International Reading Association (IRA) Teacher as Researcher Grants support classroom teachers who undertake action research inquiries about literacy and instruction. Grants will be awarded up to US$4,000, although priority will be given to smaller grants (e.g., $1,000 to $2,000) in order to provide support for as many teacher researchers as possible.
The submission deadline is November 1, 2012. All applicants must be IRA members and practicing pre-K–12 teachers with full time or permanent half time teaching responsibilities (includes librarians, Title I teachers, classroom teachers, and resource teachers). Classroom teachers will be given preference. Applicants may apply as a collaborative group or individually.
The 2013 grant recipient(s) will be encouraged to attend the awards ceremony held at IRA’s 58th Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas, on April 19-22, 2013.
The 2012 grants were awarded to:
- Claudia Fimpel and Shaun Eyre, Chula Vista Elementary School District in California for the project "The Journey of a Paradigm Shift from Monolingual to Bilingual: Transferability of Literacy in Dual Language Programs"
- Colleen Nelsen, Chicago Public Schools, for the project "Increasing English Language Learner Dialogue: Using Literature Circles to Build Comprehension and Higher Order Thinking"
- Amy Moore, Jenner Academy of the Arts-Chicago Public Schools for the project "Leveling the Playing Field: Effects of Building Background Knowledge on Comprehension of Informational Texts for Students with Limited Prior Knowledge"
- Elizabeth Edmondson, Gilmour Academy, in Ohio for the project "Digital Natives, Libraries: Using eReaders & eBooks to Create Relevance for 21st Century Learners"
- Lisa McCarter, Alfred Nobel Elementary School-Chicago Public Schools for the project "Implementing Common Core Thematic Units to Increase Instructional Rigor in the Kindergarten Classroom"
Visit the IRA Teacher as Researcher Grant webpage for four sample winning proposals, a list of past recipients, guidelines, and the application.
IRA 2012 Research Award Recipients
Awards and Grants from the International Reading Association
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