This authoritative text and practitioner resource has now been extensively revised and expanded with 70% new material covering new topics and standards in literacy leadership. Prominent experts present research-based methods for improving instruction, assessment, and professional learning experiences in PreK-12. The distinct roles of teachers,…

This guide for district and school leaders shows how to recognize opportunities to embed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) into planned policies or programs. Opportunistic RCTs can generate strong evidence for informing education decisions--with minimal added cost and disruption. The guide also outlines the key steps to conduct RCTs and responds…

Measurement of principal implementation behaviors has proved difficult to researchers in educational leadership due to a lack of consensus on the operational definitions of leadership constructs. The Principal Implementation Questionnaire (PIQ) was developed and validated with the intention of providing clarity in the assessment of principal…

When the goal is supporting excellent teaching, there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach. This book helps literacy coaches and administrators navigate the many choices involved in developing and fine-tuning a coaching program that offers the best fit for a particular school. The authors draw on current research and their personal experiences in…

Anyone who has worked as a teacher or principal in an elementary school understands the value of reliable and valid assessments of early reading progress. In order to implement an effective reading program, schools should have a coordinated plan for using screening, progress monitoring, diagnostics and outcome measures to guide instruction and to…

In this manual, project directors of the Intensive Reading Instructional Teams (IRIT) program in Hartford, Connecticut, public schools, are provided with suggestions for evaluating compensatory programs such as the IRIT. Three models for basic Title I evaluation are discussed and compared: a norm-referenced model, a control group design, and a…

In this paper, I describe characteristics of programs developed for adolescents who are struggling with literacy. The paper references both a chart I developed to compare and contrast those characteristics and a review guide I created to help schools make principled decisions when choosing programs for use with their students. The chart and the…

Management of the California Demonstration Program in Reading, a project designed to give educationally disadvantaged students at the junior high and middle school level a second chance to learn basic reading and math skills, is described. Material is divided into 18 sections covering program goals, instructional strategies, personnel,…

Based on the premise that a school reading program must focus on the learner and the text, this guidebook is designed to serve as a resource for school districts, groups, or individuals involved in planning, implementing, and evaluating reading programs. The guidebook is divided into two phases. Phase 1, "Guidelines for Developing and…

To help principals improve as reading leaders, teachers should first provide them with feedback. Although informal comments are important to administrators, teachers' formal feedback in a survey or questionnaire helps to objectify the evaluation process and to provide principals with a more complete picture. Specifically, teachers can call to…

An ongoing, interdisciplinary reading program for students in grades 7-10 in Perris Union High School District (California) is described. Initiated in 1979 as a result of low reading scores, the program divides all incoming seventh grade students into homogeneous groups. In the first 6 weeks of school these new groups meet once a day for 50…

Describes how principals provided critical support for applications of the Reading Style Inventory to reading programs in five schools. These efforts resulted in significant improvements in reading achievement and interest among students. Suggests six practices principals can follow to help ensure success. (PGD)

Curriculum planning and course organization of the Edison High School (California) reading program are described. Curriculum planning begins with identification of the reading needs of all incoming students. Group testing of all eighth grade students in local feeder schools in the spring is followed by diagnostic testing of individual strengths…

Intended to help teachers assess the effectiveness of their reading program, this paper suggests how teachers can emphasize comprehension in reading, what behaviors students demonstrate related to getting and creating meaning when reading, and how the classroom environment can promote reading for meaning. After describing effective teacher and…

Provides examples of many innovative ways principals can establish a "reading climate" in their schools. Includes ways to involve parents, community members, school libraries, and teachers in reading enjoyment programs. Discusses some of the most successful techniques for teaching reading. (IW)