The purpose of this study was to explore how literacy coaches can provide job-embedded professional development for content-area teachers to support their efforts in the implementation of disciplinary literacy practices. In order to achieve this overall objective, the following research questions framed this qualitative methods study: 1) How do literacy coaches define content-area reading strategies and disciplinary literacy practices? 2) How do literacy coaches support content-area teachers in the teaching of content-area reading strategies and/or disciplinary literacy practices in their content-area classes? 3) How do teachers perceive that their literacy coach has helped them to make changes in their content-area classes instructional practices? 4) How can both literacy coaches and content area teachers support school-wide disciplinary literacy implementation? These research questions were examined at three schools. A junior high school and a high school in the same town, and a junior high school in another district. All three schools are in a similar area of central Illinois. Data was collected through interviews, surveys, an observation of a planning session, and coaching logs. The data was analyzed to construct a case study for each site, themes were generated within each case that cut across all three cases. Recommendations were made for secondary school administrators: 1) hire an educated and skilled literacy coach, and 2) establish a climate of collaboration, continuous improvement, and ongoing professional development for all teachers. Recommendations were also made for higher education leaders: 3) prepare literacy professionals capable of disciplinary literacy coaching, and 4) prepare secondary education content-area teachers to know their specific disciplinary literacies. [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.]