Entire Document (343 kb PDF)
Improving the Quality of Literacy Education
in New Jersey’s Middle Grades
Report of the NJ Task Force on Middle Grade Literacy Education
Executive Summary
This report represents the work of the Middle Grade Literacy Task Force formed by Commissioner of Education, William L. Librera. It builds on the current momentum in early literacy education by framing the direction for a statewide initiative designed to improve literacy achievement in grades 4 – 8. The Task Force was created to:
(1) initiate a statewide conversation about literacy education in grades 4-8, a serious area of educational concern throughout New Jersey and the nation;
(2) produce a consensus document that provides background information to guide policy and practice along with specific recommendations for action;
(3) improve the quality of literacy instruction in grades 4-8.
The report is divided into three parts. Part I, Learning and Teaching in the Middle Grades: Issues and Concerns, begins with research about learners and the challenges they face in the middle grades. Learning in the Middle Grades, offers background information on the nature of middle grade readers and writers, the literacy demands of the middle grades and the effects of home environment on student learning. This is followed by, Teaching in the Middle Grades, which includes salient research on the literacy achievement gap, English language learners, school structures, content area instruction, motivation and engagement, struggling and special needs learners, instructional technology and media resources, and assessment.
Part II, Best Practices, provides a set of research syntheses on effective practices in the middle grades that link back to the background information offered in Part I. Included are: Behaviors and competencies of students, which details the attributes that need to be cultivated to promote successful learning; Instructional features, which outlines what is known about successful classroom instruction; and Features of the professional lives of teachers, which describes key elements required for the ongoing professional development of teachers.
Part III, Summary Statements and Recommendations for Action, outlines recommendations based on the information provided in Parts I and II. The recommendations center on Implementing Effective Practices, Professional Development, Pre-service Teacher Education and Certification, and Assessment. Because the Task Force serves as advisory to the Commissioner, the recommendations are purposely cast to provide direction for policy and implementation at the State level. However, it is the intention of the Task Force that they be considered as recommendations for cooperative action at the State, district, and classroom levels.
__________ May, 2004 __________
| Penelope E. Lattimer, Ph.D., Co-Chair Special Assistant to Commissioner NJ Department of Education |
Dorothy S. Strickland, Ph.D., Co-Chair Samuel DeWitt Proctor Prof. of Education Rutgers, The State University of NJ |
The work of the Task Force was made
possible by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York.
The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the
Task Force.
New Jersey Task Force on Middle Grade Literacy Education
| Penelope E. Lattimer, Ph.D., Co-Chair | Special Assistant to Commissioner NJ Department of Education |
| Dorothy S. Strickland, Ph.D., Co-Chair | Samuel DeWitt ProctorProfessor of Education Rutgers, The State University of NJ |
Members
| Lillian Augustine, Ed.D. | Director Professional Development Academy Piscataway, New Jersey |
| Christine Carlson | Principal, Middle School New Egypt, New Jersey |
| Margarita DeCandia | Teacher, Middle School Humanities Union City, New Jersey |
| Kathy Ganske, Ph.D. | Associate Professor Rowan University |
| Elaine J. Geraldo | Teacher, Middle School Bilingual Ed New Brunswick Public Schools New Jersey Education Association |
| Mitchel Gerry | Vice President and Editor Newark Teachers Union-NJ-AFT |
| Margaret Honey, Ph.D. | Vice President and Director EDC/Center for Children and Technology |
| Debra Jennings | Executive Co-Director Statewide Parent Advocacy Network |
| Jill Lewis, Ed.D. | Professor New Jersey City University |
| Ana Mistral, Ph.D. | Adjunct Professor New Jersey City University NJ Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages; NJ Bilingual Educators |
| Lesley M. Morrow, Ph.D. | Professor Rutgers, The State University of NJ |
| Nancy Nicolescu, Ed.D. | Assistant Professor Monmouth University NJ Council Teachers of English |
| Bruce Normandia, Ed.D. | Chair, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Monmouth University |
| Vivian Rodriguez, Ph.D. | Assistant Superintendent of Schools Perth Amboy, New Jersey |
| Patricia Tumulty | Executive Director New Jersey Library Association |
| Carmina Rodriguez-Villa, Ph.D. | Facilitator, Whole School Reform Long Branch, New Jersey |
| Faye Warren | Principal, Livingston Elementary New Brunswick, New Jersey |
| L. Debra Wimbush | Director, Whole School Reform New Brunswick, New Jersey |
New Jersey Department of Education
Ex Officio
| William Librera, Ed.D. | Commissioner of Education |
| Gordon MacInnes | Assistant Commissioner Division of Abbott Implementation |
| Richard C. Ten Eyck | Assistant Commissioner Educational Programs & Assessment |
| Marcia Ashhurst-Whiting, Ed.D. | Language Arts Literacy Coordinator Office of Academic & Professional Standards Development |
| Eileen Burch | Education Program Specialist & Acting Manager Division of Abbott Implementation |
| Annette Castiglione | Director, Office of Program Planning & Design |
| Fred Carrigg | Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Urban Literacy |
| Thomas A. Chiola | Central Regional Coordinator for the Office of Reading First |
| Jami Fair-Davis | Manager, Office of Program Planning & Design Central Division of Abbott Implementation |
| Sandra Strothers, Ph.D. | Education Program Development Specialist - Division of Abbott Implementation |
Office of the Governor
Ex Officio
| Lucille Davy | Special Counsel for Education |
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Ex Officio
| Andrés Henríquez | Program Officer |
