The International Reading Association’s Literacy and Social Responsibility Special Interest Group (L-SR SIG) seeks manuscripts for the LSR ejournal by March 15. LSR ejournal is an independent peer-reviewed journal founded by Dr. Rebecca Kaminski, and now edited by Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell. Presently this journal is published annually.

The journal provides an international forum for educators, authors, and researchers at all levels presenting practices promoting literacy development that reflects social responsibility among all learners. Manuscript focus highlights quality programs advocating community engagement, service-learning, informed and participatory citizenship, social responsibility, activism, and stewardship reflecting an appreciation for all forms of diversity. As an electronic journal, interactive submissions with active links are particularly sought. 

Presenters at the annual conference as well as other recent professional development events are invited to submit an article based on their work. 

The deadline for articles is March 15 and book reviews May 15, with publication scheduled for August.

See submission guidelines, a call for manuscripts flier, and more information on the L-SR SIG website.

by Katie Branca

For many state councils, the balance between money and membership is a difficult one to find, especially with the challenges of an economic downturn. But for South Carolina, listening to the needs of the membership has pointed council leadership in the right direction.

From February 23 through February 25, the South Carolina State Council of the International Reading Association (SCIRA) will be holding its annual conference in Myrtle Beach, where convention-goers will experience a series of changes that have been in the works for the past five years. Many of these changes were made in response to membership requests. Immediate Past President Jean Brewington says they will also help balance the budget.

Meet Jean Brewington

Brewington, a member of the executive team that decided on and implemented these changes, has been a member of IRA for over 25 years and a member of SCIRA for over 20. With a master’s degree in Education in Reading from the University of South Carolina, and experience in the elementary classroom as well as in district administration, Brewington views literacy education from a few different perspectives. However, her goals and motivations have always remained the same.

“Our mission is to promote literacy through the improvement of reading instruction,” she said, adding the importance of fostering reading as a habit so that readers can use it as a lifetime tool for learning.

But, on a more simple level, Brewington said she has always focused on making people aware of all the opportunities to promote literacy. “Oftentimes educators will ask me to suggest a good book for a child to read or use in a study group,” Brewington explains, recalling how frequently she mentions the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in conversation. In fact, Brewington said she strives to promote literacy in every venue possible, whether it is face to face, in a newsletter, on Facebook or at the council’s annual conference.

Listening to Membership and Making Changes

Last year, Brewington and other SCIRA officers noticed that attendance on the Thursday night general session had declined significantly. SCIRA officials began to realize that teachers and school administrators simply could not leave their classrooms before the weekend. “The speaker was phenomenal but we realized we weren’t getting the bang for our buck,” Brewington said. “We knew we needed to make changes.”

After looking at membership data, brainstorming, and talking with other state leaders and conference planners, SCIRA chose to rework their conference schedule with teachers and school administrators in mind. Now, there are still general speakers on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but the conference opens with a banquet on Friday night, featuring Jerry Pallota as the guest speaker, and members can choose to purchase tickets for the banquet alone. Saturday only tickets are also available, and the awards ceremony has been moved to Saturday so that all recipients can be present. In addition, SCIRA is offering Child Development Credit to college students studying education in the area.

“The motivation was to be more receptive to the participants’ needs,” Brewington said. “We knew that we were going to have to give up the Thursday night opening because of attendance and budget, but we knew we could redirect that to Friday night.”

For those literacy educators who can’t make it to the convention, SCIRA is also offering a one-day fall literacy workshop in Columbia, South Carolina. Members can purchase a ticket for $35 to attend breakout sessions, shop with book vendors, and create valuable local literacy connections. And for $50, nonmembers can attend as well, and $10 of that fee will give them an SCIRA membership.

“We wanted to offer more choices to better meet the needs of our attendees,” Brewington said. “There will be more options to choose from so that attendees can attend more events, be more involved, and get the resources that help them become literacy leaders.”

Beyond the Conference

SCIRA has also begun to make some behind-the-scenes changes that will balance the budget. Rather than holding their board meetings at Embassy Suites, a rental cost of $3,000 plus catering, they have found a local school that will rent space for only $100 and board members have agreed to provide food for the event. 

Board members, who once had separate rooms for every meeting, will also be rooming together, saving $400 per night, and $1,600 each year. And finally, with the changes in the convention schedule, the executive board will now arrive at convention on Wednesday afternoon instead of Tuesday, saving SCIRA even more on hotel expenses. SCIRA has also moved their newsletter online instead of having it published four times a year, a change that Brewington says has already saved a tremendous amount of money. “We do a journal once a year, too,” Brewington added, “and that’s about $20,000, but we still have people who want to hold something in their hands.”

