Research & Evidence
Reading Apprenticeship Writing Connections (RAWC)
Blended Professional Learning at Scale:
Middle School Literacy
The Reading Apprenticeship: Writing Connections (RAWC) project was awarded a three-year Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop and test a blended online and in-person program of teacher professional development. The project built on the Strategic Literacy Initiative’s (SLI’s) existing evidenced-based, face-to-face model of discipline-specific Reading Apprenticeship and its new online models of teacher professional development.
The main goal of the project was to improve the effectiveness of middle school teachers by helping them integrate reading, writing, and subject area instruction in science, history, and English Language Arts. In particular, middle schools that fed into high schools already engaged in Reading Apprenticeship projects were encouraged to participate in order to provide students a seamless transition from middle school to high school.
RAWC By the Numbers: Blended Professional Learning for Middle School Teachers
- 3 Years: 2013-2016
- 86,719 middle school students
- 1,195 teachers
- 222 middle schools
- 4 states: California, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania
- 3 subject areas: English Language Arts, Science, History
Praise from RAWC participants
Julie Sadilek
8th Grade ELA Teacher
Chesaning Middle School
Chesaning, MI
Middle School Teacher
Craig Smith
Assistant Principal
Chapel Hill Middle School
Indianapolis, IN