Literacy teachers often feel underprepared to provide instruction that integrates technology in meaningful ways. Yet, there is evidence that teachers can be supported to overcome this barrier through professional development using a framework for instructional planning. Although efforts to support teachers' short-term technology integration have…

The current educational spotlight on accountability has helped create a focus on teacher practices and their subsequent effects on student achievement. Professional development has been shown to be an effective vehicle to impact practices; however, research has only recently begun to provide an understanding of its impact in literacy instruction…

A recent national study of state and local No Child Left Behind activities indicated that 80 percent of elementary teachers reported participating in 24 hours or less of professional development on reading instruction during the 2003-2004 school year and summer. Reading and professional development experts are concerned that this is not intensive…

Three literacy teacher-educators chart the ways in which portfolio assessment impacted their program. They discuss the tension between the demands of national accreditation standards and faculty belief systems in more ecological approaches. They describe the processes of change that occurred programmatically and individually which continue to…

Since the inauguration of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) in the United States, with a billion-dollar budget to induce educational reform, American schools have been under the microscope for meeting accountability standards for students. The performance pressures have intensified as the consequences for not achieving academic…

Discusses the "Teachers as Readers" movement, which focuses on teachers reading children's literature and responding personally to the literature as readers. Concludes that the Teachers as Readers movement is an effective tool for teacher renewal and for professional development. Suggests that participation in Teachers as Readers groups…

A literacy support teacher leads a district-wide initiative to organize content-area teachers in an effort to help their students become better readers by offering instruction and practice in five reading strategies across the curriculum. At the end of the 10-week program, teachers felt that students' comprehension had improved, and many felt some…

Describes a New York City program in which reading and social studies teachers work together to improve students' language abilities while they learn the required course content. Credits an inservice program with paving the way for the cooperative effort. (FL)

This profile describes "Teaching Reading Comprehension," a series of 14 30-minute video programs designed to expand K-8 reading teachers' understanding of the new view of reading as a constructive process and strategic behavior. Each video features at least one nationally recognized reading researcher and educator presenting the findings of his or…

A survey was conducted of junior and senior high school area teachers in the Rahway (New Jersey) public school system to determine what effect, if any, the two reading courses required by the state for all prospective teachers have had on the reading skills they teach. The questionnaire was composed of 80 multiple-choice statements and…

Assesses a program for the lowest achieving children in a classroom that enables them to function and make progress with their peers near the middle or upper levels of their class. Children are given 30 minutes of individualized training daily, with text reading and writing being the central elements. (NKA)

This brief examines problems staffing rural schools and discusses the importance of teacher education in producing effective reading teachers. Over 31 percent of public schools are in rural areas, comprising over 49 percent of public school systems. Rural districts have difficulty recruiting teachers because they generally have lower salaries,…