary courses are represented in this document; however, the examples can inspire educators to adapt these ideas in their classrooms. The document offers examples, tools, and background knowledge to help educators:

• Teach literacy skills in their discipline

• Advocate for the importance of their courses

• Support district-wide literacy goals

• Apprentice students into the ways experts use literacy to tackle authentic problems

Looking for a fun interactive PDF version? Click here!

Special thanks to Kristen Kaszeta, Wayne State University, College of Education, for her contributions to the new Physical Education content!

Click on our professional learning flyer to find more information and registration links for these upcoming professional learning events:

• Michigan Assessment Consortium Assessment Learning Network

• EduPaths online courses (they're free!)

• Disciplinary Literacy for Secondary Leaders online course

We are always interested to hear how educators are taking up the work of disciplinary literacy. Take a few moments to share your story here: https://forms.gle/Rbuqa6wZCkhy5bnT9.

The Disciplinary Literacy Task Force is comprised of consultants from across the state of Michigan, each of whom brings their own disciplinary expertise. We meet monthly, and our most pressing goal is to continue to scale this work statewide. We also prioritize equity in the delivery of our services as well as building and leveraging partnerships across the state in an effort to promote this important work. Our ongoing work includes planning for, creating, and implementing professional learning for secondary educators and using this newsletter, our blog, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and other publications to broaden awareness about this approach and its benefits to our secondary students. Click here to access an interactive map with Task Force member contact information. We look forward to increased opportunities to work with you!