Writing

Equity-oriented and Culturally Relevant School Literacy

Navigating identity through culturally relevant pedagogy. In C. Wagner, K. Frankel, & C. Leighton (Eds.), Becoming Readers and Writers: Literate Identities Across Childhood and Adolescence. Routledge.
Francois, C & Hood, M. (2022). Rethinking the role of reading assessments for real learning. Journal for Multicultural Education, 15 (3), 299-312
Francois, C. (2022). Urban literacy leadership: Examining one principal’s vision and practice. Education and Urban Society.
Francois, C. & Kelly, K. (2021, May/June). An asset-based mission statement: A living document for our learning community. Literacy Today.
Francois, C. (2021). Expectations, relevance, and relationships: Striving toward ideals for adolescent literacy instruction in an urban secondary school. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 37(5), 462-478.
Francois, C. (2015). An urban school shapes young adolescents’ motivation to read. Voices from the Middle, 23(1), 68–72.
Francois, C. (2014). Getting at the core of literacy improvement: A case study of an urban secondary school. Education and Urban Society, 46(5), 580–605.
Francois, C. (2013b). Reading in the crawl space: A study of an urban school’s literacy-focused community of practice. Teachers College Record, 115(5), 1–35.
Francois, C. (2013a). Reading is about relating: Urban youths give voice to the possibilities for school literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 57(2), 141–149.

Urban Schools and Leadership

Francois, C. & Weiner, J. (2022). Internal, moral, and market accountability: Leading urban schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. Urban Education.
Weiner, J., Francois, C., Stone-Johnson, C., & Childs, J. (2021). Keep safe, keep learning: Principals’ role in creating psychological safety and organizational learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Writing Instruction

Francois, C., & Zonana, E. (2009).

Catching up on conventions: Grammar lessons for middle school writers. Heinemann.

I received a copy of this book from the literacy coordinator at my previous school, which was an inner-city school where conventions were not being systematically taught. I wanted to teach the students in my classes writing conventions, because it was clear that their lack of understanding in this area was hindering their development in writing AND reading. I am so glad I read this book before creating my curriculum. This book provides a practical and executable framework for conventions lessons in any upper-elementary/middle school/secondary classroom. I have purchased and read many other books on how to teach grammar and conventions, and nothing comes close to this book in clarity and practicality.”

Reviewer feedback ELL teacher

Dr. Chantal Francois