In this article we present a model for evidence-based school counseling practice that involves using data to specify problems that need addressing, using multidisciplinary teams to identify and implement research-based interventions, and evaluating interventions and programs to demonstrate effects. Potential benefits of this approach for…

Discusses several recent contributions to reading research and concludes that before changing teaching methods and programs, educators need to consider ends, decide what the ideal is, and develop criteria to achieve that ideal. (FL)

Factors that have slowed progress in middle grades reform include (1) emphasizing school-level, structural changes, such as merging curricular areas and instructional assignments, which do little to change the experience of students; and (2) basing reform more on rhetoric than research. Reviews the articles in this special issue, which seeks to…

The best evidence available today shows that children who are taught phonics get off to a better start than those who are not taught phonics. Research indicates that children should learn phonics early, that children should be taught only the most important and regular of letter-to-sound relationships, and that children should read words within…

Reports on the initial results of a four-year longitudinal study of the model used by the Juniper Gardens Children's Project, which was designed to make research more trustworthy, useful, and accessible. The successful collaboration between the University of Kansas researchers and eight local inner-city elementary schools in Kansas City is…

Reflects on the author's (an influential educator and researcher) lifetime of research and teaching, and on the influence of his research on literacy education at this moment in history. States that he believes his work has made a difference because it has struck a chord in the minds of teachers. (SR)

This article describes a model of inservice training for regular and special educators (K-4th grade), with a focus on updating teachers on recent research developments in preventing and treating reading and writing disabilities and translating this knowledge into classroom practice. The effectiveness of the model is discussed. (Author/CR)

Urges that research in elementary music education focus on discovering better ways of teaching and learning music and that findings be incorporated into the curriculum. Suggests questions for research, including when should abstractions be taught? what aspects of singing can be taught? and do all children listen similarly? Recommends replication…

Twenty-nine elementary teachers participated in a 2-week summer reading institute and received follow-up support. Teachers identified as high implementers, moderate implementers, and low implementers lamented a lack of instructional time, however, high-implementing teachers reported administrative support as their top facilitator, while five…

This article describes a collaborative partnership between universities and schools designed to facilitate the work of both special and general educators instructing students at risk of reading failure. It discusses how teachers integrated this professional development in early literacy into teaching practices, and describes instructional…

Explores what the "knowledge base for school learning" described by M. Wang, G. Haertel, and H. Walberg might mean for education by describing some cases of school learning from fieldwork in elementary schools. The focus is on psychological dimensions of school learning. (SLD)

Discussion of the teaching of writing, spelling, and reading using code-based literacy methods, such as Orton-Gillingham examines the cognitive challenge of the transition from spoken to graphic word and then reviews new research findings, such as the letter as model for sound variation, ease of spelling the low vowel, and the creation of word…

This final report of a reading instruction study examined teachers' use of research-based practices when teaching reading comprehension, as well as the barriers that prevent teachers from using such practices. Six schools in two school districts in a southwestern urban area were selected for intensive study; 39 teachers of grades 4-6 participated.…

Aiming to provide a coherent and useful guide to practitioners, this paper presents highlights of discussions held at a seminar that focused on how to create powerful reading programs for all of California's students. The paper also provides an extensive summary of key findings of research, a description of effective classroom and school…

This article analyzes factors related to bringing research-validated practices to scale to enable implementation of responsiveness-to- intervention models in special education. Key components of effective literacy programs are discussed, along with findings from reading intervention research. The need for professional collaboration among…