RUNNING HEAD: UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF A READING SPECIALIST IN

SECONDARY EDUCATION
[TYPE THE COMPANY NAME]

Understanding the Role of a Literacy

Coach/Reading Specialist through a Historical
Perspective and Their Position in Secondary
Education
Sarah Wells
Dr. Snow
READ 650
November 24, 2015

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF A READING SPECIALIST IN SECONDARY EDUCATION

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Literature Review and Outline Proposal

Section I
In todays education system, there are multiple factors that are affecting a students
growth and development across all content areas. Yet, in order for our students to be successful,
they need to have mastered one of the most important skills along the way, which is their ability
to read and comprehend what they are reading. However, not all students are at grade level or
confident in their reading abilities which have resulted in a decline in reading and comprehension
skills. As students continue through the school system with little assistance in improving these
skills, their motivation and interest also declines, which leads to students dropping out of school.
In the 1930s, the title of reading specialist emerged and this individual would become
responsible for improving the teaching of reading in students (Kern, 2011, pg. 67). Since the
1930s, the role of the reading specialist and literacy coach has been ever-changing to fit the new
educational reforms and standards while attempting to fit into each individual schools needs and
structure. With these constant changes comes the impact it has not only on the reading specialist,
but teachers, administrators (principals), and the most important, students. All these changes and
impacts have had much research conducted in the elementary schools, especially with the 2001
No Child Left Behind legislation. The reason being is that the NCLB requires that children read
on grade level by the end of 3rd grade (Lapp, 2003, pg. 33). This is a good concept, but there is
gap between what this expectation is and the possibility of there will be positive results that
support it. It opens the question about the students that get pushed through and advance, even if
they are not on grade level. How will the reading specialist or literacy coach help improve our
middle and high school students reading abilities? Unfortunately, not much research has been
conducted in this field with a focus on secondary education and the role of the reading specialist.

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By analyzing the role of the reading specialist and placement in the middle and high schools,
there could be a silver lining that will help the integration and success of reading specialists to
develop stronger young adult readers.
The introduction of the reading specialist came during the 1930s when the need for a
professional, besides the classroom teacher, would help work with a child improve on their
reading skills and development. However, even this early on, the numbers of specialists were few
and often found only in larger, urban locations. In the 1950s, Dr. Cooper, New England Reading
Associations first president, offered an idea of the role during that time. His research focused on
the informal reading inventory (IRI), which assessed a students reading achievement and
problems, while Dr. Durrell, the other NERA co-founder, produced the cloze procedure, which
measured readability (Kern, 2011, 67). The primary role of the reading specialist in the 1950s
was being the remedial reading teacherusing tools such as the cloze, IRI, and the Dick and
Jane basal series (Kern, 2011, 67). However, with the use of these tools alone, the role of a
reading specialist was not yet determined and results could not be filtered down to specific tools.
Title I funding in the late 1960s changed the need of reading specialists in a more
specified way. Title I of the 1965 ESEA was the first federal initiative specifically designed to
establish funding for compensatory reading education in U.S schools. The goal of Title I funding
was the improvement of reading achievement in schools with many students living in poverty
(Dole, 2004, pg. 462). The reading specialist pulled out students who were considered at-risk
and did small-group interventions with those who struggled with reading. Yet, this new model of
instruction led to little success because the interactions between the reading specialist and the
classroom teacher were minimal, leading to few discussions about the students progress. Not
only did the lack of communication create a struggle for the two teachers, but findings reported

