This research examined the relevance of professional associations to effective reading teaching in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). It looked at the performances of students in meets and exceeds in the Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT) for third and eight grade students in selected schools in CPS between 1999 and 2004 and how the professional…

Professional development should be a career-long process in which teachers tweak their teaching methodology, practices, and style to meet student needs. Is there a better place to offer professional development opportunities than at "ground zero"? This paper outlines one school's attempt to bring quality professional development to the…

Research has identified certain comprehension strategies that seem to work in an optimal manner to increase the reading comprehension of K-12 students. However, little evidence exists about whether teachers use identified, research-based strategies when teaching. In view of the critical nature of literacy achievement for diverse populations and…

Address the development of a literature review that summarizes what educators know about the role of the reading specialist and the various roles that reading specialists assume. Examines journals in the field of reading research and instruction, government documents, technical reports, and ERIC documents that related to the role of the reading…

Although over 15 years have passed since Witt (1990) noted that no empirical evidence exists to support the contention that a collaborative approach to consultation leads to more positive outcomes than a hierarchical or expert driven approach, this issue generally remains unaddressed (Schulte & Osborne, 2003). While the literature documenting…

The goal of the High School Reading and Communication Skills Component of the Detroit school desegregation plan was to improve students' reading and communication skills. The program was an integral part of the English curriculum and employed instruction focused upon specific objectives at each grade level. Support services were provided in each…

Reports on a survey used to evaluate the secondary school reading program in Polk County, Florida. (DF)

In light of criticisms that teacher preparation programs do not adequately prepare prospective reading teachers and specialists for actual classroom problems, a study was conducted to determine the accuracy of teacher diagnoses and planning for reading difficulties and to examine differences in coursework preparation and classroom experience.…

Nine 16-17-year-old adjudicated males below grade level in reading participated in this data-based case study. Weekly, 5 students received instruction from "Corrective Reading Decoding" Level B2 (Engelmann et al., 1998) for 180 min, and 4 students received instruction designed by a reading specialist (RS group) for 345 min. After 19…

A cost effectiveness study by the Austin (Texas) Independent School District of its elementary compensatory reading programs, namely, the Chapter 1 Reading Improvement Program (Chapter 1 Regular) and Schoolwide Projects (SWP), found that the Schoolwide Projects cost two to three times as much to achieve the same gains in student achievement as did…

This report summarizes the evaluation of AISD's Literacy Support Plan for a comprehensive reading intervention initiative for kindergarten through grade 3 students during the 1999-2000 school year.