Advancing Adolescent Literacy in Urban Schools. Research Brief

The lack of sufficient literacy skills is a major factor contributing to poor performance in high school and post-secondary education. Many students, particularly those in urban schools, lack the foundational literacy skills necessary to read and comprehend the academic texts appropriate for high school and beyond. This brief provides a synthesis of the research on adolescent literacy, primarily focusing on policies and practices that can support the development of language skills necessary to access high school content. Authors advocate for leaders in urban education to make academic literacy a fundamental priority in the late elementary and secondary grades, setting explicit, measurable goals for progress in the vocabulary and comprehension skills required to engage academic texts. The report concludes that improving student literacy in urban districts will also require a significant investment of resources to mount interventions and support research on effective strategies, at federal, state and local levels. (Contains 76 notes.)