For Principals

School principals and reading achievement

"What you focus on is what will grow." — Joan Freck, School principal, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia

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
• 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

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

Working with parents

• Empowering Parents
• Getting Parents Involved in Schools

See also

• School-wide Efforts
• Turnaround Specialist (NewsHour with Jim Lehrer)