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A "literacy coach" and "reading coach" are terms that are used interchangeably at the primary level, while an "instructional coach" is essentially a literacy coach but at the middle to secondary level (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 48).

A literacy coach is hired to work closely with teachers to improve classroom instruction by supporting teachers in their professional learning; they are also hired to "facilitate school literacy program efforts" (Bean & Kern, 2017, p. 617). Some of their responsibilities include:

Providing teachers with relevant professional learning opportunities and guidance to implement evidence-based strategies (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 48).

Transforming assessment data into "practical action"; includes taking responsibility for the school's literacy program (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 48).

Having up-to-date knowledge about literacy pedagogies and sharing it with teachers so they can implement it into their instruction (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 49).

Working with teachers closely "day-to-day" using a "job-embedded approach" in efforts to support differentiation and instruction;  (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 49).

Shaping their coaching as a form of collaboration amongst "skilled collaborators" (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 49).

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The job description for a literacy/reading specialist has changed throughout the years, but in 2007, IRA's revised the description of the role. "Many spend part of their time as literacy coaches or reading/ literacy coaches, but they can also act as supervisors or coordinators of reading/literacy programs with related administration duties" (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 42)

Three specific roles for reading specialist work are:

Working with struggling readers- This could mean providing students with literacy intervention to help meet an individual student's needs. For schools that use the Response to Intervention model, reading specialist often help students in Tier II and Tier III.

Support teacher's learning and self-reflection- Reading specialist can help to guide teachers reflections on their own teachings and lessons. This helps collaboration helps to build the relationship between the reading specialist and teacher.

Developing, leading, and/or evaluating school wide programs- This is where the literacy coach and reading specialist roles differ because reading specialist have a more systemic role. "They are often responsible for supporting school or district reform initiatives. With RtI/ multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) and state standards for students, they will be assuming an even greater role in the school assessment system as it is tied to school improvement initiatives" (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 43).

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According to Shearer et al., (2017), they believe reading specialist should:

-Be knowledgeable and all levels pre-K- 12 and continue to add to their knowledge.
-Be affiliated with ILA, NCTE, or other literacy related organizations.
-Be good listeners.
-Have collaboration skills.
-Honor confidentiality.
-"Understand the demands of increasing complex genres, text complexity disciplinary pedagogy, and digital literacies, particularly as they apply to the middle and secondary school culture" (p. 45).
-Be knowledge about the latest evidence-based practices to support English learners.
-"Be advocates for equity, social justice, and culturally responsive instruction" (p. 45).

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Literacy coaches must have strong interpersonal skills as they work alongside other professionals and their colleagues.

Important characteristics of a literacy coach identified in the article by Bean and Kern (2017) include:

trustworthy and build rapport

good (active) listener

respectful of other's opinions and knowledge

accessible to teachers

passionate about literacy and coaching

Important Characteristics of a literacy coach identified in the article by Fisher (2019) include acting as a:

learner

listener

problem-solver

planner/unwrapper and cheerleader

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It is necessary for literacy coaches to have knowledge in:

- the content of the grade level they will support
- all factors of reading processes and assessment (pedagogies included)
- experience working with/coaching teachers
- public speaking and leadership
- experience in modeling and providing feedback

(Shearer et al., 2017 p. 53)

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Literacy coaches communicate and interact with teachers using six different literacy coaching models. These models vary from informal, formal, mixed, peer coaching, cognitive coaching, and clinical supervision.

Informal: supporting teachers outside of the classroom; e.g., conferences about planning lessons and setting goals, professional learning opportunities, determining best assessment strategies, etc (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 51).

Mixed: supporting teachers mostly outside of the classroom, but some in-class observation; e.g., identifying needs in classroom, coplanning lessons, helping teachers use assessment to drive instruction, measuring growth toward personal goals, orchestrating professional development & study guides (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 51).

Formal: supporting teacher mainly in the classroom; e.g., modeling lessons and then discussing, coteaching, observing planning and instruction, and then assisting with feedback, leading teacher/school selected professional development (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 51).

Peer Coaching: supporting teachers through mentorship role; e.g., modeling literacy lessons, coteaching, mentoring new teachers, helping teachers meet administrative goals, leading or organizing study groups, observing lessons and providing feedback with suggestions, assuming a collaborative role (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 51).

Cognitive Coaching: supporting teachers through observation and feedback; e.g., using a "three-part process" (planning, observing, reflecting), noting areas for discussion/feedback while observing, providing suggestions/strategies for teachers to implement, supporting teachers' self-reflection, leading or coordinating study groups, assuming a collaborative role (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 52).

Clinical Supervision: supporting teacher by evaluating lessons and providing feedback; e.g., observing classroom, assessing/evaluating teaching, providing teachers with written feedback, preparing and implementing professional development opportunities, organizing school-wide assessments, assuming a supervisory and traditional administrative role (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 52).

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Stance and Orientation toward Literacy and Learning

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Stance and Orientation toward Literacy and Learning

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Literacy coaches assist in developing curriculum, however they also collaborate and support with the students they work with. Literacy coaches help to discover, implement, and support teachers with strategies in order to provide meaningful, effective, and authentic literacy experiences for students.

Fisher (2019) also mentions how important it is to be a learner and a teammate. "You don't always have to be the smartest in the room, in fact, it might be quite annoying to some. Be willing to collaborate and learn alongside a team" (p.3)

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The interpersonal relationship skills of a literacy coach are just as important as their pedagogical knowledge of literacy. At times literacy coaches may interact with a negative or difficult colleague. As a result, literacy coaches should be prepared to handle such difficult situations to maintain positive relationships with the teachers they work with. Strategies such as the informal model and listening to what the person is saying vs. what they mean can be helpful (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 55).

