“America’s middle and high schools are stuck in the 20th century, using outmoded approaches to prepare students for a world that no longer exists.”

As children move into middle school, reading logs become a thing of the past. Teachers no longer demand students read 20-30 minutes a day; instead they give a vague reminders to “keep a book with you at all times.”

Somewhere along the lines, an assumption was made that tweens have been taught to read and have established a habit of reading that will grow with ability. A job well done. But not every child finds reading easy or pleasurable and many put down their books as the distractions of adolescence take over.

Today’s report from Carnegie Corporation of New York pinpoints adolescent literacy as a cornerstone of the current education reform movement. Time To Act [pdf] emphasizes that “good early literacy instruction is only a foundation, not the whole structure.” The report provides concrete recommendations that educators can implement to re-engineer literacy instruction across the curriculum in order to drive student achievement in all subjects.

The study shows achievement in reading for fourth-graders at the highest point in thirty-three years, while over the same period, a marked stagnation in the literacy achievement of adolescents. On a brighter note, the researchers claim middle school literacy deterioration is not inevitable, and present initiatives to promote student improvement even as word, sentence, and conceptual complexity increase.

Concrete examples are offered on how to redesign schools and promote excellence in all content areas through a renewed focus on literacy. Specifically, Time To Act recommends the nation:

1. give teachers literacy-focused instructional tools and formative assessments
2. encourage schools and districts to collect and use information about student literacy performance more efficiently
3. call upon state-level leaders to maximize the use of limited resources for literacy efforts in a strategic way.

“Addressing the literacy gap that emerges in middle school is a key element in driving forward national education reform efforts,” stated Andres Henriquez, program officer of CCNY’s Advancing Literacy Initiative. “This requires schools to provide improved literacy instruction in all content areas, particularly to those who struggle, as well as continual assessments of needs and progress.”

The authors are emphatic that literacy goals can be met, and remind educators about the many at-risk schools and students that have already beaten the odds. Time to Act is released with five corresponding reports which delve deeper into how to advance literacy and learning for all students, including such topics as the cost of implementing adolescent literacy programs and reading in the disciplines.

“As schools consider how to re-engineer to meet the demands of the 21st century, they must also establish a culture of literacy,” stated Vartan Gregorian, president of CCNY. “Integrating literacy instruction across the curriculum is critical for students to master the skills required for college and careers.”