This paper describes the lessons learned from a five-year project to develop urban literacy coaches in a large, diverse, metropolitan school system. The narrative begins by reporting on the progress of the schools in the project, which documents gains exceeding both the state and the district gains. It further describes survey data from principals…

Describes how a second-grade inner-city class in California, 80% Spanish-speaking and suffering from a severe lack of books and textbooks, became a class of authors, making books themselves. Relates how their classroom library grew to over 400 books in six weeks, with children becoming avid, passionate readers and writers in the process. (SR)