Research

Both the Workforce investment Act (WIA) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) define roles for the Institute across the research process. WIA authorizes the Institute “to coordinate the support of reliable and replicable research on literacy and basic skills in families and adults across federal agencies…and to carry out basic and applied research and development on topics that are not being investigated by other organizations or agencies….”

Two separate sections of NCLB direct the Institute to identify and disseminate reading research findings, and a third directs the Institute to conduct scientific research to “determine the most effective ways of improving the literacy skills of adults with reading disabilities….”

Over the past several years, the Institute has played an important role in bringing research to the forefront of the government’s efforts to strengthen adult literacy services and reading instruction for all ages. Guided by its statutes, the Institute has participated in all aspects of the research process from infusing research findings into current services, to building the knowledge base, to preparing for the next generation of research studies, to providing research-based information to educators. The primary subject of its research-related work has been reading, although the Institute also has integrated projects on learning disabilities, basic skills and research methods into its research portfolio.

The Literacy Research Initiative (LRI) is a comprehensive online collection that will highlight the most recent research and most rigorous research studies on adult and adolescent literacy - specifically reading, writing, and math. The Institute envisions that the LRI will bring together information on federally and non-federally funded research, including evaluation research on literacy and basic skills to create a comprehensive picture of the knowledge base on literacy.

Last updated: Sunday, 26-Jul-2009 18:58:46 EDT