Florida's middle school students have been doing better in reading, both on the FCAT and on national tests. But how much credit goes to Florida's battalion of 500-plus middle school reading coaches? Maybe a little, says a new RAND Corp. report.

The RAND researchers found the coaches were associated with "small but significant improvements" in FCAT scores for 2003 and 2005 cohorts, but no significant improvements in 2004 and 2006 cohorts. They were stumped as to why.

It might not be the coaches' fault:

• More than half of them said they needed more time to coordinate and administer assessments;
• A third said teachers did not have enough planning time to meet with them; and
• A third said some teachers were reluctant to work with them.

The researchers recommended that districts address those concerns and develop pipelines for future coaches. To see the full 269-page report, click here.

-    Ron Matus, state education reporter