The Roadmap to District Literacy Success

A Practical Guide for School Leaders

"Reading failure is too often treated like a mystery when, in many districts, it is a systems problem. Jessica Hamman gives leaders a clear path from knowing better to doing better. Roadmap to District Literacy Success is not another literacy slogan; it is a practical guide to the systems, instruction, intervention, coaching, and follow-through that make change real. This book is for leaders who want to do more than talk about literacy improvement; they want to be about the work."

"Helping every student become a skillful reader, writer, and speller is a complex process. Teachers at every grade level need clear guidance and sustained support to get this done. The support they need includes having the knowledge of how to teach literacy to all students, access to high quality materials, and the time to get it all done! This kind of support can only come from school leaders who themselves have guidance and support. This wonderful book by Jessica Hamman provides clear, detailed and practical information for building and district leaders to guide and support teachers in the classroom to achieve literacy success for all! I will be recommending this book widely."

"Over more than a century, literacy research and evidence from successful practice have gradually, if sometimes erratically, converged on several well-supported findings: that language is the basis for literacy; that foundational literacy skills are needed to link oral language sounds to their written representations; and that background knowledge and ongoing language development are essential for students to develop into fully literate beings. Unfortunately, our success in putting these findings to work in schools lags far behind. This is where the work of practitioner-scholars such as Jessica Hamman is so important, getting this knowledge to where it needs to go—into the heads, hands, and hearts of educators in schools. There are no silver bullets; no bullets at all in fact. Just slow, patient, methodical, and focused work. This helpful and hopeful book provides a roadmap, tools, concepts, and knowledge that can help lead the way."

"Jessica Hamman’s Roadmap to District Literacy Success is a highly readable, practical guide to implementing and sustaining science of reading-based school reform. Hamman has extensive experience in educator professional development and facilitating school improvement, and those qualities are evident throughout this valuable book. Readers will especially appreciate her guidelines on choosing an evidence-based core reading curriculum, her attention to the needs of different types of school districts, her explanation of barriers to successful implementation and how to overcome them, and her insightful discussion of special education issues. The many personal examples and “stories from the road” make the book especially relatable for anyone interested in implementing reading reform. This book will be a go-to resource for school leaders, administrators, and others seeking to bring the Science of Reading to their schools."

"Jessica Hamman has written a masterpiece that provides literacy leaders with a clear and comprehensive guide for integrating the science of reading, the science of implementation, and the science of learning in the service of improving reading proficiency for all students. Roadmap to Literacy Success is exceptional in its scholarship, depth of knowledge, and practical application. Hamman takes both aspiring and experienced literacy leaders on a purposeful journey—from examining their current understanding of reading science and its translation into classroom practice, to identifying gaps in knowledge and leadership capacity. Equally important, the book demonstrates how to build a culture of collaboration, collective efficacy, and continuous improvement through shared knowledge and a common professional language. This is not simply a book about literacy leadership; it is a blueprint for transforming reading outcomes through the effective translation of science into practice."

"The practical advice and guidance that Jessica Hamman shares in this book are taken squarely from her having walked the walk of school and district change. The reader can tell that her “magic wand” is clarity of purpose, tact, empathy, and wisdom accrued from experience—in addition to many useful tools. This kind of down-in-the-trenches know-how will be of great interest to school leaders who are navigating change."

"A must-have book on successful leadership and implementation of evidence-based literacy instruction. This excellent resource includes case studies and practical tools to help school leaders support educators and effectively implement literacy initiatives."

"This book provides exactly education leaders need to be able to enact and more importantly sustain effective literacy practices in their schools. "