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that student gains with the small-group became losses when going back in the mainstream
classroom. The classroom teacher could not make the accommodations necessary for the student
when they rejoined the mainstream class, so their progress ultimately, regressed.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, there was a large influence of getting the reading
specialists and teachers to work together on students improvements, while encouraging reading
both inside and outside of the classroom (Kern, 2011, pg. 68). The 1980s saw the emergence of
the reading warsin which reading professionals sought to prove whether the phonics or
whole language approach was more successful with students (Kern, 2011, pg. 69). The 1990s
was a pivotal point for reading specialists in the educational world. Henwood suggested a new
role for the reading specialist, contributing to a high schools collaborative educational culture,
which focused on the reading achievement of young adults (1999, pg. 322). In the late 1990s, the
International Reading Association (IRA) assisted in the commission of obtaining evidence to
develop a position statement on the role of reading specialists (IRA, 2000). This survey
identified four main functions of the reading specialist: providing instruction, assessing student
performance, serving as a resource and handling administrative tasks (Bean et. all., 2002). One
of the largest shifts from the 1950s was the use of the in-class versus the pull-out method. The
national instructional shift from a pull-out to an in-class model of instruction resulted in teachers
viewing reading specialists as a both a resource and a school leader who could provide
professional development on instructional issues (Bean et. all., 2015, 85). These were important
and critical changes that were being made because they were becoming more adaptable for the
specialist, teachers, and students.
Breaking into the new millennium, Congress authorized the revision of ESEA of 1965
and the reissue of the Title I act that went with that part of the ESEA. The goal remained the

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same as in 1965; however, three new critical features that ensured improvement of reading and
academic achievement were created. These are:

All teachers need to be highly qualified to teach reading, which means high quality
instruction in the primary grades will help limit the number of students who need

specialized instruction later on.

The reading instructional strategies and programs used to teach reading should be

scientifically based.
Effective and efficient informal assessment techniques should inform instruction and
assist teachers in monitoring the progress of each child (Dole, 2004, pg. 463).

However, many reading specialists are funded by Title I, which means they assume roles and
responsibilities that are dictated by the requirements of the funding program, leading to a
continuum of new roles over time (Quatroche, 2001, pg. 283). While Title I has a strategic focus
on elementary grades and getting children to grade level by 3rd grade, there is limited research for
the role of a reading specialist in secondary education. Literacy coaches and reading specialists
have been questioning their roles in the middle and high school classrooms and where they fit
with the standards of the ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act).
The standards for middle and high school literacy coaches are fairly recent, having been
written in 2006. The International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of
English, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Science Teachers
Association, and the National Council for the Social Studies created standards for middle and
high school literacy coaches, which has them assume the following roles: (a) collaborators, (b)
job-embedded coaches, (c) evaluators of literacy needs, and (d) instructional strategists in
English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies (Blamey, 2008, pg. 310).

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According to the standards (IRA, 2006), secondary coaches also need a breadth of content
knowledge that enables them to provide appropriate support to content teachers and to improve
academic literacy in each core subject area (Blamey, 2008, pg. 311). There is limited research
that has been done on literacy coaching at the secondary level. More research is needed on the
actual roles and duties of secondary literacy coaches to assess the extent which coaches at the
secondary setting are fulfilling the roles described for them in the standards, which includes
evaluating the impact of literacy coaches on teacher and student performance, informing the
work of professional developers who prepare coaches, and advise principals who work closely
with coaches (Blamey, 2008, pg. 311-312). There are also minimal programs available that place
literacy coaches and reading specialists in secondary schools. The Alliance for Excellent
Education estimates that, to meet the needs of the more than nine million fourth through twelfth
graders who read at below basic levels, approximately 10,000 literacy coaches will be needed
(assuming a ratio of one coach to every twenty classroom teachers) (Sturtevant, 2003, pg. 2).
This means students are not only facing a struggle with reading in primary schools, but in the
secondary schools as well. By conducting more research on the roles and standards of middle
and high school literacy coaches, it would provide more insight and development for what the
students need from their instruction and what resources would be beneficial for them from their
coaches.
Section II
Purpose
There is limited research and studies conducted on the practices by middle and high
school literacy coaches and their purpose and role in secondary education. The requirement for