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The three different district wide literacy positions include district-level reading specialists, district-level reading resource specialists, and district-level director of reading or reading supervisor. District Wide Literacy/Reading specialists have a variety of responsibilities where they often play a more administrative role including:

-Professional Development
-Literacy and Language Coordinator
-Reform Initiatives
-Reading Resource Teacher
-Collaborating with teams
-Supervises School-Site Reading Specialists
-Reports to District Administrator
-Coordinates Reading/Language Arts Programs.
(Shearer et al., 2017, p. 41)

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It is necessary for reading specialists to have:

-a valid teaching license
-teaching experience
-a master's degree with concentration in reading
-"Substantial coursework in reading education that includes a supervised practicum experience working with struggling readers and supporting teachers as a literacy coach" (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 43)

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In order to coordinate  and implement schoolwide or districtwide professional development,  they must have a great deal of leadership expertise and experience.

In addition to this they must also have:
-a valid teaching license
-teaching experience
-a master's degree with concentration in reading
-"Substantial coursework in reading education that includes a supervised practicum experience working with struggling readers and supporting teachers as a literacy coach" (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 43)

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Reading/ literacy specialists have different ways of communicating and interacting depending on what they are working on. Reading specialists have many responsibilities which include:

Coordinating reading programs (40% time spent): This means the reading specialist will be taking on a leadership position on the literacy team. This also means that the reading specialist will be engaging with the school/community, their literacy team, and administrators while they are creating a program that aligns with the states standards.

Serving as a school literacy coach (35% time spent): There are many different roles that literacy coaches take on and it involves the literacy coach working with teachers and administration to help guide the schools literacy team.

Teaching reading intervention (15% time spend): When reading specialists are providing reading intervention they are often working one-on-one with a student. While working individually with the students, the reading specialist will also advise the teacher for developing intervention plans.

Leading professional development (10% time spent): The reading specialist will be teaching and working with other staff at the school to develop professional development plans. They can provide research to literacy professionals, and resources and training to teachers and administration.

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District-wide literacy/reading specialists must be able to have the skills in order to support and collaborate with their colleagues at both a district and school-site level. Similar to that of school-site specialists, at the very basis, according to Shearer et al., (2017):

Specialists should have a strong foundation of knowledge pertaining to grade levels pre-K-12.

Should be in affiliation with ILA, NCTE, and other national/international organizations.

Be strong and active listeners.

To collaborate with their team members.

Adhere to confidentiality.

Recognize and understand the various complexities in terms of genre, text, literacies, and pedagogy.

Be up to date on new evidence-based practices to support students.

Be advocates.

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The three different district wide positions communicates with teachers, staff, and administration to ensure that programs and materials are being effectively implemented, and report to administrators.  In both reading specialists and district level director positions these literacy specialists also engage in supervising staff.

District Level Reading Resource Specialists:
- Work as a reading resource teacher
-Is responsible for working with a variety of schools and staffs on implementation of effective literacy teaching practices and materials (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 41).
-Reports to assist superintendent for curriculum, curriculum director, reading supervisor, or even the superintendent. (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 41)

District-Level Reading Specialists:
-Supervise the work of school-site reading specialists and literacy coaches (does not engage in formal evaluations) (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 41)
-Reports to the curriculum or reading director, assistant superintendent, or superintendent (Shearer et al., 2017, p.41)

District-level director or reading or reading supervisor:
-Responsible for all reading/language arts instructional programs
-Oversees adoption of materials
-Supervises and formally evaluates all district reading specialists, literacy coaches, and paraprofessionals.
-Reports to assistant superintendent or superintendent

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Stance and Orientation toward Literacy and Learning

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Stance and Orientation toward Literacy and Learning

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"Although reading specialists often appear to have the same  responsibilities as coaches—working with teachers—the difference is that the stance of the reading specialist is more systemic." (Shearer et al., 2017, p. 43). This means that the district-level reading specialists are more concerned with evaluating the district's literacy initiatives  as a whole, rather than individual students. They support and reform initiatives like RTI and multi-tiered systems of supports (Shearer et al., 2017).

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Stance and Orientation toward Literacy and Learning

# data[].attributes.subject
Stance and Orientation toward Literacy and Learning

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This position typically focuses predominantly on an intervention level. Literacy specialists at this level work with students 1-to-1, in small groups in order to focus on supporting and strengthening their specific literacy needs.

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In some cases, schools have reading specialist that take on the job and name of a literacy coach, along with the roles and responsibilities they have as a reading specialist. It is important to understand the different roles that reading specialists and literacy coaches have.
Literacy coaches primarily focus on working with teachers and administration to help classroom instruction.
Reading specialists work with teachers and administration to help improve students reading. But, the main difference that a reading specialist does is work on developing reading/literacy programs.

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If you intend to work as a district level literacy specialist it would be advantageous to pursue an administrative certification (Shearer et al., 2017)

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Bean, R. M., & Kern, D. (2017). Multiple Roles of Specialized Literacy Professionals: The ILA 2017 Standards. International Literacy Association, 71(5), pp.615–621. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1671

Fisher, L.B. (2019, Nov 15). Tackling literacy coaching challenges [panel discussion]. New York State Reading Association 52nd Annual Literacy Conference: Empowering Striving Readers, Albany, New York

Shearer, B. A., Carr, D. A., & Vogt, M. (2017). Reading
Specialists and Literacy Coaches in the Real World (4th ed.). Waveland Press, Inc. https://ecampus.vitalsource.com/books/9781478637806

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Amelia Canatrari, Ashley Gifford, Emily Gillen, Nicolette McKeon

Literacy Department, SUNY Cortland

LIT 669-606: Literacy Specialist and Program

Professor Monaco

February 26, 2023