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 development resources of both the IRA and IRC affected students' performances by interviewing and conducting a sample survey of CPS reading specialists and literacy coaches. The study obtained data from public access and compared how third and eighth grade students performed in meets and exceeds category in the ISAT before reading specialists (RS) and literacy coaches (LC) were hired in 2001, and three years after hiring to see if there were any significant improvements in students' performances in meets and exceeds in ISAT of the third and eighth grade students. The study discovered there was no statistical difference in students' performances before and after the hiring of the RS and LC. The analysis of the surveys and interviews with the sample of reading specialists and literacy coaches who were members of the IRA and IRC between 2001 and 2004, revealed that students performances improved in meets and exceeds through the use of IRA/IRC professional development resources. In conclusion, the study recommended that reading specialists and literacy coaches needed more time to maximize the various benefits they could gain from continued memberships in both the IRA and IRC because the results of the ISAT data did not support the analysis of the surveys and interviews in the improvement in students' performances in the three years of the Chicago Reading Initiative. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]