Ironically, at a time when coaching seems to have come into its own as a way to improve teacher practice, school districts across the United States are experiencing funding cuts and eliminating coaching positions. The threats that budget woes pose to established school coaching programs led the authors to ask themselves what practices schools and…

Reading skills are vital to student success, and those skills could be practiced with Shakespeare "if students are taught reading skills in the classroom." The problem is that many teachers of English do not consider themselves reading specialists and do not teach reading skills to their students. Fred L. Hamel notes that teachers in a recent…

In this article, Vicki Jacobs argues that as the nation strives to improve the literacy achievement of U.S. adolescents, educators must reframe the current "crisis" as a critical point on a continuum of historical efforts to address the particular challenges of postprimary-grade reading. Specifically, Jacobs examines the definition of adolescent…

Elizabeth G. Sturtevant, a professor of education at George Mason University, holds a 33-year record of college-level teaching, scholarship, and service that centers on adolescent literacy. Her research helps clarify the pressures that affect teachers' literacy instruction, the role of secondary school literacy coaches, and adolescent…

Reflects on and evaluates the author's past year as a reading resource consultant in a program that has moved from a pullout reading program to a mainstreaming one. (SR)

Reports an interview between the instructor in a university undergraduate reading methods course and the reading supervisor for a public school. The interview suggests that collaboration between colleges and public schools can strengthen preservice teacher education by helping students bridge the gap between preparation and practice. (FL)

Cites needs of reading and language arts professionals that can be met with the help of a computer and describes "The Storage and Retrieval of Bibliographic References." (FL)

Reviews some models of the reading consultant's role and of the way change occurs and suggests that reading consultants function as clinicians and as consultant/trainers as they work to bring about change in a school district. (TJ)

Discusses the role of reading specialists in remediating reading difficulties in mainstreamed classrooms. Describes meeting students' needs, planning, and assessment in a mainstreaming with consultation model which seems to be effective. (SR)

Offers two scenarios which helped change the author's practice as a reading coordinator and helped her teachers explore personal research questions. (MG)

Reviews formal and informal reading achievement and diagnostic tests, evaluating them to see how they measure reading and spelling abilities within the framework of component-view of reading. Discusses recent attempts to develop alternate assessments. Concludes that school psychologists and reading specialists should be familiar with these…

Argues that building communication bridges with strength and understanding, clear of barriers, is the foundation for success as a reading supervisor. Also argues that keeping the lines of communication open--and sending clear messages--will enhance the reading supervisor's role and add credibility to that position. (RS)

Discusses the contradictions found in recommendations for direction instruction or informal math language development, and some suggestions for practical resolution of disagreements, to enable school reading specialists to provide both background and practical help to classroom instructors teaching math. (HTH)

Describes a resource teacher's efforts to implement a program to improve reading at the secondary level in a Florida school. Offers activities used in the program. (FL)

Discusses the role of the reading specialist acting as a clinical supervisor of reading teachers. Provides a format for conferences between specialist and classroom teacher. (AEA)