Secondary school educators too often find that their students do not have the necessary literacy skills to use reading and writing effectively to learn subject matter. For middle and high school educators searching for ways to promote literacy, this book bridges the divide between what the research says works in literacy and what is happening in most of today's content-area classrooms. The book reviews relevant research from the past 20 years and describes the implications for classroom practice. The first section of the book provides an overview of the issues related to ongoing adolescent literacy support and development, followed by an introduction to the Adolescent Literacy Support Framework. Each of the next four sections are devoted to one of the Key Components of the Framework. Each section contains a summary of the research for that Key Component, followed by annotated reviews of resources that provide insights into the implications of the research and illustrate implementation of research-based practices. Lastly, the extensive bibliography includes all of the citations found in the book as well as many more studies and resources of value to educators interested in learning more. The book is divided into the following sections: Introduction; The Adolescent Literacy Support Framework; Overview of Key Component A: Address Student Motivation to Read and Write; Overview of Key Component B: Implement Research-Based Literacy Strategies for Teaching and Learning; Overview of Key Component C: Integrate Reading and Writing across the Curriculum; and Overview of Key Component D: Ensure Support, Sustainability, and Focus through Organizational Structures and Leadership Capacity.

Literacy lies at the heart of student understanding and achievement. Yet too many educators mistakenly assume that the reading, writing, speaking, and thinking skills that students developed in elementary school are sufficient for the sophisticated learning tasks they face in middle and high school. The result? Disappointing test scores, high dropout rates, and students unprepared for higher education, citizenship, and the world of work. Taking Action on Adolescent Literacy: An Implementation Guide for School Leaders presents a structured approach to using literacy as a lever for overall school improvement. Literacy instruction is not an ""add-on,"" authors Judith L. Irvin, Julie Meltzer, and Melinda Dukes insist; it's an ongoing essential. All adolescent students, no matter what their level of achievement, can benefit from direct instruction in reading, writing, speaking, and thinking. And all secondary school leaders can improve students' literacy and learning by following the five action steps outlined in this book: (1) develop and implement a literacy action plan, (2) support teachers to improve literacy instruction, (3) use data to make curricular decisions, (4) build capacity for shared leadership, and (5) creatively allocate resources to support the literacy plan. The book also offers strategies to help educators integrate literacy and learning across the content areas, provide targeted interventions for students who are struggling the most, and develop a supportive school environment that involves parents, community members, and district leaders. Practical tools, helpful resources, and vignettes based on the authors' extensive work in school districts nationwide make this an indispensable guide for principals, central office administrators, literacy coaches, department chairs, and other school leaders committed to helping students succeed.

Directly linked with overall student achievement, graduation rates, and success in higher education, literacy is essential for reaching academic goals in a school or county. Adolescent literacy has become the focus of many school improvement efforts to meet the needs of secondary and high school students. Without the requisite expertise in literacy, administrators and other school leaders charged with literacy improvement initiatives need a systemic and sustained approach for improving student literacy and learning. Taking the Lead on Adolescent Literacy presents a concrete, user-friendly, and practical guide to developing, implementing, and monitoring a schoolwide or county-wide literacy action plan. Readers will find rubrics, tools, and processes developed and field-tested by the authors over more than 10 years of close work with schools across the country.