Changes to Come

For the future, SCIRA has a few more changes in the works. To make the conference even more accessible to teachers, SCIRA hopes to coordinate the weekend of the conference with South Carolina’s professional staff development day, which will hopefully increase attendance and state-wide awareness of SCIRA as a resource. The executive board has also considered the possibility of changing the days of the conference altogether, so that the event would fall Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday.

Brewington was careful to emphasize SCIRA’s commitment to listen to the membership and respond to its requests as a first priority. At first, when asked by members what changes she would like to see in the future, she replied, “What changes would you like to see?”

But, despite SCIRA’s willingness to react to the needs of the membership, there are a few central aspects of convention that Brewington thinks should stay awhile. “We know that teachers want to hear keynote speakers,” she said. “They need to hear the literacy leaders and they need breakout sessions to see what other teachers are doing.” And, perhaps most importantly, Brewington said attendees always need the opportunity to network. “[They like] networking, sharing, hearing ideas and beginning relationships.”

To register for SCIRA’s conference on February 23 to 25 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, visit http://scira.org/conference/. Or contact your local district coordinator for a paper registration form.

Photo caption: Jean Brewington; Tommy Preston, former President of the Student Body of the University of South Carolina (USC); Ellen Henricks, Executive Director of the South Carolina Center for Children’s Books and Literacy; and Linda Grant, Chair of the Literacy Award Committee, celebrate a successful statewide literacy initiative featuring USC’s mascot “Cocky”

This article was printed in the February/March 2012 issue of Reading Today. Click here for more information about viewing the digital versions of Reading Today issues.

The International Reading Association’s Content Area Reading Special Interest Group (SIG) seeks an editor for its journal, effective June 1, 2012. 

The Content Area Reading SIG was formed to provide a forum where research and practice related to content area reading can be presented and discussed for the purpose of promoting reading comprehension in all disciplines and at all grade levels. 

The Content Area Reading SIG publishes the Journal of Content Area Reading, an international refereed professional journal. Articles published deal with literacy research and instruction in the content areas for preschool through high school and for college/university instruction. 

Beginning in 2002, the Journal of Content Area Reading has been published approximately once per year as a traditional print journal. In addition, beginning with Vol. 7, the Journal of Content Area Reading is displayed in EBSCO's Education Research Complete online database. 

To apply for the editor position, contact Mary W. Spor, Ph.D, at mwspor@aol.com. For more information about the Content Area Reading SIG, visit www.ucmo.edu/carsig/. 

by Kathy Barclay

What’s the short scoop on the Illinois Reading Council (IRC)? IRC is an affi liate of the International Reading Association that serves approximately 5,000 members, publishes both a refereed journal and a quarterly newsletter, awards over $60,000 in grants for literacy projects in the state and internationally, and attracts over 3,000 attendees at its annual conference that yields a profit of over $320,000. IRA’s 2012 annual convention will take place in our “home court” next spring.

Like other state IRA councils, the IRC advocates quality literacy opportunities for all learners and serves as an organization to provide educators at all levels access to research, materials, and methodologies to promote and teach lifelong literacy and learning. Recognizing that its strength is in its membership, the IRC supports an active, well-organized system of local and special interest council and state committees that, in turn, provide a viable network for communication, exchange of information, and grass roots involvement of a diverse membership.

Local and Special Interest Councils

There are 27 local councils in communities in Illinois and five special interest statewide councils, including the Illinois Council for Affective Reading Education (ICARE), Secondary Reading League (SRL), Illinois Title I Association (ITA), College Instructors of Reading Professionals (CIRP), and the Illinois Language and Literacy Council (ILLC). In addition, there are 11 standing committees, 14 special committees, and two ad hoc committees. Among the committees are those devoted to legislation, studies and research, intellectual freedom, international, and RTI/Common Core. As one can imagine, when there are as many cogs in the wheel as there are within the IRC, high-quality, well-functioning leadership is a must!

Permanent Executive Office

Almost 25 years ago, the elected leadership of IRC had the foresight to realize the organization’s future role as a comprehensive state literacy organization within Illinois, and it voted to establish a permanent office staffed by a full-time Executive Director. Arlene Pennie has served as the Executive Director since the creation of the position, and the state IRC staff has expanded to also include an Assistant Executive Director, Carrie Sheridan; a Membership Coordinator, Brenda Ferrara; and an Exhibits Coordinator, Kendra Kornfeld.

