The following research awards and grants were presented on the evening of Monday, April 30, 2012 at the IRA 57th Annual Convention in Chicago.
2012 IRA Dina Feitelson Research Award
Sheila W. Valencia, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Antony T. Smith, University of Washington, Bothell, Washington
Anne M. Reece, Highline School District, Seattle, Washington
Min Li, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Karen K. Wixson, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina
Heather Newman, Tukwila School District, Tukwila, Washington
“Oral Reading Fluency Assessment: Issues of Construct, Criterion, and Consequential Validity,” published in Reading Research Quarterly, 45(3), 270-291, 2010
This award is sponsored by Jehuda Feitelson to honor the memory of Dina Feitelson.
2012 IRA Jeanne S. Chall Research Fellowship
Krystal Werfel, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee,
“Contribution of Linguistic Knowledge to Spelling Ability in Elementary Children with and without Language Impairment”
2012 IRA Steven A. Stahl Research Grant
Joe Stouffer, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada,
“The Classroom Impact of Reading Recovery Training: Re-Situating and Examining Reading Recovery-Based Teacher Learning,”
This grant is sponsored by Katherine A. Stahl to honor the memory and work of Steven A. Stahl.
2012 IRA Helen M. Robinson Research Grant
Wilma Benitez-Rivera, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia
“Efficacy of A2C Strategy for Improving Sentence Comprehension in English Language Learners”
2012 IRA Elva Knight Research Grants
Makeba Wilbourn, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, and Vrinda Kalia, Worcester State University, Massachusetts
“Language and Literacy Development in Dual-language Learners: Examining Relations Between Oral Language, Executive Function, and Literacy Development”
Rachel Gabriel, University of Connecticut, Storrs, and Jessica Lester, Washington State University, Pullman
“The Role of Teacher Language in Mediating Student Understanding During Reading Comprehension Instruction”
2012 IRA Teacher as Researcher Grants
Claudia Fimpel and Shaun Eyre, Chula Vista Elementary School, California
“The Journey of a Paradigm Shift from Monolingual to Bilingual: Transferability of Literacy in Dual Language Programs”
Colleen Nelsen, Chicago Public Schools, Illinois, “Increasing English Language Learner Dialogue: Using Literature Circles to Build Comprehension and Higher Order Thinking”
Amy Moore, Jennifer Academy of the Arts, Chicago Public Schools, Illinois
“Leveling the Playing Field: Effects of Building Background Knowledge on Comprehension of Informational Texts for Students with Limited Prior Knowledge”
Elizabeth Edmondson, Gilmour Academy, Gates Mills, Ohio
“Digital Natives, Libraries: Using eReaders & eBooks to Create Relevance for 21st Century Learners”
Lisa Carter, Alfred Nobel Elementary School, Chicago Public Schools, Illinois,
“Implementing Common Core Thematic Units to Increase Instructional Rigor in the Kindergarten Classroom”
2012 IRA Albert J. Harris Award
Pictured above: IRA President Carrice Cummins;
IRA Research Director Virginia Goatley;
Lunetta Williams, Department of Childhood Education, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida;
Jennifer Graff, College of Education, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia;
Jacqueline Zeig, PCG Education of Portsmouth, New Hampshire;
Anne McGill-Franzen and Richard L. Allington, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee;
Courtney Zmach, Collier County Public Schools, Naples, Florida;
not pictured: Gregory Camilli, School of Education, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado;
Rhonda Nowak, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
“Addressing Summer Reading Setback Among Economically Disadvantaged Elementary Students,” published in Reading Psychology, 31,411–427, 2010
2012 IRA Outstanding Dissertation of the Year
Tanya S. Wright, Michigan State University, East Lansing
“What Classroom Observations Reveal about Oral Vocabulary Instruction in Kindergarten,” received from the University of Michigan
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Susan B. Neuman
The IRA Outstanding Dissertation Award is sponsored by School Rise, LLC.
2012 IRA Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Finalists
Pictured above with IRA President Carrice Cummins:
Cheryl Wozniak, dissertation from the University of San Francisco, chaired by Patricia Busk, dissertation title: “Reading and the Boy Crisis”;
Kathryn Louise Solic, dissertation from the University of Tennessee, chaired by Anne McGill-Franzen, dissertation title: “Teachers’ Experiences with Comprehension Instruction in Upper Elementary Classrooms”;
Jen Scott Curwood, dissertation from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, chaired by Dawnene Hassett, dissertation title: “The Nexus of Continuity and Change: Digital Tools, Social Identities, and Cultural Models in Teacher Professional Development”;
Deborah Beth Scott, dissertation from the University of Maryland, chaired by Mariam Jean Dreher, dissertation title: “Explicit Instruction on Rhetorical Patterns and Student-Constructed Graphic Organizers: The Impact on Sixth-Grade Students’ Comprehension of Social Studies Text”;
Sherry Sanden, dissertation from the Washington State University, chaired by Joy Egbert, dissertation title: “Independent Reading: Perspectives and Practices of Highly Effective Teachers”;
Nicole M. Martin, dissertation from the Michigan State University, chaired by Nell K. Duke, dissertation title: “Exploring Informational Text Comprehension: Reading Biography, Persuasive Text, and Procedural Text in the Elementary Grades”;
Sue Larson, dissertation from the Aurora University, chaired by Jay Thomas, dissertation title: “The Effects of Academic Literacy Instruction on Engagement and Conceptual Understanding of Biology of Ninth-Grade Students”;
Michelle R. Ciminelli, dissertation from the University at Buffalo, chaired by Mary McVee, dissertation title: “Teacher Decision Making in Reading Instruction with Choices and Mandates”;
Megan Mahowald, dissertation from the University of Minnesota; chaired by Lori Helman, dissertation title: “Fourth Grade Among Students’ Reading Proficiency”
Photos of Harris Award winners, Werfel, Stouffer, Benitez-Rivera, Nelsen, Moore, Wright, and dissertation finalists by Chuck Fazio Photography.
This article is reprinted from the June/July 2012 issue of Reading Today. IRA members can read theinteractive digital version of the magazine here. Nonmembers: join today!