Perhaps no other educational activity draws closer scrutiny than reading; it truly is "fundamental." Because written communication is so important, it is equally important to know how well your school is living up to the expectations of parents, the public, and government -- as well as to the needs of the students themselves. This essential guide provides the specific information and working materials needed to objectively evaluate the progress and performance of any school's curriculum for reading and writing. If reading is the first rung in the education ladder, this guide to evaluation is the necessary measure of its effectiveness. This book is part of a seven-volume series for evaluating programs and services in today's K-12 schools. The "master plan" for this series is found in Evaluating School Programs: An Educator's Guide by James R. Sanders. It describes the steps involved in conducting the evaluation, including ways to focus the evaluation, identify specific evaluation questions, and collect, organize, analyze, and report the information. All volumes in the series, including this one, are designed to be mutually complementary and used in conjunction with Evaluating School Programs.