Each year, the Board of Directors meets bimonthly to review state and local council events and activities. These regular meetings help us maintain a strong statewide connection and system of support and communication for our council and members. In addition, each summer the IRC hosts a three-day Leadership Retreat for Local Council Officers, State Committee Chairs, Regional Directors, and Executive Officers.

Expanding Use of Technology

Personal, face-to-face communication is augmented by our expanding use of technology. In addition to an everexpanding website, the IRC is now on Facebook, and has its own social networking site, IRC Ning, where members can create their own page, host discussions on topics of interest, share photos, post and retrieve conference handouts, and much more. A new Technology Committee facilitates use of technology during, and shares classroom tips, at each of our IRC board meetings.

Membership Values

Members may join a local council of their choice, with the price of joining the local council included in the $40 state membership fee. Local councils support their members in myriad ways. Most hold three or more local events annually, such as speakers, conferences, or Family Reading Nights at their libraries.

IRC’s five special interest councils also host regular offerings and special events throughout the year, including a stand of sessions during the annual statewide conference.

The Secondary Reading League (SRL) sponsors a number of annual events, including Illinois’ premier secondary reading and literacy conference with over 20 concurrent sessions featuring the latest best practice in reading and literacy instruction.

The College Instructors of Reading Professionals (CIRP) will be hosting a teleseminar, Chasing Grant Dollars, on January 30, 2012, to help members and other interested participants update their grant-writing skills.

The Illinois Council for Affective Reading Education (ICARE) is accepting submissions for Books Created for Illinois Students, By Illinois Students. This unique literacy project is designed to gather information about statues, memorials, or monuments in communities throughout Illinois.

The Illinois Language and Literacy Council (ILLC) hosts a statewide Young Authors’ Conference each May. Designed as a celebration to honor exceptional writing by students in grades K through 8, the conference provides an opportunity for these young writers to meet published authors and to hear how the authors themselves create the characters and stories that have become their books.

Illinois Title I Association (ITA) promotes successful instructional practices. ITA members are kept current on research, regulations, and policies associated with Title I programs in Illinois and the nation through regular meetings held throughout the year.

A full listing of these and other upcoming state and local events may be found on the IRC website at www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org/eventscalendar.html.

Publications

Members also receive our highly acclaimed journal and newsletter, both of which are packed with relevant and interesting articles and information about upcoming opportunities. The Illinois Reading Council Communicator is a quarterly newsletter to keep members up-to-date on current activities. The Illinois Reading Council Journal (IRCJ) is published four times a year exclusively for IRC members with topics, issues, and events of interest to teachers, reading specialists, and administrators involved in literacy programs at all levels of education. Both publications are also available online for IRC members.

Annual Statewide Conference

On March 15 to 17, 2012, the IRC will host its 44th Annual IRC Conference, “Literacy in the Land of Lincoln,” in Springfield, Illinois. This statewide annual conference is held each year in March, and features many popular authors, exhibitors, and the opportunity to network with friends and colleagues from all over the state. This year’s conference will feature sessions by Donna Ogle, Gary Paulson, Patricia McLachlin, Jack Gantos, Harvey Daniels, Sonia Whitaker, Victoria Risko, Sally Hampton, and Laurie Henry, to name but a few of the many authors and researchers scheduled to appear.

Grants and Awards

IRC has an exceptionally strong grant program aimed at promoting literacy development in the school and community and providing professional development opportunities related to the improvement of reading and writing instruction. Grant awards range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the project, and projects vary widely in topic.

We also confer a number of awards to recognize those individuals who have excelled in their efforts to promote literacy development within Illinois. These honors include the Barack Obama Library Award, the Prairie State Award for Excellence in Writing for Children, the Legislator of the Year Award, the Illinois Reading Educator of the Year Award, the Parents and Reading Award, the Gene Cramer ICARE for Reading Award, the Hall of Fame Award, the Illinois Reading Educator of the Year Award, and the IRC Service Award.

External Collaborations

Recognizing the importance of statewide collaboration for literacy, the IRC has established strong ties with several organizations and agencies in Illinois. Liaisons from the Illinois State Board of Education, the State Foundation for Literacy, the Rebecca Caudill Award Committee, and the Illinois School Library Media Association serve as members of the IRC Board of Directors. The Executive Director and representatives from the IRC are also frequent exhibitors at the national IRA conference as well as at conferences hosted by a variety of other professional educational and civic organizations.

