Includes bibliographical references (p. 177-195) and index.

The goals of this book -- Who this book is for -- What this book is not -- Overview of the contents -- A new feature -- The challenge -- Acknowledgements -- About the author -- Reading achievement : where do we stand? -- Raising achievement expectations -- The state of reading achievement in the nation -- The response of educators -- The state of reading achievement in the States -- Roadblocks to raising achievement in middle and high schools -- The responsibility of school leaders -- Reflection and discussion questions -- Focus on changing what you can change -- Change the educational paradigm -- Change how goals are set -- Change how teachers teach -- Change the curriculum and how it is chosen -- Change the alignment of the curriculum -- Change the amount of time allocated to reading instruction -- Change where strategic reading instruction is provided -- Change how learning is assessed -- Change expectations for students -- Change how professional development is provided -- Reflection and discussion questions -- Teach the students who can't read how to read -- How children learn to read : a short lesson -- Failing to learn -- Programs to remediate struggling secondary students -- Find the students in special education who can't read and teach them to read -- Reflection and discussion questions -- Teach every student how to read to learn -- Reading to learn and cognitive strategies -- The strategic teacher -- How to teach cognitive strategies -- Reciprocal teaching -- Transactional strategies instruction -- Reading to learn and vocabulary development -- Reading to learn and knowledge acquisition -- How we can engage more students in reading to learn -- Cognitive strategy instruction at alief hastings high school -- Reflection and discussion questions -- Motivate every student to read in the zone -- The value of reading a lot -- Reading in "the zone" -- The importance of reading challenging fiction and nonfiction -- The importance of accountability -- Portfolios -- Reading journals -- Book reviews -- Essays -- Personal anthologies -- Every-pupil response activities -- Motivating students to read a lot -- Engaging students in reading -- The right kind of teachers -- Skills to read with confidence and success -- The right kind of books -- Opportunities for directed and focused silent reading during the school day -- The promotion of books by every teacher -- Superior library/media services -- Reflection and discussion questions -- Create a reading culture in your school -- Pay attention to the basic beliefs and core values of stakeholders -- Determine what needs to be changed -- Identify the roadblocks to change -- Hire a strong (assertive) instructional leader -- What does it take to be an assertive leader? -- Assess the principal's instructional leadership -- Hold everyone accountable -- Make a plan -- Don't forget the parents and kids -- Assess for learning -- Apply academic press and be instructionally tenacious -- Getting the job done at Griffin middle school -- Reflection and discussion questions -- Resource A.: Assessment tools -- Resource A.1: Pre-reading assessment form -- Resource A. 2: Pre-reading assessment key -- Resource A. 3: Post-reading assessment form -- Resource A. 4: post-reading assessment key -- Resource B.: Programs for learning to read in secondary school -- Benchmark program -- Corrective reading -- Higher order thinking skills (hots) -- Language!? -- Lindamood-Bell learning processes -- Reading is fame -- Reasoning and writing -- Rewards (reading excellence: word attack and rate development strategies) -- The Spalding method -- Spelling through morphographs -- Resource C.: Creating a strong reading culture : a process exercise.