The federal government should step up its role in promoting strong literacy skills at the middle and high school levels, a policy brief by the Alliance for Excellent Education argues.
The Washington-based research and advocacy group offers four recommendations for federal officials: support the state-led adoption and implementation of common English/language arts standards and aligned assessments; support states and districts in developing comprehensive literacy plans; prod states to strengthen teacher education and licensure through the design of performance-based systems that ensure teachers will hone literacy-teaching skills; and invest in research and evaluation on ways to improve adolescent literacy.