The International Literacy Association (ILA) today issued a position statement based on recently published research from Rita Bean, which appeared in Literacy Research and Instruction, organizing school-based specialized literacy professionals into three distinct roles: reading/literacy specialists, literacy coaches, and literacy coordinators/supervisors. While responsibilities often overlap across these roles, there are specific distinctions in terms of the primary emphasis and professional qualifications required to be effective in each role.

In the past, literacy specialists who worked with students, coaches who supported teachers, and supervisors who played an evaluative role at the school or within the district were often in a single position.

“Our research findings indicated clear distinctions among the roles of these three types of literacy professionals,” said Bean, professor emerita in the University of Pittsburgh School of Education's Department of Instruction and Learning and lead investigator for the research that provided the foundation for ILA’s position statement and accompanying brief. “We also learned that the preparation they received did not ready them for these multiple roles.

“While each role is distinct, our research showed a commonality among these roles—the ability to lead and inspire is required by every literacy leader,” Bean added. ILA’s position statement emphasizes this finding by noting that, regardless of role, “all specialized literacy professionals need leadership, facilitation, and communications skills to perform effectively.”

Given the increasingly rigorous state standards, there is a tremendous need to help struggling students, support teachers in implementing these new standards, and provide ongoing evaluative insights to ensure that schools have the right resources to advance literacy.

“Declining test scores across the country indicate the need for increased emphasis on quality literacy instruction. Students, teachers, and schools need the resources that specialized literacy professionals provide,” Bean said.

ILA’s position statement and accompanying research brief provides school administrators with guidance on how to define the role of each specialty and to clarify what type of literacy professional their schools may need to hire. The descriptions aim to help those hiring literacy professionals to better understand what skill set is required and which qualifications to look for in the hiring process. Further, the new definitions will support college and university teaching programs in developing curricula to better prepare teachers for these specific literacy positions.

Review the full report here.