Reading specialists increasingly are called upon to be instructional leaders. They must be prepared to serve as resources for classroom teachers, administrators and community, and as members of instructional support teams. This leadership role is becoming increasingly important as schools explore student learning outcomes, inclusion techniques, and interdisciplinary curricula. Reading specialists must understand concepts of organizational change and be prepared to work collaboratively with teachers, administrators and parents. They should be able to provide appropriate instruction for these students in small group settings, in-class settings, or individually, and they should be able to work with instructional support teams to help classroom teachers meet these students' needs.
Assessment continues to be an important role of reading specialists.
They need to be knowledgeable about traditional assessment practices, how to administer and interpret various large-group and individual measures. They also need to understand and be able to use alternative informal assessments. They must be competent in helping teachers learn to use informal reading assessments which link instruction and assessment in the classroom. Reading specialists form the vital link between educational research and classroom practice. They must be committed to staying abreast with literacy research and communicating the findings to the classroom teachers.