Stimulating Professional Growth

The IRC’s mission is to stimulate the professional growth of literacy educators in Illinois. With support from IRA, the Illinois Reading Council continues to seek new ways to collectively foster the expansion of our vision within and beyond our state borders.

Explore our website at www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org or call our offi ce at 1-888-454-1341 to learn more about how you can establish and maintain a vibrant state council that truly serves to support and expand literacy in your state.

Kathy Barclay is professor and former chair of early childhood and literacy at Western Illinois University, and the editor for the Illinois Reading Council Journal.

This is an excerpt of an article from the December 2011/January 2012 print issue of Reading Today. Get the scoop faster -- join IRA today!

Current Council President Deborah Setliff shares news about the Tennessee Reading Association's projects, which include scholarships, grants, a new website, and their annual conference in December.

1. Are you especially proud of any of your council’s projects?

Although we are facing repercussions (as is everyone) from our national financial situation our state board strongly believes in continuing our focus on membership scholarships, grants, and award opportunities. Some of these opportunities include the following: 

• TRA State Conference Scholarship
• Academic Scholarship
• Community Service Project Grants
• Reading Improvement Grants
• Support Storytelling Grants
• Celebrate Literacy
• Newspaper in Education
• Recognition of  outstanding literacy professionals
• Honor Councils

Another project we are proud of this year is the publication of a new website www.tnreads.org for our state council. This is helping with the issue of communication between councils and state officers as well as members and nonmembers. The site provides past journal and newsletter issues, information and registration access to our yearly conference, committee information and forms, and application forms needed for applying for the numerous scholarships and grants we offer each year.

The last project that I am extremely proud of and that I started at last year’s conference was increasing the involvement of preservice and inservice students in the organization by offering them free membership and conference fees by volunteering their time working at the conference as Student Ambassadors. Last year we had thirteen students, this year we have twenty five students who are becoming involved in the organization by volunteering their time.

2. What are the benefits of joining your council?

Benefits include the aforementioned grants, scholarships, and awards. Members also receive three online newsletters each year providing them information on local and state issues and usually a professional literacy article or tidbit as well. In the past members received two issues of our peer-reviewed professional journal, Tennessee Reading Teacher. This year members will receive one hard copy journal. Our yearly conference fees are also reduced for our members. The conference co-chairs, Kathy Brashears and Jana Crosby and their spectacular team of volunteers have been busy for the past eight months planning and setting up an excellent conference agenda. The Conference title says it all: Literacy…Pass it On!

3. Are there any future projects in store for your council?

Our board is beginning to see the value of student involvement and will be discussing at our December board meeting implementing a separate student membership fee. Several local councils are already cutting their own local membership fee allowing students to join their local councils. I have also challenged the local Presidents this year to mentor at least one new teacher by offering them waived membership fees and providing them physical support during their first year or two as a novice classroom teacher. As you all remember, that is an especially trying time for every new teacher and I feel that should be a part of our involvement in the schools. By mentoring new teachers we are helping facilitate their transition into becoming literacy professionals.

4. How does one join your council?

Each of our fourteen active local councils have a membership director who is available to send application forms or answer questions. Although new members can join any of the local councils most want to join a council that is close to their home or school. Jill Barnett, state membership director can guide newcomers to their choice of active councils. Eventually our goal is to have this information on our website so that new members or renewing members can be in control of this process.

5. Is there a website, newsletter, or another way to find out more information about your council? Is there a person that prospective members can contact?

The new TRA website www.tnreads.org is the perfect resource for finding out information about the state and local councils. Past journals and newsletters are available as well. Prospective members can contact Jill Barnett, TRA Membership Director at barnettj@charter.net or myself Deborah Setliff, 2011-2012 TRA President at dsetliff@tntech.edu.

Photo caption of installation of 2011-2012 Board: Back row from left to right: Melissa Brock, Immediate Past President; Deborah Setliff, President; Randy Kincaid, State Coordinator; Kathy Brashers, President-Elect;Lou Ann Walker, Treasurer; Elinor Ross, District Coordinator; Vickie Manus, District Coordinator; betty Denton, District Coordinator;Kay Watts, District Coordinator; Front Row from left to right: Jana Crosby; Conference Co-chair; Jill Barnett, Membership Director; Imagene Reagan, Immediate Past Membership Director; Angel Viera, Vice President. Not shown: Nancy Carter, Corresponding Secretary; Anita Armstrong, Recording Secretary; and Sandra Hitt-Smith, Treasurer Elect.