Policy/Legislation/Initiatives
It's important to be aware of and understand the policies and general trends that affect schools and students. This section contains literacy-related research from the federal government, as well as research and position papers published by education associations and think tanks.
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21st Century Literacies
Because success with technology depends largely upon critical thinking and reflection, teachers with relatively little technological skill can provide useful instruction. But schools must support these teachers by providing professional development and up-to-date technology for use in classrooms.
Adolescent Literacy: We've Been Waiting For This Moment
Three critical factors optimize student progress in adolescent literacy: 1) using multiple research-based interventions over a sustained period of time, 2) teaching interventions with fidelity and intensity, and 3) ensuring that instruction is coordinated across teachers and settings.
Adolescents and Literacy: Reading for the 21st Century
This report reviews and analyzes existing research on effective literacy instruction and the impact of successful literacy programs for students in grades 4-12.
America's Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation's Future
Kirsch, I., Braun, H., Yamamoto, K., and Sum, A. Copyright ©2007 by Educational Testing Service.
According to America's Perfect Storm, current labor market trends, demographics, and student achievement data are combining to create a "perfect storm" that could inflict lasting damage upon the nation's economy and upon its social fabric, as well. Simply put, if the middle and high schools continue to churn out large numbers of students who lack the ability to read critically, write persuasively, and communicate effectively, then the labor market will soon be flooded with young people who have nothing to offer, and who cannot handle the jobs that are available. "[T]here will be tens of millions more adults," the ETS report concludes, "who lack the education and skills they will need to thrive in the new economy," raising the specter of joblessness and despair on a scale not seen since the Great Depression. If that future is to be avoided, the authors argue, the nation's secondary schools will have to begin immediately to help many more students to reach much higher levels of literacy than ever before.
Cities in Crisis
Swanson, Christopher B. Copyright © 2008 by Editorial Projects in Education Inc. All rights reserved.
According to Cities in Crisis, the graduation rate for U.S. urban school districts is 60% and the rate for students in the 50 largest cities in the U.S. is only 52%. The gap between suburban and urban districts is nearly 15%. While the 50 largest schools districts educate roughly 13% of public high students in the country, these districts account for 23% of students failing to graduate with a diploma each year.
Closing the Expectations Gap 2007
Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2007, Achieve, Inc. Retrieved Oct. 17, 2007 from http://www.achieve.org/node/844.
Achieve, Inc. undertook this survey of state-level high school reform as part of its American Diploma Project. In an effort to examine progress toward aligning high school work with the demands of higher education and the workplace, the study evaluated graduation requirements, academic standards, assessment, accountability (i.e. holding high schools accountable for their graduates’ college readiness); and data systems that can follow students longitudinally from pre-K through college.
Demography as Destiny: How America Can Build a Better Future
Barely 50% of minority students graduate from high school on time. If this trend continues and the minority student populations increase as projected, the economic strength of the U.S. will be undermined. But if 78% of all student populations graduate on time by 2020, the U.S. can realize stunning potential benefits: conservatively, more than $310 billion would be added to the national economy.
Double the Work: Challenges and solutions to acquiring language and academic literacy for adolescent English language learners
Short, D., & Fitzsimmons, S. (2007). Double the Work: Challenges and solutions to acquiring language and academic literacy for adolescent English language learners– A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.
Adolescent English Language Learners, who must simultaneously learn English and age-appropriate subject material, face six literacy challenges, ranging from a lack of appropriate assessments to limited use of research-based instruction.
Dropout Risk Factors and Exemplary Programs
Dropout decisions may involve up to 25 significant factors, ranging from parenthood to learning disabilities. The most effective interventions address the various factors and employ multiple strategies, including personal asset building, academic support, and family outreach. A list of fifty "exemplary" programs is included.
How to Know a Good Adolescent Literacy Program When You See One: Quality Criteria to Consider
Literacy programs seem to have sprung up everywhere, but how can you tell the good ones from the bad ones? This guide identifies the key elements to consider in evaluating adolescent literacy programs.
