• Teaching all students to read on grade level at a very young age, and
• Narrowing the achievement gaps among white, African-American, and Hispanic students.

The focus on reading is in full swing for the 1998-99 school year, affecting all 346,000 students and their teachers in every classroom, every grade level, and every subject. Every student is required to read independently for 30 minutes in school and 30 minutes at home every day, in addition to assigned homework.

Known as the Comprehensive Reading Plan (not "program," Silver is careful to point out), this "massive effort" is turning into a community crusade. Supportive parents are reading with their children at home. Enthusiastic employers are donating incentives to encourage students to read and are sponsoring community reading events. Average students report that they enjoy seeing other students read and discussing books with them.

While the daily reading requirement is capturing Miami's attention, perhaps more striking are the dramatic changes in teaching and school practices that are occurring throughout the district. A team of teachers and administrators developed a "unified approach to teaching reading," Silver says. Every school now has a "reading leader" who is expected to become an expert in reading; in Title I schools, the reading leader is a full-time position.

The reading leaders received intensive training and now are working with classroom teachers to improve reading. In the early grades, teachers stress phonics and immerse students in a "print-rich" environment. In later grades, teachers integrate reading into every subject. Silver credits the school board for carrying through on the commitment to reading with adequate funding for staff development and materials.

It's too soon for test results to validate the reading plan. Silver expects reading scores to rise, however, just as math scores have risen as a result of a National Science Foundation Urban Systemic Initiative grant. "That was our model for how we marshalled the reading plan," Silver says, suggesting a strategy for other urban districts.

In February 1999, a task force convened by the school board will release a report on the barriers to academic achievement among minorities in the district. The report is not expected to disclose any earthshaking revelations, Silver says. But it will focus community attention on the challenges many urban districts face, such as low expectations, a watered-down curriculum, inadequately prepared teachers, and a lack of parental involvement. The report also will make specific recommendations for addressing these challenges.