Jessica Toste named editor-in-chief of The Reading League Journal

The Reading League has appointed Jessica Toste, Ph.D., as the new editor-in-chief of The Reading League Journal, a publication focused on connecting the science of reading with educators’ professional practices.

Jessica Toste is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She is affiliated with the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk and the Texas Center for Equity Promotion, and she is a fellow with the Research Institute for Implementation Science in Education.

“Editing this journal is not just about managing a publication; it’s about putting rigorous, evidence-aligned research directly into the hands of practitioners,” Toste said. “I’m excited to build on the innovative features established by my predecessor, Emily Solari, and to expand the dialogue between scholars and educators. Our goal is to make the science of reading as accessible and actionable as possible.”

Toste’s research centers on reading intervention, especially methods for intensifying interventions for students with disabilities and persistent reading challenges. As editor-in-chief, she aims to further The Reading League Journal’s mission of bridging academic research and classroom practice by ensuring that evidence-based strategies are available to educators across the country.

The journal has been evolving since its launch in 2020, and Toste’s appointment signals a new phase in its commitment to advancing literacy education.

Maria Murray, president and chief executive officer of The Reading League, commented on Toste’s selection: “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Toste to The Reading League family. Her deep expertise and innovative vision align with our mission to advance the awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-aligned reading instruction,” Murray said. “Under her leadership, the Journal will continue to empower educators with practical, science-aligned insights.”

Toste also acknowledged The Reading League’s role in making research more accessible for teachers: “In a very short period of time, The Reading League has been recognized by educators as the number one place to go for understanding reading science and how it applies to teaching,” Toste said. “I think that is pretty amazing, considering the decades upon decades of efforts that many people have put into trying to bridge this gap between research and practice.”