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coaches in grades 6-12 is just as prominent as the primary grades due to the evolution of
education over the past decade. Since there are so many questions being asked not only by the
literacy coach, but other educators and administrators, as to their role in the classroom, I would
design a study that collect information and perspectives from teachers, administrators (principals,
more specifically), and reading specialists on the role and responsibilities of the coach within
that specific school and how their work could be more collaborative, eventually, providing
student support through these initiatives. This study would enable me to find a balance between
the three roles of a reading specialistcollaborators, coaches and evaluatorsin secondary
education, while effectively working with administration staff, other teachers and the students.
This is important for secondary education because students are that much closer to being out the
classroom and into the real world. Their preparation for the real world requires them to be literate
and comfortable with their reading skills and comprehension abilities.
Guiding Principles and Research Questions
Utilizing the Standards for Middle and High School Literacy Coaches will help guide the
research in building a solid background of what is required from coaches in secondary education.
These are critical because they are what essentially hire in a coach into a school. Several
researchers have also argued that coaching in the secondary setting is completely different than
coaching in the elementary setting (Riddle-Buly, Coskie, Robinson, & Egawa, 2006, pg. 26).
This is extremely crucial to understanding the difference between our elementary and secondary
learners. What may work for a primary student is not always going to be successful with a
middle or high school student. Also, secondary coaches must have a thorough understanding of
adolescents and secondary school culture (Sturtevant, 2003, pg. 12). By having a perception on a
specific school culture and environment, the reading specialist is able to guide their content area

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instruction as follows. Struggling readers and writers especially need highly competent
classroom teachers who can guide them through important content material (Brozo and Simpson,
2003). Some students need the assistance from additional teachers to help rebuild their reading
skills while learning the content that they need to have mastered in order to graduate. By using
the research that is available on this topic will help guide my research question and help solidify
specific concepts and ideas that are already known to the roles of specialists in secondary
education. After reviewing the research that has been done, it has lead me to these guiding
principles, resulting in asking myself the following questions: How can I better prepare myself as
a reading specialist for middle and high school students by fulfilling my roles set by the state,
while working with my principal and co-operating teachers? How will fulfilling my three roles
(collaborator, coach and evaluator) affect my students progress and accomplishments? How will
I create and divide the time appropriately that my students will not suffer? By conducting
research that will answer these questions would not only be beneficial to the secondary education
reading specialist and literacy coach world but the administrators and teachers who work
regularly with these individuals and together, want to create a cohesive and successful learning
environment for the secondary education students.
Method
Since there have been limited surveys done on this topic, it is critical to build smaller
research topics from a larger survey. However, my survey would attempt to accomplish both with
results in the large and small perspective of the field. My survey would be submitted through
email to all Virginia Title I secondary education schools that receive funding for reading
specialists. This survey would be directed at the 1) literacy coach/reading specialist 2) principles
and 3) teachers. I would submit this email to all schools that have been listed on the Virginia

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Department of Education website under Title I, Part A: Improving Basic Programs Operated by
Local Educational Agencies School Listings. I would send it to as many schools as I could
because I understand that there will be some participants in all three fields, who might not
answer the survey. Before sending the email containing the research questions and survey, I
would try and reach out to the districts with the Title I schools in them. This way, they could
reach out to their schools prior to receiving the information and encourage their participation. By
having the districts involved as well, there is a common goal being created among the state for
understanding the role of a reading specialist in secondary education. My survey will be done
completely online through a survey database that is easily accessible for teachers, reading
specialists, and principals. The questions would include open-ended responses, rating scales, and
checking specific boxes for different roles and responsibilities that they believe they have in
either working with students, reading specialists, administrations, or all listed. I want the
questions to gauge their thinking beyond what they already do with their peers, administration,
and students. Also, I want to have questions which reflect the ESEA standards (2006) to see if
they are being followed to the best of their abilities within the specific school. I want the survey
to distributed once before the year, having the participants record some of their goals for the year
that have to do with reading specialists, and an end of the year survey, which has the same
questions, but asks if they met their goals. I want these participants to think about these questions
throughout the year and hopefully, ponder them while they are fulfilling their duties. My survey
will be sent through email with responses collected by Google Forms. Participants will be
answering anonymously, only selecting their position in the school. Analyzing my data might
take the longest when completing a comparison of the results before and after the school year;
however, I feel that they will provide valuable feedback to the districts, schools, and participants.

