District/School Resources PK-16 Program Support
Office of Reading

MRFP Professional Development

1. Foundational Professional Development

   Teacher Reading Academies (TRAs) are intensive multi-day workshops designed to provide an introduction to Reading First principles and the five components of reading instruction. TRAs are offered to educators working with Grades K-1 and Grades 2-3. Materials from the TRAs are now available to interested school districts in Massachusetts.

   Online professional development is offered to new staff in Reading First and John Silber School Districts. School faculty teams work in facilitated study groups led by the school's literacy coach throughout the year that include both online content and frequent opportunities to meet with peers to discuss the content and share experiences implementing recommended strategies in the classrooms. These yearlong courses explore the five modules of reading guided by assessment: phonemic awareness, phonics, word study, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

   Scholastic Red
   VoyagerU

2. Statewide Advanced Seminars

   Seminars are offered throughout the year to administrators and coaches. Nationally recognized experts present theory and practice on critical issues in the teaching of early reading. Topics for the 2007-2008 school year include literacy coaching and writing to inform reading comprehension.

3. Leadership Seminars

   Seminars are offered throughout the year to administrators to enhance leadership for literacy. The focus for the 2007-2008 school year is on supporting sustainability of Reading First practices.

4. The Implementation Facilitator (IF) Network is a team of Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education staff.

   The implementation facilitators are central to the state's efforts to provide ongoing and sustained professional development in reading. Implementation facilitators consult with school coaches who act as the facilitators of the foundational training as well as support the national trainers who deliver the advanced professional development in reading for school coaches.

   It is the responsibility of the implementation facilitators to develop regional professional development as a follow-up to the advanced seminars. At these meetings, coaches and teachers have an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of theory and apply that theory to practice as they engage in learning instructional strategies that they will implement in their classrooms.

   In addition to supporting the ongoing training for coaches, implementation facilitators are also involved in Reading First leadership meetings. At these meetings, implementation facilitators work directly with district and school leaders on issues central to the effective administration and instructional leadership for the project.

   Topics for the 2007-2008 school year include supporting the sustainability of Reading First and consolidation of lessons learned in scientifically based reading instruction in the five critical dimensions of RF.

5. Reading First Reading Specialists (RFRS) are school-based reading coaches.

   At the district and school sites, school coaches are encouraged to redeliver the material introduced at the state and regional meetings in district and school professional development, lead study groups using techniques and references shared by the presenters on specific topics, and link study to practice as teachers implement best practices in everyday instruction. In addition, they are expected to be in every Reading first classroom during the daily literacy block on a scheduled basis to co-teach with the classroom teacher, demonstrate evidence-based practices, provide feedback on the effectiveness of instruction, and provide suggestions to target instruction to the needs of individual learners. The implementation facilitators provide guidance and support to school-based coaches to improve their effectiveness.