Our district reading data at the secondary level has remained stagnant over the last decade with respect to grade-level reading ability. We knew we wanted to find a way to engage students in reading and strengthen their literacy skills. In response to this, we sought to examine if we were hindering literacy development through our instructional practices, as well as what literacy elements were missing in the English and reading classrooms on our secondary campuses. Through a year-long book study, all English and reading teachers, university student teachers, campus leaders and university supervisors read the book, met during PLCs to discuss the book, and agreed upon implementation of best practices from the book so that all were working towards the same goal, with the same approach. Recognizing the power behind reflective practices through the reading of a research-based literacy approach gave teachers a unified desire to change what needed to change and to teach in a way that promoted student thinking, listening, speaking, reading and writing across our secondary campuses.