Professional Organizations & Research

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Professional Organizations

• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
  http://www.ascd.org
  ASCD is a community of educators, advocating sound policies and sharing best practices to achieve the success of each learner.

• International Reading Association (IRA)
  http://www.reading.org/
  The International Reading Association is an 85,000-member nonprofit professional organization dedicated to improving reading instruction and promoting literacy around the world.

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
  http://www.naeyc.org/
  NAEYC is the nation's largest and most influential organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of programs for children from birth through third grade.

• National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
  http://www.ncte.org/
  The National Council of Teachers of English is devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education.

• National Reading Conference (NRC)
  http://www.nrconline.org/
  NRC is a professional organization for individuals who share an interest in research and the dissemination of information about literacy and literacy instruction.

• Utah Council of the International Reading Association (UCIRA)
  http://www.utahreading.org/
  The mission of the Utah Council of the International Reading Association is to promote, strengthen, and extend language literacy throughout the state.

Research on Literacy

• Center for the improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA)
  http://www.ciera.org/index.html
  CIERA is a national center for research on early reading, representing a consortium of educators from five universities (the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, with the University of Southern California, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Georgia); teacher educators; teachers; publishers of texts, tests, and technology; professional organizations; and schools and school districts across the United States. CIERA is supported under the Educational Research and Development Centers Program, PR/Award Number R305R70004, as administered by the Office of E April 6, 2006 of Education.

• Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication
  http://reading.indiana.edu/
  The Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication is an information repository of the Indiana University School of Education.

• Florida Center for Reading Research
  http://www.fcrr.org/
  The Florida Center for Reading Research has several project that focus on research-based practices related to literacy instruction and assessment for children in pre-school through 12th grade.

• National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL)
  http://literacy.org/ncal.html
  The National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL) was established in 1990 with a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The Center is currently supported by federal, state, and local agencies as well as by private foundations and corporations.

• National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  http://nces.ed.gov/
  The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), located within the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education, is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.

• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) - Reading Research
  http://www.nichd.nih.gov/reading.htm
  The Reading Research Program at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) started shortly after the Institute was founded in 1963.
  

• National Institute for Literacy
  http://www.nifl.gov/
  The National Institute for Literacy's activities to strengthen literacy across the lifespan are authorized by the U.S. Congress under two laws, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) in the Workforce Investment Act and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
  

• National Right to Read Foundation (NRRF)
  http://www.nrrf.org/
  The Mission of The National Right to Read Foundation (NRRF) is to Return to the Schools of America, Reading Instruction which follows Scientifically Based Reading Research. This site is designed to provide assistance for those engaged in this effort.

• National Reading Panel (NRP)
  http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/
  The NRP has completed the research assessment of reading instruction approaches. The members no longer meet as a panel but continue to present the NRP findings at various conferences and organizational meetings.

• Oregon Reading First
  http://oregonreadingfirst.uoregon.edu/
  Oregon Reading First is a state initiative funded by the Federal Government as part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Through this initiative, Oregon schools will receive support and professional development to help schools achieve the goal of all children being readers by the end of third grade.

• Reading First Program (U.S Department of Education)
  http://www.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/index.html
  The Reading First initiative builds on the findings of years of scientific research, which, at the request of Congress, were compiled by the National Reading Panel.

• Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts
  http://www.texasreading.org/utcrla/default.asp
  The Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts is committed to providing leadership to educators in effective reading instruction through its diversified research, technical assistance, and professional development projects.