Research indicates the benefits of collaborative learning for supporting academic literacy in content classrooms, especially for diverse and exceptional students such as students with learning disabilities or English learners (ELs) who can become disengaged in content classrooms if they struggle to access complex, content-related texts. Drawing…

Lorenza Lara, Secondary Literacy Coordinator for the Denver (CO) Public Schools, specializes in secondary English Learner (EL) education. According to Lorenza, EL research has shown that educators often confuse youths' regular development in a second language with literacy difficulties. This research also has demonstrated the individuality of…

A Colorado school district collaborated with local university personnel to plan, implement, and evaluate a staff development program addressing instructional improvement. The project trained upper elementary and junior high teachers in content area reading instruction and provided follow-up coaching as they implemented the new strategies. (SM)