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The National Institute for Literacy (the Institute), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) recognize the importance of moving the adult basic education field toward evidence-based practice. This partnership has led to various activities to fund adult literacy research projects and disseminate the findings from the research. Together, the Institute, NICHD, and OVAE recognized the need for more information and thus formed an advisory group that recommended the formation of a committee that would look specifically at the adolescent and adult literacy research, report out the findings, and make recommendations that would benefit the adult basic education field. Therefore, the Institute took the lead and acted on the advisory group's recommendation and funded a new committee at the National Research Council (NRC).

Over the next three years, the National Research Council's newly formed committee—Learning Sciences: Foundations and Applications to Adolescent and Adult Literacy, will conduct a study of the scientific foundations of adolescent and adult literacy. This research will reveal important findings with implications for policy and practice. Historically, the foundational work of the NRC produced the report: Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children (1998). This NRC report is a consensus document based on the best judgments of a diverse group of experts in reading research and reading instruction. Likewise, this newly formed NRC committee will bring together a diverse group of experts who will:

• Synthesize the behavioral and cognitive sciences, education, and neuroscience research on literacy to understand its applicability to adolescent and adult populations
• Analyze the implications of this research for the instructional practices used to teach treading in adolescent and adult literacy programs
• Establish a set of recommendations or roadmap for a more systemic approach to subsequent research, practice and policy

Importantly, this study will provide a broad understanding of the factors that affect typical and atypical literacy learning in adolescence and adulthood generally and with respect to the specific populations served by adult education. The study will also cover related issues such as motivation, retention, and prevention.

To learn more about the project scope, members of the committee, and updates from this study visit: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/projectview.aspx?key=49054