This professional development resource is a carefully researched and well-presented article about the need for 21st-century literacy coaches and the means by which to train secondary teachers for such leadership roles. An introductory executive summary provides a detailed overview of the need for improving literacy, and the subsequent sections--(1) What American Adolescents Need; (2) Foundation For Change; (3) Effective Literacy Strategies; (4) Why Change is Difficult; (5) The Literacy Specialist as Coach; (6) Program Examples; (7) Pathways for Becoming a School-Based Literacy Specialist; (8) Next Steps; and (9) The Alliance for Excellent Education's Adolescent Literacy Initiative--delve into the specific research, strategies, and steps needed to train and equip literacy coaches. The References section included at the end of the article provides additional resources for training and developing secondary school literacy coaches. (author/bebrown)