The National Governors Association (NGA) Reading to Achieve grant, allows Alabama to assess the impact of the state's updated adolescent literacy model and to build advocacy for developing policies compatible with this model. Alabama's Reading to Achieve Initiative aims to:

• Increase membership on the advisory council to include all major stakeholders of the state's education system. The 42-member advisory council is responsible for increasing awareness and promoting advocacy for adolescent literacy statewide
• Assess the impact of the updated adolescent literacy model and advise state leaders on policy development compatible with this model.
• Publish an informational document that builds support for the updated model and serves as a blueprint for implementation.
• Hold professional development events for the 14 pilot schools that are in their first year of implementing the adolescent literacy model.

Arizona's adolescent literacy committee continues to work on a plan to build understanding and develop a comprehensive literacy plan in Arizona. The committee recommended that the Council: assess the impact, use and effectiveness of AzReads; develop an adolescent literacy model; provide grants to districts and teachers for professional development on adolescent literacy; make recommendations to the State Board regarding policies for standards, teacher preparation and diagnostic assessments; support revisions to the K-12 reading endorsement; and provide support for improved secondary school library collections. The state plans to hold three adolescent literacy forums throughout Arizona in 2007.

Delaware has completed a literacy plan with rubrics and began to pilot the rubrics in two districts beginning in February 2007. In the school year 2007-08, all schools will need to include the literacy rubrics as they develop their consolidated plans. This requirement will likely be approved by the State Board in 2007. The state is also offering Sheltered Instruction training for teachers of English Language Learners and special education students. To focus on the literacy needs of middle school students, Delaware is also infusing literacy instruction strategies in vertical team training supported by the federal Advanced Placement expansion grant.

Florida has held multiple workgroup sessions since the start of the grant. Workgroups have been charged with developing recommendations. To assist them, the groups have invited researchers and literacy experts (e.g., Bill Brozo, Judith Irvin, Suzanne Robinson, and Elizabeth Moje) and sought to inform and gather input from stakeholder groups. During the next workgroup meeting, Florida plans to finalize the five year state literacy plan that places equal emphasis on early and adolescent literacy, revises guidelines for districts' K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan, and enhances the knowledge base and implementation strategies of effective adolescent literacy practices statewide, as measured by the strengthening of the district reading plan. The workgroup will soon submit relevant legislative recommendations to the Legislative Affairs Office as well as general recommendations to the Commissioner, the Governor, and the State Board of Education for approval.

Building on Idaho's commitment to early literacy, as evidenced by the Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Plan, the state has started to develop a K-12 literacy initiative. Idaho launched the project with a Literacy Summit to build education stakeholders' knowledge of Idaho literacy performance, current research on adolescent literacy, and instructional best practices. Following the summit, the Idaho Literacy Advisory Panel began to develop a statewide information campaign and solicit public comment on proposed policy recommendations. Over the next few months, panel members will brief key stakeholders on the proposal, seek input on the plan at regional meetings, and launch a web site initiative. Proposed policy recommendations, which will appear in the recommended literacy plan, include the following:

• Issue a statewide report card to highlight successes and gaps in literacy and academic achievement across Idaho.
• Improve the ongoing formative and summative literacy assessments and district use of assessment data to inform curriculum and instruction.
• Improve teacher knowledge of the effective reading and writing instruction and strengthen teacher licensure and preparation requirements.
• Monitor the state's efforts to improve literacy achievement with a progress monitoring tool.

The Massachusetts literacy task force subcommittees have proposed action plans for the PreK-12 literacy plan. Action plans proposed by the subcommittee for the PreK-12 literacy plan include:

• Revising the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks to establish grade and course level standards and to integrate literacy skills and content area teaching;
• Enhancing the MCAS to diversify types of texts;
• Implementing effective, standards-based, research-informed curriculum and instructional practices for foundational reading and writing skills, literacy across the curriculum, and interventions for struggling reader and writers;
• Revising educator licensure and preparation programs; and
• Developing collaborative partnerships among all stakeholders to improve literacy proficiency across Massachusetts.

New Jersey has completed the development of their Literacy is Essential to Adolescent Development and Success (LEADS) model and is working to develop a companion document with a high school framework and accommodations for ELLs. The middle grades model was piloted in eight school districts during 2006. Over 600 students participated; 114 teachers were trained and taught in the pilot classrooms. Preliminary data are positive. They show that students improved in reading engagement, oral reading and reading comprehension. The same students will be tracked to determine overall gains in the numbers/proportions of students scoring proficient in the spring of 2007. Pilot districts continue to receive assistance as they develop curricula and begin integrating the model into the regular school year framework. New Jersey will also develop LEADS training materials and plan for LEADS implementation. The state will also continue to design the ELL information and secondary framework. An intradepartmental coordinating committee will ensure that the varied NJDOE offices disseminate consistent policies and guidance across the state

North Carolina's reading advisory committee is developing a state strategic plan for reading literacy with extensive recommendations for policy and practice enhancements. The committee will take the plan to the State Board for approval. Priority action steps in the draft plan include the following:

1. Amend the curriculum revision process to include literacy strategies in each content area and a focus on digital reading.
2. Develop student assessment processes that provide for open-ended and performance assessments.
3. Provide opportunities for leadership development for principals and central office staff.
4. Enhance preparation and professional development for elementary, middle and high school teachers.
5. Analyze the need(s) for policy revision and development (e.g., systems for providing extra help to struggling adolescent readers, personalized education plans, licensure requirements, and teacher preparation competencies).
6. Develop benchmarks at the school level for each grade level and subgroup.

The state has already begun to take steps toward improving literacy outcomes. Earlier this year, Governor Mike Easley established a literacy coaching program that will identify 100 schools with the lowest-performing eighth grades. These schools will each select one teacher to receive training from the

North Carolina Teacher Academy to become a literacy coach. In turn, the coaches' primary duties will involve working with other teachers to help them incorporate literacy skills training into their lesson plans. The state budget included a $5.7 million appropriation to support this program.