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An important way to address the literacy needs of English learners (ELs) is to ensure that ELs receive evidence-based literacy instruction and intervention. To support teachers’ implementation of this instruction and intervention, it is necessary to provide effective professional development (PD). In this systematic review, we synthesized 19 studies that investigated PD on literacy instruction and intervention for ELs. Findings revealed that although PD often targets teachers’ implementation of literacy instruction, PD is less likely to focus on teachers’ implementation of literacy interventions for ELs experiencing reading difficulties. Nonetheless, PD programs typically resulted in positive changes in teachers’ knowledge and practices. However, only 12 of the studies reported on student outcomes. We conclude with research and practical implications related to PD for teachers of ELs that is responsive to the needs of ELs.

The adoption and sustainability of evidence-based Tier 1 literacy practices in secondary content-area classes is important to improve reading success for students with learning disabilities. We conducted an exploratory multiple-case study investigating teachers’ adoption and sustained use of evidence-based Tier 1 literacy practices that benefit students with learning disabilities. The study was conducted within the context of an adolescent literacy model demonstration project funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (i.e., Promoting Adolescents’ Comprehension of Text [PACT] Plus). Interviews were conducted with two administrators and seven teachers who sustained implementation of the PACT practices beyond 1 year of researcher support. Analyses revealed practice and school-level factors that influenced teachers’ sustained use of the practices. We used findings from this study to propose a model of sustainability of Tier 1 evidence-based literacy practices used to improve outcomes for students with learning disabilities. Limitations and implications for future research are provided.

It is essential that middle school content-area and special education co-teachers adopt evidence-based literacy practices that they can integrate into their content-area instruction to address the needs of all of the students in their classes. This article provides co-teachers with four planning tips to improve implementation of the practices they adopt. The planning tips are organized using the acronym FIRST: (a) monitor Fidelity of implementation of the adopted practices, (b) Integrate the practices into daily content-area instruction and across the year, (c) determine the Roles of each co-teacher when planning for and implementing instruction in the adopted practices, and (d) consider specific guidelines to Select Texts for each literacy-focused lesson. The planning tips are illustrated using examples related to the content-area literacy instruction (CALI) instructional framework, which is a set of evidence-based literacy practices and procedures designed to improve the literacy instruction middle school coteachers implement in their content-area classes.

Being able to identify the main ideas within a complex multi-paragraph content-area text is an essential reading comprehension skill. It is especially important for content-area and special education co-teachers to provide explicit instruction in this skill to meet the needs of their students with learning disabilities who frequently struggle with understanding text they read. To help students with main idea identification, co-teachers can provide students with explicit instruction on how to generate a main idea statement for individual paragraphs or sections of a text. Co-teachers can extend this instruction by incorporating peer-mediated practice to help students strengthen their main idea statements. Finally, co-teachers can instruct students to use their statements to summarize the text. This article provides guidance for supporting the main idea identification and text summarization skills of middle school students in a co-taught classroom.

Several strategies that demonstrate promise are available for educators to improve reading comprehension outcomes for students. However, some students, including students with and at risk for learning disabilities, require more intensive supports to develop proficiency in reading comprehension. To support these students, teachers must intensify instruction. This article describes an intensive main idea identification strategy, sentence-level gist, for teachers to use with students with persistent reading comprehension difficulties in the co-taught classroom. The sentence-level gist strategy requires students to determine the subject and important words in each sentence and then synthesize this information to write a main idea statement for a section of a text.

The conclusion of the Cuban Revolution in January 1959 ushered in extensive changes to education in Cuba. One such substantial change was the formal establishment of special education in 1962. Since then, Cuba has maintained a national commitment to the education and inclusion of students with disabilities. However, education professionals in the United States remain largely unaware of these efforts. This Global Perspectives column presents a brief historical overview of Cuban special education as well as describes current special education practices that relate to identifying and serving students with learning disabilities and behavioral disorders and special education teacher preparation.

To learn challenging content, middle school students are expected to read and comprehend complex text. This poses challenges for content-area teachers whose classes typically include students with reading difficulties and disabilities who have a variety of literacy needs. Some students struggle to decode text while many students struggle with complex vocabulary and comprehending upper-level concepts. Teachers can use a variety of instructional methods to increase opportunities for students to engage with text to enhance their understanding of concepts and support reading comprehension. This article provides guidance on how teachers can implement a critical reading of text routine that includes peer-mediated instruction. Adaptations to this routine that teachers can use to address students’ differing needs within the same content-area classroom are included. Resources are provided that teachers can use to differentiate and enhance implementation of the routine.

The inclusion of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) in typical settings is increasing. To promote success in these settings, educators must support the reading comprehension of individuals with ID. Therefore, we conducted a synthesis of the extant research on reading comprehension interventions for individuals in the largest category of ID—mild ID—in Grades 4 through 12 and postsecondary programs. We review the methodological and intervention features of eight group-design studies and six single-case design studies published between January 2001 and December 2018. Findings from the 14 studies revealed inconsistent effects of single-component and multicomponent interventions on expository and narrative reading comprehension. However, medium to large positive effects were typically found from interventions using peer-mediated instruction and explicit strategy instruction. More rigorous research investigating the effects of reading comprehension interventions for individuals with mild ID using standardized measures is warranted. Practical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

It is essential for middle school leaders to develop and promote school-wide literacy models, organizational structures that have a significant impact on the learning environment for all students i...