Literacy Research Association Releases State of Black Male Research Report

LAGRANGE, Ga., March 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Literacy Research Association (LRA) has released a Literacy Research Report entitled, "The State of Black Male Literacy Research." The report discusses theories, conceptual frames, and groundings informing the research on Black male literacy development in grades PreK-12.

The report was authored by LRA members Alfred W. Tatum, Aaron Johnson, and David McMillon and reviews both quantitative and qualitative research studies dating from 1999-2020 with primary or secondary data analysis focused on Black males from PreK-12.

Notable findings include that Black male literacy research is noticeably absent in multiple regions throughout the U.S. and across multiple contexts, there is a disconnect between the Black male literacy crisis discussed in policy reports or reports of national data with the existing research, and there is a theorizing overload and an impact in the aggregate underload.

The authors' call for action included a call to "sound the siren" that connects to the perceived Black male literacy crisis. They also emphasize the importance of conducting literacy research in ethically responsible ways.

To nurture the Black male research architecture, the literacy research community must establish a vision for Black male literacy development based on the strong Black male literate tradition and conduct research to move us toward the vision. Other suggestions included expanding the scope of research and placing an increased focus on causal claims that link disparate results and conducting research to complement the existing findings.

The full report can be found in the association's publication Literacy Research: Theory, Method, and Practice and on the LRA website.

The Literacy Research Association (LRA) is a non-profit professional organization, comprised of individuals who share an interest in advancing literacy theory, research, and practice. We are a community that engages in research and dialogue pertaining to literacy and related topics. We support the professional development of emerging and established scholars. We advocate research-informed improvements in education. We seek engagement with high-quality research and discussions of important theoretical, methodological, practice, and policy issues.

Media Contact:
David Yaden
[email protected]

SOURCE Literacy Research Association