For Principals
"What you focus on is what will grow."
School principals and reading achievement
In the quote above, former principal Joan Freck, Ed.D., was explaining how principals get pulled every which way. But if you believe reading achievement is at the heart of student success, then focus like a laser on reading!
In that spirit, Reading Rockets has selected the following articles that are especially relevant to elementary school principals seeking to raise reading achievement.
School-level leadership
- School Culture: "The Hidden Curriculum"
- Characteristics of Improved School Districts
- Role of Principal Leadership in Improving Student Achievement
- Elementary Principals' Group Calls for Focus on Leading Instruction
- Supporting a School-Wide Reading Initiative with Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
- What Principals Can Do to Help Students Become Good Readers
- Principal as Instructional Leader: Designing a Coaching Program That Fits
What it takes to teach reading
- The Challenges of Learning to Teach Reading
- The Six Ts of Effective Elementary Literacy Instruction
- Roles of the Reading Specialist
- Teach to the Test? Just Say No
Supporting teachers
- The Process of Professional Development
- Professional Development for Reading
- Instructional Coaching
- What Does the Research Tell Us About Teacher Leadership?
- Avoiding a Rush to Judgment: Teacher Evaluation and Teacher Quality
Closing the achievement gap
- On Summer Loss
- Teaching All Students to Read: Practices from Reading First Schools with Strong Intervention Outcomes
- Lessons We Learned in Washington, D.C. Schools
- DOD-Run Schools Cited For Closing Achievement Gaps
Working with parents
See also
- Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) Q&A >
- Overview of Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) >
- New Electronics: Turn Them 'On' for Learning >
- Helping All Families Participate in School Life >
- Using Read-Alouds with Critical Literacy Literature in K-3 Classrooms >
- Building Language and Scientific Literacy in Young Children >
- Family Literacy Bag: Sleep >
- Free monthly newsletter >
- Free Ed Extras parent tips >
(English, en español) - Daily reading news >
- Reading blogs >
PBS shows and webcasts
The IEP team 
Observe an IEP team at work in this clip from Empowering Parents, part of our PBS series, Launching Young Readers. Watch video clip >
Meet the Experts:
Christopher Gabrieli 
Christopher Gabrieli, co-chair of the National Center on Time and Learning, talks about the benefits of the extended day school model. Watch interview >
See also: More Schools Turn to Extended Days





