Reading coaches have become a strategic tool to impact student achievement in elementary schools. Understanding the effectiveness and the necessity of coaches is critical as schools are facing greater accountability. Are reading coaches impacting student achievement scores effectively and are they necessary within today's elementary school? This…

An evaluation was conducted of the second year of the K-3 District Reading Plan (2001-2002) in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), California. In September 1999, the district created the reading plan requiring the use of specific programs for low-achieving elementary schools. The evaluation also focused on alphabetics, reading…

In 1987, a Dallas (Texas) elementary school principal developed a Writing to Read to the Principal program to motivate students' mastery of reading and writing in a school where over 80 percent of the students are economically disadvantaged. The program has strengthened the bond among students, parents, teachers, and the principal. Includes six…

The analysis of conceptual issues related to the perception and use of knowledge by classroom teachers and school administrators in improvement programs, specifically in urban elementary reading programs, was the primary goal of this study. To begin, a distinction was made between knowledge sources that constitute the initial bases for program…

This is the report of an observation of the Finley elementary school in central Harlem, New York City. Its reading program is projected by the principal as the instructional leverage for the organization of the school. The program is described in detail, including how parents are described and how the program is used to foster self-esteem for…