LRA’s Strategic Plan is intended to enrich and support LRA’s mission. To that end, research endeavors are a central concern within and across all aspects of the proposed plan.
The Literacy Research Association (LRA) is a community of scholars dedicated to promoting research that enriches the knowledge, understanding, and development of lifespan literacies in a multicultural and multilingual world. LRA is committed to ethical research that is rigorous, methodologically diverse, and socially responsible. LRA is dedicated to disseminating such research broadly so as to promote generative theories, informed practices and sound policies. Central to its mission, LRA mentors and supports future generations of literacy scholars.)
Strategic Plan Overview
STRANDS
RESEARCH
GOVERNANCE
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION
LRA produces and disseminates research through our conference and publications (Journal of Literacy Research, Literacy Research: Theory, Method, Practice, and LRA’s Newsletter.) The annual conference is also a major site for sharing peer-reviewed research. In the context of the conference, there are many places where research is considered: the review process for conference proposals, the presentation of research, the awards given to recognize outstanding research, and opportunities for mentoring researchers.
LRA aims to promote research that is ethical, rigorous, methodologically diverse, and socially responsible.
LRA’s leadership will engage in decision-making that facilitates a relationally healthy, financially sound, and publicly visible organization with the larger goal of establishing a voice in the national conversation about the role of literacy research in social change. We will accomplish this by establishing and sustaining member involvement, ethical practices, democratic decision making, and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
LRA stands poised to take a proactive leadership role with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will do this by naming and rejecting injustices in our organization that cut across lines of race, language, class, sexual orientation and gender, ethnicity, religion, and ability. We will seek to include diversity and differences within our organizational structures, processes and policies (e.g. diversity of thought, perspective, people). We will do this through practices that connect diversity and inclusion to excellence, equity, and humanity. This includes the creation of organizational spaces for members to build relationships across difference with the goal of exchanging perspectives, building understanding, and creating equity.
POLICY & ADVOCACY
COMMUNICATIONS
MENTORING
LRA stands poised to take a proactive leadership with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will do this by naming and rejecting injustices in our organization that cut across lines of race language, class, sexual orientation and gender, ethnicity, religion, and ability. We will seek to include diversity and difference within our organizational structures, processes and policies (e.g. diversity of thought, perspective, people). We will do this through practices that connect diversity and inclusion to excellence, equity, and humanity. This includes the creation of organizational spaces for members to build relationships across difference with the goal of exchanging perspectives, building understanding, and creating equity.
The aim of LRA’s communication work is to: 1) represent and promote the organization’s mission, practices, and contributions to literacy research, 2) facilitate member access to governance policies and procedures and governance updates (e.g. leadership opportunities, voting, policy changes), and 3) support member engagement in shaping emerging questions and concerns related to the organization and the broad field of literacy research, with the larger goal of establishing a voice in the national conversation about the role of the literacy research in social change. We will accomplish this by establishing and maintaining a high quality digital platform, maintaining and regularly updating governance procedures, creating responsive and equitable sites for dialogue, and recruiting and insuring a broad representation of members’ perspectives and concerns.
LRA provides mentorship opportunities for scholars at all levels thereby creating sustained energy throughout the profession and the organization. We will accomplish this by engaging in reciprocal mentoring across experienced, mid-career, and emerging scholars.
