School-Wide Efforts

Supporting a School-Wide Reading Initiative with Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

By: Stan Paine (2008)

How can school leaders support school-wide reading initiatives? Here are keys to leading the way in the areas of reading curriculum, instruction, assessment, and motivation.

What Does the Research Tell Us About Teacher Leadership?

By: The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement (2008)

This research brief from the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement looks at what research exists, and what it says about drawing on the skills of experienced teachers to facilitate school improvement.

Position Statement on Student Grade Retention and Social Promotion

By: National Association of School Psychologists (2008)

In this position statement about student grade retention and social promotion, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) identifies characteristics of students more likely to be retained; and the impact of retention at the secondary school level, late adolescence, and early adulthood. NASP also provides a long list of alternatives to retention and social promotion.

Teacher Knowledge Matters in Supporting Young Readers

By: Linda Fitzharris, Mary Blake Jones, and Allison Crawford (2008)

Knowing what teachers know and how they practice is necessary to ensure that there are professionals in every classroom meeting the diverse needs of students. Researchers evaluated case studies from a group of teachers and revealed four different levels of knowledge, indicating that future staff development needs to be differentiated and individualized.

The New Literacies

By: Zach Miners and Angela Pascopella (2007)

It might seem that evaluating information online (just one form of "new literacy") and reading a book (more of a foundational literacy) are pretty much the same thing. But there are differences that, when brought into the classroom and incorporated into curricula, are enriching the educational experiences of many K-12 students. Many administrators are beginning to recognize the need to revise their districts' media skills instruction.

Three Things Research Tells Us about Interventions for Struggling Readers

By: Joe Torgenson, et al. (2007)

This article, excerpted from a larger guidance document from the Center on Instruction, looks at what research tells us about helping students who read below grade level, and highlights the following findings: 1) schools must provide varied instructional support, based on the degree and nature of the student's difficulty; 2) it is important for students to learn comprehension strategies, and strategy instruction should be coordinated between literacy specialists and content-area teachers; and 3) more research is needed to prove which instructional improvements are really effective.

More Schools Turn to Extended Days

By: Ellen Delisio (2007)

Hours of test preparation, especially in underperforming schools, has left little time for electives or even some of the un-tested basic subjects. Adding time to the school day and year has helped some schools improve their scores and flesh out their curriculums.

An Educator's Guide to Making Textbooks Accessible and Usable for Students with Learning Disabilities

By: Center for Applied Special Technology and LD OnLine (2007)

Learn how to obtain instructional materials in electronic text for your students who are dyslexic. E-text makes textbooks and other materials usable by supported reading software. Get names and links of publishers and accessible media producers to find the E-text you need. And learn how to qualify your students and obtain materials produced by the National Instructional Material Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) system.

Characteristics of Improved School Districts

By: The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement (2006)

What are the factors that can improve school districts? This research brief from the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement reviewed more than 80 research articles that investigated the attributes of schools and districts that have improved over time and found 13 themes or characteristics common to them.

Reading Software: Finding the Right Program

By: National Center for Technology Innovation (2006)

With the range and variety of commercial software products on the shelves today, how can an educator or parent choose a program that will most benefit a particular student? Where are product reviews that can inform the decision?

Teaching All Students to Read: Practices from Reading First Schools with Strong Intervention Outcomes

By: Elizabeth Crawford and Joseph K. Torgesen (2006)

Improving the effectiveness of interventions for struggling readers is critical. It requires a school-level system for early identification of 'at risk' students and then providing those students with intensive interventions. This article describes what the Florida Center for Reading Research has learned by visiting Reading First schools that have demonstrated success in reaching struggling readers. School leaders will find ideas described here that can help them successfully meet the unique challenges within their own schools.

Improving Mathematics Problem Solving Skills for English language learners with Learning Disabilities

By: Diane Torres-Velasquez and Diane Rodriguez (2005)

What Principals Can Do to Help Students Become Good Readers

By: Partnership for Reading (2004)

School administrators have a critical leadership role to play in helping students become good readers. This article suggests seven key action steps on how principals and other administrators can create a school framework for success.

On Summer Loss

By: John Hopkins University, Center for Summer Learning (2004)

Research demonstrates that all students experience significant learning losses in procedural and factual knowledge during the summer months.

The Six Ts of Effective Elementary Literacy Instruction

By: Richard Allington (2002)

This article by Richard Allington provides a clear-eyed view of what he believes matters most in teaching kids to read – effective and expert teachers.

Elementary Principals' Group Calls for Focus on Leading Instruction

By: Mark Stricherz (2001)

The National Association for Elementary School Principals has released a booklet on what principals should know and be able to do. Learn about their recommendations, including a focus on instructional leadership and six steps to raise test scores.

How Do I Know a Good Early Reading Program When I See One?

By: Laura Bush (2001)

Quality can look different in individual primary grade classrooms. However, there are certain characteristics of effective early reading programs that parents can look for in their children's classrooms. First Lady Laura Bush presents a list of these characteristics in this guide for parents.

DOD-Run Schools Cited For Closing Achievement Gaps

By: Debra Viadero (2001)

Schools that serve minority students can learn a lesson from Department of Defense schools, a report by researchers at Vanderbilt University argues. These schools have more effectively closed the achievement gap than their counterparts in the United States.

Excellent Reading Teachers

By: International Reading Association (2000)

Every child deserves excellent reading teachers because teachers make a difference in children's reading achievement and motivation to read.

Roles of the Reading Specialist

By: International Reading Association (2000)

Because reading specialists have advanced degrees in reading, they are in a position to prevent reading failure at their schools. This position statement describes the roles reading specialists can play in instruction, assessment, and school leadership.