Dr. Jan Pilgreen, Professor of Education, taught for 22 years in the Glendale Unified School District as an English and ESL teacher at the secondary level. During her last eight years in the district, she was the Reading Specialist at Glendale High School. Dr. Pilgreen received her BA in English and Master's/Reading Specialist Credential from UCLA and her doctorate from USC, with a specialization in Language, Learning, and Literacy. Her early research focus was primarily in the area of Sustained Silent Reading. Having been at the University of La Verne since 1997 where she began teaching courses in the Teacher Education Program, Dr. Pilgreen is currently the Program Chair of Reading and a professor of literacy education for candidates in the graduate reading program. Dr. Pilgreen is also the director of the on-campus Literacy Center, a training ground for new reading specialists and a support center for local school children who need help in the areas of reading and writing. Dr. Pilgreen consults widely with California (and some out-of-state) school districts on SSR implementation and content area literacy strategies and frequently presents at conferences. Recent publications have focused on comprehension strategies for English learners in grades 4-12:

Pilgreen, J. (2010). English learners and the secret language of school: Unlocking the mysteries of content-area texts. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann.

Pilgreen J. (2007). Teaching the language of school to secondary English learners. In G. Moorman and J. Lewis (Eds.), Adolescent literacy instruction: Policies and promising practices (pp. 238-262). Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association.

Pilgreen, J. (2006). Supporting English learners: Developing academic language in the content area classroom.” In T. Young and N. Hadaway (Eds.), Supporting the literacy development of English learners: Increasing success in all classrooms, (pp. 41-60). Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association.