The Institute for Teaching Excellence will target instruction towards middle- and early-high-school teachers who are preparing students for AP courses as part of their curriculum. Participants will enroll with grade level content specialists, who will share strategies and best practices designed to prepare students for the rigors of reading and writing demanded in later course work. Teachers will enroll with instructors targeting 6-8th grade classrooms, or 9-10th grade classrooms. IN ADDITION, we will offer break out sessions to our ITE participants, invoking the best of what TCU has done in the past - providing teachers with options and different perspectives to allow participants to tailor their professional development experience.