Identifies the elements of a successful districtwide reading-improvement program: (1) a strong central-office advocate; (2) an emphasis on phonemic awareness; (3) an early intervention program; (4) a concentration on language arts in the primary grades; (5) a basal-language-arts program; (6) a variety of assessment strategies; (7) a strong…

The past decade of educational reforms has had little effect on improved national reading and writing skills, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as "The Nation's Report Card." However, Black students made steady improvement in reading skills. (FMW)

This article tells the story of young second-grade teacher and her quest to help students reach the New York state standards in reading. It is the yearlong story of significant professional growth highlighted by the conversations surrounding student learning. The collaborative conversations between the teacher, her colleague, and her staff…

Describes one school district's (Wareham, Massachusetts) experience with Reading Recovery, a first-grade program to help low achievers and at-risk readers. In contrast to reports from Reading Recovery staff, an outside evaluation found that the program did not meet expectations and did not produce lasting results. The district concluded that it…

Evaluates the report of the Commission on Reading, "Becoming a Nation of Readers," which focuses on giving attention to classroom teaching, testing, and teacher education. It gives recommendations for changes in the way reading is taught and includes the list of 17 recommmendations from the report. (MD)