Standardized tests are increasingly used to determine students' growth in reading comprehension. In some U.S. school districts, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has led to a focus on multiple-choice questions to better prepare students for these types of tests. Even though such questions can provide some important information, they do not…

In St. Paul (Minnesota) a certified reading consultant is assigned to each secondary school to provide initial and continuous inservice to English teachers who then teach developmental reading classes as part of the communication curriculum. (Author/MLF)

Struggling readers often fail to complete homework or complete it in a slipshod, haphazard fashion. Often, this adversely affects grades, erodes motivation for academics, and causes conflict between readers, parents, and school personnel. To help teachers and educational consultants (e.g., reading specialists, school psychologists) help struggling…

A great deal has been written in the professional literature about the importance of dispositions for beginning teachers with initial certification; however, little attention has been paid to the dispositions necessary for advanced certification candidates. What dispositions are expected of advanced certification candidates? How can these…

High school reading specialists possess specialized knowledge and have the potential to positively affect adolescent literacy growth. Research on the role of the high school reading specialist can create a better understanding of depth and breadth of that role and provide a comprehensive portrayal of the role. This outline lists literacy problems…

Pressures to help students pass high-stakes tests affect teachers' reading instruction, their responsiveness to students' learning needs, and their professional effectiveness. This article reports on how one reading specialist responded to testing pressures in her urban elementary school. She believed that what was "right" for her…

Poor reading ability is associated with numerous negative consequences. School psychologists should provide teachers with resources and support to improve student reading ability and prevent these negative outcomes. This paper offers a guide for school psychologists to use in the consultation process when working with teachers to address students'…

Describes the varied teaching activities of a reading specialist. Discusses how her role is already what she would like it to be and what she would like to change. (SR)

The College of Education at Texas Woman's University developed an undergraduate teacher preparation program with a specialization in reading for both elementary and secondary education majors. Graduate programs leading to both master's and doctor's degrees in reading are also available. A reading laboratory has been designed to accommodate…

Describes a resource teacher's efforts to implement a program to improve reading at the secondary level in a Florida school. Offers activities used in the program. (FL)

Describes the reading specialist's role in the Collaborative Literacy Intervention Project (CLIP) of the Tempe (Arizona) School District. (SR)

The author delivers a powerful argument for development of a team approach to literacy leadership, concluding that "Schools that develop a framework for shared literacy leadership become collegial communities of instructional practice where learning is the shared responsibility of all members. These are schools where teaching and learning are…

This article poses an alternative to traditional teacher education methods of preparing reading specialists in university programs focused solely on outcomes. An equally important issue to explore is that of process and how candidates are prepared. Studying outputs with limited attention to process factors leaves teacher educators with incomplete…

Advocates hiring more middle-school and high-school reading specialists to improve student reading and writing skills. Describes several school districts' use of reading specialists. (PKP)

Describes International Reading Association members' activities, on behalf of reading professionals, involving national accreditation, state program approval, state licensure, and national certification. (RS)