Literacy coaches make a difference

Here's an example of research-based education reforms that work. Education Week's Debra Viadero covers a study showing that literacy coaches in schools can increase reading scores dramatically.

Over thee years, she writes, literacy coaches in 17 states raised reading skills by as much as 32 percent.

"The study," she writes, "which was presented here on May 1 during the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, is as notable for its methods as for its results. It’s among the first of what many scholars hope will be a new generation of studies that offer solid clues not only to what works but also when, under what conditions, and to some extent, why."

Literacy coaches work with teachers, developing strategies individualized for their classrooms.

The EdWeek article says that the study is a success story for the value-added approach, which was used to evaluate the increase in students' reading proficiency.