Piloting a Disciplinary Literacy Focused Curriculum for Striving Readers: Reading Apprenticeship for Academic Literacy Learning

• In Event: Reimagining K–12 Disciplinary Literacy: Access, Engagement, and Innovation Across Subjects

Abstract

Objectives: This pilot study examines the feasibility of implementing Reading Apprenticeship for Academic Literacy Learning (RA4ALL), which combines Reading Apprenticeship for Academic Literacy (RAAL) with SIPPS®. The study aims to test curriculum implementation with 8th and 9th grade teachers serving students not yet reading on grade level, documenting both teacher implementation patterns and student outcomes to inform large-scale efficacy testing and sustainability planning.

Theoretical Framework: The study employs an ecological systems approach (Eisner, 1967; OECD, 2020) that views curriculum as "dynamic, holistic and multidirectional." This framework examines three interconnected levels: intended curriculum, implemented curriculum, and experienced curriculum. This multidimensional perspective allows for nuanced analysis of how curriculum intentions translate into classroom practice and student experience.
Modes of Inquiry: The study utilizes an iterative research design with continuous refinement cycles based on ongoing data collection and feedback. Convenience sampling recruited 4 teachers across 4 states along with 24 focus students selected through stratified random sampling. The iterative methodology enables dynamic curriculum improvement throughout the pilot phase.

Data Sources: Multiple data sources capture implementation integrity and student outcomes: Innovation Configuration observations (measuring implementation degree rather than fidelity), weekly teacher logs, coaching session documentation, student metacognitive reading logs, comprehension think-aloud protocols, focus groups with teachers and students, SIPPS assessments, student work artifacts, and professional learning session observations. This comprehensive approach provides triangulated evidence of both curriculum implementation and student learning processes.

Findings: Pilot data from four teachers across three curriculum units reveal promising implementation patterns and student outcomes. Teachers consistently rated RA4ALL components as "slightly effective" to "effective," with reading strategies, writing activities, and most curriculum components receiving positive evaluations. Materials were deemed "clear and easy to use" by the majority of participants. However, implementation challenges emerged including pacing pressures, the need for additional student support beyond teacher expectations, and timing constraints from school testing and end-of-year activities.

Student engagement showed mixed patterns, with materials rated as "slightly engaging" to "engaging" but teachers noting difficulties with student independence as strategies became more complex. Importantly, teachers reported observable student growth: one student moved to grade level reading, others showed measurable test score improvements (e.g., 15% to 25%), and teachers noted increased student excitement about reading chapter books. Teachers also reported strategy transfer, with other subject-area teachers observing students using reading strategies in math, history, and science classes.
The SIPPS foundational skills component received varied responses, with some teachers noting student gains in fluency while others questioned the integration approach, suggesting foundational skills instruction might need separate dedicated time. Teachers unanimously praised the professional learning and coaching support, with multiple teachers stating they wished all educational initiatives provided similar levels of support.

Significance: This research addresses critical gaps in adolescent literacy intervention by testing an integrated approach combining comprehension strategy instruction with foundational skills support. Findings will inform evidence-based scaling of literacy interventions for struggling adolescent readers and contribute to understanding how teachers adapt research-based curricula to meet diverse student needs.

Authors

• Misty Sailors, WestEd

• Heather Howlett, WestEd