International Reading Association

The International Reading Association (IRA), founded in 1956, is an international professional organization of more than 76,300 members, and 1,250 regional and local councils and affiliate organizations. The stated mission of the IRA, to promote reading by continuously advancing the quality of literacy instruction and research worldwide, signifies the broad purpose of the organization. The goals of the Association address the many dimensions of literacy, such as professional development, research, policy, national and international alliances, and leadership in literacy issues around the world. In 2007, the IRA parent organization, regional and state affiliates, and international organizations sponsored 41 conferences. The Association also publishes four peer-reviewed journals, The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adult and Adolescent Literacy, Reading Research Quarterly, and Lectura y Vida, that contain the latest reports of literacy research and features of interest to literacy professionals. Reading Today, a bimonthly newspaper, includes current information on important issues, including legislative updates; and announcements about upcoming meetings, programs, and activities.

The IRA was formed through a merger of two organizations, the International Council for the Improvement of Reading Instruction (ICIRI) and the National Association of Remedial Teaching (NART). Each of the founding organizations brought a unique purpose and emphasis to the IRA that has carried through to today. The ICIRI was formed with a focus on reading research and instruction, but early leaders in the group promoted an open-door policy to all interested persons, including parents. The early years of the ICIRI also foreshadowed the international character of the IRA, as the first charter of the ICIRI was granted to the Toronto, Ontario, Canada, council in 1950. NART was organized with a focus on the prevention and correction of learning difficulties in reading, and much of the current activity of the IRA is to support classroom teachers, reading specialists, and other school personnel in providing excellent instruction for all learners. The IRA has been a strong proponent for reform in the area of literacy [Page 479]through multiple channels, including advocacy on key legislation and the development of standards for literacy professionals.

The IRA sponsors an advocacy program, including an active legislative agenda. The Association encourages teachers, other educators, and parents to be informed and to be active in the policy arena. The IRA Web site has multiple resources accessible to any interested person. Examples include Advocacy Manual (revised January 2009), a comprehensive collection of position statements, including Adolescent Literacy, On Reading First, Second Language Literacy Instruction, High Stakes Assessment in Reading, and legislative updates. Five key legislative issues were identified in 2007 through a survey of council officers, IRA coordinators, legislative chairs, and workshop participants and these issues are elements of a 2008 legislative proposal that would make teacher preparation and professional development in literacy a national priority.

The educational reform agenda at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries has centered on standards and accountability. The IRA has participated in multiple standards projects. In 1996, the IRA and the National Council of Teachers of English jointly published Standards for the English Language Arts, an articulation of content standards for kindergarten through Grade 12 students. States have also developed student content standards in the English Language Arts, and state accountability systems have designed student assessments that are purportedly aligned with state standards. The quality of the standards for the English language arts and state standards has been questioned by critics of the current landscape of standards and assessment.

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