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I plan to send a final email with the results and the research all Virginia Title I schools and allow
for the information to be available to other schools who may be interested.
Educational Importance
One of the largest drives of my research and the creation of my study is to help our
secondary education reading specialists and literacy coaches develop their roles and
responsibilities in and out of the classroom. As the roles change, it is important our educators are
aware and are competent in their abilities, not only for a childs advancement but our schools as a
whole. With the reading specialist, teacher, and principal (administration) working cohesively
together, the outcomes for student success is much higher. Because there is a great deal of
research on elementary reading coaches, it is time for more information to be provided to assist
our secondary coaches. Secondary coaches serve larger numbers of teachers (because high
schools are generally much larger than elementary schools) who serve more diverse groups of
students (because achievement gaps widen over time) than elementary coaches (Blamey, 2008,
pg. 322). Teachers and readings specialists need to work to build their students progress
together, while understanding each others role in the process. Principals and reading specialists
should have an open line of communication when discussing the roles and responsibilities
expected in secondary education literacy coaches. By raising awareness of these roles and how
each individual intertwines with one another, it will help build a community among the staff and
it is our responsibility to facilitate successful programs and initiatives that do so. Our high school
students need just as much guidance as our elementary school students do and we want to send
strong, literate readers and writers into the real world once they leave and graduate school.
References

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Bean, R.M., Cassidy, J., Grumet, J.V., Shelton, D., & Wallis, S.R. (2002). What do Reading
Specialists do? Results from a National Survey. The Reading Teacher, 55(8), 2-10.
Bean, R. M., Kern, D., Goatley, V., Ortlieb, E., Shettel, J., Calo, K., & ... Cassidy, J. (2015).
Specialized Literacy Professionals as Literacy Leaders: Results of a National
Survey. Literacy Research And Instruction, 54(2), 83-114.
Blamey, K. L., Meyer, C. K., & Walpole, S. (2008). Middle and High School Literacy Coaches:
A National Survey. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(4), 310-323
Brozo, W. G., and Simpson, M. L. (2003.) Readers, Teachers, Learners: Expanding Literacy
Across the Content Areas (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education Inc.
Dole, J. A. (2004). The Changing Role of the Reading Specialist in School Reform. The Reading
Teacher, (5). 462
Henwood, G. F. (1999). A New Role for the Reading Specialist: Contributing toward a High
School's Collaborative Educational Culture. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, (4).
316.
International Reading Association. (2006). Standards for middle and high school literacy
coaches. Newark, DE: Author.
International Reading Association. (2000). Teaching All Children to Read: The Roles of the
reading specialist. Newark, DE: Author.
Kern, D. (2011). 62 years of the pendulum's swing: The role of the reading specialist. New
England Reading Association Journal, 46(2), 67-72.

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Lapp, D., Fisher, D., Flood, J., & Frey, N. (2003). Dual Role of the Urban Reading
Specialist. Journal Of Staff Development, 24(2), 33-36.
Quatroche, D. J., Bean, R. M., & Hamilton, R. L. (2001). The Role of the Reading Specialist: A
Review of Research. The Reading Teacher, (3). 282-294.
Riddle-Buly, M.R., Coskie, T., Robinson, L., & Egawa, K. (2006). Literacy Coaching: Coming
Out of the Corner. Voices From the Middle, 13(4). 24-28.
Sturtevant, E. (2003). The Literacy Coach: A Key to Improving teaching and learning in
Secondary Schools. Washington, D.C: Alliance for Excellent Education. 1-26.