Webinar on Literacy and Technology in the Classroom

Washington, D.C. – Experts for the American Institutes for Research and CAST will participate in a Webinar on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 on “Literacy and Technology in the Classroom: The Thinking Reader Study.” The Webinar is hosted by the Northeast and the Islands Regional Educational Laboratory (REL-NEI).

During the Webinar, members of the study design team from AIR and CAST will discuss the study's design and methodology and demonstrate the Thinking Reader program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and conducted by REL-NEI.

When: Tuesday, August 25, 2009, from 12:00 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. EDT.

Participants:

• Teresa Duncan, Principal Investigator, American Institutes for Research; REL-NEI
• Kathryn Drummond, Evaluation Director, American Institutes for Research; REL-NEI
• Peggy Coyne, Implementation Director, CAST
• Carole Urbano, Moderator, Education Development Center, Inc.; REL-NEI

About the REL-NEI Thinking Reader Study: REL-NEI’s Thinking Reader multiyear study is looking at the impact of a computer-based program on reading achievement in 32 high-need schools in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The goal of the program is to help advance literacy development, especially comprehension and vocabulary skills, among middle-grade students. During the Thinking Reader study, sixth-grade teachers at participating schools and their students used the program as a supplement to their regular English language arts curriculum. Data collection was completed in spring 2009, and the final report is expected to be released in spring/summer 2010.

About AIR

Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education and workforce productivity. For more information, visit www.air.org.